Some of the best skincare I own came from a farmacia counter, not a luxury beauty floor. European pharmacy brands focus on barrier support, tolerance, and textures you actually want to use every day. Living in Madrid gives me a front-row seat. Sadly, many of the winners are sold only in Europe. So I tell you which ones are worth tracking down on your next trip abroad.
This is where I review all of it: French, Spanish, German, and Italian pharmacy staples, cult classics, and the hidden gems that rarely make it to the US.
New to European pharmacy skincare? Start with the finds you can’t easily get in the US.
Curious how formulas change across borders? See why NIVEA Creme made in Germany is better than the US version.
We may be experiencing a heatwave this week but I feel confident that, come Monday, we’ll be seeing sweater weather. And while I’m all about hoodies, scarves, and red wine by the fireplace, this time of year is not the…
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Especially, if your skin is in recovery mode. The La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 serum was not where my relationship with this range started. Have you ever been so underwhelmed by a cult favorite product that you wonder if you’re even…
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Dupe. There isn’t a word in the beauty space I loathe more. Back in the golden days of magazines, I constantly monitored the ‘splurge vs steal’ pages of many weeklies. And while I personally find the concept of a ‘dupe’…
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If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I took my first international flight last week in over two years. And, while life in Poland and Germany is nowhere near back to normal, Lisbon Airport seemed to be…
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The good news: we are days away from gaining an hour of daylight. The bad news is that despite the gorgeous Spring weather we’ve been having in the New York area this week, another nor’easter is on its way. And,…
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Navigating the beauty world can feel both exhausting and challenging and isn’t helped by the almost daily bombardment of new marketing solutions. So much more than industry buzzwords, however, phrases such as ‘free radical damage’ and ‘antioxidant protection’ are why…
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Did you know that July is UV Awareness Month? To help remind everyone how important it is to wear sunscreen, the French pharmacy legend, Avène, is offering a generous sun care bundle ($140 value!) for one lucky blog reader and…
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Pure, gentle, and always effective, the iconic French pharmacy favorite Avène is probably best known for Eau Thermale, its cult classic. The must-have-mist, however, represents only a sliver of their wide range of solutions for every skin related conundrum. Offering…
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