Thursday 13 February 2014

Salon skin care: Gatineau

If there's one thing that I really invest in it's skincare since needless to say it's the foundation for everything else, and it doesn't really matter how much you spend on makeup and other things if you don't look after your skin. There are so many excellent brands that cater to different needs, but I particularly like salon skin care, i.e. products that are used during professional treatments that you can also buy and take with you home to continue maintain your skin every day until the next time you treat yourself to a facial. I often find that salon skin care brands is more about tried and tested high quality products that are recommended to you by professionals and less about snazzy looking packaging and marketing spiels. In the first post I did about salon skin care we looked at Dermalogica and today we've got a brand that I know very well and have been using for years - Gatineau. Gatineau is a French skin care brand that has been around for more than 80 years, and the concept behind it is to combine science and nature to produce innovative products based on input not only from beauty therapists and dermatologists but also from scientists and physiotherapists for a holistic approach to skin care. I've tried a lot of different products from the range and here are some of my staple products.

First up is the Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Concentrate (£48.50) which is a gorgeous serum, to be used as a moisture booster before you apply your daily moisturiser or you can even use it on its own. It has a lovely and incredibly light almost gel like consistency that sinks into the skin at the lightest touch and a small drop is enough to cover your facing leaving it feeling very hydrated and smooth. It has a fresh marine smell and not only does it add hydration to the skin before you get on with your daily routine, it also contains ingredients to help the skin maintain an ideal level of moisture throughout the day. Gatineau has a great range of serums, but this is most definitely one of my favorites, particularly at times of year when your skin feels stressed or dry and this has been working hard for me this winter. 
From the same range comes the Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Eye Roll-On (£32.50) which is an ultra-light lotion for the eye area that you apply with a very practical roll-on applicator and again it's intended to add lots of hydration to the skin to help reduce puffiness, bags under the eyes and any lines or wrinkles. It has a lovely soothing draining effect, and to enhance the cooling sensation I like to keep this in the fridge. Since it comes in such a sleek little tube you can easily carry this with you in your handbag and apply during the day over your makeup since it instantly blends into skin and it's especially nice to use in the afternoon to refresh tired eyes, when like me you're staring at a computer all day long or whenever you need a moisture boost.

After your serum and eye cream, you need a moisturiser and a Gatineau product that I've repurchased several times is the Melatogenine AOX Probiotics Advanced Rejuvenating Cream (£76.25) which is a rich anti ageing cream that contains antioxidants and probiotics for intense protection and moisturising of the skin to boost suppleness and firmness and it also reduces appearance of lines. You can use this both during the day and night, but I prefer to use it as part of my morning routine since I find that it adds a lovely glowing radiance to the skin. It's a very luxurious and energizing cream that really feels as if it's doing something on your skin, without leaving any oiliness or residue and you can apply your makeup straight away on top of it. This cream is primarily intended for skin over 40s, but the way I see it, there's nothing wrong with starting early and hoping that you can keep pesky lines at bay as long as possible. There's no denying that this is a fairly expensive cream, however you only need a very small amount of it, so it will last a long time and it also keeps its freshness for 24 months so no need to worry that it'll go off.

Do you use a separate neck cream or do you use your normal moisturiser? I know that the jury is still out on this one and you'll get different answers depending on who you ask, but I'm in the camp of those who vote for a separate neck product. Just as the eye area has specific needs which is why a specific formula is needed, so does the neck and I've been loving the Strategie Jeunesse Firming Throat Gel (£42) which contains different vitamins and minerals and protein extracts that give a tightening effect and that also protect against sagging. It's a lovely light gel with a beautiful subtle scent or orange that feels so fresh and invigorating to use.

The last product is an item that I haven't used very long but that has quickly become a firm favorite of mine - it's the DefiLift 3D Perfect Design Revolumising Lip Care (£28) which is an amazing plumping and moisturising lipbalm. It has a very silky texture that hydrates and smooths the lips and that adds a little bit of temporary plumpness which makes it perfect as a lip primer since it also doesn't have ny horrible tingling that some plumping products do or stickiness. Since the formula also has firming effects I really like to use this as a mask for the lip contours overnight. 

You can of course get Gatineau in salons, but for some amazing deals I would highly recommend that you check out QVC, lookfantastic.com or feelunique.com.

58 comments:

  1. I usually use the same moisturizer as my face, on my neck! Great post :)

    AJ | www.TheAJMinute.com

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  2. All these Products sounds interresting, but i´m not sure if we have this brand in germany.

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    1. Ah, that's a shame - there is of course always eBay :o). Xx

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  3. The eye roll on and lip care look great will have to try these out. Especially as I have such bad black circles x

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    1. The eye roll on is such a light and refreshing emulsion, definitely worth getting :o). Xx

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  4. These products look amazing! I would love to try the eye roll on! :-) xxx

    www.stylapetite.com

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    1. It's so practical to take with you in the handbag - a lovely product :o). Xx

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  5. This all looks gorgeous!! I love the luxury of it but it definitely is pretty much out of the ball park when it comes to my beauty budget. I think though if money was no object I'd look at the AquaMemory range xx

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    1. It's by far my favorite range - it's so fresh and it makes your skin feel incredibly hydrated, the marine scent is another little bonus :o). Xx

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  6. these sound amazing and the packaging is really nice too but wow they are expensive :)
    Melissa
    theinkedblonde

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    1. It's not a cheap range, but QVC does the most amazing deals where you get two products for just a little bit more than the price of one :o). Xx

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  7. I never heard about these products but definetely would love to try them, seem so helpful!
    Xxx

    Carolina

    www.the-world-c.blogspot.com

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    1. They're excellent quality and I would highly recommend them :o). Xx

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  8. Replies
    1. If you're looking for a real investment in your skin care then this is the brand to try out :o). Xx

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  9. Really interesting range, the throat gel is especially intriguing! Great post as always Charlotte! :) x

    The Beauty Scrapbook

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    1. That's so lovely of you - THANK YOU :o). Xx

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  10. Great post, I've been in the market for a new skin care regimen but it's so hard to decide where to start when there are so many out there.

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    1. Thank you very much. I would definitely recommend the Aquamemory range - we all need some extra moisture don't we? :o). Xx

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  11. I see their products everywhere! Great review, I need to get that eye roll-on!

    Lace and Lipstick Stains

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    1. Yeeay - it's so nice to see that Gatineau is getting much more known outside salons now, and it's definitely a brand worth trying :o). Xx

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  12. Looks like great products <3

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    1. Absolutely, and if you're looking for a new serum, they have an excellent range to choose from for all skin types and needs :o). Xx

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  13. Replies
    1. Thank you so much :o), that's really nice of you Xx

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  14. I'm finally realizing the importance of good skincare recently! I'm excited to try more brands and see which one works! Great post, btw! :)

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  15. I totally agree that skincare is the best investment and where I allow myself to splurge a little! I am going to have to try this out. Thanks for sharing!
    Sarah
    whatsarahknows

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    1. Good luck with it and I hope you'll enjoy whatever you end up getting :o). Xx

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  16. Replies
    1. It's a great and nifty little product :o). Xx

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  17. I have no experience with this brand so thanks for the great introductions. loved this post!

    katespitz.blogspot.com

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  18. Nice review! I usually use the same crème that I'm using on my face on my neck.

    Ray | Obey Ray

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  19. Replies
    1. LOL - very true, let's all have cake :o). Xx

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  20. Replies
    1. It's a super brand and I highly recommend it :o). Xx

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  21. This seems like such a luxe, awesome brand! I need to get more serious about skin care...never heard of using a separate neck cream! I'm following your blog ♥

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    1. That's really nice of you - thank you so so much :o). Xx

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  22. Replies
    1. It's a great brand, well worth a go :o). Xx

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  23. Ooooops, I've never heard of this brand, but it was great to learn about it! :)

    Mademoiselle-Lala.com

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    1. I hadn't heard about Gatineau until I started using it at the salon years ago, but now I'm addicted :o). Xx

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  24. I've never heard of this brand before, it sounds great!

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    1. It's fuss free, great skincare - a super investment in your skin :o). Xx

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  25. I've never tried this brand - it sounds lovely, especially the serum x

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    1. They have an excellent range and the Aquamemory for me is just perfect :o) Xx

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  26. Hi Charlote, i hope you are well and having a lovely week. Eveytime I visit here you always have a very detailed post which I enjoyed reading each time. I never heard of this brand before - omg it sound amazing, especially the serum as it sound like something i need for my skin.

    http://www.annanuttall.com/

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    1. Hey Anna - hope you are fine too. I highly recommend checking out QVC for some of their amazing deals to try it! Have a great weekend :o). Xx

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  27. I love my Gatineau product Charlotte (and my mum is partial too!). Love the Defi-Lift Lip Care at night. Got an Aquamemory roll-on on the go, just started with the throat gel and I like it - to name but a few ... I could go on all night ...! xx

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    1. Yeay - another fan :o). I've never been disappointed by any of their products, and always look forward to try something new from them :o). Xx

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  28. Looks like neat stuff. I spy that Jo Malone in the corner!

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    1. Ah yes - the Peony and Blush Suede candle, it's beautiful :o). Xx

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  29. Hmm, never heard of this brand but I'm going to go check it out - it sounds amazing! I usually just use my Aveeno moisturizer but I really need to start looking into a better skincare routine and this might help a lot!

    xo Deborah
    Coffee, Prose, and Pretty Clothes

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    1. You can get some great starter kits with a little bit of everything to tempt you :o). Xx

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  30. I've heard so many good things about the Gatineau brand, it's everywhere! I'd be the same that I really don't mind forking out alot of money for skincare. Expensive eyeshadow, what have you, doesn't look great without a clean base. :)
    lipstickandlightening.blogspot.ie

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    1. Completely agree and with Gatineau you definitely get what you pay for, it's an excellent investment in your skin :o). Xx

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