All about: Avène's all new PhysioLift Smoothing, Plumping Serum

My obsession with French beauty may have started with a red lipstick, but it's French skincare that really turned my head and reeled me in. Packing for Paris means leaving room in your suitcase for one heck of a lot of beauty-related purchases - after all, the city’s legendary pharmacies and perfumeries are impossible to resist.

And it’s not just the products - the philosophy that goes alongside their most famous brands is equally as alluring. French women are very much concerned about looking after their skin and their body in the long term, as opposed to the mainly-US and UK-based beauty approach that looks for results, NOW. This attitude permeates into the New Zealand Australian psyche a lot these days as well – women expect products to work over night, and if they don’t get the results they desire straight away they opt for harsh chemicals and exfoliants that may provide the wow-factor in the short term, but will irreparably damage their skin over time.

Which brings me to Eau Thermale Avène, a legendary French brand that is available in New Zealand, and one of most gentle and calming skincare out there. A brand centred on the use of thermal spring water and its soothing properties, all Avène products are created to heal and soothe even the most sensitive skin types. Even children.

One of the most recommended skincare brands by French dermatologists, it works to fight against irritated skin, intolerant skin and allergic skin. Its most famous offering is its Thermal Spring Water, which has calmed my skin over the years even when it’s been at its most eczema-afflicted. A naturally soothing source for sensitive skin since 1743, Avène’s Thermal Spring Water's unique composition is clinically shown by over 150 studies to calm, soothe and soften the skin. Ideal for red, sensitive or irritated skin and perfect for post-workout, travel, outdoor activities or to freshen up makeup, it is incredibly reasonably priced and a must in every bathroom. 

So, the brand is famous for its gentle formulations that soothe even the most sensitive of skin, but also for its anti-ageing line, Physiolift, that addresses the needs of mature skin without drying it out or irritating it. Physiolift Day Smoothing Cream is surprisingly basic but works a charm. It contains sodium hyaluronate to hydrate skin, backed with shea butter to add extra moisture and create a barrier on the skin that prevents moisture loss for at least 8 hours. It also absorbs super quickly and creates a plump, even surface for your makeup – bonus! If you have oily skin they have the option of Physiolift Day Smoothing Emulsion, which has a lighter touch.

Physiolift Eye Crème is designed to smooth wrinkles and firm the skin around the eye area whilst helping to diminish puffiness and dark circles, whilst the heavenly-feeling Physiolift Smoothing Regenerating Night Balm takes a very French, slow but steady approach to results.  A cross between a balm and a gel, it sinks in quickly, without leaving a greasy residue on your face, or your pillow. It contains the likes of sodium hyaluronate to plump up skin and dimethicone to fill in fine lines, but also pulls out one of the bigger guns in the form of retinal. Also known as retinhaldeyde, retinal is a form of vitamin A that can be converted by the body into retinoic acid or retinol in just one simple step. Once that happens, retinal boosts the production of collagen and increases skin’s thickness and elasticity. It’s less immediately effective than retinol, but also gentler, which is why it’s a much better choice for those with sensitive skin. It’s also a great starting point for those of you who want to try retinol but are too afraid to take the plunge.

But on to the reason for my post, which is the release of the latest addition to the PhysioLift range – the Smoothing, Plumping Serum. Enhanced with two sizes of Hyaluronic Acid, this serum helps visibly smooth and plump the skin and is formulated with a patented combination of ingredients to visibly reduce the appearance of pronounced wrinkles and furrows for skin that looks firmer and more luminous. Straight away! Over champagne and treats (bien sûr!) I heard all about its incredible ingredients a few weeks ago at a beautiful launch at The Glasshouse, and I was seriously impressed. They include Ascofilline, which is derived from the moisturising agents found in brown algae and supports collagen in the skin and reduces the appearance of pronounced wrinkles. HAMO (Hyaluronic acid mono-oligomers), at the optimal molecular weight of Hyaluronic Acid, penetrate into the skin to visibly plump and firm the skin, whilst Hyaluronic Acid Microspheres, at a high molecular weight for ideal diffusion at the skin's surface, visibly plump the skin, smoothing the appearance of pronounced wrinkles furrows and lines instantly.

Patented Pre-tocopheryl, a photo-stable form of Vitamin E, provides antioxidant protection, and last but by no means least, Avène Thermal Spring Water soothes, softens and calms the skin.

With an RRP of $80 this serum is a little pricier than some of the brand’s other products, but all signs point to it being a game changer. If you’re in the market for a fresher, brighter and more hydrated skin as we head into winter than I highly recommend that you give it a whirl.