Talk About Cosmetics - Avril Cosmétiques

I am so excited today because I love skincare and I love all things beauty related but I think I love makeup the most. There’s something so fun about experimenting with cosmetics and recently a French brand reached out to me and offered to send me some products. I was beyond ecstatic when I got the e-mail and thrilled when the products arrived (in 5 days, by the way! That’s insane!) because they’re absolutely stunning!

The first thing you need to know is that they are completely cruelty-free! In accordance with European regulation, they do no animal testing and are also certified by PETA. The brand launched in April of 2012 and has four main values in their mission of making organic cosmetics affordable for every woman and those values are quality, ecology, price, and service. Their organic range is certified by Ecocert, which guarantees that at least 95% of the total ingredients in each product are natural or from natural origin and at least 10% of the ingredients are organic. To check out their mission statement and read more about their values you can click here.

I selected a few products that I thought looked nice from their website and wound up completely blown away by them once they arrived. The products I’ve tried are on par with luxury products, with steep price tags, that I’ve tried for a fraction of the price. They are so richly pigmented, beautifully formulated, easy to apply and wear wonderfully throughout the day. I am so impressed that I can’t even find the words to describe how good I think these products are. Of course, I haven’t tried everything from the line but the ones I have tried are delightful.

The Eye Shadow Palette Nude is probably my favorite of the bunch. There are 6 brown-toned shadows housed in a very thin, but sturdy, cardboard package. Each individual pan of product is quite large (1.5g, to be exact) and the powders are quite pigmented so you’re getting a lot of product for your buck. You’re getting 3 shades described as iridescent in the top row and 3 mattes on the bottom. I find that I can create multiple looks using only this palette and all six shades pair well together or wear well individually. They are all buttery smooth, easy to blend and stay put on the eyes. I like each color a lot and I find that the formula is just so beautiful.

Next up, let’s talk about the L’Highlighter, a beautiful champagne-toned highlighting powder. This little compact is gorgeous. It’s slightly powdery because it’s so finely milled but it’s nothing too difficult to deal with it. I’ve found that it goes on so smoothly and looks so natural and effortless once applied. It’s not all glittery or chunky and just blends seamlessly into the skin to make you look glowy and ethereal. I’m a huge fan!

The L’Anti-Cernes, or Concealer, in Ivorie, is a product that I’m not completely sold on. It actually has a really great finish that looks like real skin, it's quite luminous, but it has a scent that I don’t adore. It’s thin and easy to apply. It seems to melt into the skin but I can continue to smell it once it’s on my skin and I don’t like that part. I’ll have to keep experimenting with it because the finish is so great.

The Lipstick Pencil in Corail is so pretty! I love the shade, a matte coral color, and the formula is really nice, as well. These crayon-type lip colors are so easy to use and make application a breeze. I’m so happy because this product doesn’t irritate my lips at all, and you know how sensitive my lips can be! It doesn’t tug or drag and seems to provide a nice level of hydration. It’s a perfect lip product to keep in your purse!

Finally is the Mascara Volume Noir. I adore the brush, and the formula is really nice! It’s a nice teddy bear bristle brush with a great shape that really helps define and add volume. The formula is gentle and perfectly pigmented. It seems like a really dry mascara at first but is buildable so each swipe makes the lashes look more and more volumized and long. I like to use about 3 coats for a full lashy look. It lasts really well throughout the day and doesn't irritate my eyes at all. It’s a really nice, natural mascara.

If you’re interested in learning more about Avril or checking out their entire range you can visit their website by clicking here. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

(FTC: These products were sent to me for free for review consideration. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)