This 3-in-1 French Pharmacy Color Stick Is so Good It Replaced My Entire Makeup Routine
Finally, you can snag it in the U.S.
Little fun fact about me: I refuse to wear a full face of makeup in the winter. Between the frigid, misty air, skin-chapping winds, and indoor heating systems that zap moisture as soon as I find solace from the frosty weather, any foundation-bronzer-blush combo I wear winds up looking like a flaky mess by midday. (And the more I try to rectify the situation with concealer? The drier it appears.) When it comes to winter-proof makeup, less is definitely more, so I usually keep my layering to a minimum and rely on multitasking heroes—a buttery, redness-relieving moisturizer, for example, or a glowy sunscreen infused with bronzing pigments to warm up my complexion.
Lately, however, I've been counting on a single product for my entire face: Embryolisse's Color Balm 3-in-1 Stick. I tested it on a whim at my desk and immediately fell head over heels for its skin-loving formula and rich color payoff—so much so that it has since become my emotional-support makeup item. Allow me to clue you in on the magic of this French pharmacy staple.
To be fair, I haven't met an Embryolisse product I didn't like. I'm of course a fan of the cult-favorite Lait-Crème Concentré (one of the most covetable French moisturizers lauded by aestheticians and makeup artists), and I'll always reach for the brand's Radiant Complexion Creams when I'm craving a bright, subtly sun-kissed complexion (so, um, always). So suffice it to say, when the new Mocha Color Balm crossed my desk, I ripped open the packaging in record time.
At first swipe, I could already tell this would become a cold-weather makeup hero. It's so balm-like, effortlessly gliding across my skin thanks to aloe vera, Centella asiatica (aka cica), cottonseed oil, and castor oil. Yet unlike most color balms, which have a rather sheer payoff, this pigment is vibrant and concentrated; I could totally stick with one swipe and never reapply the rest of the day. That said, it does diffuse quite nicely the more I blend with a brush or my fingertips, fusing to my skin like the most natural flush. You really can't mess up the application, which also makes it wonderful to toss into your work bag for on-the-go touch-ups.
As its name implies, this is a three-in-one pigment designed to dress the eyes, lips, and cheeks in rich, rosy-brown color. I genuinely use it on my whole face—my cheekbones, lids, hairline, nose, and lips—for a monochromatic look that instantly springs my complexion to life. If you know me, then you know that mauvy-brown makeup is my fail-safe, and the Mocha shade could not be more flattering for my everyday looks. Those brown undertones make it a great blush-bronzer hybrid (a "blonzer," some may dub it), so I'll also use it to trace the sides of my nose and around my lips to subtly contour those areas. Pro tip I learned from celebrity makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez: If you smudge a bit of contour just underneath the belly of your bottom lip, it creates the illusion of a full, pouty lip without any extra lip liner.
No lie, I've been wearing the Mocha Color Balm every single day this winter, either all on its own or as part of a more involved glam routine, and it has never failed to make me look fresh and glowy. I love it so much that when I was in Paris last week, I practically sprinted to the nearest pharmacy to pick up an extra stick (I have an inkling it will instantly sell out on Amazon, so call me overprepared), plus another stunning shade only sold in France, just for good measure. My next Embryolisse obsession? This swoon-worthy poppy-red perfect for spring.
Shop the Embryolisse Color Balm 3-in-1 Stick in Mocha
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