Top Three: Skin-first influencer Laetitia Pelch’s products for dark skin
IMAGE VIA Laëtitia Pelch
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
If in doubt, head to YouTube.
I’m a notoriously nosy person when it comes to products. I want to know whether you double cleanse at night, and if so which cleansers you use. I want to know if there’s some special hair contraption or pair of tweezers that have (hyperbole warranted) changed your life. I want to know what curl definer you use and which lip balm you swear by.
But my interest in products doesn’t just pertain to the world of beauty – I’m always eager to hear about an air fryer that someone loves so much they’ve convinced their entire extended family to get one, or a laptop stand that’s corrected their posture and improved their quality of life by at least 25 per cent.
Want to snoop inside the beauty regimes of other creatives? Head here.
In short, j’adore products. This is why I’ve asked some of our favourite Australian beauty and skincare influencers for their top three products, AKA the products they simply cannot live without. The scope is broad – it can genuinely be any three products, as long as they’re the three they value the most.
This week we have influencer Laëtitia Pelch joining us. From Bordeaux, France, she moved to Australia just two years ago and has been dabbling in minimalist makeup and skin-first beauty since. Here, she tells us what her favourite products are and how she checks whether a product will suit her dark skin tone and 4C hair.
Product one: NYX Butter Gloss in Ginger Snap
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How did you first discover this product?
I found this product through a review on YouTube. When it comes to makeup, I need to see how it will look on someone with the same skin tone as me before placing a purchase. I remember I typed in the search bar “best lip combos for dark skin”. The options are endless, thank me later.
What is it, what does it do and why do you love it?
Firstly, the tint of this gloss shows up on my lips, which is already a major factor as it’s not always the case with others brands. Secondly, it’s the perfect nude for a dark skin tone and it suits every makeup look. It gives me the ‘my lips but better’ feeling. It delivers sheer-to-medium coverage and so it will even your lip colour (you know the struggle if you have one lip darker than the other one). It’s not sticky at all, or overly glossy. It can be worn on its own but I like to pair it with a brown lip liner. And sometimes, I add a transparent gloss on top.
Where can we find it and who would you recommend it to?
You can find it at Priceline. I’m sure anyone can find happiness in the NYX butter gloss collection, these lip glosses are so affordable with amazing quality and texture. I will definitively recommend ginger snap for dark skin tones as this shade complements us so well.
Product two: Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
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How did you first discover this product?
I had heard so many good reviews about this product, so I always wanted to try it. I have been definitively convinced after listening to an episode of my favourite beauty podcast Naked Beauty where Brooke, the host, was raving about this product. I have been lucky enough to be contacted by a PR agency to try Paula’s Choice and this little grey bottle was included.
What is it, what does it do and why do you love it?
Where to start? It’s a cult favourite and the bestseller from the brand for years. It’s an exfoliant with salicylic acid which will exfoliate dead skin cells while unclogging pores, brightening and evening out skin tone. It’s so gentle that you can use it daily. I haven’t experienced any major breakouts since I started using it. If your pores are free from oil, dirt and dead skin cells, bacteria won’t have an environment to thrive. Long story short, keep your pores clean.
Where can we find it and who would you recommend it to?
If you have some dark spots from pimples you are struggling to remove or if you want to deeply clear your pores to prevent future breakouts, this might be the solution. I can’t live without this exfoliant. You can grab yours here.
Product three: Carol’s Daughter Coco Crème Sulfate-Free Shampoo
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How did you first discover this product?
I can’t remember how I found this exact product but I knew, thanks to many reviews on YouTube, that Carol’s Daughter was a trusted and loved brand in the natural hair community. I wanted to try anything I could find from her and it happened to be the Coco Crème range.
What is it, what does it do and why do you love it?
This is my go-to shampoo – the one I will always have in my bathroom, the one I always reach for when I want to have a quick wash day. I wasn’t really impressed when I first used it, but I’m glad I gave it another chance. This is how this shampoo became a staple in my hair regimen. From my experience, I can say it’s a nice, hydrating shampoo that truly cleanses my hair without stripping it. It smells so good, and it leaves my hair so soft and moisturised.
Where can we find it and who would you recommend it to?
If you are still looking for a gentle shampoo that will not leave your hair stiff once you wash out the product, this one will do. It’s sulfate- and paraben-free, so perfect to avoid any scalp irritation. I was lucky to find a bundle (shampoo, conditioner, crème) back in 2019 on Amazon for $55 with shipping included. I might need to find another reseller as most good natural hair brands are from US and aren’t available in Australia.
You can follow Laëtitia here.
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