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There’s a new kid in town. While I was in Liberty yesterday I saw this on the shelf and grabbed it up. I don’t know how long they’ve had it, I hadn’t heard it was available in the UK, so it was a nice surprise.
First impressions are that it will live up to expectations. Regular users of the other four P50s will be pleased to know that it smells less of vinegar than the original, although it does contain vinegar and alcohol as stabilisers for the reassuring amount of acids in the product.
I’ll do a full review/ingredients listing/comparison to the other P50s etc later this week after I’ve used it a few more times, but this P50 is targeting pigmentation and dullness so if they are your main concerns, I would invest in this today. I have no doubt in the P50 line. I use all of them. They are excellent products. The gold standard of acid toning.
I love Biologique Recherche but they don’t make it easy. The reluctance to sell to clients is becoming more of a problem as the brand becomes more well-known. I’ve had too many facial clients travel into town to see me, and use it as an opportunity to visit Liberty and buy P50, only to be refused service by the staff on counter unless they submit to a full skin analysis. I mean they literally refused to serve them. One of my clients said ‘In the end, I just said “Are you refusing to sell me this product?” and they caved, but it was painful.’ The first time you hear something it’s hearsay, but when it’s repeated over and over by different people, it’s a habit. Ditto the unavailability of samples. You know you have samples. I know you have samples. Customers know you have samples. Stop it.
Beauty buyers are much more informed and educated on their skin and the products available on the market than they ever were. It’s one thing to offer to distinguish the differences between the four P50s available in the UK, it’s another to make it mandatory pre-sale.
Since BR launched in the UK they have followed their practice worldwide and made it consistently difficult for people to get their hands on their goods. It’s routine to try and make add-on sales, it’s another to refuse to post anything out to people without the completion of said skin analysis. Even the addition of a UK-facing website hasn’t helped. You can’t shop on it. You either fill out an enquiry form and they contact you, or you call them and go through the analysis on the phone. It’s easier to get a prescription for retinoids.
I trained with the founders of BR in Paris over 15 years ago. M et Mme Allouche were warm, friendly, fiercely intelligent people with a real passion for the industry. They have both sadly now passed away and the company is run by their sons. Their passion seems to have somehow translated into snobbery and arrogance, and it’s a real shame. If you open a counter in a department store, especially such a prestigious one as Liberty, renowned worldwide for its service and offering, your duty is to their customers. And unless I’m mistaken, the stock on the shelf belongs to Liberty, not BR. If the BR staff refuse to serve you, ask for a department manager and get them to serve you. Needs must.
And BR, if you’re in the game, get on the field. Or get out of the stadium.
