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In France on holiday are there any beauty products I must buy?

36 replies

Sandgroper · 12/08/2014 09:33

I am in love with their "pharmacies" they have so many interesting products.

Are their any that you beauty gurus recommend I must buy?

I love Sephora and have been looking for a shop but we are staying in the middle of the countryside and no avail in towns nearby. Might have to persuade DH to stop off at the one at Cite Europe on the way home!

OP posts:
ohmymimi · 12/08/2014 19:20

Watching for suggestions with interest - I'm off to Paris in three weeks.

Naicecuppatea · 12/08/2014 20:21

La Roche Posay and Avene skincare are excellent French brands for sensitive skin and for anti-aging. Caudalie smells nice but is perhaps not as effective.

butterfliesinmytummy · 12/08/2014 20:24

In paris at the moment. I live in the USA and to be honest the prices here are much the same or more for lrp, avene and Vichy. I have stocked up on caudalie as it's a brand I love. For paris, try cityPharma in rue du four in the 6th arrondissement (metro st germain). It's crazy busy but has awesome skin are ranges and good prices.

Oriunda · 12/08/2014 20:28

Nuxe is lovely. I buy La Roche Posay suncare for myself and DS.

Carpaccio · 12/08/2014 20:31

Avene and La Roche-Posay.
Nuxe.
Klorane.

I think France has the chain called Marionnaud - their own brand brushes are great.

I used to buy shower gels and creams from a brand called Kneipp. The products smell amazing - I really liked the lavender range. The French pharmacies should stock the brand but you may also be able to find it in supermarkets.

Dermophil Indien lip balm and hand cream. Best ever.

beachywaves · 12/08/2014 20:40

AModelRecommends online has some recommendations - may be useful.

polyhymnia · 12/08/2014 20:43

I love Citypharma in Rue du Four too but have to agree many of the best French skincare lines are available here (at least where I live in London) and, sadly, since the Euro, no cheaper in France. Still great to browse in para pharmacies .

Notonaschoolnight · 12/08/2014 20:50

Beachy beat me to it what Ruth bought is one of her posts this week

XiCi · 12/08/2014 20:53

Have just got back from Paris. Just love their pharmacies. Stocked up on Nuxe, La Roche Posay and Klorane.

TeaAddict235 · 12/08/2014 22:18

the diaderma cleanser and toner in the pink bottles are brill.
my skin was the bees knees while I was studying over there.

Check out Carrefour's toiletries too, they're not bad.

let us know what you get too Smile

ShutTheFuckUpBarbara · 12/08/2014 22:29

Oenobiol skin supplements are fab, especially the ones that prepare your skin to sun exposure.

I second Nuxe.

T. Leclerc make-up; they have an amazing range of loose and compact powder shades, including "banane", a yellow one which does wonders for the complexion.

Look out for African shops for a great choice in cheap, pure oils for skin/hair like coconut, shea butter, monoi, palm, etc.

Sleepwhenidie · 12/08/2014 22:35

Caudalie body lotion is gorgeous and 200ml in SpaceNK is £19 whereas 400ml is 19Euro in France, I love it, very fresh smell that I associate with summer and leaves skin very soft.

StairsInTheNight · 12/08/2014 22:39

I was coming on to say Kneipp.

Bonsoir · 12/08/2014 23:04

Bioderma is an excellent brand.

BeaLola · 13/08/2014 00:30

I buy Bioderma, LRP, Caudalie and Nuxe online from escentual.com -they often have 20-25%off

Sandgroper · 13/08/2014 07:30

Hi Ladies

Wow that should keep me going for a while. Just have to escape from DH and DS to have a good look around.

Will report back with my purchases!

Thanks Smile

OP posts:
WildBillfemale · 13/08/2014 07:37

Bioderma - it's easy to get the micellar water in the UK but all the other creams/scrubs/masks etc they make are on sale in French Pharmacies.

Nuxe is cheaper.

Lancaster sun care

Look out for the little metal tripod style blackhead extractors too. much better than the traditional 'spoon with a hole' type.

mcgilly · 13/08/2014 07:51

Ahhh Kneipp bath salts. Divine.

mignonette · 13/08/2014 08:47

Go for Nuxe- the honey lip balm and Huile Prodigieuse are sumptuous. That scent....Nuxe Rêve de Miel night cream, Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals (so pretty!), Gommage Corps Fondant NUXE BODY- a lovely soft body cream with good 'slip',

I also stock up on Vichy as their facial wash off gels are brilliant at waking me up, they don't tighten my face and smell lovely too. Try Purifying Foaming Cream Cleanser.

Klorane is super inexpensive and more widely stocked-go for the cornflower eye make up remover, the peony shampoo and the children's ranges. Klorane Superfatty Shower Gel Aquatic Garden is designed to the dry and sensitive skins and I use this too. THE shampoo to use to help post pregnancy hair thinning is Klorane Quinine B6 Shampoo - This strengthening shampoo is perfect for people suffering from hair-loss and is specially formulated for dull, tired-looking hair.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle.The only one I would use because it has a natural scent.

Biafine ointment is particularly great on burns and dry chapped skin.

Bioderma Crealine H2O - a make-up remover that is sensitive enough to remove eye make-up as well, and considering it is for all skin types it does a great job of removing make-up properly and quickly. It feels like silky water on the skin and has a really cool medicine style bottle.

Avibon is French vitamin A cream, and it’s sold there over-the-counter, no prescription required. It’s not as strong as Retin-A, mind you. But great fro wrinkles, sun damage and general war wounds of ageing.

Homeoplasmine ointment is one of those rare Parisian chemist finds - a staple for make up artists, it goes on smooth and matte under make up - and overall miracle worker for chapped, dry, flaky skin everywhere!

Embryollise is a good range. Try Lait-Crème Concentré.

Cosmence moisturising eyes hydrasource- a push up cool gel stick that can be kept in the fridge to be ultra cooling.

Agnes b rose cleanser-Démaquillant 3 en 1 à la rose- I adore Agnes B and if you can find a jar or tube of Apricot correcting cream, snap it up. i have been using this since 1994 and it is amazing for a warm glow on tired grey winter skin. Agnes B- Correcteur de Vernis : Maquillage, Ongles, Soin des ongles, a nail varnish remover in a pen was THE first of its kind and the best in my eyes. Smart black and white packaging too.

Le Petit Marsellaise Douche & bain extra doux aux lait d'acacia- gorgeous acacia flower shower wash, bought from Monoprix for pennies. The other scents are good too- nut, vanilla.

Because Martinique is a French departement, the French have a lot of Caribbean and also Polynesian scents and products, The Monoi tiare tahiti, coconut oil gardenia scented oil is in most supermarkets and you'll also find Caribbean style oils and products scented with flowers. I slather this oil on year round and have used it to make shoes supple (dark coloured ones- rub it on inside. I saw this tip on a blog).

Elmex toothpaste. This toothpaste is highly recommended by dentists for its high concentration in fluoride and since it is always on offer in French parapharmacies, you have no excuse not to pop it in your basket. :)

Eau Jeune Eau Fraiche, especially the lemony one in the green glass bottle is sold in all supermarkets and is a lovely, lovely body splash, an EDT and something I have been using since I was eleven and first saw it on my French friends bathroom shelf.

Finally, this may not be your thing but the French have all major OTC medicines available as suppositories. I always used to stock up on rectal (PR) paracetamol, ibuprofen etc because they are far gentler on the stomach than the oral route. Also useful for babies and young children- if you can hack inserting them!

butterfliesinmytummy · 13/08/2014 13:10

Nice list mignonette, heading back to cityPharma this afternoon ;)

ThrowAChickenInTheAir · 13/08/2014 13:17

This is all very interesting (off to France tomorrowSmile). When you say 'pharmacies' should I be looking out for what I would probably assume to be a Boots type chemist?

mignonette · 13/08/2014 13:22

Throw

They are small independent chemists rather then Boots type stores. However French and Belgian supermarkets have quite a few of these brands so keep a look out in those. Monoprix is wonderful for toiletries and amazing old school style stationery- I but squared paper cahiers from there in bulk. Love them. Oh, and the nightwear is super gorgeous too- soft cotton leggings and vest tops, cotton pique and seersucker were all there last time I went.

Sandgroper · 13/08/2014 13:53

Fab fab list Mignonette. Wow you sure know your stuff, are you a Frenchie by any chance?

I just love going into Pharmacies and the "white lab coat wearing assistants", sets the scene really. Somehow it wouldn't be the same in Boots!

I shall definately stock up with some of your recommendations.

Have to smile at the last paragraph, can't imagine my DS's letting me anywhere near their derrières with suppositories, but know the French swear by them! Blush

OP posts:
mignonette · 13/08/2014 14:00

Thank you Sandgroper. Would love to know where your MN name comes from :)

I am descended from French Hugenots but not recently of French descent but I spent all my summers there as a child/teen/young adult so very fond of French toiletries and like you, love those white coated very medical looking pharmacie staff and surroundings. They are just so cool.

YY to suppositories- my nieces who live in mainland Europe have PR medication, even at nearly eleven! British kids would run a mile but they are perfectly happy to DIY now.

ThrowAChickenInTheAir · 13/08/2014 14:25

Many thanks mignonette and to Sandgroper for the thread Smile. I'll be looking out for these now. Love any excuse to try some new goodies. My French isn't too good, hope I don't have to try and explain with actions that I want to buy some suppositoriesGrin

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