12 Beauty Wonders from French Pharmacies
By Faith Xue
At this point, we’ve resigned ourselves to the fact that we will never be French—and thus, the certain je ne sais quoi so characteristic of effortlessly chic French women like Caroline de Maigret or Lea Seydoux will forever be out of our reach. Cue the long, heart-heavy sigh (or should we say: le sigh).
The good news is that even though we aren’t French, we can still channel the Parisian way of living—starting with our beauty routines, obviously. After all, what better way to channel our inner Marion Cotillard than by familiarizing ourselves with all the best French beauty gems? If you’ve ever stepped foot inside a French pharmacy, you’ll know what we mean when we say that they’re just better than your typical American drugstore. Rows and rows of chicly-packaged beauty wonders greet you when you enter, and promise to soothe all your skin ailments and hair woes with just a simple spritz or pat—no extensive eight-step regimen here (that’s the beauty of the French way, after all). Ahead, we’ve gathered twelve beauty wonders from France that will do everything from make the whites of your eyes whiter (yes, really) to soothe chapped lips and skin irritations in one swipe. Keep scrolling to see them all!
Innoxa Blue Drops
Don’t be alarmed by the electric blue tint—one drop of these cult-favorite French eye drops promise to make your eyes “sparkle” and revive the whites of your eyes, like magic.
Biafine
This do-it-all balm soothes chapped lips, burns, and any other mild skin irritations, as well as hydrates wherever your choose to use it. It’s the ultimate purse staple for any French girl (or wannabe).
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrate
A soothing, light-as-air moisturizer that plumps your skin, and can be used as a cleanser, mask, or primer? It exists, and it’s called Embryolisse. Ask any makeup artist, and most likely, they’ll tell you this is a kit staple. Also, lucky for us, you can now find this French-favorite in a number of retailers stateside.
Homeoplasine
Consider this non-greasy ointment the French version of Aquaphor—but instead of a shiny finish, it leaves behind a matte, smooth glow. It’s no wonder makeup artists swear by this product.
Bioderma Crealine H20 Mecelle Solution
Another multi-tasker (sensing a trend here?), Bioderma’s cleansing water is a model favorite because it takes off makeup in one sweep, as well as leaves your skin feeling fresh and clean.
Lakshmi Kajal Cold
Makeup artist Daniel Martin stopped by our offices recently and clued us in on this French beauty store gem. If you like your eyeliner black, budge-proof, and super inky, you need this Kajal liner in your life ASAP.
Nuxe Rêve de Miel Baume Lèvres
Nuxe is a French brand that has slowly migrated stateside, and we couldn’t be happier. We’re open about our love for the line’s body oil, but the luxurious, honey-hued lip balm is another editor-favorite (you can pick it up at Birchbox.com and Target).
Erborian Yuza Sorbet
Martin also swears by this bouncy, light-as-a-feather moisturizer by French-Korean skincare brand Erborian (it’s a best-seller at Sephora France). The exciting news is that you’ll be able to shop this line at Sephora stores across the U.S. as early as May 2015 (you can actually try out their Perfect Morning BB Mask now, if you’re curious/impatient).
Ialuset Hyaluronic Acid Crème
Chances are, you know by now that hyaluronic acid is one of your skin’s best friends; products that contain it promise to hydrate and bind moisture to your skin without feeling heavy or thick. So—you might want to sit down for this—what if we told you that in France, you can buy pure hyaluronic acid? Martin shared this bombshell with us, and we subsequently freaked out. We’d like this product from Ialuset to migrate to the state immediately, please.
Zao Organic Silk Foundation
A natural, liquid foundation that covers, conceals, and leaves a silky-smooth finish is hard to come by—which is exactly why you’ll be glad to know that you can now buy the French-based organic makeup brand, Zao, in the U.S.
Yon-Ka Lait Auto-Bronzat
If you’ve ever wondered how French women always look sun-kissed, yet never veer into orange territory, here’s your answer. This much-loved self-tanner from cult French beauty line Yon-Ka is made with natural botanicals and fruit extracts to leave you with a subtle, natural-looking glow at any time of year.
Avène Thermal Spring Water
And finally, no list of French beauty products would be complete without Avène’s facial mist. French actress Eva Green told us she never leaves home without it, and all the cool French girls swear by it. We’re just glad we can now buy the product easily in the U.S.—saving us lots of room in our carry-on for next trip overseas.
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