I never really tried any French beauty products while I lived in France. Whenever my U.S bought beauty products were almost running low, I’d suffer an acute form of hallucinations. Just kidding.. but I did get pretty dramatic about it. I’d make calls, send emails, and hunt down anyone who was visiting from the U.S to send me a replacement. I never really considered french skin care products as an option…well, not until my recent trip, when I arrived with almost empty bottles of toners and cleansers because most of it had leaked into my suitcase! :/ When I decided to do a little research online to find some quick alternatives, I was pleasantly surprised. I discovered I was actually sitting on a gold mine of some really coveted beauty products here in France.
I was fortunate enough to run into a very informative pharmacist at a local drug store who was willing to spend close to an hour rambling on about french beauty tips and the best french beauty products to try. Ironically, by the time we wrapped up our conversation, I had fewer items in my shopping basket. But that’s the trick I learned from her, you don’t need much!
My French Beauty Ritual
At night: I use Caudalie Make-Up Removing Cleansing Oil to clean my lashes and brows. The pharmacist who got me hooked on it told me a lot of people bought this product because it worked amazingly on lashes, so whether I have eye make up on or not, I gently massage this onto my eyelids for 30 seconds then rinse off. I also use a sugar scrub to exfoliate my lips and then massage a dab of almond oil onto my lips for about 15 seconds. I then use a cotton pad along with the immensely popular Bioderma Micellar water (you can try this one too) to wipe all the makeup and dirt off my face and then spray a little Thermal spring water ( I LOVE THIS ! ) on my face and neck. Finally, I massage a little Nuxe lip balm onto my lip to lock the moisture in before bed.
In the morning: I splash my face with cold water, and wipe off any residue from the night before with a Micellar cleanser, moisturize with sunscreen for the lips and face and I’m good to go.