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I have developed a bit of an obsession with French beauty products over the past few years. Between several trips to France, wandering through French pharmacies and beauty stores, visiting spas, and even discovering new products in hotel rooms and airline amenity kits, I have found quite a few French skincare, hair care, and body care products that I now use at home regularly.
And these aren’t just products I bought in France because the packaging was pretty! Most of the French beauty products in this post are things I actually use and repurchase. Some have been favorites for years, while others are newer discoveries from my most recent trip to the French Riviera.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to travel to France to buy them. Many of my favorite French beauty brands are available on Amazon, and sometimes I even find prices comparable to those in stores in France.
I have an entire French Beauty Favorites Amazon list with dozens of my favorite French skincare, hair care, body care, and beauty products. And if you love all things French, make sure to also browse my French Favorites + Gifts Inspired By France post for even more France-inspired Amazon finds.
French Beauty Products to Buy in France or on Amazon
My full French Beauty Favorites list on Amazon has around 50 French beauty products, so this post isn’t meant to include every single French beauty product out there. Instead, I want to highlight some of the French beauty products I personally use and love the most.
You’ll find everything from affordable French pharmacy skincare and moisturizing body products to premium French hair care and a few specialty brands that I first discovered while traveling in France.
If all of this was new to me, and I were to buy and try out three of the French beauty favorites in this post today, it would be:
Where to Buy French Beauty Products in France
One thing that can be confusing when you first start shopping for beauty products in France is figuring out where to buy different French beauty brands.
The shopping experience is a little different from what we are used to in the United States. Some of the brands Americans tend to think of as “French drugstore beauty” are most commonly associated with pharmacies in France, while other premium French beauty brands are sold in beauty stores, department stores, salons, or their own boutiques.
So, if you are heading to France and wondering where to shop for French skincare and beauty products, here is the easiest way I think about it.
French Pharmacy Beauty Products
For me, browsing a French pharmacy is part practical shopping and part travel experience. They are all over the place, and I usually pop into them all, as the selection and sales can vary!
This is where I look for many of the classic French pharmacy beauty brands and skincare products. NUXE is one of my absolute favorites, and I also look for brands such as Bioderma and Caudalie when I am beauty shopping in France.
If you are searching for the best French drugstore beauty products, this is probably the category you actually have in mind. French pharmacies and parapharmacies are great places to browse facial skincare, moisturizers, cleansing oils, body care, lip products, sunscreen, and other everyday French beauty favorites.
And don’t feel like you have to stock up on everything while you are there. I often compare prices because many of these French beauty products are also easy to order on Amazon once I get home.
I almost always travel with only a carry-on bag, so I have to limit myself to smaller products. I love looking for the little gift-style sets from NUXE and Caudalie that often come with a cute little pouch!
French Beauty Stores + Premium Beauty Brands
For higher-end French beauty products, I also shop at beauty stores, department stores, salons, and individual brand counters.
Clarins is one of the premium French beauty brands I have really fallen in love with, and I have discovered several of my Clarins favorites in memorable ways, including at French spas and even in an Air France business-class amenity kit and airplane bathroom!
These premium French skincare and hair care products tend to cost more than pharmacy brands, but I have found several that I think are worth the splurge.
Specialty French Stores
Then there are the French beauty brands that are especially fun to seek out while traveling because visiting the store itself becomes part of the experience.
Fragonard immediately comes to mind. I visited Fragonard on several trips while traveling along the French Riviera and absolutely love their hand creams. If your France itinerary takes you to Èze, France, you can even visit the Fragonard perfume factory while you are there.
I also love their cute totes and clothes and always come home with new Fragonard souvenirs! On our recent French Riviera girls’ trip, my sister and I shopped at the Fragonard stores in Nice, Antibes, and at the Nice airport!
I also love L’Occitane, which has beautiful boutiques filled with skincare, body care, fragrance, and gift sets. You can certainly buy L’Occitane products at home, but I still love browsing their stores when I am in France. I absolutely love the L’Occitane 20% Shea Hand Creams.
All of these French beauty products tend to make really great gifts, too!
My Favorite French Beauty Products
Now, I want to go through some of my favorite French beauty products so that you can pick them up while in France, or shop for them on Amazon today!
Let’s start with the French pharmacy and drugstore beauty products I use the most. These are some of the easiest French beauty brands to incorporate into your everyday skincare and body care routine, and several of these products are things I have repurchased over and over.
Bioderma French Skincare + Body Care
Bioderma is widely available in French pharmacies and parapharmacies, and its oil-based cleansers are phenomenal. I have loved every Bioderma product I have tried!
Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil
This Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil may be the French beauty product I use most consistently. I use it in practically every single shower, and my skin always feels so soft and hydrated afterward.
It cleanses without leaving my skin with that dry or tight feeling I get from some traditional body washes. The large pump bottle lasts a long time, too. If you are looking for a French pharmacy body care product to try first, this would be very high on my list.
I have even gifted this Bioderma Shower Oil at a Favorite Things Party, and my friends still tell me how much they love it!
NUXE French Beauty Products
NUXE is probably the French beauty brand I own the most products from. I have tried many products from several of NUXE’s skincare and body care collections, and there are quite a few I continue to use at home.
One item that is harder to find in the US is the NUXE Crème Fraîche 3-en-1. If you come across that, make sure to try it!
NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Oils
NUXE Huile Prodigieuse oils are the products that started my obsession with the brand. And I recommend them to friends and family whenever I get the chance. I have all of the versions: standard, shimmer, and florale, and they all smell amazing.
It’s a multi-purpose dry oil that can be used on your body and hair, and I especially love using it when I want my skin to feel moisturized without a heavy or greasy finish. I typically rub it on my body and then, at the end, rub what’s left through my hair, especially the ends.
It also just feels very French to me: pretty packaging, a beautiful fragrance, and something that turns a normal everyday routine into a little luxury.
NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Roll-On Oils
Once I realized NUXE made its famous oils in a roll-on version, I obviously had to try those too!
I especially love the gold shimmer version. It gives skin a subtle glow and is so pretty on shoulders, arms, and legs when you are dressed up or heading somewhere warm. I also love that the roll-on packaging makes it easy to control exactly where the oil goes.
NUXE Rêve de Miel Products
The NUXE Rêve de Miel collection deserves a mention because I use several products from this line. It translates to “Dream of Honey”.
Rêve de Miel has that warm honey scent I absolutely love, and the collection includes everything from lip balm and hand cream to cleansers and moisturizers. I especially like having the lip products and hand cream around because they are easy everyday products that feel a little more luxurious than the basics.
I actually first discovered this line at the Hyatt Centric Murano Venice, where they were the hotel toiletries. I took a few home and immediately ordered more of the body wash and body cream.
If you love rich, comforting skincare and honey scents, this is one French skincare collection worth browsing. You honestly can’t go wrong with any of it, and this honey lip oil is so good!
Click here to shop my favorite NUXE Rêve de Miel products!
NUXE Prodigieuse Boost Smoothing Glow Gel-Cream
This was one of my favorite beauty finds during my most recent trip to Nice, France.
I originally got the NUXE Prodigieuse Boost Smoothing Glow Gel-Cream in a small NUXE gift set. I liked it so much that I went back and bought the larger version before I came home. It is a little bit of a splurge, but it makes my face feel so good.
I love the lightweight texture; it leaves my skin moisturized and looking fresh without feeling heavy. This is one of those French beauty products I probably wouldn’t have discovered if I hadn’t tried the travel-size version first.
Caudalie French Skincare
You will also see a lot of Caudalie in the French drugstores as it’s a very popular French skincare brand. Keep an eye out for the Caudalie tinted lip balm, which is one of my favorites! That said, I don’t really love the smell of some VinoPerfect products as much as I do others.
The Caudalie VinoPerfect Brightening Dark Spot Serum is a long-time French beauty favorite. I have some, and while I think it works well, I don’t like the smell nearly as much as I do with many NUXE products!
Caudalie Instant Detox Mask
The Caudalie Instant Detox Mask has become my go-to after a long travel day or a busy day exploring a big city.
You know that feeling when you get back to the hotel after walking miles, wearing sunscreen and makeup, taking trains, and being out in the heat all day? This is what I reach for. My skin just feels so fresh afterward.
It’s also an easy product to throw into my toiletry bag when I travel. I am always glad that I have it on hand!
Clarins French Beauty Products
Clarins has quickly become one of my favorite premium French beauty brands. I discovered Clarins products through some pretty memorable travel experiences, and several have become French beauty products that I now buy and use at home.
While I love discovering the more affordable French pharmacy beauty products above, some of my favorite finds, including Clarins, are definitely splurges. You’ll typically find these premium French beauty brands at department stores, beauty retailers, brand boutiques, and spas.
Here are a few of the premium French skincare and hair care products that have earned a spot in my routine!
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
I have Air France to thank for introducing me to Clarins Beauty Flash Balm!
I first tried this in an Air France business-class amenity kit, and I loved it enough to start buying it myself. I use it when my face needs a quick little pick-me-up, especially after traveling or when my skin just looks tired.
It is one of those products I probably would have walked right past at a beauty counter had I not gotten the chance to try it first. And Air France uses Clarins products in their premium lounges and premium in-flight experiences. If you want to learn more about how I use points and miles to book these premium travel experiences, read my Points & Miles Guide!
Clarins Lip Comfort Oil
I picked up the Clarins Lip Comfort Oil this summer and have really enjoyed it. There are several shades, but the cherry color is my favorite.
It adds color and shine while still feeling more like a conditioning lip product than a traditional lipstick. It’s an easy one to keep in my purse while traveling because I can put it on without overthinking.
Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask
This one is definitely more of a beauty splurge, but it’s also tied to one of those travel experiences that made me fall in love with a product.
I originally tried the Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask during a visit to a Clarins spa in France. I loved how refreshing it felt and eventually bought a jar for myself a couple of months later.
This is more of a splurge, but a little goes a long way!
Kérastase French Haircare
Kérastase is a French hair care brand that is worth knowing about if shiny hair is your goal. I have only tried one of their products so far, but this is a brand I want to grab more of!
Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops
I use just a couple of drops of these Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops because a little goes a long way. They give my hair a beautiful, finishing shine without needing much product.
This is one of those beauty products where I really do notice the difference when I use it!
Fragonard French Finds
Some French beauty products are just as much about the experience of discovering the brand as the product itself. Fragonard is one of those! I have visited their perfume factory in Èze, where you can also visit their stores on the French Riviera and throughout France.
If you are planning a trip to the South of France, I highly recommend stopping into the Fragonard stores when you see them!
Fragonard Hand Creams
I love these Fragonard hand creams so much! Over several trips, I have picked up Fragonard hand creams and love both the fragrances and the gorgeous packaging. They also make such pretty little gifts. The Grenade Pivoine is my personal favorite Fragonard scent.
And last week, I grabbed the Grenade Pivoine Eau de Parfum. It smells so good! My sister grabbed one too!
Some Fragonard products can be found on Amazon, so you can still try the brand even if a trip to France isn’t happening anytime soon.
L’Occitane Favorites
L’Occitane is probably one of the French beauty brands that Americans are most familiar with, as there are plenty of stores here in the US. You can’t go wrong with any of their products, but I love the hand creams the most!
L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream is another longtime favorite. It makes my hands feel incredibly soft, and I love the little hand cream sets because they make such easy gifts for friends.
The smaller tubes are also perfect for travel, a purse, or a carry-on.
L’Occitane has several fragrances and formulas, so I usually end up buying sets because I like having different ones scattered around my house and travel bags.
More French Beauty Products on Amazon
These are the French beauty products I wanted to highlight because they are some of the ones I personally use most often, but my Amazon French Beauty Favorites list is much bigger.
I currently have around 50 French skincare, hair care, body care, lip products, gifts, and other beauty favorites saved there. And as I try out and fall in love with other French beauty products, I will make sure to add them there.
So, if you are shopping before a trip to France, looking for a product you saw in a French pharmacy, or simply want to try some of the best-known French beauty brands from home, make sure to browse the whole list.
And don’t automatically assume you need to wait until your next trip to France to stock up. I always recommend comparing prices. Depending on the product, availability, size, and current sales, I sometimes find it just as easy, and occasionally less expensive, to order my French beauty favorites from Amazon at home, especially the NUXE products, which are my all-time favorites!
It’s also a great list to save if you discover something while shopping at a French pharmacy or beauty store and later wish you had bought it!
More French Gift Ideas
I have another post that shares some of my favorite gift ideas and products inspired by my travels in France. From beautiful French coffee table books to block print linens and bonnets for children, there is something in there for everyone!
More France Travel Inspiration
If French beauty shopping has you dreaming about a trip to France, I have plenty of firsthand France travel guides to help you plan one!
I have visited France many times, from Paris to the French Riviera, and it continues to be one of my favorite countries to explore. After another recent trip to the French Riviera, I’m heading back again this fall to explore the Jura region and Annecy on a trip revolving around French wine and Comté cheese. Stay tuned!
So, if you want some France travel inspiration, here are a few posts to start with:
- France Inspired Gifts
- Cap Ferrat Coastal Walk
- Cassis Calanques
- Visiting Antibes France
- Cap d’Antibes Coastal Walk
- Cassis Boat Tours
- Paris Family Tours
- Montmartre Food Tour
- Honest Thoughts on Eze
- Visiting the Louvre
- Top Paris Landmarks
- Seine River Cruises
- Europe Trip Planning
- Finding Flight Deals
And follow along on social media for all of my photo and video content from my trips to Europe. The story highlights are a great place to see some of my favorite destinations in France!
PIN: French Beauty Products for Later
