5 Chic French Women Reveal the Beauty Buys They Can't Live Without
While I've always trusted my French contemporaries to inform my wardrobe wares, it's only recently that I've really started to take note of the beauty products they use, too. Surely their trademark glowing skin and barely there (but beautiful) makeup isn't all down to genetics, right?
After dedicating the last few months to road-testing French beauty products, I'm all in. From lightweight serums to sensitive but high-performing cleansers, items on my bathroom shelf are becoming more Gallic by the day.
Continuing my quest to discover the best French beauty products and create their flawless looks for myself, I consulted five of the chicest French influencers I know to find out which beauty buys they personally swear by. Scroll below to see what they said.
MARISSA COX
"I take my makeup off with this every night. Sometimes I double-cleanse, as it's oat scent smells so good."
"This is the one makeup item that I won't leave the house without wearing."
"This is the best total-block tinted SPF cream that I've found, and I use it every summer."
FRANNY FYNE
"A moisturiser and toner in one, this cream really is perfect for busy mornings."
"I refuse to go to bed at night without applying this. By the time I wake up, my skin is impossibly soft."
"When my skin needs a boost, I mix this exfoliating powder with water and lightly massage it into the surface. After rinsing, my skin looks instantly fresher."
LÉNA FARL
"A detox oil that illuminates and evens out the complexion while diminishing the appearance of imperfections so your skin looks simply flawless (not oily)."
"I'm really into natural makeup that doesn’t require too many steps. This is why I love this all-in-one palette from Rouje. You can use it as a blush, lipstick, and eye shadow to give a natural yet glowy look."
"A perfect mix of oils that nourishes, soothes, and illuminates the skin. You can also use it for your nails and as a hair mask."
ANNE-LAURE MAIS
"As far as foundations go, this is absolutely incredible. It's like a second skin—very light and luminous at the same time."
"This is a beautiful lipstick. I really love it because it holds very well, and you can wear it with no other makeup and feel chic."
"I'm absolutely obsessed with the orange blossom tones in this perfume. It's perfect for summer."
AÏDA SANÉ
"I always come back to this cream when I have breakouts. It's very lightweight but works wonderfully on my skin, which can turn oily very easily."
"I have tried so many cleansing gels and soaps, but none was quite right. Then I came across this Avène cleanser, and it's the best for my oily skin."
Next: From Shorts to Sweaters, These Are the Chic Basics French Girls Are Wearing RN
Maxine Eggenberger is Who What Wear UK’s deputy editor and has over thirteen years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and elevated style content specifically for Who What Wear UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, self-styled shopping stories and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, leads the editorial team in their SEO strategy and keyword planning, works closely with the beauty team on content initiatives, represents the brand at industry events, and regularly contributes to social media, including her own Who What Wear UK TikTok franchise, French Style Fridays. Previously, Maxine appeared on ITV's This Morning in her own fashion segment and has interviewed countless celebrities—everyone from Victoria Beckham to Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
Prior to Who What Wear UK, Maxine’s career began when, after completing her first-ever internship at Look magazine, she was offered a position on the brand's fashion desk. She accepted, leaving university a year early in the process. Her passion and natural talent for writing and styling meant she swiftly rose through the ranks to become the title's fashion news and commercial content editor, with a stint as InStyle.co.uk’s fashion and beauty writer along the way. She later served as Look’s acting Editor in Chief, overseeing both print and digital, before embarking on a successful freelance career, working with Grazia, The Pool, and Marie Claire amongst others.
Maxine is based remotely from her countryside home near Edinburgh where she spends her downtime renovating her house, walking her dogs, hosting friends and trying to master the art of making Old Fashioned cocktails.
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