Sorry to be such an inevitable cliché, but French beauty products have a certain je ne sais quoi that simply can't be ignored. Beautiful ingredients, clean formulations, gorgeous packaging, try as we might, our obsession runs deep. And it doesn't help that our favourite celebrities, makeup artists and all-around beauty icons encourage said obsession by consistently favouring beloved brands like Bioderma, Caudalie, Leonor Greyl, Talika, Darphin, By Terry and so many more.
What with it being the season of gifting and showing our love, we decided to compile the ultimate French beauty capsule chock full of the best French brands—and the top-selling formulas from each—we know you'll try and instantly fall head over heels for. Oh, and just in case you're working on those Christmas shopping lists, they also make amazing gifts. Keep scrolling for 15 cult-loved French hair, skin and makeup staples every beauty lover should try in their lifetime...
The Soothing Cleansing Oil
Little did you know that this lesser-known cleansing oil is actually one of the best in all the land. Plus, since it's fragrance- and soap-free, it's a great option for those with extremely sensitive skin or ongoing conditions like atopic dermatitis or eczema. The nourishing formula plunges deep into pores for optimal cleanout.
The Holy-Grail Micellar Water
This one probably doesn't come as a surprise—Bioderma's cult-loved micellar water is one of the most iconic skincare products maybe ever. Alas, nothing beats the hydrating formula when it comes to cleaning and perfecting your complexion in just one swipe.
The Complexion-Enhancing Toner
Delicate and steeped in calming agents like soothing chamomile extracts, this limited-edition toner from Darphin is on every beauty editor and celebrity's It list. It keeps the pH of your skin in check (which can easily get thrown off balance) and also reduces any kind of redness or inflammation that might creep up this season. We're also convinced it makes our makeup application look about 10 times better.
The Radiance-Boosting Serum
The name of this fan-favorite serum doesn't lie—it really does perk a lackluster complexion up with instantaneous radiance. It's filled with unique ingredients like Viniferine (a natural compound found in vine sap patented by the brand in 2004), olive squalane, organic chamomile and organic grape water, and no other serum quite compares.
The Pre-Party Mask
Talika's bio-enzymes masks are legend, and this brightening one is our extra-special favorite. Saturated with luxe ingredients like vitamin C, aloe, grapefruit and chamomile, it's the perfect thing to prep your face with before a night out or special occasion.
The Affordable Face Cream That Should Be £200
Everyone from celebrities to makeup artists to beauty editors keep this bottle of tubed magic stashed close by at all times. It's rich, thick, luxurious and an immediate antidote to parched, thirsty skin.
The Botox-in-a-Bottle Eye Cream:
People can't stop buzzing about this powerhouse of an eye cream from French skincare brand Filorga. Brimming with the latest and greatest medical techniques, the formula utilises key things like peptides, proteins, plumping spheres and a unique lifting complex which helps fight the look of sagging, fine lines and wrinkles.
The Only Hand Cream Worth Having
Yes, your hands deserve just as much love and attention as your face and hair—especially right now during the onset of freezing temperatures, winds and all other chap-causing environmental factors. Luckily, L'Occitane's lush hand cream has your back this season. In fact, it's such a hot ticket item, the brand says one tube is sold every three seconds around the world.
The Award-Winning Mineral Sunscreen
This epic sunscreen formula wins award after award and is probably the best mineral sunscreen formula hands down—even beyond the French beauty realm. It's lightweight, non-greasy, water-resistant, non-comedogenic, fast-absorbing and blissfully free of parabens and fragrance.
The Straw-to-Silk Hair Oil Treatment
It's almost impossible to pick just one favourite product from iconic French haircare line Leonor Greyl, but this pre-shampoo treatment (the most beautiful blend of botanicals oils) has to be our all-time favourite, and one of the first products to recommend when someone is seeking some serious hair TLC.
The Shampoo that's a Parisian Legend
René Furterer is a Parisian legend within the haircare industry, and it just so happens this shampoo is one of the brand's must-have, best-selling formulas. Great for all hair types, it's saturated with nutritious antioxidants, vitamins and all other things your strands are likely craving right now.
And the Best Mask to Go With It
For the ultimate shiny, healthy hair ritual, follow the above shampoo with this highly restorative mask. Creamy and rich, it remarkably rejuvenates strands with moisture and strength without weighing them down. We swear—your hair will actually feel lighter and bouncier.
The Dry Shampoo that Won't Suck-Dry Your Hair
Enriched with nourishing oat milk, this French dry shampoo star not only soaks up excess oil and debris but bathes hair in softening, natural ingredients to boot.
The Serum for Lush Lashes
French brand Vichy might date back to 1934, but that doesn't mean the brand lacks exciting innovation—this game-changing serum boasts a clinically advanced formula to help tighten and plump the skin around your eyes almost instantaneously—in 10 minutes to be precise. Plus, if you're good about regular application, it will even boost the volume and shine of lashes; multi-tasking at its finest!
The Serum-CC Cream Hybrid That Makes Your Skin Glow
Meet THE dark horse product for a glowing and subtly sunkissed complexion. By Terry makes some of the most beautiful makeup and skincare formulas, but it's this CC-serum and luminiser hybrid that's had our hearts forever and always.
Up next: 7 skincare brands French girls swear by for amazing skin.
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