The French beauty products we're obsessed with

My obsession with French beauty products stems from my fave beauty icons of the ‘60s, the effortlessly chic Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin, who starred in award-winning films throughout their careers. But the allure of French beauty continues to live on with modern-day Frenchies Lou Doillon (Jane’s daughter), Clemence Poesy, Jeanne Damas and, Violette, Estee Lauder’s global beauty director.
Their style is enigmatic. How do they always appear so chic even when they look scruffy? And why does their skin always look so damn normal without a breakout in sight? The answer is they keep it simple. Instead of a 10-product Korean skin care routine, French women keep their regime streamlined. Which is why they love to embrace a natural beauty look.
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French women love to use holy grail beauty products
French women are loyal to French beauty products, especially the holy grail kind. Their motto is to pare back and use gentle products that don’t contain harsh chemicals. Enter micellar water. Micelles are tiny oil molecules suspended in soft water that bond to and clear away impurities without stripping skin of its natural elements. It’s a simple yet effective way of cleansing your face while ensuring every skerrick of makeup is removed.
French beauty products you can buy online
Lucky for you and me, these days you can buy most French beauty products here in Australia, so you don’t have to worry about shipping them from France. But since so many local Aussie beauty stores and pharmacies stock French beauty products like Priceline, Adore Beauty and The Iconic, you can buy them online and have them on your skin within a flash.
Here’s my top 10 French beauty products
- BIODERMA Photoderm BB Cream SPF 50+
- BIODERMA Hydrabio H2O
- Avène Thermal Spring Water
- Avène GENTLE EXFOLIATING GEL
- Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate
- L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cleansing Wipes
- Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturiser
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL BB Comfort Cream SPF 50+
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Ultra Light SPF50+
- La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Eyes
What's your fave French beauty product? How do you relate to the way French women streamline their beauty routine?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
Review them now to earn points that you can swap for free beauty products in RewardsRoom.
63 Member Comments
Bioderma do have some great products I must admit! Shame that some are not available in Australia though
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Bioderma Micellar Water- the original!
Pick it up for a steal at Costco!
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Avène Thermale Spring Water is a guilty extravagance!
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I’m keen to try the Bioderma BB Cream!
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And the LRP BB Comfort Cream too!
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Bioderma sensibio micellar water is definitely my holy grail! I'd never switch to another micellar water ever
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La Roche Posay all the way. .
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French perfumes any one?
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Serge Lutens & Hermes LOVE!
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I am really into Clarins product for the last 1-2 years :)
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I do so wish Clarins was still a Beauty Heaven brand. So pleased their products are still made in France.
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My favourite brands are all French and aren’t listed - Sisley is superb. Always brilliant results but top end dollars so you definitely pay for your results. L’Occitane is simply divine in frangrance, texture, and a lovely result, and Clarins is always a reliable go-to.
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I have used L'Oreal Paris shampoo & conditioner but I am not a huge fan of it.
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Even though L'oreal has Paris in its title with their products, I never think of it as a French brand - possibly because it is more of a budget brand compared to brands such as Lancôme and YSL.
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I like La Roche Posay suncare And I also use Biodermas Micellar Water
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Best micellar water ever!
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I love the Avène Thermal Spring Water!!!
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Oh yes I love LRP, Lancome, Bioderma, YSL and Chanel, Dior oh yes please
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There are quite a few french brands I love - Bioderma, LaRoche Posay, Lancome, Nuxe, Loreal.
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definitely La Roche Posay I like it quite well
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I love Lancome products :)
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Avene is my favourite and more affordable of these but we Aussies should be loyal to ours here
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Yet to try Bioderms and Avene. It's good you can them in Chemist Warehouse. LRP products especially the S/S are top notch
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I use L'Oreal products a lot and am on a trial at the present time so yes one of my favourite brands but some are too expensive for my purse so will stick with what I can afford and truly like.
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