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Click through our Gallic gallery for the French beauty icons you should look to, the Parisian street style looks we love and the products our neighbours over the channel can't get enough of...
‘France has a strong pharmacy culture where medicinal skincare, body care and haircare products are sold via corner chemists (brands such as La Roche Posay, Bioderma, etc)' says Anna-Marie Solowij, Co-founder of BeautyMART, 'something that is only beginning to filter through to the UK via Boots’.
You can buy Bioderma Solution Micellaire, £16.50, a cult cleanser among make-up artists and editors alike at BeautyMART at Harvey Nichols
La Roche Posay and Vichy are classic pharmacy brands hailing from France. They are both sold in Boots making it easy for us Brits to get our hands on them.
The bestselling products in France are La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, £13 and Vichy LiftActiv Derm Source, £29.50 at Boots
'There is still a strong element of 'Gallic Chic' with French brands, evident in the packaging of designer brands such as Chanel, YSL and Guerlain. (The UK's only equivalent is Burberry)' says BeautyMART co-founder Anna-Marie Solowij. 'Even the product names sound chic - 'nettoyant' is so much more appealing than 'cleanser'.
Guerlain's bestselling products are La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum, Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder (pictured), and Orchidee Imperiale face cream. This shows great quality perfume, effective skincare and make-up essentials are top of the beauty agenda for French women, tending towards classic products rather than trends or fads.
When it comes to beauty Clémence Poésy looks to the ‘pharmacy brands that are quite cheap’, says the actress. ‘French women have always embraced beauty as a normal part of life - young girls are encouraged by their mothers to take care of their grooming and products are regarded as essential rather than a treat’.
Clémence Poésy is a fan of this multi-purpose ointment, Boiron Homeoplasmine, that repairs dry, cracked, skin. But it’s only available in France, we’ll see you on the Eurostar...
Before Brad Pitt, Audrey Tatou was the face of Chanel No.5.
Mademoiselle Coco Chanel once said, 'A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future.' So there.
Marion Cotillard has been a huge fan of natural French brand Melvita for years. Her favourite products are Hydrastim, £24, Argan Oil, £18, and Naturalift Youthful Skin Mask, £22...
Lou Doillon, daughter of French icon Jane Birkin, has inherited her mother’s effortlessly cool beauty; a French beauty icon to be inspired by.
While Volume Clubbing Mascara Ultra Black, £7.99, is a bestseller in the UK, over in France it’s another, more functional product that’s a sell-out - the Magic Nail Polish Remover £4.99, which incidentally won an award in ELLE’s 2012 Beauty Awards. Does that mean EBT have that 'je ne sais quoi' too?
Vanessa Paradis is a fan of Absolution La Solution + ENERGIE, £50 (at Being Content).
Isabelle Carron, creator of Absolution, says it’s the ‘perfect skin shield for real urbanites, like us Parisians!’
Julia Restoin-Roitfeld's Top beauty picks:
Embryolisse cream, £17.50 at Cult Beauty
YSL Touche Eclat, £25 (at House of Fraser) for dark circles
Lancôme Teint Miracle foundation, £27- 'it’s very transparent but makes your pores disappear'.
Chanel and Lancome kohl eyeliners - ‘I wear eyeliner
Elisa revealed her skincare essentials to ELLE...
'I like to keep my make-up very natural, moisturiser is really key. I have two creams I use, one is Embryolisse and the other is a pure organic company called Doux Me, and the cream is called Cream Caroline. Then lip moisturiser, of course, Elizabeth Arden'.
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