I’m incredibly particular when it comes to my beauty routine. I know myself well enough that I know I’ll never do a 10 step nightly beauty regime. But I also want amazing skin. So until someone invents a one-step magic serum, I just have to try a few different products and mixes to find what works for me. You probably know by now my love of all things French and my undying desire to become a Parisian girl, so it shouldn’t be surprising that French beauty products are some of my favorites.
One of the things that drew me to French beauty in the first place is that in Europe the guidelines for beauty ingredients are much stricter than in the US. And the ingredients are much more high quality. You can read more about my journey to find clean beauty products here. I also love that French women are known for their low-maintenance beauty regimes, but probably aren’t really that low-maintenance which is exactly how I’d describe myself. I like to think I’m low-maintenance, but I’m really just less-maintenance. I usually do a face mask once or twice a week and use a serum and moisturizer at night and a moisturizer with SPF during the day. I’ll never be a just wash and go kind of girl.
I always had bad skin growing up, so I’ve tried lots of multi-step products and mixes of different things. It wasn’t until I started adding in a few of my favorite French beauty products that I realized having good skin was about the quality of products I was using and the fewer, the better.
Probably one of the most well-known French beauty favorites, Embryolisse is the best moisturizer I’ve used. It keeps my skin super soft and truly moisturized. I only use it at night because I prefer a moisturizer with SPF for the day. I credit using this at night with a hyaluronic acid for not having a breakout in over a year. I have oily skin and it sounds crazy, but I need a moisturizer that is super moisturizing so my skin doesn’t create excess oil. Embryolisse has been the only one I’ve found to do the job.
Caudalie Premier Cru Precious Oil
I love everything Caudalie and 98% of the reason is for the scent. One of the best brands to invest in if clean beauty products are important to you. I’ve tried several products and have loved them all. One of my favorites is the precious oil as a nighttime serum. It really does make my skin feel extra moisturized and it helps give me a glow. It’s definitely an investment, but I can’t tell you how many cheap drugstore products I’ve used with zero results over the years. I wish I had been investing in fewer high quality products all this time. It only takes a couple of drops each night so a bottle lasts a while. The first time I felt like true grown woman was buying my first full size Caudalie product. Having such a luxurious nighttime routine just made me feel like I kind of had my life together. So the moral of the story, this Caudalie oil will not only help your skin, but let you feel as though you have it all together.
I love love love dry shampoo. Where would I be without dry shampoo? Remember the thing I just said about feeling like I had my life together? Dry shampoo also gives me that feeling. Oily skin also means I have oily hair and it gets dirty very quickly. I also have bangs, which means they get dirty very fast from oily skin. So my bangs are basically at minimum 25% dry shampoo at any given time. I’ve tried a few different dry shampoos over the years and Klorane is just IT for me. I love the scent, why does everything French smell better? The scent isn’t overwhelming like a perfume, but more of like a good beauty product that you don’t really smell once you apply it. It’s the first dry shampoo I’ve used that doesn’t make my scalp itch or dry out too. Another huge plus for me is that it’s not in an aerosol can which in my opinion wastes a ton of your product. If you are a brunette and get annoyed with white dry shampoo, Klorane is also known for making a tinted dry shampoo for my darker haired friends.
Avène Thermal Spring Water Mist
No product I own feels more luxurious than this spring water mist. I’m just spritzing my face with fancy water and why does it feel so good in the Summer? I usually keep a small can of this in the warmer months. I also use it when I travel because after a long flight my skin just feels so dry no matter how much moisturizer or serum I use. I highly recommend getting a travel can of this for under $10 just to make yourself feel a little French and a lot fancy.
Do you have a favorite French beauty product? Share yours in the comments!
xo – Tracy
