French Beauty Buys That’ll Add Some Joie De Vivre To Your Life
France is known for everything from haute couture to prestigious cuisine, fine champagne, iconic landmarks and stunning countryside expanses. And right now, all eyes are on Paris as the world’s best athletes compete on a global stage. To get into a Parisian state of mind, I stopped by CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” with some fantastic beauty finds from both legendary and emerging French brands.
Click here to watch the segment and keep reading for more details on French skincare, makeup and hair care products that are worthy of a gold medal!
Embryolisse Radiant Complexion Cream in Apricot Glow
If social media is any indication, here in the United States, we tend to favor “no-makeup looks” that, in actuality, involve an exorbitant amount of products and steps: primer, foundation, contour, bronzer, highlighter, lip liner, lip oil or gloss, mascara, brow gel, brow pencil, and so on and so forth. In France, on the other hand, it’s much more common for women to truly embrace more minimalist, skin-forward makeup looks that exude an effortlessly glamorous vibe, focusing one one key visual element such as a bod lip. Heavy foundations are eschewed in favor of lightweight complexion-enhancing products that accentuate the skin’s natural radiance. Cue the latest offering from iconic French pharmacy brand Embryolisse: the Embryolisse Radiant Complexion Cream in Apricot Glow ($32 on embryolisse.com and Amazon).
Already flying out of shelves, this pigmented skincare product gives the visage a natural glow without adding too much coverage or looking like makeup. Featuring a lightweight gel-cream texture, the Radiant Complexion Cream restores vitality to dull-looking and fatigued skin both through its Apricot Glow pigment and through its hydrating and smoothing skincare ingredients, which include nasturtium flower extract and hyaluronic acid.
The apricot glow, meanwhile, stems from an optimal blend of red pigments derived from antioxidant-rich astaxanthin algae, and gold and ruby pearlescent pigments that give the skin an added luminosity, diffusing and softening fine lines and other imperfections while imparting a youthful radiance.
Le Rouge Français Lipstick
When you think of a classic French makeup look, you probably picture a gorgeous red lip. For the perfect pop of red on your pout, check out the lipstick offerings from Le Rouge Français.
Le Rouge Français specializes in natural, organic, vegan cosmetics formulated using plant-based pigments —no chemical or non-renewable mineral pigments. The brand’s founder, Elodie Carpentier spent three years researching and perfecting the brand’s unique process for extracting both the coloring and biological properties of tinctorial plants and infusing these attributes into cosmetic formulations. Thanks to this process, each Le Rouge Français Lipstick is as nourishing, hydrating, and smoothing as it is boldly pigmented.
The red shades in the collection are carmine-free (and hence cruelty-free) and contain no synthetic dyes (such as the oft-ubiquitous FD&C Reds) or non-renewable mineral pigments (like mica). Instead, shades like Le Rouge Français and Le Rouge Alizarine feature bold red colorings derived from the roots of a plant called dyer’s madder.
Each refillable lipstick comes dressed in a transparent case made of bio-based castor oil. Plus, as part of its commitment to a regenerative economy mode, Le Rouge Français plants one young mangrove (a plant that captures a great deal of carbon and is cited as a way of helping to mitigate fossil fuel emissions) for every purchase made.
Each lipstick retails for $52 on lerougefrancais.com
Yon-Ka Paris Lotion Yon-Ka
French brand Yon-Ka Paris is known as a pioneer in aromatherapy and phyto-aromatic skincare, which blends together the therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy with the skin-calming and hydrating properties of plant-derived active ingredients. To celebrate the brand’s 70th anniversary this year, Yon-Ka is unveiling new packaging for its iconic Lotion Yon-Ka ($55 on US.yonka.com)
This alcohol-free toning mist is the French secret to an instant glow — in fact, 1 bottle is sold every 3 minutes globally.
This all-on-one, ultra-fine mist is formulated using 99% natural ingredients including: lavender oil, known for its skin-calming properties; rosemary oil, which has detoxifying and skin-firming benefits; geranium oil, which has anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties as well as anti-aging benefits; thyme oil, which helps to clarify skin and improve texture; and cypress oils, which has astringent properties and hence works as a wonderful toner.
Together, these ingredients work to purify, soothe, balance, hydrate and energize skin — all while awakening the senses. You can use this mist after cleansing your face, to set your makeup, or throughout the day to refresh skin.
Beau Domaine The Serum
Based in Provence’s stunning countryside, Beau Domaine is a natural and sustainable skincare brand that features two scientifically proven, patented active ingredients derived from the grapes of the Château de Beaucastel vineyard. The luxury skincare brand was co-founded by the Perrin Family, who own Chateau de Beaucastel and are synonymous with winemaking excellence, and actor Brad Pitt, who is a lover of the French countryside.
All Beau Domaine products contain two patented anti-aging ingredients made with upcycled materials: GSM10, which is made from the seeds of Grenache grapes and the skins of Syrah and Mourvedre grapes; and ProGR3, which contains resveratrol derived from grapevine shoots.
Formulated with 99% natural and traceable ingredients, Beau Domaine’s The Serum ($275 on Amazon) gives skin a plumper, smoother, brighter and firmer appearance.
Doré La Micellaire, La Crème and La Baume
Founded in 2022, Doré is a modern French skincare brand that values simplicity, transparency and sustainability. Dubbing itself “the white T-shirt of skincare,” Doré specializes in minimalist, straightforward, accessible skincare – no complicated routines or unnecessary ingredients. All products are made in France and are EWG verified so they’re super clean and safe.
All Doré products are available at ULTA and on ULTA.com, including the three that I showcased on “We Are Austin.” One of my favorite Doré offerings is the La Micellaire Cleansing Water ($24 on ULTA.com). This fragrance-free micellar features cornflower water to gently but effectively cleanse and decongest skin, along with soothing aloe vera and hydrating Damask rose water. It gently removes any makeup, dirt, and debris without stripping skin, leaving your complexion hydrated, refreshed, and comfortably hydrated.
Another must-have is the La Crème Daily Moisturizer ($36 on Ulta.com) which contains simple ingredients that hydrate, soften, and brighten the complexion. The formula contains hyaluronic acid, which quickly hydrates and plumps the skin while supporting long-lasting moisture retention; white lily, which helps to brighten the complexion and even skin tone; and marine algae, which fights the breakdown of collagen and elastin for more youthful-looking skin.
Lastly, the Le Baume Multipurpose Balm is a really dense, multi-use balm that contains castor oil, vitamin E, and aloe, and which is designed to moisturize, soothe, and replenish dry and distressed skin. It’s just $12 on Ulta.com.
Provence Beauty Masked Out French Green Clay Mask, Soft Bisous Plumping + Smoothing Lip Mask, and Bare Lumiere Protecting + Perfecting Cream
Provence Beauty is Los Angeles-based skincare brand steeped in French heritage. Founder and CEO Jeremy Abesera was born in Paris and raised in LA. From a young age, he became involved in his family’s business of manufacturing French clay soaps and cosmetics in the US. Over the years, he noticed a generational disconnect between the beauty-related predilections of his parents and those of his friends. While his parents yearned for traditional French formulations, his peers sought more modern options that tapped into French beauty secrets but did so in a more relevant and contemporary manner. Provence Beauty, then, was born with the idea of bridging this gap by modernizing pharmacy staples through clean and effective formulas that are also ultra-affordable. All Provence Beauty products are under $25 at ULTA and on ULTA.com so to say they’re affordable is an understatement!
The best-selling Masked Out French Green Clay Mask ($18.99 on ULTA.com) is a lifesaver for those grappling with oily and congested skin. The formula contains French green clay to deep clean pores and absorb any excess oil and impurities, a caffeine and niacinamide blend to tighten and brighten skin (thereby tackling redness as well as acne marks), and willow bark BHA to gently exfoliate the complexion and reveal a smoother texture.
Another standout is the new Soft Bisous Plumping + Smoothing Lip Mask ($12.99 on ULTA.com), a rich lip moisturizer that combines Tripeptide-1, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and squalane to moisturize, smooth, repair, and plump lips. It’s $12.99.
And for the absolute latest from Provence Beauty, check out the new Bare Lumière Protecting + Perfecting Cream ($24.99 on ULTA.com). This 5-in-1 moisturizer is an updated take on the classic French pharmacy priming moisturizer, so that it hydrates skin, boosts radiance, supports the skin microbiome, shields skin from blue light and evironmental aggressors, and preps the complexion for makeup. The formula is infused with probiotics, which help to support a balanced micronbiome, and ectoin, a is a naturally-occurring compound derived from single-cell bacteria that’s known to protect skin against extreme temperatures, pollution, blue light, and other external aggressors.
Altesse Studio Beauté Hairbrushes
Now available in the US, Altesse Studio has been creating handmade, luxury French hairbrushes since 1875. All Altesse Studio brushes feature handles made from olive wood, a natural insulator. There are brush for fine/medium as well as thick/curly hair types.
Featuring 100% boar bristles, the BEAUTE Repair & Shine Brush is a 2-in-1 tool for the scalp and hair. The gentle bristles massage the scalp to boost circulation and promote hair growth, while also helping to distribute the scalp’s natural oils throughout the hair to nourish and strengthen strands and to boost softness and shine.
Another great option is the BEAUTE Gentle Detangling Brush. This vegan brush is made with bio-sourced nylon fibers interwoven using a tufting technique in order to offer precise detangling without unnecessary tugging that could lead to breakage.
Each brush is $320 on Bloomingdales.com and on Nordstrom.com
