6 French Models Weigh In On Their Favorite Local Pharmacie Beauty Picks
The French pharmacy is the stuff of legend. Sure, New Yorkers have Duane Reade, and Londoners have Boots, but there’s something magical about walking through the aisles of the glass-encased storefronts of Les Pharmacies, sometimes recognizable only by the neon green cross symbols that hang above their doorsteps. It’s a combination of the unattainable—despite globalization’s best efforts, there remain a few as-yet-unexported skin care and makeup treasures at these bastions of beauty that offer up exotic new ways to get clear, hydrated, and luminous skin—as well as the fact that the offerings are a pleasant mix of affordable mass brands and the high-end prestige products that would require a trip to the department store on this side of the pond, all under one roof. The pharmacists themselves are incredibly knowledgeable, too . . . as long as you can recall your best high school French verbiage. On the heels of couture week and in advance of Monday’s Bastille Day celebrations, we’ve asked six of our favorite French models to give us a curated tour of their pharmacy staples to take the guesswork out of primping like a Parisian.
“A lot of dermatologists and pharmacists recommend the brand La Roche-Posay in France because it offers a solution of care to every need, for all kinds of skin. My favorite beauty products are from the Effaclar line for oily skin/acne. They’re the best to have in my luggage when I travel!”
La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution, $21; laroche-posay.us
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Deep Cleansing Foaming Cream, $23; laroche-posay.us
“It’s a tie between Supradyn Intensia, an effervescent multivitamin that is loaded with vitamins and minerals and a bunch of other good stuff (I like the passion fruit flavor), and Darphin’s Baume Purifiant Aromatique. I know it’s a terrible habit, but if I get a pimple, I’ll sit in front of the mirror and pick at it for hours. This helps my face heal from the carnage. It comes in a cute little glass pot, so it’s easy to carry around everywhere. Before a flight, I’ll smother my face with it. The smell is divine!”
Darphin Baume Purifiant Aromatique, $75; darphin.fr
“I’ve been using Vichy Pureté Thermale Crème Moussante Purifiante Douceur face cleanser for at least ten years! It’s very gentle for sensitive skin and moisturizes as you clean your face. I love the texture, too—it’s a smooth cream with a very rich foam and it leaves the skin clean but not dry. Plus, the smell of this product makes you feel super fresh.”
Vichy Pureté Thermale Crème moussante Purifiante Douceur, $13; leguidesante.com
“I have three favorites: Biafine cream—it treats wounds and burns, but is also great if you’ve had too much sun; Mitosyl’s protective baby cream, which I use to protect irritated skin or dryness—and I love the smell, even though some people hate it; and Avène compact foundation. It’s a 100 percent mineral sunscreen that comes in a cream-to-powder foundation and offers powerful antioxidant and sun protection. It looks like makeup, but it’s actually really good quality sunscreen.”
Biafine Cream, $40; biafinecream.com
Avène High Protection Tinted Compact SPF 50, $34; dermstore.com
“My favorite product is called Sulfureuse Pâte du Marabout purifying paste from Garancia. I actually love all of their products. This one feels quite natural and ancestral, and at the same time, it seems they are using new technology. Also, the smell is nice and it works very well for me.”
Garancia Sulfureuse Pâte du Marabout, $32; sephora.fr
0 comments