Vogue Australia may receive advertising or affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Read more here. There must be particular French phrasing for that feeling you get when shopping in a Parisian pharmacy and stocking up on beauty essentials but let’s just go with ‘magnifique’ or perhaps, ‘quite smug.’ Any beauty lover can likely recite their favourite French pharmacy finds (for me it’s Uriage’s SOS Spot Treatment and the memory of banishing a particularly nasty and very un-chic spot one time in the City of Love). Of course, ho hum, very few of us have been travelling very far of late and we’re certainly not perusing French pharmacies.  But if you can’t be stuffing a croissant in your mouth while flanuering about Parisian streets, shopping your favourite French beauty products here makes a fine consolation prize. Even if you can’t quite get away with saying you found it a charming little pharmacy in the Marais. Emilie Roberson, the French Beauty Co.’s Parisian-born and Melbourne-based marketing manager says the French approach to beauty is all about “a less is more attitude.”  For Roberson, this comes down to looking after your skin. Something she says many French women learn to do from a young age.  “The basis of all French skincare regimen is hydration, it is the first beauty gesture we learn. Skin that is fully hydrated is better protected to resist external factors and the signs of ageing. French women have always taken care of their skin,” she says. Image credit: Instagram.com/@violette_fr Sydney-based French make-up artist Charlotte Ravet agrees. “Beautiful skin and a touch of colour on the lips is the classic French look. Most French women are loyal to their products, and finding a signature red lipstick is a must for any Parisian. French women also cherish the beauty and make-up tips learnt from their mother or grandmother. I am still using some make-up tips I learnt when I first started doing my make-up – for example, I quickly brush my eyelids with blush to brighten my eyes or use blue mascara on the bottom lash line when I am tired. It makes the white of the eyes look brighter,” she says. “One of the leading French rules is less is more when it comes to makeup. Make-up should enhance natural beauty but not disguise … we love using multi-use products for quick and efficient make-up! You can also be creative and use, for example, a tinted lip moisturiser as a blush for a fresh flush effect.” Keep scrolling for the French pharmacy beauty finds you can add to cart now. Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentre A tube of this cult cream sells every five seconds and its just returned to Australia after a hiatus. As Charlotte Ravet puts it, “A cult French beauty product to prepare the complexion, remove makeup and hydrate the skin is Embryolisse Lait-creme. I still remember the advertisements with a famous French actress and her daughter saying ‘secret des maquilleurs,’ meaning ‘make-up artist’s secret.’ Which is true as all make-up artists carry this product in their kit! It helps prepare the skin and leaves a glowy finish.” Shop now: Embryolisse Lait Cream Concentrate, $22 (on sale) from French Beauty Co. Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum A favourite for more than 15 years, this serum targets dark spots, pigmentation and brightens the skin. Emilie Roberson likens it to “having a gentle peel at home, great alternative during lockdowns when you can’t visit your beauty salon.” Shop now: Caudalie Vinoperfect serum, $101 from Sephora Avène Thermal Springwater Hydration is a key step in any skincare regimen and a particular focus for French women. Keep skin hydrated, and fresh, with a regular spritz from this cult pharmacy buy. Ideal for cooling down when it’s hot too.  Shop now: Avène Thermal Springwater, $25.99 from Adore Beauty Bioderma Sensibio H2O  A bottle of this micellar water, a must in any French beauty cabinet says Emilie Roberson, sells every 2 seconds. It’s ideal for wiping your make-up, and indeed the day off, in the evening. Use as a first cleanse or swipe over in the morning to freshen up.  Shop now: Bioderma Sensibio H2O, $29.99 from Adore Beauty Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm This is a particular favourite for Emilie Roberson, because, she says, it’s a heavy-duty lip balm – thick with nourishing honey and shea butter – but non-greasy. Shop now: Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm, $21.46 from Cult Beauty Subscribe to become a Vogue VIP and receive monthly magazine delivery, digital edition access, VIP event invitations, insider content, exclusive offers from our luxury partners and more. Subscribe today.

The best French Girl pharmacy beauty finds to shop now