The French ‘pharmacie’ is the beauty paradise of every girl’s dream. Here are some of my favorite drugstore must-haves!

One of my most successful posts, interestingly enough, has been the one I wrote a few years back on French beauty products. I am not what you would call a ‘high-maintenance’ girl and hardly wear makeup, and if I do, it’s minimal. I pat on a little powder, fill in my brows, curl my lashes, use a coat of mascara and swipe on a nice, creamy (and preferably pink or red) lipstick. If I’m really going all out, I’ll use some eyeshadow and maybe line my eyes. C’est tout.
I never have and don’t think I ever will get things like lash extensions, tattooed brows, fillers or any form of surgery on my face. I am far from perfect and forty-two years old, but I refuse to become a caricature of myself or deny my age. In my honest opinion, women are succumbing to ridiculous beauty standards and all the (unnecessary) procedures are ripping away every bit of character from our face. Have you noticed people who’ve had work done start to look more and more alike? I’m not here to judge, I am simply giving my honest opinion.
What I do love is simple beauty products, and most of them happen to be French. In my previous post, I mentioned five of them, and today I am sharing four which I think you’ll like. One thing before I get into describing them, this post is not in any way sponsored by these brands. I am not a blogger nor an ‘influencer’ and I don’t aim to be either in the least. Simply put, my opinion is not for sale.

Benecos Natural Mascara Adorable Lashes (Deep Ocean)
Throw away all your mascaras that make a million promises and don’t deliver, or worse, end up breaking your lashes. I have sensitive eyes plus I’ve been blessed with super fragile and sparse lashes. This is the only product I will ever wear again. (Let’s just pray it’s never discontinued!) The mascara is super lightweight and does not clump my lashes at all. After curling my lashes, one coat is all I need, and my lashes are beautifully separated and stay perfect all day. No mess under my eyes at 5 o’clock either! This mascara is not waterproof (a recipe for disaster) and yet it does not smudge at all. And, the best part, I honestly believe it is helping my lashes grow and get stronger. Must be the avocado oil and Vitamin E. Oh and yes, this product is German, but bear with me, the next three are French!

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse
This is definitely a cult favorite and plenty has been written about it. Made with a soothing cocktail of natural oils, this lightly scented product is like liquid gold. It can be used on hair and skin, but I must admit that I use it mostly on my body after a shower at night. It leaves my skin feeling like silk! If I do use it on my hair, I use it as a mask either overnight or ten minutes before shampooing. I don’t use it on my face (I prefer pure rosehip oil if I do use a face oil), and I don’t use it on my hair during the day as I feel it does make it a bit greasy. But for your body — a miracle!

Effaclar DUO (+) Unifant
Forty-two years old and I still suffer from hormonal spots. Lucky me. The entire Effaclar line is aimed at problem skin, and this is another winner and rescue product all around. Not only does it hydrate and mattify, but it actively helps reduce breakouts and provides a nice, natural beautifying effect. This is not a foundation so it does not provide coverage. You’ll need a concealer for that. I am now using it daily and have noticed that if a spot does start to form, it’s gone in a day. The product comes in two shades (light and medium). The light is really for very fair skin and the medium may appear dark (or even orange), but fear not. Simply blend it in well and it will adapt to the color of your skin. You’ll only need a few drops for your entire face. I use this after my serum and sunscreen.

Chanel N.5 L’Emulsion Corps
Nuxe at night, Chanel during the day. This body lotion was a birthday present from my husband and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love it. I do have the fragrance, but prefer this for daily wear as it leaves my skin soft, moisturized and lightly scented. And the best part is actually at night, when I shower. As soon as the warm water hits my skin, the fragrance is released again and it’s like indulging in an aromatherapy session! And yes, this isn’t really a ‘pharmacie‘ product, but I just had to mention it.

Hope you enjoyed this post!