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French pharmacy favourites to upgrade your rituals

From their understated, pared-back aesthetic to their deliberately ‘undone’ hair, the French have nailed effortless radiance. But what’s their secret?  

Pssst… It all comes down to efficacious beauty staples found in the humble French pharmacy. Now you know, you’ll want to say oui oui to these French-favoured pharmaceutical brands. 

Enter: Caudalie’s back-and-better Reversatrol-Lift range, a skin-firming span of staples that’ll have you cancelling that facial appointment faster than you can eat a croissant. 

So, what’s all the hype about, you ask? For starters, these long-standing favourites now feature Vegan Collagen 1 which adds a texture-toning dose of je ne sais quoi that you can see and feel. Extending its vines to lightweight serums and enriching night creams, this range of radiance-inducing must-haves is yearning for a spot in your daily skin care rituals. One our favourites? The Firming Cashmere Cream boasts a buttery texture which sinks into your skin with a comforting blend of hyaluronic acid and shea butter to promote a plump, velvety finish. C’est bon 

From the grapevine to your bathroom cabinet, Caudalie’s ultra-prestigious Reservatrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum is amped up by dew-drenching heroes that work together to create a non-greasy, supple effect. 

Never be without Caudalie’s bestselling Beauty Elixir – a refreshing, antioxidant facial spritz to instantly brighten, tone and invigorate typically nonchalant skin cells. With a gorgeously minty fragrance, this is ideal for creating instant luminescence (and disguising the scent of that give-away Gauloises…) 

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Restore your kissably-soft moisture with Nuxe’s romantically entitled Rêve de Miel Lip Balm. An utterly buttery blend of honey, shea butter and grapefruit essences to deep-condition and soften ta bouche. Perfect pour les amoureux. Bisous!  

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it absolutely does with Nuxe’s Huile Prodigieuse Golden Shimmer Multi Usage Dry Oil, a non-greasy elixir that bestows its nourishing power over your skin, body and hair (if you’re feeling fancy). Not only does it leave a sweet, but lingering scent — shout out to macadamia, almond and hazelnut skin-restorative plant oils — this featherlight oil works to seal split ends and amp up your radiance. Another photo with flash, please… 

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Adored for heroes such as its Effaclar Duo Moisturiser and award-winning SPF innovations that everyone has tried, La Roche Posay is a must-mention when we’re discussing French pharmacy favourites. Born in 1975, these simply effective skin care staples arrived with natural source Thermal Spring Water at the heart of each formula.  

For the days when your skin is going through the motions with clogged pores and excess oil, take the Effaclar Clarifying Lotion for operation clean-up. Perfect for sensitive, oily and even blemish-prone skin types, this micro-exfoliant toner helps regulate sebum production and keep your complexion smooth. 

Which are the c’est bon bestsellers, you ask? We can’t go a day without the Anthelios Uvmune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50 Sun Cream but with such a weightless, fragrance-free formula that forms a protective shield through every season, can you blame us? Another main character we dare not ignore is the Cicaplast B5 Face Serum for Dehydrated Skin. Our ode to this dew-drenching hero couldn’t be any longer but if we were to sum up our love letter, we’d say this multifaceted serum helps refine texture and enliven your complexion from within whilst protecting against harsh climates — come rain or shine. 

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...