Pommades, gommantes, toniques…a French woman’s medicine cabinet is more like an apothecary’s treasure chest of secret lotions and potions hidden away in gorgeous glass bottles and jars, rather than a practical supply of necessary products. Perhaps this is because from an early age French women see their beauty as something to lovingly care for and fiercely protect as opposed to a variable trait they can easily alter or fix later on in life.

French women spare no expense when it comes to stocking their tables de toilettes with the world’s most deliciously smelling and sinfully rich skincare products. Elaborate morning and nightly beauty rituals consist of religiously cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing their skin.

Give your skin a buffering with Crème Gommante pour le Visage from Sisley Paris to reveal a smoother, more refined layer of skin with the help of soothing camomile extracts. Moisturize with Concentré Essentiel Hydratant from Caudalíe, a sweet smelling serum you will be tempted to eat, which promotes cellular renewal with 100 per cent plant-derived concentrate. And if your skin is really in need of some TLC, go to bed with Yves Saint Laurent’s Elixir de Nuit – heavenly oil made from three rose extracts that replenish your skin while you sleep – and awake with a wonderfully radiant French glow that will have your friends convinced you’ve taken a lover.

“The most beautiful make-up on a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.”
– Yves Saint Laurent