'The best skin I've ever seen!' 9 French beauty brands you need to know.

In case you haven't got it marked in your calendar as a reminder to eat ALL of the croissants in celebration, this Friday the 14th is Bastille Day — the National Day of France. 

And, of course, when we beauty nerds think of France, we think of skincare, haircare and makeup.

French beauty is renowned for its really high-quality ingredients, especially in the skincare world. They're just so innovative with their formulas and have some of the most sought-after brands in the world. 

And the trends! Goodness, the trends. They brought about the French manicure, the trending 'no-makeup' makeup look, balayage hair — hell, we could go for days!

Watch: Here's how to get the perfect French tip using tape. Post continues below.

The French are like the pioneers of beauty trends.

One thing you might not realise, though, is just how many brands in our market are French or have French origins.

In fact, to celebrate Bastille Day, Leigh Campbell and I talked about all of our favourite French beauty brands on You Beauty podcast this week — from lesser-known brands to the most iconic.

in case you missed it, here's our list of favourite French beauty brands.

1. Bioderma.

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"I can't not start with Bioderma Sensibio ($32.99) which is their OG Micellar Water. I got on to this many years ago. I used to get my makeup artist friend to bring it back for me from Paris. She had the best skin I've ever seen, and she only uses this," said Leigh.

"Controversially, I mostly only use this as my cleanser. I do use other cleanses and I do double cleanse if I've got a lot going on, but there is no other micellar water like it. Bioderma Micellar Water in Sensibio  — which is the hydrating and sensitive calming one — is my favourite."

2. Avene.

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Avene is HUGE in France. If you walk into a chemist, there are literally, like, four aisles dedicated to the brand. And for good reason. It champions hydration, and skin barrier care. It's not trendy, it's not flashy, it's not cool, but it's dermatologist-tested and recommended, and that is just at the core of French skincare.

For me, it's all about their iconic Thermal Spring Water ($28.99), which is shown to have amazing results on eczema and skin irritation. 

3. Biologique Recherche.

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"This one's very expensive but I adore it. They are world-famous for the cult status P50 Lotions. It all started in France and it's basically what they call a 'facial in a bottle'," said Leigh.

"They're balancing exfoliators, so they're going to resurface the skin but hydrate it at the same time. There are different versions and strengths, but as I said — it is basically a facial and a bottle for when you can't get a facial."

4. Klorane.

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Another biggie in France is Klorane, which is a haircare brand I really love. They've got a massive range, but some of the most notable products they have are their iconic dry shampoos. 

But it's worth noting that in France, dry shampoo isn't necessarily just used for oily hair — they use it for volume and texture. It's pretty much a hair-styling product.

It's bloody hard to choose, but Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk ($16.99) is one of my absolute favourite picks from the brand.

5. Juliette Has A Gun.

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"Juliette Has A Gun is my absolute favourite perfumery brand, and it is French. Not a Fragrance ($209) is my favourite fragrance I wear from them — and there's a whole range of the scent," said Leigh. 

"There's a hand cream, there's a room spray, but more recently I've actually fallen in love with their pear one... I just love everything they do."

6. Nuxe Paris.

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Okay, so Nuxe Paris is not a huge brand here — in fact, you mightn't have even heard of it before — but it's BIG in France. Like... huge.

Y'see, the French treat body care like they treat face care. It's very much a ritual — and they will do body care, like, twice a day. That's why these kinds of brands are so big. They add that little slice of luxury to what we would see as a pretty mundane part of your routine.

For this reason, my favourite pick is the Nuxe Paris Huile Prodigieuse Dry Oil, $42.99.

7. Caudalie.

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"Caudalie is a beautiful skincare brand from Bordeaux in a family estate. I've always loved the mist but they also have really fantastic body and face products," said Leigh.

"The skincare mist kind of has a little layer of oil on top and then water — but you've got to shake it up before spritzing on your face and it is just so delicious."

8. Dior Beauty.

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Dior Beauty. As if I'm not going to talk about one of France's biggest, high-end, luxurious makeup brands. I feel like this stuff just never goes out of fashion. It's such an iconic and historical makeup brand, rather than a celebrity/trendy brand (the ones we see a  lot of today).

My favourite product from the brand, of course, is the cult Lip Glow Oil, $62. It has many imitations, but there's just something about this lip product that feels so luxe and premium. It comes in a variety of different shades and I absolutely love it.

9. Embyrolisse.

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"This brand came back to Australia in 2020 and it has that really sort of multi-purpose feel. Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturiser ($46), is the main product. On photoshoots, makeup artists use it for primer, to make legs look glowy — it's such a fantastic all-round product."

"They also do makeup, they do skincare. Beautiful, beautiful brand," said Leigh.

Now, there are obviously so many more we haven't mentioned but we could go on for daysss. 

But if you're looking for more French goodness, there's a really great Australian website called French Beauty Co. 

They stock a whole range of these brands, and to celebrate Bastille Day they've got a Discovery Box for $69, which has got a bunch of different brands and different products in it. 

So, there you go!

We would love to hear from you! What are your favourite French products, trends and brands? Pop your comment below.

Feature image: Instagram: @biodermaau; @embryolisseau.

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