As a hybrid of shopaholic and beauty maniac, I cannot trying new products and finding the ones that suit me best. Drugstore filled with fine local skincare products is exactly something my hometown lacks. This probably explains why I fancy CVS and Boots so much whenever I find them during my trips. Honestly, the cheap and wide variety of cosmetics never fails to drive me nuts - all that Cover Girl, Rimmel, Barry M, all those well-known brands I've always heard on YouTube make-up tutorials but never available in Hong Kong (you have to understand by drugstore make-up we Hong Kongers are only referring to L'Oreal, Revlon and Maybeline. Real drugstores in Hong Kong are those all-white old-fashioned stores that sells pills, milk powder, diapers and detergents. There are barely any cosmetics available). Plenty of choices, testers, and of course, cheap deals.
But now that I've been to the drugstores, or les pharmacies, here in Paris, things have now taken up to a whole new level! (As if it hasn't been crazy enough...)
Citipharma on Rue de Four. It's almost a tourist attraction now.
Photo Credits to Yelp.com
Perhaps this may be nothing new to everyone. Caudalie is always positively reviewed (and swept away by maindlanders) and now launching a concept store in Hong Kong (for those of you who don't know about it, do check out their refreshing sprays and infamous grape seed products); Avene, Vichy, Bioderma and La Roche Porsay are now imported by Mannings, can be ordered online and recommended by YouTube makeup artists, including my beloved Lisa Eldridge.
In case you haven't seen it!
To be fair, shopping at Mannings has been pleasurable. The products they have are good enough to maintain an alright appearance. And I sadistically love to put myself in the dilemma and struggle between all considerable factors. My usual stream of thought would be something like: "This is a better bargain, that is recommended by so-and-so, this is what my skin is craving for, that I have to look up for reviews...Oh no wait I'm supposed to save money!". But here at Citipharma, I have to struggle a hell lot more! There's too many legit goodies here!
In Parisian's mindset, I guess grooming is just as basic and essential as brushing teeth. The Parisians (well, the chic and fairly wealthy ones) here have set the par for grooming extremely high. You won't see people with unnourished skin, messy hair or terrible odour. If you look closely, some of these ladies in their 50s have luminous skin with fine pores. Yes it may be wrinkled but still you can tell it is nourished and well taken care of. And when they touch up on their make-up, it looks like they do it gently, slowly, taking every detail (especially those we always miss) into considering, just like applying mascara to the lashes at the corner of the eyes. That's just how meticulous they are.
Maybe Parisians think looking bad or not treating yourself well is an illness, and so people need to consult pharmacists and get drugs from pharmacies (now it all makes sense!).
The French have a wide array of local brands to choose from. All that we have seen in Asia is just a tiny fraction of the full picture here. Considering I have been quite conscious and alert when it comes to beauty products, there are loooads more I have never heard of, and would not have tried if it wasn't the French sales here who recommended them to me.
The sales in white robes, or perhaps supposedly beauty experts / pharmacists" don't really hardsell, but when you approach to them for help, they would genuinely consider your skin type and make recommendations accordingly. I've had a few encounters with them already, and they don't necessarily suggest me to buy high-end expensive products. And surprisingly, all their recommended products worked quite well on me. Plus, given the whole shop is not furnished in a super commercial way like Sasa that kind of turns me off, the pharmacy always leave me with an impression of modesty and trustworthiness.
What I also like about the products is that they are all very mild and soothing in general. Like Avene's cold cream body lotion that declares sans paraben and Bioderma's sans alcool deodorant (as seen in the photo above) really feels better on my skin. Each of these products don't work like instant magic, but they work gradually after multiple application. In a long run they do serve their proposes as they suggest on the packaging. So when it says "apisante","très doux" or "brilliance", it is literally doing it work to pump you up with moisture, soften your skin, or make your hair glow.
Comparing to things the Taiwanese Japanese Korean products and group-buying in Hong Kong, I guess French ones are comparatively expensive. But here things are not that commercialised and pushed by brands, and everyone gets to discover new products that suits their personal needs better. Things here are not rock-bottom cheap, but if you are willing to pay an affordable/reasonable price, it is almost assured that the quality will be quite fair. I don't think anyone will ever buy something that is terribly shitty and wants to dump it right away. At least no one will think that "oh this is too cheap to resist. I can afford dumping it if it turns out bad". NO. People really buy what they need and solves their problems from the root. So I guess I prefer the French way.
Oh and one important thing - they all smell amazing! That means a huge deal to me.
For those who are completely new to French beauty products, I can list you the products I'm now using for your reference:
- Hair products: I'm using a Klorane shampoo and dates hair mask as conditioner. Reason being: I've permed my hair way too much before I left Hong Kong, and now that I prefer sleek Asian hair than my permed curls, I'm trying to keep my hair smooth and strong. Klorane is definitely the one I always trust when it comes to hair products. They smell great, keep things natural, does the job.
- Shower: I'm using Roger et Gailles rose shower cream. The cream is not very thick or sticky, it's just not very fluid-like or contain loads of soap, so it is very gentle and leaves a comfortable finish to the skin. I expected the rose scent to last longer but it didn't, so that was my only disappointment. I guess shower oils in the supermarkets will do the job as well, and might cost less!
- Facial Skincare: I bought Galénic's Cauterets purifying cleansing gel (the green tube) with the help of the pharmacist's recommendation. I tried, with broken French, to tell her that I'm looking for a mild cleanser for combination skin and I want to get rid of the tiny oily zits, and so far this has been pretty good. Well, at least it cleanses throughoutly (removes traces of make-up!) and never irritates my skin. It was on a special deal that 1 tube is €9 while 2 are about €10! I took her advice, the risk of €1 and 2 tubes, and I'm glad that I did.
I'm also using Lierac's moisturing mask and eye cream these days (not shown in the picture as it is a recent purchase! will update later :P) as the dry weather almost made my skin crack. I only got to know this brand with the help of the pharmacist again, and they really saved me. The "cracks" are all gone!
And there are a few more I've heard from my bestie Patricia and I'm planning to purchase one by one...
- Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse: a natural oil that smells great to be applied on your hair and skin whenever you feel dry! I'd definitely need some as the weather is getting quite dry!
- Klorane's dry shampoo: as it is getting colder and dryer here in Paris, I guess it is better not to wash my hair everyday, but to keep it fresh with dry shampoo instead!
And of course, the perfume... hmm, we will talk about that later. I've just found something the other day. Stay tuned!
- Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse: a natural oil that smells great to be applied on your hair and skin whenever you feel dry! I'd definitely need some as the weather is getting quite dry!
- Klorane's dry shampoo: as it is getting colder and dryer here in Paris, I guess it is better not to wash my hair everyday, but to keep it fresh with dry shampoo instead!
And of course, the perfume... hmm, we will talk about that later. I've just found something the other day. Stay tuned!
And now I always sing in my shower, dream about my hair growing longer and stronger...
Feels so good!
No comments:
Post a Comment