The Best French Products for Summer and Beyond

A staple for most French women, Nuxe Huile is a popular dry oil for face, hair, and body that utilizes plant oils, including buzzy ingredients like macadamia and camellia. Taming flyaways and curlicues while adding a healthy shine to your hair, rub some into a sunburn or sea-chapped lips to soften your skin.

Shop: $24

Having a signature fragrance is très French, and Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne is the obvious choice based on name alone. The floral notes, leading with peony, rose, and cranberry, musky undertones, and a touch of sandalwood on the base combine to create an ultra-romantic scent that’s alluring yet strong—both of which happen to be prized qualities of French women.

Shop: $50

Lebon’s beautifully-packaged, art-deco inspired toothpaste is made with organic green tea and aloe vera and is the perfect aesthetic addition to any toilette vanity. Opening in 2014 with a flagship shop on the French Riviera, the pastes are meant to evoke the flavors and scents of the Mediterranean Sea with flavors like Sweet Extravagance, a blend of rose, orange blossom, and mint, or the more traditional fresh flavors of Lebon Cap Ferrat mood.

Shop: Sweet Extravagance, $21; Lebon Cap Ferrat Mood, $21

Laduree, the iconic macaron shop that’s been a Paris mainstay since 1862, is a must-visit while in the City of Lights. In case you somehow missed the craze that’s swept global pastry shops over the last decade, macarons are colorful, delicate double-decker cookies first perfected in Paris. Laduree’s light, chewy almond version is an aromatic yet delicious treat, which comes in 11 essential flavors, including rose (made with rose petal buttercream), caramel, and framboise.

Shop: $41

Made in France, Vuarnet sunglasses are perfect for bringing Riviera vibes through summer and into fall. Try pairing tortoise shell frames with summer pastels or warmer autumn tones, perfect for a Bardotte-at-Cannes aesthetic.

Shop: $380

Sparkling wine can only be considered champagne if made in the Champagne region of France, and Louis Roederer, creators of Cristal, is arguably the most popular and well-known champagne house in the region. Growing its grapes in the “best terroirs of Champagne,” the grands and premiers crus of the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs, and the Vallée de la Marne, for an extra special bottle, source their Cristal 2008, which recently hit shelves after ten years of aging.

Shop: $59

It’s no secret the French keep their youthful looks well into their later years, with a rigorous cleansing and moisturizing routine the reason for their forever-vibrant skin. And it's no accident La Mer has achieved cult beauty product status in France. Made with sea kelp and packed with nutrients that hydrate and reawaken the skin, La Mer’s anti-aging properties are legendary. In addition to the brand’s signature face cream, their Eye Concentrate ($205) is ideal for reducing dark circles and wrinkles around the eyes.

Shop: $265

A scarf is the quintessential French accessory and in specific the foulard, a thin silk or cotton scarf (the counterpart to the heavier écharpe for cold-weather). A subtle print in a light color, like this pale pink Louis Vuitton scarf, is an ideal late summer accessory.

Shop: $675

Marseille is known for lavender and soap. Regarding the latter, none is more beloved than Savon de Marseille, an institution since the 1600s. First launched by a group of artisans, who had begun to use their region’s natural, raw materials to make bath products, Savon de Marseille soon became famous throughout the country. Today, the French even refer to Marseille’s unique five-step soap making technique as the “Marseille process.” Now available globally, you can order the original oil olive flavor soap or the Savon de Marseille with crushed lavender flowers.

Shop: $14

Micellar water is having a moment, and for good reason. Simultaneously a makeup remover,  cleanser, and toner, it’s been popular in France for decades as the best way to take your makeup clean off (but with care). As the story of La Roche-Posay goes, in the 14th century, a Chevalier brought his horse to a spring in the town of La Roche-Posay, and the water cured the animal’s eczema. Today, La Roche-Posay is a leader in French skincare, making serums, face and body creams, cleansers, and exfoliators that are created and tested by dermatologists—making them ideal for sensitive skin.

Shop: $19

Diptyque’s orange blossom diffuser delivers a subtle, summery scent, also making for a stunning decor fixture: with a cylindrical hourglass shape cinched by an ornate band of gold. (Just turn the hourglass over to start a new diffusion cycle.) Diptyque’s recently launched Garden of Hesperides line is the perfect scent for summer, along with their Eau des Sens Hair Mist ($48). The brand hails from the left bank of Paris, so it’s no wonder that Diptyque is a favorite among Francophiles.

Shop: $175

Maison Bernardaud makes meticulously-designed French dinnerware just the right aesthetic for hosting late summer, Paris-inspired brunches. The étoile plates have a minimalist look, but you can also opt for something brighter with their contemporary dinnerware sets, most of which feature dinner plates, salad plates, bread plates, soup bowls, and teacups and saucers. After brunch, serve a chic espresso in these blue-and-gold coffee cups.

Shop: $90-$115

Essentially a setting spray, Caudalie Beauty Elixir is a mist to “finish your makeup." It tones and tightens pores using all-natural ingredients, a must for most French products. The elixir’s recipe, which includes rose and peppermint extracts, hasn’t changed in 20 years. What sets Caudalie apart is their superstar ingredient, grape water, which intensely hydrates your skin.

Shop: $18