10 French Beauty Brands

Susan Hooks

Updated: 26 August 2025 ·

Best Things to Do:

Navigation:

10 French beauty brands

The latest infographic from our 1st series created in partnership with the Galeries Lafayette is about the leading French beauty brands and the iconic product from each of them.

See at the end of the article the exclusive promotion from Lafayette for paris-story.com readers.

France and Cosmetics

France is the largest exporter of cosmetics in the world, capturing about 18% of the global market compared to 11% from the U.S., which ranks second.

In 2017, the French cosmetics industry exported about 13 billion euros in products to all corners of the world (data from FEBEA), with the top five markets being Germany, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain.

The savoir-faire and savoir-vivre that the French exude in gastronomy, winemaking, fashion, and life in general - which attract so many foreigners - can also be felt in the beauty products made in France.

In addition to being products of excellent quality - that truly deliver on what they promise and meet expectations - they carry the aura of French fresh and chic, approaching life in a simpler and more natural way (truth or myth?).

10 FRENCH BEAUTY BRANDS

French beauty brands
French beauty brands

The quintessential French beauty brand is L'Oreal. Not surprisingly, some of the brands mentioned in our infographic belong to L'Oreal (Vichy, La Roche, and Sanoflore), but the aim was to introduce some lesser-known names.

You can find all these brands and products on the ground floor of the Galeries Lafayette.

Also, check out the other infographics in the series:

After extensive research on beauty blogs and websites and discussions with friends here and there, we also chose an iconic product from each brand. We preferred those that are easily found here and that don't cost a lot - with the exception of Melvita's cream, all others cost less than 20€.

Another characteristic of most brands we selected - and French brands in general - is the increasing use of natural raw materials of plant origin over synthetic products (many originating from the petrochemical industry) and mineral origins.

  • The 10 most iconic bags of all time (click here)
  • The 10 most classic perfumes of all time (click here)
  • The 10 most famous French luxury brands (click here)
  • The 10 most classic sneakers of all time (click here)
  • The 6 types of winter coats (click here)

Benefits of Galeries Lafayette for readers of paris-story.com

The Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann is the most well-known and historic department store in Paris. In addition to being an iconic address in the city, it is part of the lifestyle of the elegant Parisian.

The store is also the best tip for tourists looking to shop. There are 3,500 brands for sale, spread across 70,000 m² - three buildings, seven floors.

Additionally, Lafayette offers gifts and discounts to paris-story.com readers! See below.

Reasons and advantages for shopping at Galeries Lafayette:

  1. EARN GIFTS! The Galeries Lafayette offer exclusive gifts to paris-story.com readers on purchases over 50 euros. Click here to read our article that explains everything. Note: only one gift per person, per voucher, per day, per tax refund receipt.
  • 1 GALERIES LAFAYETTE TOTE BAG on purchases over 50€
  • 1 GALERIES LAFAYETTE COIN PURSE on purchases over 200€
  • 1 KIEHL'S COSMETIC BAG WITH 4 FACE PRODUCTS on purchases over 250€
  • 1 RITUALS BEAUTY BOX WITH 4 PRODUCTS + access to the Le Concierge lounge + appetizer on purchases over 650€
  • 1 DIPTYQUE SCENTED CANDLE + access to the Le Concierge lounge + appetizer on purchases over 650€
  • 1 S.T. DUPONT CARDHOLDER + access to the Le Concierge lounge + appetizer on purchases over 1,200€
  • 1 CLARINS BEAUTY BOX WITH 3 PRODUCTS + access to the Le Concierge lounge + appetizer on purchases over 1,200€
  • 1 LA MER COSMETIC BAG WITH 2 PRODUCTS + access to the Le Concierge lounge + appetizer on purchases over 2,500€
  • 1 S.T. DUPONT BALLPOINT PEN + access to the Le Concierge lounge + appetizer on purchases over 2,500€
  1. You'll be protected from rain or sun! And you can even have your meals inside Lafayette. There are several restaurants spread across the various floors of the grand magasin, click here to read our article about them.
  1. Save time! At Galeries Lafayette, you can find a huge variety of brands - women's, men's, and children's; well-known and lesser-known; French and international - all under one roof, catering to all budgets and tastes.
  1. Save money! You can combine the values of all purchases made at different stores within Galeries Lafayette to reach the minimum amount of 100€ necessary to obtain your tax refund (tax-free) right there. Click here to read our article that explains everything.
  1. See fashion shows and learn about the latest seasonal trends. Every Friday, Galeries Lafayette hosts a fashion show displaying the latest seasonal trends and store novelties. paris-story.com readers receive 10% off the ticket price, just use the code GLCONEXAO. Click here to make your reservation.

Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann: 40 boulevard Haussmann, 75009 | Metro lines 7 and 9, station Chausée d'Antin - La Fayette or lines 3, 7 and 8, station Opéra | Operating hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 8:30 PM; Sundays and holidays, 11 AM to 8 PM.

Read also about Galeries Lafayette

Discounts and gifts for paris-story.com readers

Sign up for the newsletter and receive paris-story.com updates.