Well, my title may be a bit of an overstatement, but when I went to France, I found, what I think, is the best moisturizer of all time. I’m no beauty expert, but I know that French women are obsessed with their skin. So, when I was in Paris, I went to the Sephora flagship store on the Champs-Élysées and wandered around (looking totally clueless) until an adorable gay guy rescued me with a sample of Lancôme Génifique Nutrics.
Parisian Women Have Great Skin
If you have ever tried to figure out why French women look so effortlessly chic, part of it has to do with their natural-looking makeup. In the states, most of us try to cover our bad skin with oodles of foundation and blush. In Paris, the women work hard at keeping their skin in top condition. Every Parisian “pharmacie” seems to be a bastion of wall-to-wall cleansers, moisturizers, and beauty masks.
Now, I’ve always had acceptable Baby Boomer skin. Not great. Not horrid. However, a medical condition made my face start to dry up and actually flake for no good reason. So, I began scrubbing more often with the Patricia Wexler Resurfacing Microbrasion System, which I still love, but I wanted to play around with some new options.
Sephora Store in Paris
My husband and I cruised right past the mile of perfumes (inside Sephora's front door) because I’m already in love with Fragonard (perfume) by Fragonard. Once in the heart of the store, I tried to discern which area might have the heavy-duty old-lady moisturizers. No luck. It was total sensory overload.
After a while, a salesperson took pity on us, and he said, “Bonjour.” Now, I can read a fair amount of French, but no intelligible French words have ever come out of my mouth. My husband’s family is French-Canadian, but the shock of being in a makeup store turned my husband into a mute.
Lancome Cleanser, Skin Mask, and Moisturizer
My husband finally said “dry skin” in French, as the Sephora guy looked at my pitiful complexion. I told the sales associate that I wanted the best and that I needed his help. He asked questions. I told him to choose for me. And then he put a tiny dab of magical moisturizer on the back of my hand and said “very soft” as he smoothed it in.
Traditionally, I have felt that moisturizers are a waste of money. But even I said, “Oooooh. I really want this. Can I buy this where I live… in America?” But all the Frenchman could say was, “Is new. Is new.”
Baby Boomers with Dry Older Skin
I’ve tried fancy-dancy Crème de la Mer (it made me break out), low-budget olive oil (it slid onto my pillow), and everything else in between. I don’t know if Lancôme Génifique Nutrics is the perfect product for you, but if nothing else seems right, I think it’s worth a try.
This moisturizer isn’t cheap. However, it seems to smooth out my skin and it acts a bit like a primer. (Not that I ever use primers, but that sounds like the best explanation.) And whenever I put my Chantecaille foundation on over the moisturizer, I actually look a bit better than I should.
Lancôme Génifique Nutrics Is Hard to Find
The name (and other specifics) on this great jar of moisturizer reads:
- Lancôme Génifique Nutrics
- Crème Activatrice Jeunesse Et Nutrition
- Nourishing Youth Activating Cream
- e 50 ml Net Wt. 1.7 oz
The weight in both metrics and ounces seems to indicate that this product (made in France) is for European and other international consumers. From what I’ve seen, Lancôme products made in the USA only show weight in ounces. I have found products similar to Génifique Nutrics in the states, however, the names and the lists of ingredients are not the same:
Are they as good? I don’t know.
Places to Find French Beauty Products
I have sent an email to Sephora.fr to see if I can have the French-made product sent to the U.S. by UPS. I think I’ve seen the French moisturizer on Amazon.com. Canada may have the imported French Lancôme goodies, and eBay is another possibility. If these sources don’t work out, I may beg or bribe Eskenzer, the friendly concierge at the Castex Hotel in Paris, to help me.
I know that medications and beauty products go through a different certification process in every country. And as much as I love to buy American-made products, I may be hooked.
European Beauty Products from France
The Sephora guy was so fabulous, I should have bought everything he could find. But I didn’t, and I want to kick myself. I also purchased a great cleanser (that I will never live without), and it's similar to its American-made counterpart. This creamy cleanser also dissolves makeup and it's called:
- Lancôme Crème-Mousse Confort
- Nettoyant Réconfortant, Crème de Mousse, Peaux Sèches
- Comforting Cleanser, Creamy Foam, Dry Skin
I bought a mask, but I cannot find the same product in the U.S. Will I have to return to Paris when I run out? I think it is more likely that I will have to shop globally and moisturize locally. The French facial mask is:
- Lancôme Hydra Intense
- Masque Source Hydratant Aux Capteurs d’Eau Naturels
- Hydrating Gel Mask With Natural Water Captors
I haven’t tried the mask yet. But, girlfriends, I love the other products so much; it might be worth the extra hassle for you to give these French products a try. I'm not usually the kind of girl who goes gaga for makeup or beauty treatments.
Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
Join the Conversation