15 Best Luxury French Beauty Brands Worth Your Investment
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French beauty brands are synonymous with sophistication, innovation, and unparalleled quality. From iconic fragrance houses to science-backed skincare and luxurious makeup, France truly sets the bar high in the beauty market.
But with so many options to choose from, navigating the world of French luxury beauty can feel overwhelming. This curated list unveils 15 of the best luxury French beauty brands to help you discover the perfect addition to your French girl beauty routine.
Many of these brands are tried-and-true favorites among French women. It's been rare not to come across at least one of these brands in the makeup bags of my French friends!
Keep in mind that these luxury brands will be expensive compared to French pharmacy products. If you're in search of more budget-friendly French beauty options, be sure to check out my post on the 20 Best French Pharmacy Products.
While most of these brands are readily accessible in the U.S., this list also serves as inspiration for beauty products to buy in France on your next trip.
If you’re ready to discover the crème de la crème of French beauty, continue reading for the best luxury French beauty brands that are worth the investment.
The Best Luxury French Beauty Brands
1. Sisley Paris
Sisley Paris is a French luxury skincare brand founded in 1976 by Hubert d'Ornano. The brand combines science and nature in skincare, offering an exquisite range of plant-based products that deliver unparalleled results. Sisley continues to innovate with exceptionally effective skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products.
One of Sisley's most popular products is the Black Rose Cream Mask, a rich face mask formulated to instantly help the complexion appear more youthful and energized. The Sisleya L'Integral Anti-Age Cream is another cult classic, with a luxurious texture and potent blend of extracts, vitamins, and essential oils that target signs of aging.
Best Sisley Products
2. La Mer
La Mer is a name synonymous with luxury skincare. The brand’s founder, aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber, pioneered the use of sea kelp and bio-fermentation in skin care, creating Miracle Broth™—the proprietary elixir that powers the legendary Crème de la Mer. This luxurious cream is revered for its ability to visibly improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture, for skin that feels nourished, plump, and rejuvenated.
Beyond its iconic cream, La Mer offers an extensive selection of skincare products, including serums, masks, eye treatments, and cleansers, formulated to address visible signs of aging and provide deep hydration for the skin. If you seek the epitome of luxury beauty, then La Mer is the brand for you.
Best La Mer Products
3. La Bouche Rouge
La Bouche Rouge, which translates to “red lips” in French, is a luxury beauty brand founded in 2017 by Nicolas Gerlier. This Parisian brand is best known for its range of 38 exquisite lipsticks, all handcrafted in France and meticulously formulated with clean, natural ingredients. Over time, they have expanded their collection to include other makeup essentials and fragrances.
What truly sets La Bouche Rouge apart is its dedication to sustainability. They offer refillable, handcrafted cases for several of its products, made from upcycled leather. By providing refill options, La Bouche Rouge encourages its customers to minimize waste and embrace a more eco-friendly approach to beauty that doesn’t lack luxury.
Best La Bouche Rouge Products
4. Guerlain
Guerlain is a prestigious French perfume, cosmetics, and skincare house, considered one of the oldest in the world — it’s been around since 1828. The brand's commitment to innovation and luxury is most evident in its fragrance line, which includes several iconic perfumes like Mitsouko and La Petite Robe Noire. They are renowned for their complex compositions and high-quality ingredients and continue to honor their deep history of fragrance creation.
Beyond its perfumes, Guerlain offers a wide range of skincare and makeup products formulated with top-notch ingredients. One of the French beauty brand’s most iconic products is the Terracotta Sunkissed Natural Bronzer Powder, a fan favorite that creates a seamless, true-to-skin bronzed glow.
Best Guerlain Products
5. Lancôme
Lancôme, one of the most renowned French beauty brands, has been setting the benchmark for skincare, makeup, and fragrance since its inception in 1935. Currently under the ownership of the L'Oréal Luxury Products division of L'Oréal, Lancôme is known for its range of luxurious products formulated with high-quality, effective ingredients.
Among its most popular products, the Hypnôse Mascara has achieved cult status, known for its ability to create dramatic lashes. In the realm of skincare, the Advanced Génifique Serum is one product you’ll find in the beauty cabinets of many French women. This anti-aging serum is beloved for its ability to improve skin texture and radiance while strengthening the skin’s moisture barrier.
Best Lancôme Products
6. Officine Universelle Buly
Officine Universelle Buly, also known as Buly 1803, is the French apothecary brand you’ve likely seen going viral for its customizable lip balms. The brand was first founded by Jean-Vincent Bully in 1803, then revived by Ramdane Touhami and Victoire de Taillac-Touhami in 2014.
Buly 1803 carries a wide range of luxury beauty products for body, face, hair and home. Most of them bear traditional French names, honoring its commitment to old beauty recipes combined with innovative cosmetic techniques.
An exceptional product worth checking out is their Eau Triple, the brand's iconic water-based perfume formulated without alcohol, ensuring a nicely balanced sillage.
If you find yourself in Paris, a visit to one of their four locations in the city is a must. Their stores are designed to resemble a 19th-century apothecary where you can shop a variety of products displayed in traditional cabinets and jars and possibly discover a lovely souvenir from your trip.
Best Buly 1803 Products
7. Clarins
Clarins is a family-run French cosmetics company founded in 1954 by Jacques Courtin-Clarins. With over six decades of expertise in plant-based beauty, Clarins offers an always-evolving collection of premium skincare, makeup, and fragrance products renowned for their gentleness and efficacy.
One of Clarins's most popular products is the Double Serum Firming & Smoothing Anti-Aging Concentrate, an iconic serum powered by 21 plant extracts that address all visible signs of aging.
The brand's focus on plant-based ingredients and luxurious formulas has made it a favorite among those seeking effective and more natural beauty solutions.
Best Clarins Products
8. Biologique Recherche
Biologique Recherche is a prestigious French skincare brand renowned for its clinical approach to skincare and its focus on personalized treatments. Founded in 1978 by Yvan and Josette Allouche, along with biologist and physiotherapist Philippe Allouche, Biologique Recherche has become synonymous with high-performance skincare solutions that prioritize effectiveness and results.
At the core of Biologique Recherche's philosophy lies the importance of personalized guidance for their customers, beginning with a skin diagnosis to put together a tailored skincare regimen. The best part is that they offer online consultations so you don’t have to be located in France to work with one of their Skin Experts.
You can also shop many of their products on Amazon including their coveted P50 Lotion.
Best Biologique Recherche Products
9. Chantecaille
Chantecaille is a luxury botanical skincare and cosmetics brand founded in 2002 by Sylvie Chantecaille and her daughter Olivia. Known for its focus on botanical ingredients, the French beauty brand prioritizes using the power of nature to deliver effective beauty solutions.
Among their most coveted beauty must-haves are the Future Skin Gel Foundation, an award-winning oil-free gel foundation, and the Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer, a versatile three-in-one formula that provides skin-smoothing coverage and sun protection.
Even better, Chantecaille maintains a commitment to cruelty-free practices and does not test its products on animals. For those looking for clean and natural French beauty, Chantecaille is the brand to browse.
Best Chantecaille Products
10. By Terry
Founded in 2000 by makeup artist Terry de Gunzberg, luxury cosmetics brand By Terry is adored for its complexion-perfecting makeup and high-performance formulas that blend the lines between makeup and skincare. This philosophy is rooted in Terry de Gunzburg's belief that healthy, radiant skin is the foundation for beautiful makeup.
The French beauty brand incorporates potent ingredients such as rose extract and hyaluronic acid into its innovative range of foundations, powders, lipsticks, mascaras and more. The Hyaluronic Hydra-Concealer is one of the brand’s best-selling products, renowned for its ability to hydrate the skin while minimizing imperfections and smoothing fine lines.
Best By Terry Products
French Designer Beauty Brands
1. Chanel
Chanel is a renowned French luxury fashion house founded in 1909 by Coco Chanel. It is well known for its timeless designs, high-quality materials, and iconic products like the little black dress and Chanel No. 5 perfume, the brand's signature fragrance and one of the most popular perfumes in the world.
Beyond fashion, Chanel also offers a wide range of beauty products that includes everything from foundation to nail polish. One of Chanel's most popular products is the VITALUMIÈRE AQUA Foundation, a lightweight, hybrid formula that creates a natural complexion with the tiniest drop. The LE VOLUME DE CHANEL Mascara is another top-tier product for instant volume and intensely luscious color.
Best Chanel Beauty Products
2. Dior
When it comes to designer beauty, Dior is undoubtedly one of the most iconic brands. Established in 1946, it has become synonymous with luxury, elegance, and innovative beauty products. From makeup to fragrance, the brand offers a wide array of products for those seeking a touch of French luxury in their beauty routine.
You definitely don’t want to miss the renowned Dior Backstage line for professional-quality makeup products inspired by the backstage at runway shows. Among the standout products in this range is the Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation, known for its hydrating formula and buildable coverage. More recently, the Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm has become a viral favorite thanks to its creamy formula that offers a "your lips but better" look.
Best Dior Beauty Products
3. Givenchy
Givenchy is another renowned French luxury brand that has been around for decades. The brand's couture heritage is reflected in its beauty products, which are known for their high-quality formulas, bold colors, and luxurious textures.
Some of their most iconic makeup items include the Prisme Libre Loose Powder, known for blurring imperfections and setting makeup for a long-lasting, natural-looking finish. Another product worth checking out is any of the Le Rouge lipsticks, available in a wide range of long-lasting, highly-pigmented shades for the perfect French pout.
Best Givenchy Beauty Products
4. Yves Saint Laurent
YSL Beauty is the cosmetics and fragrances line of the renowned French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent. The brand’s signature boldness and avant-garde spirit are reflected in its range of products, perfect for the luxury beauty lover looking to incorporate some Parisian edge into her beauty routine.
The Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen is one of YSL’s most iconic products, a cult favorite that provides radiant coverage and brightens the under-eye area. You also can’t go wrong with the Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick, a medium-coverage lipstick balm that provides luscious color and luminous shine while conditioning lips.
Best YSL Beauty Products
5. Hermès
Known for its exquisite handbags, leather goods, and silk scarves, Hermès more recently launched their makeup line in 2020. The renowned French luxury brand is bringing its core values of quality and craftsmanship to the beauty world with a range of makeup products that includes complexion-boosting balms and luminous blush powders.
If you’re looking to splurge, consider the Rouge Hermès Matte Lipstick and the Rose Hermès Silky Blush Powder, which both earned spots on Allure’s Best of Beauty Award Winner list in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Fragrance has been a part of the history of the house since the 1930s and is always worth checking out if you’re in the market for a luxury perfume.
Best Hermès Beauty Products
If you’re looking to invest in luxury beauty, I hope this list of the best luxury French beauty brands will inspire you!
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Which French beauty brands are your favorite? What are your must-have products from these brands? Let me know in the comments below.
