Travel Tuesday: Affordable Beauty Finds in Paris

by Sidonie Wybourn

My mom and I went to Paris a few weeks ago to celebrate my grandmother’s 90^th birthday, and though spending time with family was the main purpose of our trip, we couldn't leave the city of lights without a couple of marathon shopping sessions!

Despite all the designer stores available, a girl’s gotta eat – in my case, as many crepes and croissants as possible - so one of my favorite places to shop in Paris is actually a large discount chain called “Monoprix”. They have locations all over the city, and sell food, clothing and other household items but it shouldn't come as any surprise that the main reason I go to Monoprix is to find great beauty products at affordable prices.

Here are a few things I picked up on my latest visit:

Bio Beauté by Nuxe – Silky Perfecting BB Cream with Peach Extract and Mineral Pigments

It’s so easy to find natural and organic beauty products in Europe – all pharmacies and beauty counters at major stores seem to have a big selection and Monoprix is no exception – Canada is starting to catch up and hopefully one day we will be on the same page.

I love this paraben-free organic BB Cream from Nuxe. It goes on easily and keeps my skin from feeling dry. The mineral pigments do a great job of smoothing out my skin tone. Some might not like the peach extract smell, but I’d take that over chemicals and artificial fragrance any day!

Bourjois Paris – Blush Exclusif

Bourjois Paris is a long-time favorite beauty brand for me. I’ve been using their Rose Exclusif lip gloss for a few years – it changes to an ideal shade of pink for your skin tone  based on the ph level of your skin – so I was excited to see that they’ve created a blush using the same technology.

L’Oreal Paris – Volume Million Lashes Golden Black Mascara and Hologram Top Coat

L’Oreal Paris makes a really good mascara and I couldn’t resist buying this chic little duo which came out as a limited edition for the Cannes Film Festival this year. The Hologram top coat gives lashes a subtle glittery finish which will be perfect for the holiday season.