Where to go in the City of Lights to locate the hippest places for beauty and wellbeing
After relocating to Paris from London, I've come to realize that while the "French girl cool" appearance may be understated, it requires a lot of upkeep. In contrast to Londoners, who value eclecticism and uniqueness, Parisians are more prone to dress up and value appearing put-together. While Parisians tend to keep their hair and makeup simple, subtlety is far from maintenance-free, and properly kept skin, nails, brows, and hair are essential. Women are taking advantage of the trend for organically oriented or organic companies, but they won't settle for subpar performance. Parisians have high standards for everything, including beauty.
Beauty
L'Espace Beauté, La Samaritaine, 1st arrondissement
Paris's most opulent and well-known big magasin, La Samaritaine, may be found by crossing the Pont Neuf from Saint Germain or by walking a little distance down the River from the Louvre. It was renovated extensively and reopened in 2021 inside an Art Nouveau structure constructed in 1870. Take the riveted steel stairway down to the basement after ascending to the fifth level to observe the restored glass roof and beautiful frieze. Here, dazzling counters from labels like Tom Ford, La Mer, and Darphin sit alongside lesser-known ones. If you're not visiting the Les Cinq Mondes spa, stroll past the manicure stations beside Kure Bazaar and continue to the rue de Rivoli side of the store to find more affordable beauty and wellness items to fill your case. Don't forget to stop by the tax-refund section. Non-EU visitors who spend over €100.01 may earn 10% back on many of their purchases and can even retrieve their money right away utilizing in-store ATMs.
Must purchase: For the spotlessly clean skin that the laid-back French cool girl style depends on, treat yourself to the Aromatic Cleansing Balm with Rosewood, £38, from French skincare giant company Darphin. Worth 'accidentally' forgetting your regular cleaner at home.
Address: 9 rue de la Monnaie, 75001 L'Espace Beauté, La Samaritaine
Internet address: dfs.com/samaritaine
Visiting Paris soon? Here are 10 secret beauty and wellness spots in Paris locals love. https://t.co/Ak4O3tkbxX pic.twitter.com/2Q3CwOE9IE
— Condé Nast Traveller (@cntraveller) February 28, 2023
16th arrondissement: Muse
As already mentioned, Parisians are adept at polishing. That is why there is a nail bar on practically every corner in Paris' double-digit arrondissements, which are more recognized for their abundance of residential structures. Muse is one of the greatest of its kind, located in the opulent 16th arrondissement (and having a branch in the trendy 17th). A small but well-shaped establishment offers quick but faultless manicures to elegant residents and drop-ins during lunch breaks on Avenue Victor Hugo, a stylish tree-lined strip of stores and cafés that extends out from the Arc de Triomphe. With their short, neat nails, Parisian ladies are more inclined to choose noir or khaki, although nail art is also an option.
Must-try: As everyone dresses up a little bit when they travel to Paris, getting a Flash Mani with nail paint is an inexpensive way to dress up.
Location: 140 Avenue Victor Hugo, 75116 Paris, France
Other venues include Muse, 73 Avenue Niel, 75017 Paris.
URL: musenailsbar.com
L'Institut 68 in the eighth arrondissement
Do you know about the luxurious spa upstairs? You are familiar with the Champs Elysées and may have even seen the iconic Guerlain store, adorned with the brand's opulent fragrances, cosmetics, and skincare products. Many of the customers are Parisian ladies because most tourists to the city don't. A 98-year-old resident who has been there since she was 14 has been attending the spa, which has nine treatment rooms and large windows since it first opened in 1939 in the beautiful apartment of the Guerlain family. The paneling, marble, and even the light fittings are still there. Now, the business leverages this opulent location to provide treatments that combine cutting-edge skincare knowledge with time-honored methods, including its 80-year-old 19-minute face massage technique. The spa's director tells me that because it is light-filled and not shut down like a retreat, busy Parisians enjoy coming here because they never feel too disconnected.
Should try: The most popular service at the spa is Le Soin Sur-Mesure, which costs £260 for 90 minutes. Le Soin Sur-Mesure is produced on the spot with you and the therapist and can include everything you require at that particular instant, day, month, or season, unlike some "personalized" therapies that are just modified. The pinnacle of luxury.
Contact information: L'Institut 68, Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris
URL: guerlain.fr
2nd arrondissement of Nose
The incredibly fashionable perfume concept boutique Nose is located in the second arrondissement. I enter my most recent three favorite perfumes into an iPad while seated at a chic black bar with a little café. Five new smells that I might enjoy are suggested by the algorithm developed by AI and perfume professionals called Nose. For me to scent them and rank them without knowing their brand or name, the store clerk sprays them onto five sample strips. Up until I have three scents to test on my skin, this data is sent back into the algorithm. All of my top three are difficult to reject. The staff, who are experts on all 500 of the fragrances carried by Nose, also adds a fourth to the mix. I naturally depart with a bag filled with tissues, samples of the scents that escaped, and a record of my olfactory profile on their website. Unmissable.
Buy now: Modern French scent Parisian Musc by Matiere Premiere, which uses Grasse's raw ingredients as its primary source of fragrances, is figgy and woody and will always make you think of your trip.
Address: 20 rue Bachaumont, Suite Nose, 75002 Paris
Online at nose.fr
Pharmacy du Forum des Halles, 1st arrondissement
Indeed, you didn't travel to Paris to see a mall. Nonetheless, if buying French drugstore brands was a part of your strategy, head to the following location: First arrondissement superstore pharmacy Drugstore Du Forum Des Halles. There are pharmacies on almost every corner where you can buy La Roche Posay, Embryolisse, Caudalie, Bioderma, and more, but here you can find every product from every brand you've been reading about, as well as uncommon categories from well-known brands (such as skincare by Klorane and body care by Avène) and hard-to-find French brands (Saeve Paris, Avril, and Nubiance), all at great prices. Be on the lookout for pick-and-mix little bins, huge sizes, and multi-packs of your favorite items. And be grateful for the generous Eurostar baggage policy.
Must purchase: When it's hot outside, Parisians won't leave the house without a can of cooling face spray. Purchase Caudale's improved version, Eau de Raisin, for skin is exposed to central heating, for £7.84.
Location address: Pharmacy Du Forum Des Halles, 1 avenue Pierre Lescot, Porte Rambuteau, Niveau -2, 75001, Paris
URL: www.pharmacy-forum-halles-paris.com
Wellness
La Boutique Aime in the 11th district
Is it feasible to get a capsule version of that French glow? With its French-made dietary supplements, based on probiotics and the notion that a happy gut or microbiome means happy healthy skin, Aime is making an effort to accomplish just that. Staff members can help you pick from the different capsules, powders, and drops intended to enhance skin, hair, sleep, and digestion at its exquisitely decorated flagship shop in the Marais. Also, you may decide to visit the company's Le Glow Studio for a facial, a head massage, or a session in the infrared sauna.
Buy now: Probiotics and essential fatty acids are combined in French Glow, which claims to balance and reduce skin redness.
Address: 16 Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, Suite 75011, La Boutique Aime
Address: aime.co
La Piscine Josephine Baker, 13th arrondissement
The French government said earlier this year that the Seine will be swimmable by 2025. Piscine Joséphine Baker is available for those who cannot wait for the cleanup process. This city-operated pool enjoys a prime riverfront location on a barge, but none of the 'nature' that one might expect. There are several outdoor swimming pools in Paris, but this one has a glass canopy that opens when the weather is nice. You'll know when that is the case when you see a line forming. Paris boasts a plethora of public pools, many of which are beautiful and spotlessly clean. Nevertheless, like in so many other aspects of French culture, regulations are strictly enforced: remember to bring your swim cap, and gentlemen, le Speedo is mandatory.
Must try: Weekend early-risers are not provided for (this is not a city that is up with the larks), so drop by for an evening swim on a bright day and then proceed directly to your apéritif.
La Piscine Josephine Baker is located at Quai François Mauriac and Quai de la Gare in Paris, France (75013).
Online at piscine-baker.fr
Spa Le Bristol, 8th district
Whether it's hotels, cuisine, wine, or spas, Paris excels at the standards. The city is home to several top-notch, beautiful, and historic spas, many of which are housed in opulent hotels. The most prestigious of these is Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie. There are Tata Harper and La Prairie facials and signature massages that use oils especially created by KOS Paris, a natural body care brand with its laboratory in the city, in addition to the necessary grooming services (which you might need to keep up with the celebrities you'll inevitably run into in the lobby). Non-guests can reserve any of the treatments, which all give a sense of authentic Parisian splendor.
Should try: Travel-related aches and pains should be relieved by the Relax & Regenerate trademark massage, which costs £198 for 55 minutes and is expertly personalized to you.
Spa Le Bristol is located at 112 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honorê in Paris, France.
Website: le-bristol-paris.oetkercollection.com
First arrondissement's Maisie Café
Six billion baguettes are sold in France annually, so the mainstays of the French diet are by no means simply a cliché. But, many tourists and French citizens alike want to lighten up a little, and there are now a lot of vegetarian, vegan, and wellness-focused restaurants to add to your agenda. Between the Jardin des Tuileries and the Hôtel Costes in the first arrondissement sits the charming Maisie Café, a vegan and gluten-free coffee shop. Banana bread, energy bites, oat-milk Matcha lattes, cold-pressed juices, and energy balls provide you with the fuel you need for an exhibition or shopping day.
Buy now: Choose a Go Juice for a great energy boost at petit-déjeuner which combines beets, ginger, and lemon.
Address: 32 Rue du Mont Thabor, 75001, Maisie Café
URL: maisiecafe.com
Yuj Yoga Studio in the 7th district
There are several venues to practice yoga in Paris, however, there aren't as many as in London or New York. Nevertheless, few are as fashionable as Yuj. Six sites may be found across the city, with the seventh one being seductively situated in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Like many things in Paris, the style leans toward the sophisticated, with each studio sporting striped awnings and lettering in blue and gold. The USP of this setting is that courses take place in infrared studios that are heated to a comfortable 25 degrees. The music selection is thoughtful, and the company even has its line of activewear that you can check out before you leave.
Must try: On a Friday night in town? You can get all the positive energy you need for the weekend after a 6 p.m. Flowmix class.
Website: yujyogastudio.com
Address: Yuj Yoga Studio, 11 rue Edmond Valentin, 75007