The Complete Guide To Smelling Like A French Girl
We found the secret.
Image: Amélie | UGC
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by Carolyn Firestone
Our fascination with all things French here at The Candidly (we won’t call it an obsession but only to protect our pride) is still going strong. We’ve written about dressing like a chic, Parisian woman. We’ve written about the most gloriously magical potions to come from a French pharmacy, and now here we are telling you how to smell like a French lady.
I say “we” instead of “I” because silly as it may sound, I’m not alone in this pursuit. French women are famous for smelling amazing. But it was only recently, while spending two weeks in Lyon, France, visiting my sister-in-law’s family that I personally lived this reality. In one short stroll to the coffee shop around the corner, I passed not one but three women who I almost turned around they smelled so good.
Had I been waiting in line with these women (and also been the kind of gregarious person who makes friends in lines) I’d have asked what they were wearing and high-tailed it to the nearest French pharm to scoop it up.
Instead, I was left to revel in the mystery of the French woman’s secret to smelling good. By the time I returned to my computer, latté d’avoine in hand, I typed out a pitch and sent it to my editor.
Luckily, my French obsession is only rivaled by my editor, Audie’s scent obsession. (See proof HERE, HERE, and HERE.) And together, we think we cracked the code. Here are the 6 products French ladies swear by to help them to earn/maintain their reputation as the best smelling women on earth.
1. The One We All Know And Love
WHAT: Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum Spray*
The red lip of the perfume world, Chanel N°5 was the first perfume introduced by Coco Chanel. It had a layered, lasting scent, a nouveaux, minimalist bottle, and an almost symphonic floral scent that would make you think of a field in Provence if not being instantly transported to the high-end department stores of Paris. The layers of bergamot, lemon and neroli are uplifted by iris, jasmine, and rose, then deepened with sandalwood and a hint of vanilla. It’s everything you expect from a scent that every French woman has on her dresser and that Marilyn Monroe once called the only thing she wears to bed.
Price: $118
2. The One Real French Women Actually Wear
WHAT: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil*
It’s wildly exciting to learn that one of the most beloved French scents is a body oil that rolls on and costs less than $30. It’s a clean, classic, gorgeous smell that melts into the skin and makes us feel more elegant and lovely and mysterious every time we catch a whiff of it on our skin throughout the day.
Price: $29.50
3. The Modern French Girl Scent
WHAT: Diptyque®* L'Eau Papier Eau de Toilette*
If a crisp, clean, handwritten letter could transform itself into a scent, this would be it. It’s white-musk at its best, inspired by notes of steamed rice, blonde wood, and a sparkle of mimosa - a scent that feels uniquely mesmerizing and uniquely yours. If you consider yourself both a “clean girl” and an original, this could be your new signature scent.
Price: $145
4. The American in Paris
WHAT: Henry Rose French Exit*
This clean, gorgeous perfume brand actually comes from an American, the one and only Michelle Pfeiffer, who wanted to create a safer, high-quality fragrance when she founded Henry Rose. French Exit is their nod to the classic French girl sensibility. It’s a warm scent, inspired by an island beach off Corsica with notes of blackcurrant, florals, jasmine, and pink pepper, all of which create the most natural, beautiful, head-spinner of a scent that isn’t overpowering but leaves you thinking about it long after you pass someone wearing it.
Price: $120
5. The Shampoo/ Condish
WHAT: Kérastase Nutritive Hydrating Shampoo* and Conditioner*
Hair carries scent better than skin, so choosing a French shampoo is a bit of a no-brainer. This one*, paired with this condish*, leaves your hair looking glassy, replenished, and youthful. The smell is the freshest, most balanced floral, as addictive as Chanel N°5. They also make the best hair mask in the game from the same line.
Price: $43 for the shampoo, $46 for the conditioner
6. The Body Lotion
WHAT: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Fluid+ Multi-Function Moisturizer*
We’ve tried hundreds of body creams, hundreds. Some cost hundreds of dollars. And yet, we keep coming back to this one. It’s a staple for the French, beloved by celebs, and you can buy it at the pharmacy in every Paris street corner. It absorbs instantly into the skin, leaving us supple and hydrated but never sticky, and the scent is one we simply prefer not to be without in life. We even wrote a whole article about it HERE.
Price: $39
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Carolyn is the Managing Editor of The Candidly. Her favorite thing to do is to write about her favorite things, especially when they have even the slightest chance of making someone else’s something (mood, relationship, travel plans, or toiletry kit) a little better. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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