I recently spent a little less than 48 hours in Paris. It was a super quick trip, but the perfect little excursion. It was so easy to get there from Zurich. There’s a train that takes you directly from the center of Zurich to the center of Paris. Between lunch at Clover Grill and dinner at L’Ami Louis I didn’t have time for much exploring, but I did carve out time for a few important stops: Colette and Biologique Recherche.

Colette is always a good place for beauty research. The beauty section isn’t big, but they carry some of my favorite lines as well as a few I had never seen. I am not super familiar with Edward Bess, for instance, but the pot of royal blue jelly caught my eye. The muti-tasking lip balm/eye gloss/blush, looks blue but actually turns pink upon contact with the skin. It’s magic.

Then I spotted the little corner of Joelle Ciocco. I am so intrigued by this brand! The Line in New York carries it and Clémence of Beauty and Well Being also swears by it. My attention was immediately drawn to the apricot-colored jar of Blossom Ceraxe. I just had to have it. It’s a super rich ointment that smells like orange blossoms. It’s made of essential oils like Mimosa and Damascus Rose and is super rich in fatty acids to repair skin and boost elasticity. The texture is ridiculous.

After Colette, I walked down to the Biologique Recherche lab where I got down to business with P50. (I wrote ALL about my findings here.) I picked up a bottle of P50’s latest launch for hyperpigmention, as well as one of their best oxygenating masks. I am already hooked, and have been using it every day since. It keeps my skin so plump and hydration.

The last stop on the beauty train was at Christophe Robin. I got a much needed haircut — just a trim — stocked up on my favorite hair thickener, the Instant Volumizing Mist with Rosewater. You guys, this stuff is the best AND it smells like roses. Plus, it was cheaper than the US versions, so I felt so lucky.

Have you ever been to Paris? What are some of your favorite French beauty essentials? Tell me everything in the comments!