When traveling out of the country, along with seeing sights and eating delicious foods, shopping is at the top of the list for most women. And shopping for beauty products they can’t get here in the U.S. is a priority for beauty product aficionados and those they love!
Bringing home a most wanted makeup or skin care item from abroad can really spice up your beauty routine and make you the envy of your product-junkie friends and family members.
I went directly to several beauty sources to learn about their top finds for beauty abroad and here’s what they shared with me:
Jennifer Walsh, creator of Behind the Brand:
“The company is called Rituals and every time I talk to people around the U.S. all they ask is ‘when is Rituals coming to America?’ They’ve been around for 10 or 11 years and are in almost every country except the U.S.; however, it looks like they will be here in 2013. Finally!”
Holly Siegel, associate editorial director of Sephora:
“I am obsessed with Bioderma, an eye makeup remover I always buy in Paris! It never ever stings and isn’t greasy and doesn’t leave the eye area all dry and tight.
“If I were anywhere they still sell Max Factor, I would buy 2000 Calorie Mascara and the lipstick in Ms. Understood, my favorite hot pink.
“Oh, and in Israel I bought L’Oreal Elvive Deep Conditioner. (It’s called Elseve in some places, I think.) I don’t know where else they have it but certainly not here. And it’s such a good deep conditioner!’
In my own experience, the soaps, bath gels and lotions from Spain are among some of the best I have ever used. While in Barcelona a few years ago, I was introduced to Maja soaps and shower gels, which contain olive oil and have a wonderful soothing and moisturizing effect on skin. La Toja is a very popular brand; their black soap is inexpensive and always a great treat to bring back to friends and family.
In Australia, Kit Cosmetics has a great line of makeup and skin care items infused with local botanicals. Their lipsticks are fabulous and I understand their body butter is the stuff dreams are made of.
Known for their pharmacies chock full of fabulous skin care creams and the most luscious lotions and potions, France is a place where a beauty lover like me would be hard pressed to leave empty handed. Dermance skin care items are largely popular there, along with a company called Dermophil Indien, which makes balms for lips, hands and muscle aches, that fly off drugstore shelves daily.
Another great thing about shopping outside the U.S. is that stores we do have available here have different products for sale there. For instance, Paris’ Champs Elysees location of Sephora will not have the same items as my Sephora locations here in Atlanta. They also may have some of your favorite brands and products for less than you will pay here in the states. While some of the brands mentioned here may available for shipment online, you will almost always pay less buying them in person in their country of origin.
The next time you leave the country, make time in your schedule to see which beauty products locals are loving. We all know how a new beauty item can jazz up your routine, especially if it’s one you can’t get here in the good ‘ole U.S. of A.
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