A Beauty Lover’s Guide to Paris

Paris is for lovers… beauty lovers, that is. The city abounds with world-class spas, unique perfume boutiques, and stellar facialists—not to mention those famous pharmacies. Begin with a de rigueur stop at the metropolis’s wildly popular discount-beauty mecca, City Pharma in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, to stock up on thrifty Biafine and Bioderma necessities, and then go forth—for there is much to explore. Whether you are seeking a memorable massage or a must-smell scent, no visit to the City of Lights is complete without a little indulgence. Let this be your guide to the places where la vie is especially belle.

Henry Jacques Flagship Boutique

Inside the jewel-like Henry Jacques boutique.

From the perfumer’s garden outside to the VIP Haute Parfumerie room downstairs, the majestic new HQ of family-owned French fragrance house Henry Jacques elevates signature-scent shopping to an art. High-tech modern flourishes (scan a fragrance and get an instant note diagram on your phone) meet elegant, old world discretion in this jewel-like space, where you can easily devote a pleasurable afternoon to smelling the exquisite fragrances, many of which—like our pick, Rose Snow—contain unheard-of quantities of pure, precious natural essences.

2 Avenue Montaigne, 75008; parfumshenryjacques.com

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Sophie Carbonari

Sophie Carbonari

She’s the talk of the town (actually, every town) for a reason: Sophie Carbonari’s facials are simply transcendent. Her dexterity, gentleness, and way with lymphatic drainage will leave you sculpted, glowing, and utterly serene. Book her in Paris or in London via her website. sophiecarbonari.com

Dior Spa Cheval Blanc

Cheval Blanc candle

Don a pillowy white robe and succumb to sybaritic pleasures in Dior’s supremely elegant Cheval Blanc spa, which features six unique private suites designed by Peter Marino (even the treatment names—Sensorial Choreography, Singular Interlude, Sublime Revelation)—will set you dreaming. Afterwards, snag an exclusive Collection Privée candle to relive the magic at home, then nip around the corner to the incomparable Samaritaine department store, which boasts the largest beauty shopping space in Europe.

8 Quai du Louvre, 75001; chevalblanc.com

Officine Universelle Buly

A selection of delights at Buly.

It’s easy to get mesmerized by the vintage-apothecary-inspired treasures in any Buly boutique. With the debut of the Rive Droite location’s Spa & Treatment Room, you now have an excuse to stay for hours. Book the enigmatically named Energetic Massage of Mr. Ao for a shiatsu-forward full-body renovation designed by Buly’s Master Masseur, or a facial massage involving choreographed skin-brushing, vitalizing gemstones, and nourishing plant oils.

45 Rue de Saintonge, 75003; buly1803.com

Christophe Robin Salon

The shell sink in Christophe Robin’s Paris salon.

Ever since acclaimed colorist Christophe Robin departed his old digs at Le Meurice to establish his own eponymous salon a few years ago, it has become an essential visit on the beauty circuit. The phenomenal, glossy hair color one can acquire at the hands of his trained artistes is certainly a draw (and worth walking around Paris with dingy roots until an appointment can be secured), but so too is the storefront boutique, which hosts pop-ups in the charming space around Robin’s eminently Instagrammable oversize clamshell sink.

16 Rue Bachaumont, 75002 ; christophe-robin.salon

Spa Le Bristol

A Tata Harper treatment room at Le Bristol Paris

Everything about Le Bristol hotel is first-class, from the sumptuous rooms to the iconic garden restaurant—and the spa is no exception. Indulge in a Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie facial, submit to a detoxifying session in the Russian Banïya, or go on a 5-senses-engaging beautifying journey with one of the signature Tata Harper Sensorial Resets, which are designed to thoroughly cleanse and revitalize skin with the help of Harper’s first-ever proprietary skincare machine, the LED- and radiofrequency-equipped Dermal Reset. Afterward, repair to Le Bristol’s famous ship-shaped rooftop swimming pool, which was designed by the architect of Aristotle Onassis’s yacht, and enjoy glimpses of the Eiffel Tower while you swim.

112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 1er etage, 75008; oetkercollection.com

A version of this story appears in the September 2022 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW