Every time I have come to France there is always an excitement to go explore the pharmacies here. Unlike in the states where that basically means a medicine counter, here the pharmacy is where you can not only find any cure for what ails you, but a whole pandora’s box of new French beauty products we are not familiar with in the states or possibly do not even have back home. But then I discovered something new in Paris… something truly magical:
Like a pharmacy fit for a French King, it is the fantasy of what Paris used to be. Feeding my complete obsession with natural beauty products this place became instantly beloved.
When your modern day shoes walk across the crest marked tiled floors of their petite atelier on Rue Bonaparte in the sixth arrondissement you are immediately filled with wonderment as you gracefully float back in time to an era of beauty products that were made from real ingredients. Walls of oak cabinets filled like an apothecary of everything you ever needed and some you didn’t even know existed. Marble candles, essential oils, the most beautiful watercolor painted ceramic bottles of water-based perfumes and soaps, all made in the tradition of nineteenth-century craftsmanship.
Originally named after its creator and famed perfumer, Jean-Vincent Bully, today’s rebirth brought back to life by Ramdane Touhami and his wife Victoire de Taillac-Touhami, named Buly 1803, was named after the year Jean-Vincent Bully first opened his shop in Paris“with a respect for the past and a curiosity for the present.”
Though they are most known for their perfumes past and present, I gravitated to the Huile Antique damask rose scented dry body oil. After stepping out of my shower or bath, this is the most wonderful body oil I have ever experienced. Instead of leaving you oily it absorbs into your skin making it soft and luminous with a subtle scent of roses. I am 100% hooked on this product.
My second discovery was not one I was anticipating. Over a glass counter there was a mirage of antique looking little jars of oils. I discussed with the shopgirl the characteristics of my facial skin and I told her that I had a mild rosacea that drove me insane, especially considering I typically try not to wear makeup and I want my skin to be as balanced as possible to feel confident naked. She suggested I try the Safflower Seed Oil and at only 26 euros I was happy to. I’ve been using it now before bed and in the morning for almost two weeks and the redness in my skin has never been so calm! It’s so simple and so much cheaper than the unnatural laser procedure my dermatologist suggested.
Perhaps the most charming characteristic of this very small shop is the old desk that rests demurely by the soft window light where sits a calligrapher to customize your purchase with your name or monogram. If you are looking for a truly unique experience and very Parisian gift for yourself or to bring back to someone, I highly recommend taking a step back in time here.
Images from this story were taken in my home in Provence.
