I LOVE FRENCH DRUG STORES

Paris is a great place to visit anytime of year and fashion week is exciting enough but I get especially delighted when March comes and shows begin because it means I can hit up the drugstores in Paris. I don't know why but the products in France always appear more effective. Maybe its the packaging which looks clinical yet feminine. Maybe it is the way the pharmacies stock their shelves by brand so everything is organized and easy on the eye. Maybe its because anytime I have ever been sick in Paris I have gone to the pharmicist, described my ailment and been given a very reasonably priced product that cleared up my illness in record time without making me comatose.

Be it from the Pharmacy, Parapharmacy or Monoprix, here are some of the things I stock up on when in Paris.

Vitamin C tabs and other fizzy vitamens - For ultimate energy during the shows, I plop a Vitamin C tab in a bottle of water on the go.

Amilab Lip Balm - I had never used a lip balm to finish until I tried Amilab. They were impulse buys that I would use until I lost them or was on to the next. This however, I have carried with me daily since I bought it in October. I am now gouging out the last remaining balm form the tube with a finger. It is not to greasy or too waxy. The orange blossom fragrance is not too strong or cloying.

Rose and Jasmine soaps - Everyone knows French soaps are the best, these scents make me feel like a lady. I like the brand they sell in the Bon Marche food shop.

Cold Medicine - There are some great cold products you can buy in Europe but not in the US. Why? Not sure, maybe its a protective measure because our youth attempts to get a buzz off the stuff.

FYI....

If you are ever in Paris and in need of a doctor call SOS Medicines +33 0147077777. A doctor will be sent to your hotel room in approximately 2 hours. The charge is around 100 Euros and prescriptions in France are a tenth of the cost in the US. The doctors are very good I have used them on more than one occasion. SOS also has a dental office +33 0143375100 if you have serious tooth trouble.

And the Pharmacie Anglaise at 62 Avenue Champs Elysees is open 24/7.