French brands are known all over the world. From fashion luxury brands to beauty brands, you can’t go wrong with these iconic brands.
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The 21 Most Iconic Brands In France
Without further adieu, here are the most popular brands from France that you should try.
French Perfume Brands
1. Lancôme
Founded in 1935 Guillaume d’Ornano and Armand Petitjean in Paris, France, Lancôme is one of the most famous perfume manufacturers in the world.
Lancôme is easily one of my personal favorite French perfume brands. I’ve had bottles of Miracle for over a decade now, and I have yet to grow tired of its scent. Another favorite, La Vie Est Belle, is the best-selling fragrance in Lancôme’s history.
So if I must recommend Lancôme to any girl who loves high-end girly scents, these are my two top picks.
Check out this list of Lancôme products here.
2. Chanel
Of course, when it comes to designer perfumes, the very iconic classic Chanel No. 5 will always make it to the top list. This fragrance has permanently sealed Chanel’s name in perfume history.
Parfums Chanel was founded by Pierre Wertheimer in 1924, a lucrative move by the company to produce and sell perfumes and cosmetics. The parfumerie was a great success, proving to be the most profitable business division of the corporation.
Today, Chanel has over 40 iconic fragrances, with – of course – the No. 5 being the most famous of all. It’s a classic will never grow old, a must-have for every sophisticated lady.
Check out this list of Chanel products here.
3. Nina Ricci
This French fashion house, founded by Maria “Nina” Ricci and her son Robert in Paris in 1932, started out by creating gowns.
In 1941, Robert launched an in-house perfume division, creating his first fragrance, Coeur Joie, 7 years later.
It was in 1948 that Robert Ricci launched L’Air du Temps, the fragrance that marked the brand in perfume history. With its warm and spicy fragrance, L’Air du Temps made Nina Ricci a famous brand name.
L’Air du Temps remains a popular fragrance and continues to be a bestseller today.
Check out this list of Nina Ricci products here.
4. Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler opened his first boutique in 1978 in Paris, France.
Mugler retired from fashion and his ready-to-wear brand was closed in 2003 due to financial losses. The perfume division, however, remained profitable. No doubt, his fragrance line is his biggest and most successful contribution to fashion.
Thierry Mugler perfumes continue to thrive today. The brand’s Angel and Alien fragrances make their way to the vanity kits of today’s women – and they are here to stay.
Check out this list of Thierry Mugler products here.
5. Chloé
This French luxury fashion house was founded by Gaby Aghion in 1952. Their first fragrance, the eponymous Chloé perfume for women, was launched 23 years later – in 1975. It remains a bestselling feminine classic to this day.
With a long list of famous clients the likes of Madonna, Emma Stone, and Katie Holmes, Chloé has kept its place among the world’s top designer brands.
Chloé, Nomade, and Love Story are favored by modern girls who purchase them bottles after bottles.
Check out this list of Chloé products here.
French Beauty Brands
6. L’Oréal
L’Oréal is a big name in the cosmetics industry. As a matter of fact, it is the largest cosmetics company in the world.
Founded in 1909 by the French chemist Eugène Paul Louis Schueller, the company’s name was inspired by Oréale, the hair dye formula Schueller himself had developed. He formulated and manufactured his own products, selling them to hairdressers in Paris at the time.
Today L’Oréal is the world’s leading manufacturer of hair color/care, skincare, makeup, and perfume, having acquired a number of subsidiaries such as Garnier, Maybelline, and Lancôme.
Check out this list of L’Oréal products here.
7. Clarins
This French luxury skincare brand was founded in 1954 by a masseur named Jacques Courtin. He created his own treatment oils that were supposed to firm the skin, selling them from his Parisian salon.
The brand name “Clarins” was inspired by a character Courtin played in a school play, believing it to be a good luck charm. In 1978, he changed his name legally to Jacques Courtin-Clarins.
In 1987, Clarins became the first French cosmetics company to abandon testing on animals.
Those refreshing cleansers and serums from Clarins’ facial skincare line are absolute must-haves in your bathroom!
Check out this list of Clarins products here.
8. Guerlain
This French company manufactures perfume, personal care products, and cosmetics. Founded by the perfumer Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain in 1828, Guerlain is one of the oldest beauty brands in the world.
In 1853, Pierre-François Guerlain created a perfume for French Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, becoming “His Majesty’s Official Perfumer.” This was followed by more fragrances for other royalties such as Queen Isabella II of Spain and Queen Victoria of England.
I’m not really a fan of Guerlain fragrances, but I personally love Guerlain Meteorites! While they’re not really a “must-have,” you can’t go wrong with the loose pearls if you want some shimmer and sparkle on your skin.
Check out this list of Guerlain products here.
9. Kérastase
A leading brand in luxury hair and scalp care line, Kérastase was created by scientists at L’Oreal Advanced Research in 1964.
This French luxury brand is well vouched for by the world’s top hairstylists, with claims that any product in the line will leave one’s hair healthy. This is thanks to Kérastase’ use of active ingredients and high-tech molecular complexes in every product they manufacture.
Kérastase hair care and styling products are distributed worldwide. They are sold in Sephora and at luxury salons. They can also be purchased over the counter at department stores in cities across the globe.
Check out this list of Kérastase products here.
10. L’Occitane en Provence
More commonly known as L’Occitane, this international retailer of fragrances, personal care and home products was founded by Olivier Baussan in 1976. The company is based in The Provençal village of Manosque in southeastern France.
The company name “L’Occitane en Provence” translates to “the Occitan woman in Provence.”
It feels expensive, it smells expensive, then it must be expensive. But it isn’t! While L’Occitane is considered a luxury brand, its products are priced at a certain range. You can get a shower gel for only 3 USD and a tube of gel perfume for 24 USD.
My personal favorites are the L’Occitane conditioner and shampoo. They just smell so good that I don’t need to wear perfume even after a long day!
Check out this list of L’Occitane products here.
11. Yves Rocher
Founded by the French entrepreneur Yves Rocher in 1965, this company sells high-quality and eco-friendly perfume, cosmetics, haircare, and skincare products that are based on traditional recipes made in their laboratory in La Gacilly in northwestern France.
The ingredients are gathered from their 100-acre organic farm in the same location.
Yves Rocher is not only known for its beauty products, it is also highly regarded for respecting the planet. And since its products are within one’s budget, Yves Rocher is definitely a luxury brand for everyone.
Check out this list of Yves Rocher products here.
12. Garnier
Acquired by L’Oréal in the 1970s, Garnier was started in 1904 by French creator Alfred Amour Garnier. In 1960, Garnier became the first brand to create and launch a permanent home hair color.
Garnier brands itself as a “healthy beauty expert,” doing so by providing nature-based solutions to fight acne, UV, pollution, and fatigue. The company uses natural ingredients like fruits, seeds, and flowers in their beauty products.
Garnier, a mass market French beauty brand, is sold in various countries, targeting different skin types and cultures as well. It is especially popular in Asia.
Check out this list of Garnier products here.
13. Sephora Collection
I automatically get high when I step foot in Sephora. Few things are ever more satisfying than walking around its cozy aisles and getting swamped by some of the biggest names in luxury beauty.
Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. However, we are talking about its own private label here, which is Sephora Collection.
Sephora Collection was launched in 1996. The brand was created in order for Sephora to be able to provide consumers with quality products at an accessible price point.
So, what makes a trip to Sephora even more satisfying? It’s getting a liquid lipstick on sale for as low as 3 USD!
Check out this list of Sephora products here.
French Fashion Brands
14. Dior
Founded by Christian Dior in 1946, the Paris-based House of Dior creates apparel and luxury leather goods that can only be bought in their stores.
Its first fashion collection, launched a year after its founding, came to be dubbed the “New Look” in fashion history and revolutionized the industry in the 1940s.
Known for haute couture design, Maison Christian Dior has created style that conveys feminine sophistication fused with elegance and simplicity.
Every Dior collection manages to evoke sensuality through their signature motifs and intricate embroidery.
The Dior long list of elite clientele ran from Jackie Kennedy and Evita Peron to Princess Margaret and the Duchess of Windsor.
Check out this list of Dior products here.
15. Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent, more commonly called by its initials YSL, is a billion-dollar French luxury fashion house founded by partners Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1961. YSL produces and sells a range of apparel, shoes, handbags and other luxury goods for men and women.
Yves Saint Laurent is noted for the popularization of women’s trousers for all occasions. The brand uses traditional menswear fabrics and designs for women, literally cross-dressing and providing chic pant suits, elegant tuxedo jackets, and urban safari gear for men and women alike.
Among YSL’s notable clients are Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and the former queen of Iran – Farah Pahlavi.
Check out this list of Yves Saint Laurent products here.
16. Balmain
In fashion history, Balmain’s founder – Pierre Balmain – was called “a king of French fashion.”
Since its establishment in 1945, Balmain’s clothing line has been outfitting the likes of Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot, and Thailand’s Queen Sirikit.
Balmain’s apparel are known for their sophistication and elegance. The brand is also notoriously expensive, with dresses that go between $12,000 and $22,000.
If you’re the type to wear a shirt with holes in it and comes with a price tag that will cover your monthly rent, then Balmain might just be the perfect brand for you.
17. Lacoste
Lacoste’s embroidered crocodile is one of the most recognizable logos in the clothing industry.
So, why a crocodile logo? This is because one of the Lacoste’s founders, tennis player René Lacoste, was called “the Crocodile” by his fans.
This French clothing company, which was co-founded by André Gillier, has been selling clothing, footwear, sportswear, and other goods since 1933.
Lacoste, originally called La Chemise Lacoste, is noted for the tennis shirt with the crocodile logo René Lacoste himself had designed and worn on tennis courts.
Check out this list of Lacoste products here.
French Handbag Brands
18. Louis Vuitton
The French fashion house and luxury goods company Louis Vuitton Malletier, more commonly called Louis Vuitton or LV, has been around since 1854. Founded by Louis Vuitton in Paris, the early products they sold were handmade trunks.
The label’s LV monogram, first introduced in 1896, is perhaps the most recognizable logo in the fashion world.
This French brand is also the most counterfeited. No other fashion brand has been more controversial and filed more anti-counterfeiting and copyright infringement lawsuits.
Louis Vuitton has been named the world’s most valuable luxury brand for several years, with about $20 billion average annual sales.
READ MORE: 8 Most Expensive Louis Vuitton Handbags As Of 2022
Check out this list of Louis Vuitton products here.
19. Givenchy
The French luxury brand Givenchy was founded by a French fashion designer and aristocrat, Count Hubert de Givenchy, in 1952, with Audrey Hepburn becoming its most famous brand ambassador for 40 years.
If you’re looking for the French best handbags to invest in, Givenchy should be on your list. Their iconic Antigona and Pandora are sure winners, with celebrities and influencers regularly spotted wearing them.
Check out this list of Givenchy products here.
20. Longchamp
Longchamp was founded in Paris, France, in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain. The company was named after the Parisian Longchamp Racecourse, hence, the racehorse logo.
But did you know it started out as a tobacco business? And then, in the 1950s, Mr. Cassegrain launched the world’s first luxury leather-covered cigarette pipes with exotic leathers as features. They became such a hit that even Elvis Presley loved them.
It was in 1971 that Longchamp launched its first women’s handbag, becoming one of France’s leading makers of leather goods.
Today, Longchamp’s Le Pliage nylon bag is still as popular as it was a few decades earlier. Longchamp also remains one of the most popular handbag brands in France.
Check out this list of Longchamp products here.
French Jewelry Brands
21. Cartier
Established in Paris, France, by Louis-François Cartier in 1847, Cartier is a royal favorite jewelry brand.
King Edward VII of England referred to Louis-François Cartier as “the king of jewellers and the jeweller of kings.” This French brand has since become synonymous with luxury and has been at the top of the jewelry industry for over 150 years.
Cartier’s splendid designs are just as grand in the modern day as they were back in the time of King Edward VII, leaving a permanent mark on the world of jewelry and luxury culture. Their most expensive diamond pieces range from 1 million to a whopping 27.4 million USD.
Check out this list of Cartier products here.
Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.
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