Monge Pharmacy's Second Shop Near Bir-Hakeim, and French Drugstore Beauty Picks

In Paris, you can't just walk past a pharmacy. The point isn't to buy medicine; French drugstore cosmetics are famous. The pharmacy that travelers treat almost like a sightseeing stop is Monge Pharmacy. It used to have only one shop, at Monge station, which meant making a special trip to a place with nothing else to see nearby. Then in 2018 a second shop, the Eiffel branch, opened. It's about a 15-minute walk from the Bir-Hakeim Bridge, and just a 2-minute walk from La Motte-Picquet station, two stops from Bir-Hakeim on Line 6.

That said, many people who visit Monge Pharmacy wander around not knowing what to buy, or wonder whether it's worth the trip on a tight schedule. When I first visited Paris, I had heard I had to buy souvenirs at Monge, but I only picked up lip balm, hand cream and Darphin cream, which didn't come to enough to qualify for a tax refund, so I just paid. If you're not claiming a tax refund, you can buy at any regular pharmacy, marked "pharmacie" with a glowing green cross, and prices won't differ much. In other words, there's no need to spend time tracking one down and queue in a crowd.

Still, there are good reasons so many travelers go. First, there's multilingual staff, so it's easy to ask for recommendations or questions about tax refunds, and you can shop comfortably without the frustration of a language barrier. Second, the selection is huge. Regular pharmacies are often small and may not have what you want, so if you'd like to compare a wide range, Monge is a good choice. They also sell bundles that are perfect for souvenirs, such as a four-pack of lip balms or a lip balm and hand cream set. I found them handy for handing out gifts. Because I'm not very into cosmetics, though, even when I bought plenty it was hard to reach the tax-refund minimum. Prices online can be similar, and if extra luggage means paying extra fees, shopping here could even cost more. So if you have a long shopping list, spare room in your suitcase, haven't picked out souvenirs or want recommendations, Monge Pharmacy can make for a productive shopping trip.

A few drugstore picks. Lip balm is a must. Here a four-pack costs just a few euros, so buy plenty and give them away. For basics like lip balm, sun sticks and hand cream, Uriage, Bioderma and Caudalie are all good. I gave my friends Caudalie hand cream and lip balm sets and everyone loved them; I also tried the Caudalie toner and liked it. Bioderma's cleansing water and lotion are great, but the bottles are huge, so they're a good buy if you have lots of suitcase space. Just know they're pretty heavy. For creams, the most famous is Darphin, and one that's lesser known abroad but popular with the French is Filorga. It costs more than Darphin, and people who've tried it say it's good. The famous Nuxe oil is a must too. When I visited the second Monge shop, a two-pack of large Nuxe oil bottles was €25, so I bought six for gifts. It works on hair and body, and it smells great. La Roche-Posay's acne cream is also well regarded. With so many famous products, make a list of what you need before you go and ask the staff for recommendations.