The keepsakes and souvenirs from our Paris trip deserved a post all their own, and you’ll see why! When traveling, our preference is always to find things that are unique or special to the location, and hopefully tied to a memory we have there so we can really cherish it over the years. Of course there are so many incredible things you can bring back as a memento from Paris, it’s almost overwhelming. So I made note of the advice of friends and family who have visited, and took to Pinterest to see what everyone suggested there too. We ended up with some awesome things I am excited to share our top souvenirs with you guys today!
#4: Local Food Favorites
I love bringing back items that the locals use and love for their day to day, especially things that we can’t get here in the states or things that would be MUCH more expensive if purchased here. Monoprix is a French supermarket, selling everything from food to luggage, toiletries, household items, and even clothes. I heard a lot of good things about the Monoprix stores all over France, and they had several throughout Paris so we made a point to shop there for souvenirs first. This blog post was very helpful in sharing some wonderful French supermarket finds, and encouraged us to add items like soaps, sponges, french cookies (even the French brands sold in the U.S. are made different than in France and are not nearly as tasty), chestnut paste, candy for the kiddos, and Fleur de Sel, to our must-buy list. We totally stocked up here, friends! Tip: If I could buy just one thing from a French supermarket, it would be that dang Fleur de Sel. It is so good it’s unreal. Next trip, I will buy them out of that Fleur de Sel.
In keeping with the food theme, we could not leave Paris without Ladurée macarons so we grabbed a few boxes before leaving. They are the best of the best, and worth every penny in my opinion.
#3 French Cosmetics & Toiletries
France has some of the very best affordable beauty products that have natural ingredients and actually work, so I knew I had to seek them out when in Paris. I bought everything from the local drugstore or Monoprix and have used it all since returning home, with wonderful results and zero complaints. // Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water: used to remove makeup and cleanse. Avène Cicalfate Repair Cream: we use this for any skin issues, from sunburn to blemishes and cuts. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Body Oil: Like heaven. I use it in place of lotion, and even use it on my hair. It’s so good for dry skin! Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray (not pictured): perfect for hydrating and healing the skin. Caudalíe Beauty Elixir: I use it at night to tighten pores and leave skin feeling fresh. It smells amazing! Klorane Dry Shampoo: great to control oil, and this one is tinted brown! Le Petit Marseillais Soaps & Body Wash: I stocked up on these, buying several fragrances. Le Petit Marseiliais as it is one of the oldest soap manufacturers in France. Caudalíe Lip Conditioner: anti-aging, with 99.5% naturally-derived ingredients. It smells and feels divine!
#2 Art
We have collected handmade pieces from all of our travels: little sculptures from Mexico, jewelry, paintings, and old postcards from Spain… I love shopping for art, preferably from street vendors, flea markets, and small shops. I shared about our experience with the painters in Montmartre here, and below are some of the pieces we ended up with after watching and chatting with the local painters there. I didn’t photograph any of the ones we gifted to our family, but we brought back so many small and medium pieces, from three different artists. I loved that we found smaller works instead of large ones, because they are easy to travel with, easy for family to display, and easier on the wallet! The largest one I ended up with was an 11×14 ink sketch of Montmartre with the basilica in the background. I LOVE it and have it hanging in my office.
Fun fact: I had to practically fight one lady off when purchasing the Notre-Dame watercolor shown below (with the little orange boat). I had a few set aside as I selected others and this lady went straight for my boat print! It was my favorite colored painting and we were not about to hand it over 🙂 When you find an original piece that you love, don’t let it go!
#1: Professional Photos
Best idea ever. We celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary later this year so once we booked our trip, I immediately got the wild idea to have our photos taken by a local photographer while we were in Paris. I first posted about it on Instagram, asking for photographer recommendations (because I always get so many great recommendations from Instagram friends!) and L’amour de Paris came up several times. I checked out their website (which was also a wonderful resource for all things Paris) and loved their style and that they offered a quick mini session at Trocadero, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. After a few emails with them, the idea seemed perfect, so we booked a session with CheyAnne and eagerly waited! When the day finally came, we met at Trocadero before the sun was even up and although it was cold and wet from the rain, we hardly noticed — we were having so much fun! I cannot recommend L’amour de Paris enough! It goes without saying, these photos are our absolute favorite keepsake from the trip and we will cherish them always. If you have the opportunity to hire (or travel with!) a photographer while on vacation, do it! Here are a few of our favorites from the session:
I hope this helps you narrow down your shopping a little when you visit Paris, and hone in on things that are really special or important to you — Paris offers so many wonderful ways to remember your time there and relive a little of it once you return home. Every Bonne Maman tarte we eat, each time I walk past a painting or one of our pictures, I am instantly taken back. That city left a mark on us that we did not expect, even after being warned! We fell in love, and will certainly be back. Until then, we will enjoy all of our little bits of Paris here with us at home.
