Erin in Paris: A Shopping Guide

While it may be a month since I was a flâneur wandering from the Right Bank to the Left, I'm doing my best to keep my Francophile life alive. From discovering the new answer to Whispering Angel- Minuty, which I finally found here in the US at a pricey $30 a bottle, to enjoying a croissant and fruit for breakfast, I'm fully invested in creating the Parisian lifestyle here in the tri-state area. 

The beauty of Paris can't be translated into a single statement or blogpost, but the simple pleasures and slower pace of life is what sets it apart from the hustle and bustle of our lives at home. At around 9am I would depart my 5th floor walkup in Le Marais (I would HIGHLY recommend the Air B&B that I stayed at, but frankly I don't want to share it because I fully intend on re-booking it in the future!) armed with my sneakers, water bottle, and a photo of my passport (be sure to take a photo your passport shopping so that you can redeem your VAT and get about 18% back in taxes!) I would simply wander. After grabbing a pan au chocolate and cafe au lait at the local pâtisserie, I would set one neighborhood or location to aim for, and then take my time getting there, stopping often to hydrate with delightfully cheap rosé. One of the phrases that I got down pat- "un autre verre" or "another glass". 

If you want to shop in Paris- go in mid-May. Literally every store was having sales from 20%-50% off. That discount on top of the VAT tax refund meant that I was able to feel a bit better about my spending. I highly recommend checking out Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot, and Carven. (I may or may not have made friends with the associates at Sandro because I went back so many times.) In Le Marais there are so many brands that we may have access to in the US, but the flagship stores often have unique offerings. For instance, at Clarins I was able to create my own custom shade of their best selling lip oil. I always prefer shopping in a brand's boutique rather than at a large department store, as the experience is much more personal and high-touch. Don't be intimidated by the seemingly sparse racks, the associates are friendly and happy to retrieve your size from the stock room. This struck me as a stark contrast to the US shopping experience of dozens of sizes and colors all out on the floor- a sartorial merchandising representation of the excess of the US. Another phrase I got down pat- "trente-huit, s'il vous plaît", my French size. 

There is also tony Right Bank luxury shopping to be had, and while my intention was to purchase a unique fragrance that I wouldn't be able to find in mainstream stores, I didn't realize that I was shopping at the flagship 31 Rue Cambon Chanel store until my fragrance and makeup purchases were handed to me in the famous white shopping bag adorned with the white camellia and ribbon. 

I have to admit that if I could speak the language (my eight weeks of Rosetta Stone failed me) I would be tempted to move there and work for one of the major jewelry houses on Place Vendôme like Van Cleef & Arpels or Bucheron.

My one big purchase was delicate movement ring from Messika, one of the coolest fine jewelry brands in the world. (I'd work for them too) I purchased it at Le Bon Marche, the cooler, hipper version of La Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, which I found to be overwhelming and packed with tourists, especially unpleasant in a heatwave. Le Bon Marche has it's own cash office where you can redeem your tax refund on the spot. I recommend doing this if possible, and getting your refund in cash, as the cash office at the airport was suddenly out of cash an hour before my flight. (We'll see if those refunds ever come through, as I was instructed to write my credit card information on the form and drop it into a plexiglass box.)  

I found the riverside stalls akin to those in Central Park, that sell various prints, posters, and books were great places to get inexpensive and packable keepsakes to give as gifts back home. Another travel-friendly idea for souvenirs is fancy chocolate, although some of mine melted in transit sadly. 

While I financially recover from my dream trip to Paris, I will enjoy my Minuty, the beautiful clothes that I purchased, and continue to improve my French, as I mentally plan my next trip. 

*NEXT TIME- my food and drink recommendations for Paris!