Best place to buy Clarins?
 

I am going to Paris in 2 weeks, would like to buy some Clarins products, where is the best place to buy - the airport or Paris itself?

Paris itself I guess. They sell them in the department stores.

It is sold in all the chemists also. On the corner of Blvd St Germain across from the Eglise St Germain is a pharmacy that sells Clarins.

To some extent, it depends where you're coming from.

Allegedly tax-free shops at EU airports don't offer the full tax reduction to people on intra-EU flights: your monicker implies you're coming from (and presumably returning to) the UK.

However, in practice, most "tax-free" shops do offer slightly lower prices than the High Street on products like Clarins, even if you're just travelling within the EU: Mrs F buys most of hers from Schiphol, for example.

Prices at UK airports are generally a tad higher than at some European airports, but a good deal lower than at High Street stores, and ranges at Heathrow and Gatwick are normally a good deal wider than at any European airports apart from Schiphol: my experience generally is that CDG is long on designer boutiques, but mediocre on offering a wide range within a brand. Most Clarins fans seem to have very specific requirements.

Mrs F's strategy for Clarins when she's going anywhere other than Schiphol (which is practically always the cheapest) is to stock up at Heathrow or Gatwick to be safe, then check at the foreign airport on the way back. If prices are lower than at Heathrow, she buys even more Clarins: if not, not.

She's yet to find a department store or pharmacy with better depth of the Clarins range, or beter prices, than the main airports. But she rarely finds Europe's second division airports (Birmingham, say, or Malaga) are much cop if you're Clains dependent.

Thank you all very much for your information, I am flying from Manchester and staying in the 5th, so St Germain is near our hotel. I'll take Mr F's advice and buy in both!!

I found that there are few bargains to be found with the Euro being so strong. It might be less expensive to buy at home.

I live close to the Canadian border in NY State and Clarins products can be found at the border duty free shops at very good prices. Something to consider. The only French cosmetic product I have never been able to find in the USA is a Loreal hair product line called Kerastase. I stocked when I went to Paris last Fall. They are not expensive whatsoever, but they are tops for silky, shiny-looking hair.

You're right about prices in Canada. Chanel cosmetics are less expensive than in the States, however as the Canadian dollor rises that changes.

I find the best prices on Clarins at the Sephora stores here in France.

PB