AP6380

Can anyone recommend any partuclar brands and/or boutiques that I should look out for in Athens, Crete & Santorini?

elina

I havn´t noticed any "big" Greek brand. The shops carry the same brands that are sold all over Europe. But they do have many "small" manufacturers that usually have olive oil based local products (soaps, creams, oils and such).

ekscrunchy

There are two Greek brands that are sold in Barneys and other upscale NYC and UK shops. Korres and Apvita. Both have excellent hair and body products and the prices are far lower for them in Greece, as you might imagine. Korres has freestanding shops and also has a shop at Athens airport.

DejaVu

Another vote for Korres products. I like the grapeseed shower scrub (I forget exactly what it's called) and the milk soap.

rms882

I too love Korres products, you can buy them in the states at places like sephora, I'm a big fan of the dark under-eye circle minimizer and the grapeseed scrub.
Also, I will be in Greece in June, will the products really be cheaper to buy there? (not that I will load a suitcase up or anything...)

ekscrunchy

Yes, I believe they are cheaper in Greece. I think I paid an average of 15E. each for shampoo, conditioner, and other products. How does that compare to Sephora? The other thing to buy, not just in Greece but elsewhere in Europe as well, is the LaRoche Anthelios-60 sun block creme. This is very expensive and hard to find in the US; it is a great sun block that my dematologist recommended that I order from Canada, which I did, but you can find it all over Europe. It was recommended in a lengthy article in the New York Times last year.

Scarlett

I used La Roche sunblock , and would love to have it again!

rms882

that is a great tip about the sunblock, I will be on the lookout. I am going to need to start a list of good things to look for.
As for Korres if I remember right the eye stuff was about $30 (yikes, I hate to admit I spend that) and the body scrub about $20 at Sephora.

ekscrunchy

The Korres stuff was definitely cheaper than that in Greece. Here is the exact name of the sunblock: Anthelios "L" SPPF/FPS 60 "Ecran intolerances solaires" by LaRoche-Posay. You can also buy it online from Canadian pharmacies.

Also, there is a Greek one that was recommended by CondeNast Traveler magazine last spring; it is by Apivita and called, "Propoline Suncare and Anti-Ageing Complex" SPF 25. I think it cost about 20E with a lip stick/block in Athens.

Balenciaga

I wonder what Christina Onassis used to wax her upper lip?

ekscrunchy

EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!

Xenos

One of the olive-based product ranges that I've found really nice is Papoutsanis. My daughter brought me some of their products back last year, so I can't tell you prices, but their Olivia hand cream is particularly good (compares well with expensive ones I've used from Lancome and Clinique) and I'll be looking out for it this summer.

NYerr

La Roche Posay has many great products such as the Anthelios #60 Sunblock and Lipikar lotion. I always load up on Anthelios when overseas. But they are a French company, not Greek. You can find them on the www in particular you can get them from Canada for a good price.

tondalaya

I have bought the Korres, much more expensive here,

ekscrunchy

Yes of course La Roche is French. But you can find their products in many European countries for less than the price here in the US; for a while the Anthelios-60 sunblock was not available at all here in NYC. I ordered it from Canada on the advice of my dermatologist, but with the shipping it was about $30, as I recall. Do you know if it is now sold here in NY?