my favorite thing to do while abroad is go to the local supermarket. i love discovering brands i’ve never heard of and try new things that are typical for my new environment. but what really gets me excited is that most products at grocery stores are cheap, and some are so beautifully packaged that they make for the perfect budget-friendly souvenir.

needless to say, i know my way around an american drug store – my favorite nail polish is way cheaper there (essie!) and i even smuggle deodorant to europe in large quantities. now that we live in geneva, we tend to switch between grocery shopping in france and switzerland. i do miss some products from belgium, but i’ve already gotten used to some new favorites that i won’t be able to find if we ever move back. when we visited milan recently, we stopped by a local supermarket and i discovered the stuff in the pictures above – things that have now proudly taken their place among our bathroom favorites (read about why i have so much la mer going on right here).

i never realized marvis was an italian brand. i loooooove their packaging and have often pondered to buy it at belgian or american niche beauty stores, but could never quite justify the hefty price tag for simple tooth paste. but guess what? in italy they’re dirt cheap. so naturally i had to get as many different flavors as the boyfriend would allow before dragging me out the store. however, i managed to distract him with these awesome proraso products – another italian brand from the same group as marvis, and another amazing example of perfect branding and packaging. he has yet to actually try out the shaving foam and soap, but i get happy just from seeing it there when i open our cabinet every day.

do you have awesome drug store favorites that you always buy abroad?