Nuxe was created by Aliza Jabès, who bought a small Parisian lab that formulated natural cosmetics. Sources disagree on the exact year. The brand says early 1990s, while FashionNetwork says she bought the lab in 1988 and created Nuxe in 1989, so I will say the end of the 1980s and leave it there. FashionNetwork also notes the name is a contraction of nature and luxury. I went deeper on a related idea in Is RoC a French Brand: Born in a Paris Pharmacy, Now Retinol.

What matters is the product that came next. As a young entrepreneur and new mother, Jabès dreamed of a natural all-round product that could cover her daily routine in a single step, and she imagined a multi-purpose oil that could be applied quickly. With her R&D team she developed Huile Prodigieuse, with 100% plant oils and a dry feel for the face, body and hair. It launched in 1991 in pharmacies, in a glass bottle, and FashionNetwork says it has sold 35 million units. Nuxe says one is sold every five seconds worldwide, although its own pages have given other numbers.

So when you search for nuxe, you are most likely looking for that oil. The first grid is Nuxe: the original, its shimmer and floral versions, a roll-on, a shower oil, a face balm and a micellar water. The second grid is other dry, body and multi-use oils.

My tip: apply a few drops on damp skin right after the shower, when a dry oil feels lightest.

The NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil is the original, made with seven botanical oils to nourish face, body and hair in one step. It is the one I would start with. Dry means it sinks in without the slick feel of a regular oil, so it works on hair ends, shoulders and dry elbows. The Floral version keeps the same formula and adds a floral scent.

The Shimmering Dry Oil is the same oil with a gold shimmer, and the Floral Shimmering version adds the floral scent to a satin, illuminating finish for face, body and hair. They are what I would reach for on bare shoulders in summer or on collarbones for an evening. The Huile Prodigieuse Roll-on is the same dry oil in a roll-on, so it travels well and suits a small area like a cuticle or a dry patch.

Prodigieux Shower Oil is golden and pearly, cleanses gently and leaves skin fragrant and satiny. It is the shower-step match for the signature scent.

Outside the oil family, Rêve de Miel Ultra Comforting Face Balm is an ultra-rich balm with honey, propolis and botanical oils for dry or sensitive skin, made to protect against wind and cold. Very Rose 3-in-1 Soothing Micellar Water cleanses and removes makeup from face and eyes, and it is the gentlest entry into the range.

What I would skip: the shimmer oils for a daytime face on a conservative office morning. Keep them for the body, or an evening.

If you want the same face, body and hair idea, JOSIE MARAN The Original 100% Pure Organic Moisturizing Argan Oil is the obvious comparison, and Biossance 100% Sugarcane Squalane Oil is a weightless, fragrance-free pure squalane that hydrates head to toe. Squalane is the one I would hand to oily or reactive skin.

For the body only, Moroccanoil Dry Body Oil is a fast-absorbing argan oil with a soft, touchable finish. L'Occitane Soothing and Firming Almond Supple Skin Body Oil is 50 percent almond oil, warm and gourmand in scent, and is described as firming. Nécessaire The Body Oil Grapefruit is a treatment oil with peptides, ceramides and capsaicin that helps reduce the look of cellulite, and it comes with a bright grapefruit scent.

The scented ones are more fun. Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Body Oil is a lightweight, floral body oil with cacay oil and plant squalane. PHLUR Vanilla Skin Body Oil is a silky oil in the brand's bestselling vanilla scent, with skin-mimicking lipids. Sol de Janeiro Glowmotions Glow Body Oil in Copacabana Bronze adds a buildable, soft-shimmer tint, and it is an Allure 2019 Best of Beauty winner according to its listing. If you want to keep going, Versed Skin Tint, the Serum Tint Behind the Brand is the one I would read next.

What I would skip: a scented body oil on your face. Josie Maran or the squalane are the face-friendly ones here.

I think Huile Prodigieuse is the sort of product that earns its reputation with simplicity. One dry oil on face, body and hair is hard to argue with, especially if you dislike a long routine. Start with the original before the shimmer, the floral, or the shower oil. If you love a scent more than a story, look at the second grid, where the fragrance names do much of the talking. Either way, test a small patch first, since scented oils are the likeliest to bother sensitive skin.