The French Girl’s Guide to Winter Beauty
As couture confections roar down the runways this week, Parisiennes and fashion week habitués alike are finding themselves exposed to the elements while traversing the town for shows and fetes. The broad Haussmanian boulevards of the city, though romantic, only amplify the effects of an icy winter breeze. And while windswept hair is a coveted look, a windswept face is anything but—and only exacerbated by the crank of arid indoor heat.
But legendary French pharmacies offer the best possible ways to arm oneself with a battalion of cold-weather lotions and potions for replenishing moisture stolen by the winter chill. Whether their focus is on hydrating skin ahead of a day of shows, repairing dryness après ski, or simply prepping for some forest bathing in the Bois de Boulogne, here, five fresh-faced filles share their wintertime beauty regimens.
Chloé Perrin
“In the winter, I try to drink twice as much as water as I normally do because my skin gets so dry in the cold. I do a deep-hydration face mask twice a week while reading at home, and use Eucerin cream on the daily. In the morning, I make myself a soy/parsley/green powder/banana milkshake, and the rest of the day I just eat normal French comfort food to stay warm!”
Ophélie Guillermand
"My ‘hate wintertime less’ remedies: I usually never exfoliate, as I think it does more harm than good, but my skin is dryer in winter. Once a week, I do a gentle scrub/polish, then leave a hydration mask on for about 30 minutes. I bought a room humidifier, which is really good for you! I add a few drops of essential oils into a small personal humidifier, and put my face right in front of it to directly moisturize my skin. It feels amazing. I use Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré every morning. The formula is a little bit heavy, so it’s great for winter, and it's also an amazing makeup primer. Also, I use Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm every night, which acts like a mask on your skin (and it's organic!), and Aesop eye serum.”
Mimi Thorisson
“I massage my face with L'Occitane’s Divine beauty oil for a few minutes in the morning and night to stimulate and add extra radiance and moisture. Once the oil is absorbed, I apply my moisturizer. For my hands, I use L'Occitane’s Shea Butter hand cream. I have tried so many hand creams and this one really works so well. It's so rich and buttery and most importantly, natural. As I spend a lot of time cooking, I use it all day long, and my hands are nourished and soft. Also, in the winter months, I take a starflower oil supplement. It nourishes your skin and hair from the inside. I also drink ginger infusions and ginger tea all day long. Just slice fresh ginger and add it to hot boiling water. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and keeps the heat in your body, exactly what I need in winter. And to get a lovely glow and radiant skin before a special occasion, I apply a big tablespoon of honey mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and leave it on my face for 15 minutes.”
Lola Rykiel
“My skin is super sensitive and gets really, really dry during winter. I need to take the time twice a day to moisturize my whole body, especially my legs. I always use Rogé Cavaillès shower and bath gel (it’s a shower gel without real soap, which dries out the skin, and you can find it in any French pharmacy!). After, I like to spend time applying some nourishing oil (I like it better than body cream, which sticks too much). I recently discovered La Sultane de Saba’s Body Oil and it smells divine. They also have a shop in Paris where you can do body treatments, steams, exfoliations, and massages. The more you take time to do it, the better the skin feels. I also use Eight Hour Cream by Elizabeth Arden when my lips get dry and chapped. I once heard that you either love or hate the smell of this product. I personally love it!”
Laure Hériard Dubreuil
“My beauty routine becomes quite regimented throughout the winter months. Traveling nonstop from December through March and living in New York City really takes a toll on my skin, so my daily approach gets amplified! Growing up, I was surrounded by women who were very loyal to classic French lines including Clarins, La Roche-Posay, and Embryolisse, many of which I still use today, but I have definitely found new classics that I cannot part with! My key products include Bioderma Micellaire, which I use every single night to cleanse and restore my skin; Sisley Buff and Wash Facial Gel, a very light cleanser that gently exfoliates and polishes; Chanel Sublimage La Crème Yeux, the most luxurious and effective eye cream I have ever used; La Roche-Posay SPF 30 sunscreen; Sisley Black Rose oil or La Mer The Renewal Oil under my moisturizer, both morning and night; Leonor Greyl pre-shampoo oil treatment once a week that I apply before going to sleep; and Klorane eye patches after a long day of fashion shows and appointments."
