“I have the best nail trick!” says Julie de Libran, rummaging through a leather pouch brimming with Sisley eye kohl and La Mer balm to unearth a small metal tin of Uka’s Japanese nail oils. We’re chatting over drinks at The Mercer in Soho, before the mad whirl of collections, and De Libran, who will be debuting Fall 2016 for Sonia Rykiel next week in Paris, is spilling a lifetime of beauty tips.
On top of her knack for effortless Left Bank style—the sharp buttoned minis and luxe fur-lined coats she’s made her calling card for six seasons running—De Libran is a master of the covetable, casual cool that has become synonymous with French girl beauty. Sifting through jars of RMS Beauty Luminizer and By Terry face powder, she tells me about a recent trip to Seoul, where the innovative creams and vaporisateurs left her in a similar awe of the Korean beauty approach. “The French are alike in that way, because skin is their priority,” De Libran says. “The Saint-Germain girl doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, but she spends more time washing her face properly at night.”
Because more than makeup, French beauty, she tells me, is about “character, an attitude, and about finding balance.” For example, the ideal yin and yang struck by “the hair a bit undone and a great red lipstick.” Here, De Libran provides her definitive guide to modern beauty, from the secret to laissez-faire hair to the best pharmacy in all of Paris.
The Secret to Laissez-Faire Hair
“I don’t style my hair at all, but I do blow-dry just the roots, then I’m good. It’s much easier when it’s long because it naturally styles itself. I wash my hair every two days, and the second day is always better because you sleep on it and it creates a nice movement. I do use masques as a conditioner, and I use a little Leonor Greyl cream while my hair is still damp to naturally help the wave. I always have a Mason Pearson brush with me, and I brush my hair every morning, before an appointment, before I go to fittings, or before dinner.”
How the French Stay Fit
“What I am understanding is, the French are wanting to take care of their body more and exercise more. I’m quite close to the Jardin du Luxembourg, so I go running there, and I see a lot of people running now. It’s quite amazing. You used to never see French people running in the park. It’s part of our culture today, and once you start it, you feel healthier and happier and stronger. Yoga is getting quite important. There’s an amazing studio that just opened in the Sixth called Le Tigre—it’s beautifully designed, and I like that they offer ashtanga.”
Le Tigre Yoga Club
19 Rue de Chaillot
33.9.8454.1734
The Best Facialist in Paris
“I discovered Joëlle Ciocco when I moved back to Paris full time in 2008. She’s a fantastic épiderme in the Eighth, close to Place de la Madeleine, and all her creams are even sold at Colette. Her Lotion Lactee base is fantastic—it smells fresh, almost healthy. I use it morning and night, along with her cleansing cream, which I use with the Clarisonic, and then put her day cream on top. You know what they do, I did it once: They put gloves on, and then massage your cheekbones through your mouth to tone the muscles and lift naturally. Joëlle says if you do more of these facial massages, it helps prevent wrinkles—she’s not into surgery, and says less is better.”
Joëlle Ciocco
Centre de Soins Epidermologue
8 Place de la Madeleine
33.1.4260.5880
Colette
213 Rue Saint Honoré
33.1.5535.3390
Why French Hands Are the New Hair
“French women are very attentive to their hands. To have perfect nails is a real French thing—either bare nails or really perfect nails. I get a good manicure every 10 days, if I am organized. I usually do one solid color and a short nail, in nude or reds. I grew up with my mother always wearing a red nail, and it was so sexy and feminine to me.”
The Cult Pharmacies of Paris . . .
“I love the French pharmacy, I think they are really clever. They have a lot of brands that are actually quite simple but of extremely good quality. There’s a little trick in Paris—the Citypharma on Rue du Four has the best prices. This is the one where you want to buy in bulk, and it will cost much less than any other pharmacy. Then, Buly 1803 is an old pharmacy with glass vases and pottery in the windows. They do beautiful drawings for all the products. I love their hand cream and toothpaste. It’s so beautiful, no? C’est magnifique, it’s just around the corner from us, so sometimes I walk by just to see it.”
Citypharma du Four Bonaparte
26 Rue du Four
75006 Paris
Buly 1803
6 Rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
. . . And How to Navigate Them
“La Roche-Posay’s normal day cream is super, super rich. It’s not a cream you wear during the day, but almost as a mask. Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier hand and nail balm is the best cream. Vichy’s good, Avène, Bioderma is excellent. They have a body cream with apricot that I love that gives you a bit of color—the cream brings out the light in your skin.”
The post Sonia Rykiel’s Julie de Libran Breaks Down The Real French Girl Secrets appeared first on Vogue.
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