“It’s really hard to say what a typical ‘French’ approach to beauty is,” Julia Restoin Roitfeld tells me over the phone. “I think those who aren’t French believe the French approach is to be quite minimal – that’s what I’m guessing.” She guesses right. Our obsession with French-girl everything – from just-woke-up hair that somehow manages to be perfectly undone to their ability to make jeans look better than everyone else on the planet – shows no signs of abating.
As one of the chicest French women out there (it’s in her genes – her mother is French fashion editor Carine Roitfeld), British Vogue asked Julia to share some of her best low-key beauty secrets.
Where it all started
My skincare routine is quite minimal – I never really had a beauty tutorial from my mum. I don’t remember her applying her own skincare, although I do remember my grandma putting serums and moisturisers on, but not my mum. I don’t think she started until much later to be honest, and it’s the same with me. I see my daughter watching me putting on my serums and creams and I think the new generation is way more into it. But to me, [having] a skincare routine is quite new.
The skincare she likes using
I use a lot of La Roche-Posay [Restoin Roitfeld works with the brand] because it’s very light product and rarely scented – as opposed to designer skincare where there is a lot of perfume. It feels almost medicinal which means I really trust it – it’s not about the packaging but about the function of the product. I’ve been using the Lipikar Cleansing Oil for the past month as it smells incredible, like being on holiday – think sunscreen mixed with monoi oil. I’ve been using it for make-up removal but just found out that it’s actually a body cleanser; it shows how gentle it is that it works so well on the face too. I’ve also been using the Hyalu B5 Acqua Gel SPF 30 which combines hyaluronic acid, SPF and moisturiser. I’ve been told for years to wear moisturiser but I just generally hate the texture of it, but this is all in one and it’s very easy to use in the morning – not too thick and perfect just before make-up.
Her French pharmacy favourites
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré is a make-up artist favourite and I like it because it’s a multi-tasker and I don’t like having too many products on my top shelf – I use it as a hand cream; as a moisturiser when I’m flying; to tame flyaways when my hair is frizzy; and it’s also a great make-up remover – just put it on a cotton pad and remove. I used to have braces and regularly got chapped lips – it really repairs the skin around the mouth. I’ve been using it for a very long time.
The face masks she’s obsessed with
One of my favourite things – and people get grossed out by it – is snail mucin sheet masks. I find them on Amazon and they’re highly moisturising. I apply one whenever I have a night out and use a jade roller on top to massage the serum into the skin. I am also obsessed with the NuFace, which uses electric currents. After that I use an LED face mask, which looks pretty scary – like a stormtrooper – but I love the red light. It’s so soothing, especially after a night out when skin is a little bit tired.
The facial she swears by
I hate anything intrusive but I love a face massage. I just moved to London and haven’t had a facial since I moved, but I saw the same girl in New York for 15 years. Her name is Nachi and she has a salon called Mist Beauty. She’s so good, she even massages the inside of the cheek. It’s not about the product, but about her magic hands. She smooths all the lines and depuffs your skin. I went to see her once a month for 15 years – I’m desperate to have her in London one day.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
On what really makes youthful skin
My grandma had amazing skin, right until the end. She had these plump little cheeks but she’d never done anything to her face. She had something joyful in her features – like that of a little girl – and I think that’s what kept her looking young. Her cheeks were like apricots going up and down when she smiled. My mum has great skin too.
Her skincare ethos
I think that the less you do with your skin, the better it will be. It’s all about being healthy. I know it sounds very cliché but my skin looks very different after eight hours of sleep each night. Those little rituals, like really taking care of your skin in the evening before bed, really pay off the next morning. The more love you put into your skin in the evening, the less you have to do in the morning when you’re in a rush.
The beauty advice she will pass on to her daughter
Less is more! She has beautiful eyebrows and I’m praying that she never plucks them. She loves make-up though and she’s way more daring than I am – she wears deep purple lip gloss! I’d also advise her to look after her skin. I don’t think I looked after mine well enough – I have a lot of freckles and I was really bad with sunscreen. I think her generation is way more aware of it than we were. It’s about maintaining what you have – don’t start doing any intrusive treatments because once you start you can’t stop.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
A classic evening make-up look
If I have time, I’ll start with a mask, some LED and a bit of face rolling. I don’t wear foundation but I wear concealer and I recently discovered this brand called Il Makiage. They sent me the two concealers that perfectly match my skin, so I’ve been using them. I also have this Milk Makeup stick that a make-up artist friend of mine was using for a tutorial. It’s a coral colour. I put it on my cheeks and lips. I always do my eyebrows too. I’ve just got this new all in one Marc Jacobs eyebrow pencil and gel. On my eyes, I’ve stopped using mascara because I hate having to take it off. I just curl my eyelashes and put on some taupe eyeshadow and a little bit of smudgy black pencil. I’ve also discovered lip contouring, which is a new thing. I use a nude lip-coloured pencil from MAC then smudge it so it doesn’t look obvious that it’s there, but does make lips look more plump.
How to create the ultimate French-girl red lip
I don’t like a red lip when it’s too perfect, so I start by outlining lips with a pencil, then fill them in. I always take a dab of lip balm, like La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast, and smudge it over my lips afterwards. Then it looks more like a stain rather than anything too precise.
Who she sees for great hair
I go to George Northwood’s salon and see David for my colour. He has been doing it for years. Even when I lived in New York, I would see him whenever I came to London. I’m so happy to have him nearby now! I don’t like to put a lot of products on my hair because then it gets dirty really fast, but my favourite is a conditioning spray – it was called The One and it’s from when Frederic Fekkai re-launched a few years ago, but now he’s stopped that brand. I’m holding onto it like gold now!
.png)
.jpg)