A Parisienne's Beauty Guide (Part I): Secrets to a Flawless Face

The flawless skin of one of LPoL's skin beauty idols, Ingrid Holm (photo from her blog)

Now that we are in the depths of winter and Christmas is less than a week away (with all of the long-lasting family photos that this entails!), I have started to think more about skin.  Flawless glowing skin - of the Parisienne variety.  If you have ever been to Paris, you'll quickly realise that Parisiennes have some of the most beautiful skin in the world, sans make-up.  They take time & effort to take care of it, invest in the right skin products, and believe that with beauty, "less is more".

To find out how they get such gorgeous skin, I've enlisted the help of my good Parisienne friend, Mademoiselle V, to give us some insight into a Parisienne's daily skin routine.  I don't think I've ever told her this, but when I first met Mademoiselle V at a party in the Latin Quarter nearly 3 years ago, I really could not stop staring at her face.  Aside from doe-like eyes, impossibly long (real) lashes, and a perfect pout, she also had the flawless glowing skin that I last saw on my face when I was maybe, oh, 8 years old.  (Yes, I'd hate her too - except she's just so kind and lovable.)  So without further ado, here is Mademoiselle V, to share with us some of her secrets to a flawless-looking face!  - Milsters

Amanda Mabel

Introduction.  To set things straight, I have light matte skin and fine dark hair.  My skin is combination and sensitive, and usually with very few breakouts.  I feel that since skin reflects general health, no matter how many products one uses, if one does not drink enough, sleep enough, eat well enough, or even sweat enough, it will show.  In general, I try to use as few cosmetics as possible.  However, right now, I need to a hide a bit more imperfections on my face (thank you, hormones!), so I put on a few more products than usual.

Cleansing.  Every morning and night, I will wash my face with these 3 products (using one or all of them if I have time):

• Cleansing oil (right now, I'm using the rose and green ones by Shu Uemura)
• Foaming face soap (I'm currently using Green Tea by Muji but the best one is Black Paint which you can find at Takashimaya in Japan ... not easy, I know!  It also exists as White Paint.  You can find a version of these on sale by Amazon here)
• Micelle solution (Bioderma H20) or distilled flower water (rose or orange flower by Melvita)

Moisturising & Sun Protection.  For day-time moisturising, I like to use argan oil or cream.  I would recommend checking out the beauty & natural health website, L'Essentiel de Julien, for tips on which oils to use.  For creams, I prefer Quince Day Cream by Dr Hauschka or Almond Cream by Weleda.

Then I will put on some light sun cream with SPF45 to SPF50.  Asian brands have the best light sun creams, but Anthélios by La Roche-Posay is also a safe choice, although it can tickle if you have sensitive skin and is not as light.  [Milsters of LPoL recommends Ultimate Sun Protection by Shiseido SPF50+ as an Asian brand to check out.]

Foundation.  To hide a bit of my skin misery during working days, I will use some blemish base (BB) cream with SPF45 included.  I've tried several from Japanese and Korean brands such as Sana, LaNeige, and Etude House, and find that they are all good as long as you massage them in quite well!  A good alternative to BB cream is a nude base; I prefer Shu Uemura UV Mousse or Armani Face Fabric.

Lauren Withrow

Once in a blue moon.  When my skin feels really disgusting (after stressful work weeks, too much travelling, etc.), I will do a "home spa".  It will involve deep exfoliation (Cure Natural Aquagel is magic) and a steam bath (keeping the face over a bowl of boiling water with a drop of lavender essential oil).  After the steam bath is the best time to remove blackheads if you have this kind of problem.  (I know I do!)

For tired skin, the best mask I have ever tried and remained faithful to is the Rejuvenating Mask by Dr. Hauschka. It smells like arnica (part of the sunflower family) and I have been addicted to it since 2004!

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A big thank you to Mademoiselle V for taking the time to share her secrets to a flawless face!  Stay tuned for two more Parisienne's Beauty Guide posts by this lovely Parisienne.  In the meantime, do you have any secrets to a flawless face that you'd like to share?