You won't find anyone more French, chic, and witty than Agnès. If she doesn't like someone, she calls it an ‘incompatibilité d’humeur’ and when she sees a photo of Kim Kardashian, she says ‘Money talks, style whispers.’ As a true Frenchwoman, she knows the way to the pharmacy for the best beauty finds by heart because, we won't mention age, but Agnès looks at least 15 years younger. How does she do it? Well, like this. It's a matter of good genes and these products.
MORNING RITUAL
“I start the day with a cotton pad of Mac Marine-Bright Formula Softening Lotion, just discovered and very gentle and nourishing, followed by a few drops of Mac Skin Lightening Serum or Mario Badescu Cellufirm Drops. Then a pump of Yes to Carrots Daily Moisturizer SPF 15 in winter or a generous layer of Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense SPF 45 in summer. I wash my hair alternately with shampoo from Rahua or Sachajuan. Because it is dry and frizzy, I use a mask, usually Moroccan Oil Hydrating Mask, and when my hair is still damp, I add a bit of Kiehl’s Crème with Silk Groom. I'm not much of a scrubber, but twice a week I use the Clarisonic with Huile Confort from Chanel, a gentle cleansing oil.”
5 MINUTES MAKE-UP
“My makeup never takes longer than five minutes and usually happens tucked away in a corner of the train compartment on my way to work. Very unglamorous and I get terribly annoyed at women who do the same, but I never pull out my eyelash curler and XL powder brush. Under my eyes, around my nose, and on my chin, I use some foundation, usually Vitalumiere Aqua in 30 Beige. I bought the lovely round pot, but it's also a great product that makes your skin very naturally even. For my eyes, I use Chanel Ombre Essentielle in 99 Hasard, a light purple-taupe eyeshadow with which I create a sort of smoky eye. Then some mascara, Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen, and Clinique Chubby Stick on my lips.”
EYEBROWS OR LASHES
“I admire my colleagues with beautifully shaped eyebrows, but unfortunately, it doesn't work for me. Naturally, they are quite thick, so a little shaping should be possible, but with my Tweezerman and magnifying mirror, I can't get beyond asymmetrical clown eyebrows. The beautician who sometimes does them for me usually looks very sad and always patiently explains how it should be done, but it just doesn't work. So I focus on my eyelashes by putting on a lot of mascara.”
FAVORITE PERFUME
“Mitsouko by Guerlain and Fleurs de Sel by Miller Harris in winter, Eau d’Italie Splash Cologne in summer.”
FRENCH CHARM
“One of the first things I do in Paris is stock up at City Pharma, a pharmacy in Saint-Germain. You have to go early in the morning because it’s always busy due to the huge selection and ridiculously low prices. What is always on my list: a duopack of Bioderma Crealine H2O, a lotion that cleanses your entire face, including eyes, in one go. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, a non-greasy oil that I always take with me when traveling because it can be used in my hair, on my face, and as body lotion. Bioderma Sensibio AR, a moisturizing, fragrance-free facial cream. And Roge Cavailles Gel Surgras, a gentle shower gel that all my French friends and cousins use and that smells divine.”
PARISIENNE
“Dolly Parton once said about herself that it costs a fortune to look this cheap. The Parisiennes I know have closets full of beauty products and makeup, but it seems like they look very natural. That is something entirely different from cheap, but I just want to say: coming across as nonchalant and natural takes quite a bit of time, effort, and money… But what you might recognize a Parisienne by the most is what she doesn’t wear. A French manicure, for example.”
NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT
“My Labello”
UNEXPECTED BEAUTY TIP
“Nivea is a miracle cure for dry hair”
BIGGEST STYLE ICON
“Because I am right in the middle of the ‘Botox and fillers: yes or no’ age, I admire women who have chosen the latter and have the courage to age naturally, like Jane Birkin.”
Photography: Marten van Sinderen
