Beauty News

On Beauty: Clémence Poésy

AS with all of our favourite Parisian beauties, Clémence Poésy is the perfect source of information on everything from the ultimate French pharmacy buys to her Parisian address book. As she returns to Chloé as the face of its new Love Story fragrance, we asked her to share her thoughts on all things beauty.
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On The French Attitude To Beauty

"My mum took me and my sister to a dermatologist, just once, when we were teenagers - to teach us the basics of what to do to take care of our skin. It's obviously a time when skin can become a problem, so he just gave us advice for the years ahead. A lot of people don't have time to spend ages on beauty, but for me skin is the most important. Most of the time I spend on looking ok is spent washing my face. I love every product by Nuxe - all of the smells are so wonderful. I'm starting to associate the smell of one of their eye creams, which I use at night, with going to bed."

On French Pharmacies

"Growing up in France I really love all of the classic pharmacy brands like Avene and La Roche-Posay. They're really efficient and the kind of products dermatologists will tell you to use. I use a lot of French pharmacy suncare too - everything really works but is priced normally. The one thing I always pick up in a French pharmacy is Collosol No Rinse Cleansing and Softening Milk - it's this miracle thing which is a brilliant make-up remover and toner, or you can put it in the bath, but it's also good for putting on babies' bums! It's a really great product and it's cheap."

On Her Parisian Beauty Address Book

"About eight years ago I did a shoot where David Mallett was the hairstylist, and he's cut my hair ever since. His salon is one of the nicest places in Paris - he's managed to create a space you just want to spend all day in. He has a great team of colourists too - I seeRémy Faure who is a bit of a magician. He's very good at making the colour look natural. I also see a brilliant dermatologist, and then I work with make-up artist Carole Colombani."

On Scent

"I love how instant smell is - it brings you back to a place or a time incredibly quickly. I love the smell of coffee in the morning, the smell of the sea - so many things. Basil is a smell I'm completely amazed by. And I love the smell of some people's skin, or of babies' heads."

On Chloé Love Story

"Chloé Love Story is very feminine and subtle with something quite fresh about it. There's nothing too aggressively sexy about it, which makes you want it even more - it's more light and endearing. It's definitely for a woman rather than for a little girl, but it has that spirit of fun and freedom. Any partnerships I do are always real relationships, not just one-offs and Chloé is a brand I really believe in - Clare Waight Keller is doing such amazing stuff there.

For this particular campaign, Mélanie Laurent was trying not to make it too stiff. The main difference from film acting is that there are no lines to learn and no specific character to build - I was just told to be natural, to laugh if I felt like laughing, to smile when I felt like smiling. That's something that Chloé has - a sense of freedom and movement, not trying too hard. It's poetic and fun and never too intense or serious."

On Exercise

"I do yoga as much as I can - it can be hard with work so sometimes I won't be able to do it for a couple of months. I also love swimming but it's a case of finding the right pool to go to regularly. It's hard! I do laps and I just never get bored - if I try to run I just bore myself, I'd have to listen to music or podcasts."

On Diet

"I don't eat a lot of meat, but more because I don't really like it than anything else. I have friends who are vegans for their own reasons and I think that as long as food remains a pleasure then you can do whatever you want to do. I'm not a fan of rules as such - I think people should be able to do what they want. My dad's family had a farm which my uncle took over and turned into an organic farm. So I try to eat what's in season and try to buy products that are fairly natural, and that are produced fairly. And I'm really aware of what a luxury it is to be able to do that, and to make those decisions."

Chloé Love Story is available in Debenhams stores now, and nationwide from January 28.