French beauty secrets that'll give you some ooh la la!

It’s fair to say Clémence von Mueffling has beauty in her blood. Her mother and grandmother were both beauty editors at French Vogue and she grew up surrounded by the most exquisite perfumes, creams and make-up.

“One of my earliest memories was going into the Vogue offices in Paris,” says Clémence, 39, a journalist who lives in New York with husband William, 49, a businessman and their eight-year-old twins Lucas and Anais.

“The editors were so chic and there was the scent of perfume that I’ll never forget.”

From a young age, Clémence was taught the beauty secrets that have made French women the envy of the world.

“I was learning the ultimate beauty advice while I was still practising my ABCs,” she says.

“My mother and grandmother believed that skincare starts young, showing me how to clean my face impeccably before going to bed when I was just 13.

“They also taught me, in their inimitable French way, that beauty is an attitude, a way of taking care of yourself.”

Here, she reveals her top 10 beauty secrets.

1.Forget perfection

French women like to give the impression of a combination of dedication and laissez aller, which means letting themselves go.

Yes, we love our polished beauty that appears so effortless but we also know that it takes time and dedication.

So while we might spend hours finding the ideal shade of lipstick, our hair might have only warranted a few cursory strokes of the brush as we dashed out the door.

French women like the idea of healthy skin but it does not have to be flawless.

Parisiennes have a healthy beauty routine but will not give up everything to obtain perfect results. In fact for many of them, if perfect skin comes at the cost of not eating any more cheese or a croissant for breakfast or taking a nap on a sunny beach, they will settle for skin that is just good enough.

2.Find what suits you

My mother and grandmother often told me something that Yves Saint Laurent was known to say: “We must never confuse elegance with snobbery.” They meant that we have to find what suits us.

For example, my grandmother never uses eyeliner as she knows it makes her eyes look droopy. Enhance your best feature, look like the best version of yourself and make the most of what you were born with. Don’t try to look like someone else.

Maintenance and prevention are essential to stave off problems before they occur but subtlety is key.

Of course French women still have nips, tucks and treatments but they are done very lightly and are kept a secret. The goal is not to look younger but instead to look good for their age.

3.Learn confidence

Beauty for French women is not about vanity but self-care. It’s about feeling positive about yourself and projecting that out to the world.

French mothers play a strong part, teaching their daughters to be comfortable in their own skin. I think it is this confidence that others aspire to.

4.Double cleanse

My mother encouraged good habits and taught me to cleanse religiously. “Always go to bed with a clean face” was one of the first beauty rules that I learned.

Double cleansing will turn good skin into great skin. The first cleanse will remove make-up and pollution, then the second will deep clean the top layer of the skin.

After cleansing, a spritz of mineral-rich thermal water such as Avène Eau Thermale, £4.50 (lookfantastic.com) will hydrate naturally and leave the complexion glowing.

5.Gently does it

Avoid harsh treatments such 5 as peels or microdermabrasion as these can damage the skin.

You should treat your skin like your best silk blouse – always with the utmost care. Don’t exfoliate too often as when you scrub you remove three layers of skin. It takes 48 hours for a new layer to form and a whole week for three and in this time your complexion is more vulnerable to sunspots and damage.

6.Facial massage

Facial massage is one of the most effective ways to boost your skin. Think of it as taking your face to the gym.

It prevents skin from sagging, activates collagen production and is naturally anti-ageing.

Although it doesn’t remove wrinkles, it softens their appearance.

All you need is a small drop of facial oil and two minutes set aside once or twice a week.

7.Perfect your posture

I have the phrase “alignment is enlightenment” pinned above my computer and this is something of a mantra for French women.

When I was younger my mother always told me to hold myself straight at the dinner table.

Your posture reflects the way you present yourself to the world. While it is easy to slump when you feel shy or tired, make every effort not to.

Open up your shoulders, keep your neck long and you will look more confident and composed.

8.Don’t forget your feet

Massaging your feet will keep them beautiful today and in years to come. Keep an old electric toothbrush and use it to clean around the nailbed and buff the cuticles. This will encourage healthy nail growth.

Flying with compression socks is important for circulation, helping prevent problems with unsightly veins and cellulite. Ask the pharmacist to give you the right size.

9.Care for hair

A hairdresser once told me that the key to washing hair is “no rinse no shine” and this could not be more true. People often don’t rinse enough after shampooing and this leads to product build-up and dull hair.

Also remember that hair is at its most fragile when wet so don’t brush until it’s dry. Avoid towel drying too as this damages the hair fibres.

10.Find your fragrance

A French woman doesn’t consider herself dressed unless she’s wearing perfume.

But with thousands of scents on the market, how can you narrow them down to find one that can become your signature?

Start by identifying the kind of perfume you like. Fragrance usually falls into one of the following families: floral, based on different blends of flowers; amber, which is earthy and musky; fruity, which is often quite playful; tangy and zesty citrus; woody, which is dry and masculine, and aromatic, a blend of citrus and spice.

Perfume should always make you feel uplifted and choosing one should be an enjoyable experience that makes you feel good.

To order a copy of Ageless Beauty: The Secrets To French Elegance by Clémence von Mueffling (£14.99, Michael Joseph) call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562 310 or visit expressbookshop.co.uk Compiled by HANNAH BRITT and MERNIE GILMORE