Parisian Beauty: the secrets revealed

Parisian cool: it's proverbial. And it's not just a question of genes or attitude, as we reveal in our new series. We spend time with different French women and each month reveal one of their closely guarded beauty secrets.

Five a day, every day

For French beauty expert Laurence Monod, the secret to Parisian beauty starts at the market. Shopping for fresh vegetables is the basis of a healthy diet, and as a result, her healthy and glowing skin. Every weekend, you’ll find her at the Marché d’Aligre in Quinze-Vingts a quarter in the South-East of Paris.  

Laurence, what are your favourite vegetables?

I try to eat five portions a day of seasonal, colorful vegetables to give my complexion a boost, fill my diet with vitamins and phytonutrients, and add fun to my dishes.

Tomatoes are essential. Whether you view them as a fruit or a vegetable, their skincare benefits are clear: They are rich in an antioxidant called lycopene, a beta-carotene which has anti-ageing properties and  protects the skin from sun damage and enhances my tan from the inside.

What is your favourite tomato dish then?

Ratatouille is my perfect vegetable recipe for the summer. It contains all my favourite vegetables ­– tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes and peppers – and is also packed with antioxidants and vitamin C.

In winter, pumpkin and squash provide me with antioxidants, while sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene.

 

As vegetables contain powerful natural antioxidants, they provide protection from cellular damage by free radicals and toxins, and so help slow down the ageing process.

Do you think that vegetables can enhance our beauty?

Of course! As vegetables contain powerful natural antioxidants, they provide protection from cellular damage by free radicals and toxins, and so help slow down the aging process. Vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin C and E, carotenoids, which are converted by our body into vitamin A, as well as selenium and other phytonutrients. Which all add up to a healthy glow.

Apart from a healthy nutrition, what is your beauty secret?

Sleep and a good beauty routine! Skin renewal occurs overnight. We need around seven hours’ sleep to achieve a healthy, radiant glow.

What is your daily beauty routine?

Every morning, I use a wake up mask to remove impurities and sebum, apply an anti-aging day cream, an eye contour and sunscreen.

Every evening, I follow a beauty routine – cleansing milk, cleansing foam, lotion. I apply an anti-ageing cream, massaging upwards for three minutes, from my neck to my forehead.

In your opinion, what is the reason for the proverbial beauty of Parisian women?

Parisian women have a chic casual look, nothing fancy. Minimal makeup – mascara and lipstick – but perfect skin, shining hair, not a sophisticated blowout, and short clean nails… They are perfectly imperfect!