The Secrets of French Beauty, According to Clémence von Mueffling

Which French pharmacy finds deserve space in your suitcase—and which Paris facial is worth booking ahead? Beauty insider Clémence von Mueffling shares her trusted products, everyday rituals and favorite French addresses below.

For Clémence von Mueffling, beauty is a family legacy. Both her mother and grandmother were beauty editors at Vogue France, and she was raised in Paris with an insider's education in the art of caring for oneself in style. After building her career at houses including Clarins, Dior and Puig, she launched Beauty and Well-Being in 2014, an online publication that has grown into an integrated beauty and wellness platform that hosts exclusive, curated events. In 2018, she published Ageless Beauty the French Way, sharing wisdom gathered across three generations, and global experts—including lessons from becoming a mother herself.

Now based between New York and Paris, von Mueffling champions a holistic approach that pairs thoughtful skincare with everyday rituals and the wisdom of French traditions. Here, she shares her ultimate guide to beauty and wellness—from tips for aging gracefully to the French pharmacy finds worth saving suitcase space for, her favorite Paris beauty addresses and the products she relies on at home and while traveling.

Your mother and grandmother were both beauty editors at French Vogue. What is the most valuable beauty lesson each passed down to you?

I was incredibly fortunate to grow up surrounded by two women who made beauty such a joyful part of everyday life.

My mother taught me that beautiful skin begins with consistency and good habits. I remember accompanying her to the Vogue offices on the Place du Palais Bourbon in Paris, during school holidays. I would discover extraordinary creams and fragrances and come home with all sorts of little treasures. She taught me the importance of caring for my skin from an early age.

My grandmother taught me something equally valuable: beauty should never stop being a pleasure, whatever your age. She is wonderfully elegant and always believes in making an effort. As I became a young woman, she would invite me to dinner with the charming instruction to arrive wearing a little mascara!

Above all, they both taught me that taking care of yourself isn't vanity, it is about self-confidence.

What do you think Americans most often misunderstand about the French approach to beauty? What does that philosophy look like in your everyday routine?

I think the biggest misconception is that French beauty is about looking effortlessly perfect. In reality, there is quite a lot of discipline behind that apparent effortlessness!

Having lived on both sides of the Atlantic, I've noticed that American women can sometimes feel pressure to achieve perfection. The French approach I grew up with is slightly different. We don't necessarily want to achieve perfect skin, but good skin, healthy skin. The idea is not to look much younger, but rather we want to look wonderful at whatever age we are.

For me, healthy, luminous skin is far more beautiful than flawless skin. I prefer gentle, consistent care to aggressive treatments. I never skip my evening double cleansing routine, I love facial massage and I try to be sensible about what I put on my skin.

I also believe beauty goes well beyond the bathroom cabinet. Eating well, sleeping enough, exercising and maintaining good posture are just as important.

The goal is not to become someone else. It's to make the very best of what you were born with.

What is one French beauty tip that everyone should know?

If I could share just one beauty ritual—treat your face as you would your most beautiful silk blouse. You wouldn't scrub a precious silk blouse aggressively, so why would you do that to your skin? The key is to be gentle to our skin, hydrate it and avoid harsh treatments.

Take us inside your beauty cabinet: Which skincare, makeup and hair care products do you consistently use, from French pharmacy bargains to worth-it splurges?

My beauty cabinet is a combination of wonderful French pharmacy classics, a few luxurious indulgences and products I've discovered through years of working in the beauty industry—

My cleansing essentials: I use cleansing balms from PERS, Dix Hectares and Holidermie, as well as the new SVR Sensifine balm, which smells so delicious. I follow with a simple micellar water such as Bioderma's Créaline or Garnier's micellar water. Some evenings, I use the new Dix Hectares toner to bring out my skin's natural glow. It's a new brand, and I think this product will be a success.

My indulgence is beautifully soft cotton pads. They make the daily cleansing ritual much more pleasant. I like the ones from Clé de Peau Beauté, and when I'm in France, I pick up Stérilux pads at the pharmacy.

For makeup: I prefer a natural, luminous complexion. I love to mix foundations. I'll mix my Victoria Beckham foundation with a drop of tinted SPF from Mesoestetic. For a touch of color on my cheeks, I use JOD Beauty, a brand that recently took part in an event I hosted, or Merit.

My secret before a big week at work or a special evening out is to build up a little color with Comodynes self-tanning wipes.

For hydration: I featured Skin Diligent at one of my events, and I simply love their routine, from the vitamin C and hydrating products to the gentle retinol. If my skin feels sensitive, the new SVR Sensifine line is perfect.

For the body: When I have time, I love to dry-brush, and La Bonne Brosse just released a wonderful body brush. I love the No. 2 model.

I love all Clarins body products, especially the Tonic Body Treatment Oil. There is something wonderfully indulgent about taking a few extra minutes in the shower to massage a beautiful oil into your skin.

For hair: I recently started using Caudalie's new treatment for hair volume, and I'm super impressed by the results. And of course, I love La Bonne Brosse, which I discovered and introduced to the U.S. market through my events: The Collective by Beauty and Well-Being (BWB).

If we accompanied you into a French pharmacy, what products would go into your basket? What are the must-have items that you can't get anywhere else?

I would begin with the classics. I'd pick up a gentle micellar cleanser from Bioderma, along with a few beautifully formulated everyday essentials, such as Respire's effective natural stick deodorant and a travel-size Stérimar saline nasal spray. I'd also get some Stérilux cotton pads. I love the large square ones.

I stock up on a few French sunscreens, including La Roche-Posay's Anthelios UVAir serum sunscreen (clear or tinted) and Avène's Sunsimed Pigment SPF 50+.

And my little secret… Jonctum Cica repairing cream is deeply hydrating and costs less than 10 euros!

Which emerging French beauty brands should be on our radar—and what products would you recommend trying?

One of the things I love most about my work is discovering the extraordinary creativity coming out of France's beauty industry. Meeting the founders, understanding their philosophy and seeing the thought that goes into each product is one of the great pleasures of my career.

Through The Collective by BWB, I've had the pleasure of introducing New York audiences to some beauty gems, from Skin Diligent skincare, AKT deodorants and Nooance LED masks to the only nail polish I swear by: Kure Bazaar. Their high-performance hyaluronic acid sheer, matte nail treatment strengthens the nails. (I add some colors such as Rouge Illusion or Vinyl.) And their hand cream is also a must, especially ahead of the colder months.

From my latest event, the names I find particularly interesting are Alaena (the Peeling Fruit Acids mask is my favorite), SVR Sensifine Cleanser, Day+ eye patches to illuminate the eye contour and the delicious chocolates with collagen from Holidermie.

What are some up-and-coming beauty trends you're seeing in France?

There's growing interest in the quality of the skin itself and in achieving a healthy, dewy glow. The success of the French brand Emily's Pillow shows that women are looking for simple yet effective ways to protect and care for their skin. I'm a huge fan of their silk pillowcases and eye masks!

I also see a growing range of non-invasive treatments and tools that complement a good daily routine, from Nooance's LED face masks to Clarins' new skincare tools.

Ultimately, I think the most interesting direction is a more holistic approach. Beautiful skin is connected to how we sleep, eat, move and manage stress. For me, the future of beauty is about doing the right things consistently.

What is an "only in France" beauty or wellness experience worth planning a trip around?

I would plan a trip around a stay at Les Sources de Caudalie, set among the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte near Bordeaux. It's home to the original Vinothérapie spa, where the treatments take their inspiration from the vines.

You can take a warm spring-water bath with grape and vine extracts, or try a crushed Cabernet scrub followed by a full-body massage. I'd make a weekend of it and leave plenty of time for a long walk or bike ride among the vines.

Beyond products and treatments, which everyday French habits make the biggest difference to how you look and feel? What is one simple French self-care ritual travelers should bring home?

I believe there are four essential pillars of looking and feeling good: eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep and maintaining good posture.

If there's one skincare ritual I'd encourage travelers to bring home, it's to spend a few minutes every evening massaging their face as they apply their skincare products. For my book, Ageless Beauty the French Way, I interviewed a Parisian facial massage specialist. She no longer practices, but she showed me, step by step, how to give yourself a facial massage to tone and lift the skin.

None of these are particularly glamorous, but together they make an enormous difference.

For a Paris beauty address book, who are your trusted names for a facial, a haircut and a body treatment? What should we book with each and how far ahead?

Paris has some of the world's most extraordinary beauty specialists, and I have been fortunate to meet several of them through my work and while researching my book Ageless Beauty the French Way.

For facials, Joëlle Ciocco Paris is a name I have admired for many years. Her understanding of the skin has had a lasting influence on my own routine.

For hair, Adrien Coelho has long been one of my trusted references. I particularly appreciate his approach to beautiful, natural-looking hair and his restorative treatments. He recently came to New York for one of my events, and all the women attending absolutely loved him.

For long-lasting beautiful feet, I have always admired the work of Bastien Gonzalez, "Révérence de Bastien," whose approach to foot care elevates a pedicure into a truly exceptional treatment.

For a manicure, my favorite spot is La Maison Kure Bazaar Paris on 165 rue Saint-Honore, where I can enjoy the best latte or cappuccino while having my manicure done.

The best compression socks and stockings can be found at Orthopédie Meyrignac.

My advice would always be to plan ahead when booking with a sought-after specialist, especially if you have only a few days in Paris. Usually two weeks in advance is enough time.

Between appointments, where would we find you in Paris? What are your favorite spots?

The area around the Palais-Royal is particularly lovely, with its beautiful architecture, gardens and wonderful little boutiques.

For shopping, Le Bon Marché is a place I can never resist. I love the combination of fashion, beauty and wonderful discoveries, and of course La Grande Épicerie is always a temptation.

I also enjoy discovering niche fragrances, and Nose is a particularly interesting shop for anyone who loves perfume.

And after a stop at a French pharmacy, I get another beauty fix at Oh My Cream !. They have several stores around the city.

What travel beauty and wellness products are always in your carry-on? And what are your tips for long-haul flights?

I travel very frequently between New York and Europe, so I've learned to keep my in-flight beauty routine simple and efficient.

My first rule is to board a long-haul flight with clean, well-moisturized skin and no makeup—and if I really must wear a little makeup, I'll use mascara—so that I can reapply moisturizer throughout the flight.

A fabulous Japanese facialist gave me this tip: I soak a few cotton pads in my micellar toner and pack them in a zip-top bag. That way, I can cleanse my skin during the flight and follow with a layer of moisturizer.

I always carry a small beauty kit with a good moisturizer, lip balm, a nasal spray like Stérimar (that I buy in France), hand cream, a mini nail file (essential!) and my silk eye mask from Emily's Pillow. I find the rectangular shape of their eye mask so much better.

I also bring herbal tea and healthy snacks, usually almonds. I try to stay well hydrated throughout the flight and take a dose of electrolytes in some water.

Compression stockings are another essential for me, particularly on overnight or long-haul flights. I buy them at Meyrignac in Paris. Before landing, I like to refresh my skin and leave eye patches on for 15 minutes.

Once I reach my destination, I love using a hydrating face mask. It's such a lovely way to revive tired skin after a long journey.

And whenever possible, I try to get outside, walk and enjoy some natural light upon arrival. I find that moving and adjusting to the local rhythm makes a tremendous difference to how I feel after traveling.