Show notes
We are featuring Clemence von Mueffling who comes from a family of beauty experts. Both Clemence’s mother and grandmother were beauty editors at French Vogue. Her grandmother also started her career as a model and was on the cover of French Vogue, and guess who was the photographer? Irving Penn! Clemence is the founder & editor of Beauty & Well Being. Clemence worked at Clarins, Puig, and Dior before starting Beauty & Well Bring. Clemence grew up in Paris (she is French) and now lives in NYC. She has recently written a book called, Ageless Beauty: the French Way that gives us the secrets of 3 generations of beauty editors from French Vogue.
- What was it like growing up in Paris? Incredible! Especially having my mother and grandmother as examples because they are the perfect example of French women not looking for perfection, but trying to become the best version of themselves. Beauty requires a ritual. Self care is about self confidence. If you feel good, you look good. Maintenance and prevention are important. It is never too late to start a good routine,
- Describe what the Vogue Paris offices are like. All the editors were running around. There was perfume, cosmetics, makeup, they let Clemence try out the different things. Women were elegant. There is a Vogue style, called "The Woman of Vogue." The Woman of Vogue was incredibly chic, elegant and always with a signature perfume. She would know when each person would be there by their scent. Her grandmother wore Guerlain, and now wears Chanel. Her mom wears Sisley, and loves to try new ones as well.
- What is Beauty & Well-Being? After working for beauty companies, she wanted to have more her voice. She launched her online magazine. She gathered a team of freelance writers in the beauty & wellness field. Every month, they provide in-depth stories, interviews, high profile people and more. It is a platform for women of all ages from teenager to grandmother at accessible price points. It started in 2014.
- When did you start Beauty and Well Being and how did the idea come about? After she had her twins, she felt was a great time to start a new company, almost like a third child. She wanted to talk about beauty & wellness because it goes together. She wanted to bring to women solutions, because people talk about the problems, but they don't give you the solutions. Wellness - how to choose the best skincare products - respect your skin and hair. They don't address fads. Only tried and true beauty tips.
- How did you build your team at Beauty and Well-Being? From years working at Clarins, Puig and Dior, she had worked with a ton of journalists and beauty experts. Have to be confident that everything will work out, and need to test it to make sure it will work.
- How do you come up with story ideas? Every month there is a theme. She can build the series of interviews, articles, stories. She reads the news, magazines; internationally
- We grew up in similar ways with our elders telling us to make sure to have on mascara, lipstick, etc when we were around them! How did this shape the way you think about beauty? Her grandmother would say for Sunday night dinner, Rendez-Vous with mascara. She taught her granddaughters to be feminine. Femininity and self-care is about self-confidence and not vanity. As she gets older, taking care of herself is about giving a positive image about the passage of time to younger generations. She is 88 and looking great! The importance is not to look like someone else, but to look like the best version of yourself. When you get older, the idea is to look good for your age, not younger. Good skin doesn't have to be flawless. We should enhance our best features, work with what we've got. What we were born with. Try to age gracefully. It is better to look our age than to look no age at all. We have to treat our skin to our favorite silk blouse. We should hydrate the skin and keep it in a well-balanced state, au natural.
- Talk to us about your daily beauty routine. We can link the products in our blog post about this feature! She loves to try new products, but is faithful to classic brands. In the morning, she tones her skin. The quality of the cotton is important and she uses hydrophillic, so very soft and respects the skin. Sterilux is a brand she recommends. Next, she uses a Thermal Water Spray by Avene. A natural way to hydrate your skin. She uses moisturizer or a light serum. If you want makeup to hold the entire day, usually a serum is enough because if not, the makeup may slip off. She also uses mascara - Chantecaille, YSL, Dior, Chanel, etc. plus some concealer. Evening - she takes off mascara with the cotton, Klorane and Avene. She likes ones with a mix of oil and lotion. She always double cleanses. She starts with a cleansing oil or gel and continues with a cleansing milk or balm. She likes the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Cleansing Oil or Caudalie. She likes Environ as a cleaning gel, because not too dehydrating. After a certain age the cleansing foams and gels you can't use anymore. Hydrating Toner then a spritz of Thermal Water, so it has a great glow. It is supple & dewy
- What do you think are the differences in French and American women? For example, we were in Paris for PFW and we couldn’t find a place to get a manicure. Manicure is a new concept for French women. Not that they didn't do their nails before, but they love the gels. There is less of a quest for perfection. David Mallett was saying your has to be natural in a way that a man would want to put his hands in your hair.
- Talk to us about the book! What goes into publishing a book? From idea to when it is available to buy. How did you write it with your mother and grandmother? It took two years from start to finish. It was a great experience she would re-do. Working with her mother and grandmother was magical. Having them talk about those years at Vogue, photoshoots with Guy Bourdin was unique. She learned a lot interviewing 45-50 experts. Her mother wanted to talk about how she met Diana Vreeland. She learned that impossible the word doesn't exist. When Diana would ask something to French Vogue, she did it! She met Estee Lauder during her time as an editor.
- What are some of your favorite stories from your grandmother’s modeling days being on the cover of Vogue Paris and working with Irving Penn? He loved to work in studios with natural light in silence. He worked with his wife who was a model, Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn. When Irving Penn was still alive, Clemence and her grandmother went to his studio. They had a nice reunion talking about Paris and his wife, etc.
- What surprised you when researching/interviewing for the book? Did you learn anything new? Shouldn't exfoliate too much. Each time you exfoliate, you remove three layers of your skin. It takes 48 hours to rebuild one layer of your skin, so during the rebuilding, your skin is prone to sun spots and other elements. Exfoliate 1 time a month. She learned to double cleanse during writing the book. Your skin is never as clean as you think it is. The first time you cleanse your skin, you remove makeup & pollution. The second time, you clean the top most layer of your skin. She loves face massage, because it is a natural way to tone your skin, and she learned to do it at home. Takes 1-3 minutes, and is a great way to relax. A face can't be beautiful if the muscles are tense. It is like taking your face to the gym. Wear compression socks on long flights. Christophe Robin said to rinse, rinse, rinse our hair! No rinse, no shine. If you rinse extra well, you don't need to wash your hair as often. Give it an hour per week put a hydrating mask on your hair. She discovered Color Wow blush for grey hair. You can use it in-between colorations. It is easy to use. This is similar to a blush and you could avoid an extra coloration. You can travel with it, and have it in your bag.
- Alison was very close to her grandmother and mother, and the tradition has continued with Delia, the multigenerational bond she feels have given her strength knowing she has them in her corner so to speak. They worked and loved what they were doing and were always passionate. She loves the way they see self-care and beauty. If you add perfume in the morning that makes you feel wonderful, why not.
- All the small details contribute to a full look and being put together. Alison is a huge believer in taking time to focus on the small things, so let’s talk about that. Importance of taking extra time to make sure everything is steamed, no loose threads. Sometimes people don't see those little things. It is important to be kind to ourselves. If there is something that isn't perfect, sometimes people don't see it. Put on extra mascara or do something else! French women know how to be natural, but how to also have a cheat. Clemence loves to face wipes that give you a glow and some color. The secret to je ne sais quoi is to do what works for you, have the confidence and live your life. Be comfortable with yourself
- How do you find new brands? She loves to experiment. She will go to beauty stores for research. She has friends and a network of people in the beauty industry who talk a lot. They meet for a business meeting and end up talking about the latest products and what they love. She reads the trade press, new product launches, new trends, new scientific research, so much you can discover in NYC, so many talks, event, panels, conferences. Korean Beauty, the difference in natural, green, organic, vegan, etc.
- Sleep and exercise. Talk about the 4 pillars of french wellness - posture, nutrition, sleep, exercise. To sleep - keep a bedroom. It needs to stay a bedroom. It can't be an office, bedroom and laundry room. Keep it dark at night. Try to avoid electronic devices. Try to have old style alarm clock. Something to avoid light in the room. Keep the bedroom cool. Try to avoid heavy meals. Alcohol may wake you up in the middle of the night. Raw food isn't good in the evening, but it will ferment. The earlier you have dinner, the better. If you exercise during the day, try to walk a little bit more. Take stairs. Nutrition - organic products are great if you can. Choose vegetables, fruits - rinse them well before you eat them. Avoid sweet, sugary drinks. We should only eat 20 grams of sugar a day. Cooking doesn't take too long.
How do you manage having a husband and children and your company? Being well organized. Learn from New Yorkers who multi-task. Try to organize the day so balance time at the office, make sure home for homework and dinner. Have to make choices. Can't do all of that and go out late each night. Need to navigate especially when the children are young. If you are passionate about your work, it makes it much easier.
https://www.guerlain.com/us/en-us
https://www.sisley-paris.com/en-US/
https://thestylethatbindsus.com/how-do-we-see-the-fashion-industry-evolving-past-the-pandemic/
