We can’t help but stare with starry eyes as the words of Katrina Lawrence fills the space. Her adventures of France are written beautifully in her book – Paris Dreaming where she shares her obsession with the city.
Author and beauty journalist, Katrina Lawrence is no stranger to the beauty industry. As a beauty journalist of 20 years, Katrina is immersed in a world of perfumes, cosmetics and beauty. She is Australia's most awarded beauty writers, having won a number of industry awards, including two esteemed Jasmine Awards for fragrance journalism.
She writes and speaks highly of French women thanks to her knowledge from her numerous interviews with French Makeup artists, perfumers and skin therapists. And we feel so lucky today to have a chat to her about her two love affairs – Beauty and Paris, as she teleports our minds to the city filled with cobbled stone pavements and Parisian lights.
What is your morning beauty routine like? And how long do you take?
Alas, it’s not as indulgent as I’d like it to be! We’re always racing to get the kids ready for school, so I usually have about five minutes for both skincare and makeup. I always cleanse, of course. Then I apply a hydrating serum or mist, followed by a calming treatment on any patches of redness, and a brightening eye cream (dark circles are my bugbear). To finish, I add a dollop of foundation into my hydrating cream to create a DIY tinted moisturiser (playing around with the ratio of the two depending on the state of my skin). If necessary, I go back in with concealer to smooth things out all the more. A smudge of black liner and a flick of mascara, and I’m usually done. Come evening, I often pop on some kind of mask (purifying, calming, exfoliating or hydrating) to make up for the rushed morning.
Image by @theparisdreamer
Was beauty always a career of choice? How did you start? And when did you develop a passion and love for French Beauty?
Originally, I just knew I wanted to work in magazines in any way I could. It was my first editor, and mentor, who guided me into the world of beauty, which I instantly fell in love with. My other passion was Paris and I found the two nicely complementary, Paris being the capital of beauty, after all. The more I visited Paris for holidays or for work (shopping in the pharmacies while there) and interviewed French skincare, perfume and makeup experts, the more sold I became on beauty à la française.
What do you notice different in French and Australian women and their beauty ideals?
I’ve always loved that you can see French women’s skin. They don’t go overboard on foundation and blush and contouring. It’s partly because they put more care into their skin in the first place, with layered routines and regular facials, but I think there’s also a confidence factor to it — they don’t feel the need to hide themselves. French women know how to make the most of their features. They have a signature look that they tend to stick to (say, red lips or smoky, smudgy eyes), in the same way that they have a classic, almost uniform approach to fashion. They don’t slavishly follow trends, especially if they know those trends won’t suit them. I love this philosophy, and the general balance French women strike when it comes to beauty, which they don’t let overtake their life. It’s about a little skincare pampering and a quick but quality makeup routine that accentuates the positives, so that you can put on your best face and get on with the day.
After living in France, what is one thing or (what are the things) you miss about France.
I’ve not stayed in Paris for longer than three months as Sydney is very much my home, but I’ve visited Paris countless times (literally: I’ve lost count). What I most miss, every time I return, is how well Paris lends itself to walking. There’s so much history in the streets it can make your skin tingle. I love stopping and reading the plaques that tell you which artists or writers or courtesans lived in certain buildings, and trying to sneak through the old coach doors for a peek into the gorgeous old cobbled courtyards — they’re like portals into the past. With literally every step, there’s something new to swoon over — a sweet old window peeking out up high, or an apartment alight with glittering chandeliers, or gorgeous lacy balconies overflowing with flowers. So walking feels very much a pleasure, not a chore. Which means you get great incidental exercise without even knowing it— handy when your walks take you past so many tempting pâtisseries!
If you could steal any French beauty Secret, which will it be?
Facial massage; I love that French skin therapists are so well trained in techniques like lymphatic drainage.
What is one French Beauty product you can’t live without?
Can I pick three? Bioderma Sensibio H2O, Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré and Uriage Toléderm Hydra-Soothing Cream. Oh, and I also adore Nuxe Prodigieux Le Parfum. It’s the feel-good fragrance I spritz on whenever I’m having a frumpy day.
