Julia Restoin Roitfeld’s Low-Key French Beauty And Wellness Hacks
Creative director, designer and style icon JULIA RESTOIN ROITFELD speaks to MALENA HARBERS about her minimalist skincare routine, why she’ll never wear foundation or cut her hair, and how being in her forties has empowered her to make new beauty choices (including getting a tattoo)
I wake up before everyone else in my house…
…for a little bit of peace and to read my emails. I would normally have a cup of coffee first thing, but I’ve just started to take Elle McPherson’s WelleCo The Super Elixir. It’s a greens powder that gives you all the energy you need for the day, and Elle told me to wait one hour after having it before drinking my coffee. So now I have my greens powder and then I’ll shower, wash my face and do my beauty routine, then my coffee will be at the end of all of that.
My skincare routine is super quick in the morning…
…because I often have quite a busy day ahead. But I want to feel good about myself even if I have to rush – I think it’s very important when you’re going to work. I start by rinsing my face with freezing water to wake up and tighten my skin. I tend to use an ice roller if I have time – I have a few in my freezer that are made up of different concoctions such as green tea, cucumber water or camomile, and I like to mix them up. Once my skin is iced and I feel re-energized, I go in with my skincare routine. If I have time for a quick mask while I’m drinking my coffee, I use Sisley’s Exfoliating Enzyme Mask, which gives you baby-soft skin. I leave it on for one minute and brush my teeth at the same time – I’m all about multi-tasking! Then I use Dr. Hauschka’s Revitalising Mask, massaging it in thoroughly and taking it under my eyes too. It makes you look like you’ve slept for eight hours. It’s meant to be a mask, but I leave it on as a I would a moisturizer because it’s very nourishing. Then I’ll do my makeup.
I’ve only recently started using retinal…
… to target the skin around my eyes. I’ve never even used retinol before, but a friend of mine, who is a beauty writer, strongly advised that I should try retinal, which is different to retinol [it’s a gentler Vitamin A derivative]. So, I've been using the Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye. I always follow my friend’s advice as she knows all the good beauty tricks.
I used to love a red lip, but it doesn’t work for me anymore
As you age, you tend to realize what really works for you and what doesn't. So now I stick to emphasizing good skin. I never wear foundation and maybe this is a French beauty secret, because my mom [French fashion editor Carine Roitfeld] and grandma never wore foundation either, so it was never on my radar. We’re all really minimal. Also like my mom, I believe that if your eyebrows are good, the rest of your face follows. So, if I have time for just one thing I’ll brush my eyebrows, use a brow pencil to slightly elongate their shape and apply a brow gel overtop. I love Dior’s Diorshow On Set Brow mascara in Brown. It makes brows look a bit thicker and fuller. For a bit of extra glow, I like to smoosh Merit’s Bronze Balm bronzer and Flush Balm blush into my cheeks with my fingers, at the same time.
It might sound like a French cliché, but I don’t put much time into my hair…
…and even when I do, it just looks like I haven't. I do go to George Northwood’s salon [in London] for a blow dry whenever I have an event. I also see Deme [my colorist] there for my color and a gloss. At home, I try to moisturize my hair and do masks. I also love the Kérastase serums, especially to keep my ends looking healthy, because my hair is pretty long and I refuse to cut it. Every day, I do a quick blow-dry using Color Wow’s Dream Coat Supernatural anti-frizz Spray. My hair is fine and naturally wavy, but I only like it wavy when I’m on the beach and get that natural wave. Otherwise, I look a bit like a mad person if I don't blow-dry it.
I never go to bed without washing my face, even when I’m makeup free
I double-cleanse and then I use a micellar water. I also love to use a facial brush to exfoliate. Some people say it’s a bit abrasive for the face, but I feel like it really removes all the dead skin, plus I’ve always done it. My mom told me to buy it when I was a teenager and I had breakouts. So, I use any cleanser and brush my face with it, and then I love to put on an overnight mask, because when you sleep that’s when your skin regenerates and repairs the most. I swear by Sisley’s Velvet Sleeping mask which is an overnight mask with saffron flowers to repair your skin while you sleep.
When traveling, I use borage oil capsules to target dehydration
Borage is a very strong oil. It doesn't smell amazing, but the capsules are really easy to travel with. I hate traveling with oils because I’m scared they will open in my suitcase. So, I take a little bottle with all the capsules and then I pop one open and apply it to my face and hair. It feels amazing to put oil on your face, especially at the end of a beach day, and it moisturizes and rehydrates unlike anything else.
A Russian bath is my favorite treatment
The therapist starts by brush-massaging you, then you’re lightly whipped in the sauna with a leafy twig, which gets your blood circulation activated, and then they throw an ice bucket on you. It sounds very brutal, but you feel so new afterwards, it's really amazing. It’s a great detox treatment.
I try to dry-brush every morning
When you’re jet-lagged or tired, it really re-energizes your body and only takes a few minutes. I always end my shower with cold water all over. It feels so good on your head after washing your hair. I have this thing with cold water and ice – it’s what works for me.
My hair is my safety blanket, so I rarely put it up.
I don't feel myself if I do. Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to have it really long, and I finally have the length I always wanted in my forties, which is unusual, so I’m trying to keep it that way. I've always had a middle parting and kind of dishevelled finish with a bit of layers. I’m not very adventurous. I used to color my hair a lot – pink and red – as a teenager, but now I play it much safer.
On working out…
I go to yoga at least once a week, twice if I can. I also love Tempo 301 Pilates because it's really good for your posture and gives you a full workout. I used to run a lot, but then I broke my ankle when I moved to London almost four years ago and never managed to get back to it properly. I was much more active when I lived in New York, I don't know why. There’s something in the energy there [in New York] that makes you want to work out. You can go to the park at 6am and everyone will be running, but here [in the UK] I feel it’s not ingrained in the culture in the same way as it is in America. It’s definitely not in the culture in France. In France, we’re more about Pilates and ballet. It’s different.
The best advice my mom gave me…
…is to never forget who gave you your first chance. I’m in an industry where there is a lot of movement and it’s very important, no matter where someone is at today, to never forget the person who gave you your first shot, and to give something back at the same time if you can.
Before a big event…
…I love to use a sheet mask. Medik8’s Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Masks are great for rehydrating skin, so sometimes I'll be that crazy person in the taxi with my sheet mask on and I’ll be using my face roller at the same time, just to get my skin as energized and as dewy as possible. Sleep is also really important for me, so I'll make sure I’m in bed on time. My skin really reacts to the amount of sleep I have. I also try not to eat foods that are too salty or drink alcohol the night before. I know it sounds very boring, but it works.
Being creative grounds me…
…as a working mom doing the multitasking juggle, being creative is uplifting and balancing for me. I’m very lucky, because with art direction I get to see a project from the very beginning through to the very end, whether that’s a product collaboration or directing a shoot, and I find that aspect of the creativity very satisfying. I also walk a lot, listen to music, or go to yoga if I need to feel grounded.
I recently got a tattoo…
… but I don’t like commitment when it comes to beauty. Even when I choose a nail polish color, I always stick to a nude because I don’t like to commit to something different. But ever since my daughter was in kindergarten, she wrote Romy [her name] a bit backwards, so I wanted to immortalize that with a tattoo. I picked my left arm because it goes straight to the heart and if I’m going to have a tattoo, I might as well see it. It was a way to stop time and try to immortalize her childhood, because she has just turned 13 and is a teenager now. She’s very proud that I have it. Will I have another one? I don't know. I’m scared of committing.