Julie de Libran, Designer of Sonia Rykiel, Shares Her French Beauty Secrets – New York Times

Julie de Libran is the artistic director for Sonia Rykiel. Credit Kristin Vicari for The New York Times

Julie de Libran, the artistic director for Sonia Rykiel, has a knack for knowing what the cool girls want. Her designs have been quite the hit with the international set, an aesthetic that may have been informed by her transcontinental upbringing. Ms. de Libran, 44, was born in Aix-en-Provence, France, but moved to the United States when she was 8. She now lives in Paris. Below, she shares the beauty products and services she will be relying on before the Rykiel spring 2017 show on Oct. 3.

Skin Care

I’ve been told you shouldn’t use soap in the morning. It’s too aggressive. Obviously, when I take my shower, I put my head in the water, but I don’t use soap. After the shower, I use a tonic by my epidermist, Joëlle Ciocco. Her products are really good and quite natural, and the smell is fantastic. You get hooked. I’ve been going to her at least since I moved back to Paris, so since 2008.

Then I use the Complexe Vitamine serum. It’s fantastic. It’s a little bit shiny, but it absorbs and nourishes your skin in depth. I’ve been told I have very thin skin and quite delicate, too. I need to keep it moisturized. I put a cream on top of that.

At night, I use one of her cleansers, which are really, really light. I’ve tried many, many things. In New York, I tried peels. And when I was in Korea, I tried all the beauty products there, which are quite forward-thinking. But this is what suits me. I get spots or redness in some places, so having something not so strong works. One thing I’ve learned recently is that taking different vitamins helps nourish the skin. You can go to the French pharmacies here and find a beauty supplement. I find that if I take it regularly, my skin is moisturized from the inside, and it looks as if I’ve gone on holiday.

Makeup

I don’t wear a lot, but what I do is put on a BB cream as a base. I like the one from Ren because it’s very light. Then I usually do just my eyes. I discovered this liquid liner that’s so easy to use. It’s from Charlotte Tilbury. And then on top, because I like a black eye with a smudged look, I use a Chanel or Sisley liner. I have different tricks depending on my day or mood. The Sisley one is good for a party or dinner. It’s very thick, and it also comes in a midnight blue that’s pretty.

Slide Show

We just did a collaboration with Lancôme. I mostly use the eye palette. There’s one that has that midnight blue that I love. My eyes are blue, but they turn green or gray depending on what I wear. I don’t know if the midnight blue works, but I like it. I do a blush or a lip if I’m going out because I’m making more of an effort. But for everyday, I’ve been using the RMS Luminizer for years with nothing on my cheeks. I use it under and on the sides of my eyes.

Fragrance

For me, it’s very important. The gesture of putting on perfume, I love it. One of my closest friends, Daniela Andrier, is a nose, and she made a personal perfume for me, which is wonderful. But I also use one she made for Prada, Infusion d’Iris Cèdre cologne, which is actually a men’s perfume. I like it because it’s not sugary or sweet. It smells like soap.

Hair

I’ve been using David Mallett products. They’re fantastic. He’s also been cutting my hair lately. My hair is long, and he’s so meticulous that I don’t have to get it cut as often because it grows out so well. I also get head massages at his salon, which are amazing. It’s really good if your hair is dry.

I go to someone else for my color. I’ve been going to him for years — I’m quite what you call “fidèle.” His name is Jean-Luc Fouillade. He used to be one of the Christophe Robin colorists, but now he’s independent. I just follow him around.

Other Services

Joëlle Ciocco has great girls who work for her, and she has some who will come to your home. That’s quite good for my schedule. I have to say, it’s such a luxury to have your trainer or this type of beauty service at home.

I also have a great girl who comes to the house to do my nails. Right now I have really short nails in a deep red. It’s so much maintenance to be a woman. I asked my husband the other day if he liked my hair this way or that way. He’s like, “Oh, I just like it natural.” Ha! You think this is natural?

Diet and Fitness

I have to pay attention to diet and fitness. Diet, I always try to be attentive. I can be strict sometimes, but I can also really just enjoy. I’m vegetarian. I try to not have sugar. That’s the worst thing for me. And then I exercise. If I’m exercising, then sometimes I can have my cheese and bread and wine at dinner.

I also exercise for my head. It’s a way to liberate and get positive energy. I try to run once a week. I do Pilates on the reformer machine. I do Ashtanga or vinyasa yoga. And I have a new trainer who is making me do things I hate, things I did at my American high school, like squats. In France, and all of Europe really, things are changing. There are many trainers and gyms now.

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