The Reset: Stepping Into Our Beauty with Garance Doré

Self-care tips and the secrets to effortless French beauty at every age.

Jan 26, 2025

It seems to be the general consensus that this has been the longest January ever. There’s a lot going on in the world, the California fires weigh heavily, and on top of that, it feels like everyone is either sick or getting over an illness.

I named this newsletter Breathing Space because I wanted it to feel like a deep cleansing breath, a moment to quiet the noise and read something that nourishes mind, body, and spirit. Today’s post does just that—it’s about beauty, something we’re all inherently drawn to and that we could all use a little more of right now. Developing an eye to see the beauty around us shifts our perspective in powerful ways. And feeling beautiful can transform the way we relate to ourselves and others. As you read today’s interview, I encourage you to slow down and savor an approach to beauty that feels truly uplifting.

Before we dive in, a few things I want to share with you:

🍽 Dinner idea: I’m all about sheet-pan dinners right now (easy clean-up for the win), and this Mustard-Roasted Salmon and Veggies is a full delicious meal that comes together in under 20 minutes.
📖 Feel-Good Read: I’ve been slowly reading a chapter at a time of The Guide to Becoming Alive from Flamingo Estate. It’s a unique mix of interviews with legends like Jane Goodall and Martha Stewart, along with stories behind the design and creation of the estate itself. It’s a book that speaks to all the senses.
☀️ Self-care tip: On your phone, keep a list of a few things that always lift your spirits when you're having a tough day. Mine includes: Take a walk. Call mom. Bake banana bread. Go to the foot spa. Take a bath.

Okay let’s get to today’s interview with Garance Doré.

For the month of January, I’m interviewing some of my favorite experts across nutrition, fitness, and self-care as part of our 30-Day Wellness Reset. January is about manifesting our dreams and feeling our best, and that includes all aspects of ourselves: physical, mental, and spiritual.

As we step into a new year, there’s no better time to rethink our approach to beauty from the inside out. Instead of getting caught in the January cycle of wanting to completely makeover ourselves, what if we focused on embracing our natural beauty and radiating confidence? In other words, the French approach to beauty, and no one epitomizes it better than my friend Garance Doré. From her effortless style to her humor and grace, Garance is an icon of beauty in every sense of the word. In this conversation, we talk about French versus American beauty culture, how to “age beautifully,” and why simplicity and confidence are always in style.

ps—Garance shared her French beauty essentials in this month’s issue of Camille Styles EDIT and they’re so good!

Hi Garance! Let’s start with a question I’m sure you get asked all the time—what sets French beauty apart from an American approach?

It’s funny, because I was just having coffee in Paris with a friend who’s very Parisian. She’s 54, wore no makeup, had her hair down naturally, and was in a fabulous coat. To me, that’s French beauty—this effortless confidence and attitude. It’s not about perfection. A little shadow under the eyes or a wrinkle isn’t seen as a flaw; it’s just life. The focus isn’t on tiny details but on the overall vibe and how someone carries themselves. That confidence makes everything else secondary.

It really does come down to inner confidence. I’ve noticed that when I’m not feeling great about myself, I tend to overcompensate with more makeup or trying too hard with my outfit, and it never works.

Exactly. Confidence shows, and it’s magnetic. We want to feel it, and be around it. So anything that projects that, whether it’s a gorgeous red lip or no makeup at all, the content has to say “I'm confident. I feel good about who I am. I am proud of myself. I'm proud of my age and my flaws.”

What are areas where French women actually do put in more effort, even if it’s not obvious?

French women are unapologetic about certain elements of self-care that have always been done a certain way, like covering their grays or getting certain skincare treatments done. It’s not about trends; it’s more about a certain standard of classic beauty and discipline.

There’s certainly a lot of pressure to stay slim. Of course that exists everywhere, but I think that French women internalize it more—it's really part of the culture. It’s more likely that a French woman will say, “I don't fit in my pants this week, so—I'm just gonna eat soup for the next five dinners.” And that's kind of the education that you get.

You hear people say “French women don't get fat,” but it's really just that they’re raised with this kind of internal discipline that’s part of the culture.

That’s so interesting. It’s such a different perspective than in the U.S., where beauty often feels like a conversation about what’s trending.

Exactly, and I’ve always been drawn to simplicity. French pharmacies are full of incredible products that don’t cost a fortune, and French women tend to carefully choose certain products and stick with them for years. It’s all about consistency. Which is my whole philosophy behind my brand Doré. Sometimes our skin thanks us for putting less on it. There’s this rush for new ingredients, and I think that layering on too many things can exhaust the skin.

I've always been a French pharmacy lover, and I was raised knowing that you don't need to spend a ton of money to have very, very good products. But then in the early 2010s, I think beauty started changing, and we started learning about the toxic ingredients in so much of our skincare. And unfortunately, that included a lot of the products that I loved in the French pharmacy.

I’m not a person who likes to be super granular and read a long list of ingredients, so with Doré, I wanted to create something simple and clean. Our customers see our logo and know that it’s a product they can trust.

Speaking of feeling beautiful, what does aging beautifully mean to you?

Life is a work in progress. And I think our our sense of style, our allure, our beauty, it's also the same way. So I think that aging beautifully is knowing that I will never look the same way in my 20s, my 30s, my 40s. I'm turning 50 next year, and I’m wondering—who is that person? What does she look like? It’s about being curious more than judgmental, you know? And it’s also about asking what I want to project to the world.

It’s true that people look at you differently as you age. But that doesn’t mean that they don't look at me, it just means it's different. So what do I want to radiate, and what do I want to bring in people's life? And I think that's when you start working more on your aura and your vibe, and considering the kind of energy you bring into a room.

That’s so beautifully said. You’re one of the best examples in my own life of someone who embodies this kind of eternally youthful spirit. Your style evolves, but your aura stays the same, and you have the same sense of vibrancy and curiosity. Are there any other personal qualities that you think we should consider cultivating as we seek to age beautifully?

Thank you for that. I’m very positive, and I'm always very interested in the world and in other people. When you have a thirst for new things, you never really feel old inside of yourself.

I’m living in Paris right now in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It's a very old kind of neighborhood, and there is this kind of mindfulness about others that I’m enjoying so much. It's a neighborhood with a lot of older people, and so there is this old school vibe. You hear, “Hello madam,” and there’s a kindness and politeness that is so lovely.

When we talk about beauty, sure it’s great to have perfect skin and plump lips and all that. But what do we bring when we walk into a room? I think it’s more about a smile and really looking at people. It’s wonderful to feel seen, but you also have to see people. When you find the beauty in others, I think then it helps people find the beauty in you.

That’s such a refreshing perspective. I’ve noticed that the days when I’m connecting with other people, even strangers when I'm out and about, I have so much more vitality myself. And then when I'm feeling a little bit more insular or just not extending myself, I end up feeling drained.

We're social animals. The biggest marker of longevity is not the supplements you take, it's not even the food you eat. It's not the exercise, it's your community. And this sense of connecting with others plays out in so many ways as we go about our days.

The way we open up to people, if we’re present with others, if we stand up straight and smile—all these little social cues radiate beauty more than anything else. People rarely talk about those things when they talk about beauty. But really, we want to be beautiful so that people see us and love us. And there are so many ways to do that that aren’t like, a perfect brow. As you get older, your vibe and your energy are going to be even more important because everything on the outside will change.

Building your self worth on your external appearance is a very shaky foundation. Okay, one last question before we wrap up: What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received?

Never deny yourself the pleasure of feeling beautiful. Whether it’s exercising, putting on makeup, or dressing up for yourself, those simple acts make you feel good and show up fully. Beauty is about joy, not obligation. And it’s something we can share with others—it’s a gift to ourselves and the world.

I love that. It’s such a great reminder to find pleasure in taking care of ourselves. Thank you so much, Garance, for sharing your wisdom and inspiration.

Subscribe to Garance’s must-read Substack:

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Catch-up on the other interviews in our RESET series here:

Week 1 (Manifest): How to Create Your Vision and Build the Life of Your Dreams
Week 2 (Nourish): Nourish Your Body from the Inside Out with Mia Rigden
Week 3 (Energize): Movement is Medicine with Mari Llewellyn