Having been brought up by a born-and-raised French mother, one might expect I’d have an affinity for all the usual stereotypical suspects: That elusive red lip! Berets! Croissants! (Well, let's be real, I do love a pastry — because, butter.) But, it wasn't until I became a beauty editor — and pitched a promotion-worthy story to my boss on the wonders of micellar water, six years before it was cool in the states — that I truly realized the extent to which my heritage had influenced my daily routine, beauty and otherwise.
By the time I was 12, I had perfected the chignon; by 15, I had been lectured countless times on how one should never accentuate both the eyes and lips; and by 18, the subtle cat-eye had become my tried and true. Some of my French-girl-in-training teachings have fallen off since then (I’ve proven my mom wrong that you can, in fact, do up both areas of your figure in a way she’d call “tasteful”), but many — like my love for micellar water and anything infused with it — are still so ingrained in my routine that I’ll likely never give them up.
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Curious to hear if others can relate, I set out to interview three women with entirely different backgrounds — from an American-born woman with Guinean parents, whose love affair with coconut oil and shea butter is no joke, to a woman whose Korean culture influenced her adoration for essences like AMOREPACIFIC Vintage Single Extract Essence (case in point: she calls them “magic potions”). Scroll on and discover what routines hit close to home and why they'd call them tres magnifique.
That Glow-Up
"Ever since I can remember, I've been a beauty junkie. My mom, who's Korean, has the most amazing skin, and she taught me how to take care of my skin starting from a very young age. I think the first time she took me to a beauty counter I was around 7 or 8 years old. Now, my routine is quite lengthy, but I like it that way. Some of my go-tos are eye creams — I've been using one since I was 15 because I love wearing eye makeup and it's important to protect that sensitive area — and any and all face oils like rosehip or hemp-seed oil because they give me that coveted dewy glow."
"Ever since I can remember, I've been a beauty junkie. My mom, who's Korean, has the most amazing skin, and she taught me how to take care of my skin starting from a very young age. I think the first time she took me to a beauty counter I was around 7 or 8 years old. Now, my routine is quite lengthy, but I like it that way. Some of my go-tos are eye creams — I've been using one since I was 15 because I love wearing eye makeup and it's important to protect that sensitive area — and any and all face oils like rosehip or hemp-seed oil because they give me that coveted dewy glow."
Her Daily Dose
"Essences like AMOREPACIFIC Vintage Single Extract Essence are very popular in the K-beauty world — and for good reason. I call them magic potions in a bottle: They're packed with so many nutrients, usually have a beautiful aromatic scent to them, and the process of slowly, methodically patting them into my face has become a meditative experience."
"Essences like AMOREPACIFIC Vintage Single Extract Essence are very popular in the K-beauty world — and for good reason. I call them magic potions in a bottle: They're packed with so many nutrients, usually have a beautiful aromatic scent to them, and the process of slowly, methodically patting them into my face has become a meditative experience."
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Tea Time
"My mom constantly drinks yuzu tea because it's rich in vitamin C. She'd give it to me when I was sick or as a preventative measure when I was feeling rundown. Now, I make the tea for myself all the time — it feels very comforting to drink it and it feels like home."
"My mom constantly drinks yuzu tea because it's rich in vitamin C. She'd give it to me when I was sick or as a preventative measure when I was feeling rundown. Now, I make the tea for myself all the time — it feels very comforting to drink it and it feels like home."
Moisturizing Is #Key
"I'm first-generation American, born to Guinean parents. All-natural shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil all play a major part in our daily beauty routines and are often infused in cleansers and moisturizers. I was taught to moisturize three — sometimes even four — times per day because my skin tone gets ashy quickly."
"I'm first-generation American, born to Guinean parents. All-natural shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil all play a major part in our daily beauty routines and are often infused in cleansers and moisturizers. I was taught to moisturize three — sometimes even four — times per day because my skin tone gets ashy quickly."
Back To Her Roots
"It's very traditional in my culture to drink herbal tea after every meal to help with digestion — probably because many Guinean recipes tend to be on the heavier side. My mom always makes me ginger-root herbal tea, which isn't the type she grew up drinking, but I love it for its immune-boosting properties."
"It's very traditional in my culture to drink herbal tea after every meal to help with digestion — probably because many Guinean recipes tend to be on the heavier side. My mom always makes me ginger-root herbal tea, which isn't the type she grew up drinking, but I love it for its immune-boosting properties."
When Life Gives You Lemons
"Growing up, my mom wasn't big on wearing much makeup — but she was a huge advocate for taking care of your skin. She taught me the importance of exfoliating — with a homemade formula of sugar, honey, and a squeeze of lemon — at least once a week to minimize pores around my T-zone and to even my skin tone. I've been doing it for about three years now, and it's so, so effective!"
"Growing up, my mom wasn't big on wearing much makeup — but she was a huge advocate for taking care of your skin. She taught me the importance of exfoliating — with a homemade formula of sugar, honey, and a squeeze of lemon — at least once a week to minimize pores around my T-zone and to even my skin tone. I've been doing it for about three years now, and it's so, so effective!"
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H20 Wonders
"Being of mixed race — my mom is Black and from South Carolina and my father is white from France — I tend to have pretty dry skin and hair, so the majority of my routine is all about hydrating. Especially while I travel, if I forget my moisturizer or sheet masks, there's a good chance I'll have a mini panic attack. Jokes aside though, a moisturizer like AMOREPACIFIC Time Response Eye Reserve Crème — that features shea butter, rose water, or aloe vera — is well worth the splurge because the ingredients are all super hydrating, which is especially needed around the sensitive eye area. Plus, rose water smells amazing."
"Being of mixed race — my mom is Black and from South Carolina and my father is white from France — I tend to have pretty dry skin and hair, so the majority of my routine is all about hydrating. Especially while I travel, if I forget my moisturizer or sheet masks, there's a good chance I'll have a mini panic attack. Jokes aside though, a moisturizer like AMOREPACIFIC Time Response Eye Reserve Crème — that features shea butter, rose water, or aloe vera — is well worth the splurge because the ingredients are all super hydrating, which is especially needed around the sensitive eye area. Plus, rose water smells amazing."
Get Toned
"My dad was actually the one to teach be about the importance of skin care and taking care of your skin. Though, it's funny that he was the one to teach me because one time he accidentally mistook nail-polish remover for face toner! It was a total accident that happened 10 years ago, but to this day, he still labels nail-polish remover with the word 'poison.'"
"My dad was actually the one to teach be about the importance of skin care and taking care of your skin. Though, it's funny that he was the one to teach me because one time he accidentally mistook nail-polish remover for face toner! It was a total accident that happened 10 years ago, but to this day, he still labels nail-polish remover with the word 'poison.'"
Delicate Natured
"My mom, on the other hand, was the one to teach me all about hair care and the dos and don'ts with my delicate texture. She encouraged me to never brush my hair while it's dry, to use a wide-tooth comb whenever possible, and to avoid hot tools on my natural curls."
"My mom, on the other hand, was the one to teach me all about hair care and the dos and don'ts with my delicate texture. She encouraged me to never brush my hair while it's dry, to use a wide-tooth comb whenever possible, and to avoid hot tools on my natural curls."
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