“I grew up in a bucolic household in Provence, where natural beauty was all around us,” shares Nathalie Ribon-Tourre, founder of the newly launched HENRŸIA Beauté Essentielle, as we discuss her path into the luxury organic skincare space. When she wasn’t scribbling tips from the “Beauté Santé” (beauty and health) section from teen magazines into her little blue notebook in her youth, she remembers her mother harvesting wild plants and flowers like ivy, jasmine, and calendula flowers to place in her bath water. Living in the French countryside, an au naturelle route to beauty was, unsurprisingly, only natural.
“She would also take me along to the local farms that distilled essential oil on site to select certain varieties for their specific therapeutic properties to heal a sunburn, a sting from a bee or to soften a scar,” Ribon-Tourre says of her mother. Years later, sourcing pure ingredients and keeping up relationships with local experts have become the founding principles of HENRŸIA. Add to that entirely recyclable packaging and Ecocert and Leaping Bunny credentials, and it’s easy to understand the appeal of the brand’s first launch, a pomegranate, plum seed oil, and rosehip-infused Noble Beauty Oil Serum that strikes just the right balance between nourishing, glow-enhancing organic ingredients and wearable texture. Alone, it’s a skin-quenching tincture, and in advance of a highly photographed event, the recipe creates a smooth canvas for makeup without traditional silicones or chemical-rich synthetic emulsifiers. “It is designed to work seamlessly underneath all types of foundations whether it be a cream, liquid or a tinted formula,” Ribon-Tourre explains. “For the health-conscious bride seeking clean, alternative beauty options for her wedding day, a long-lasting finish is key—and always begins with her skincare.”
Below, Ribon-Tourre offers her personal tips on the best methods to achieve wedding day beauty, the French native way:
CHECK THE CLIMATE
“Caring for our skin is a way of life in France. As a teenager, if I was travelling to a destination my mom didn’t know, she advised me to consult a beauty specialist or pharmacist for advice on what products to bring for the climate we would encounter.”
SEEK OUT HEALING WATERS
“In France, we have a long history of going to thermal baths or thalassotherapy for a few weeks to rejuvenate once a year. I recall my grandfather going to thermal baths in the mountains every August for three weeks. My mother favors the Thalassotherapy to enjoy the beneficial properties of sea water.
In anticipation of a wedding, spending a week in the mountains or by the sea that offers water treatments is not only conducive to restoration, relaxation and wellbeing, it is also ideal to prep the body’s skin through exfoliation, with massages, and dry brushing to smooth and revitalize.”
REFRESH YOUR COMPLEXION BEFORE BED
“The main rule we emphasize: cleanse nightly, no matter what time you go to bed, whether you were wearing makeup or not that day, no exception, even if on a long-haul overnight flight, same routine.”
ADOPT A DUAL-ENDED HYDRATION PHILOSOPHY
“Always begin your day with hydrating from within and topically. I hydrate when I first wake up, drink a glass of water and apply my face oil, even if I’m just going to my morning yoga class. I rehydrate after my shower as well.”
CREATE CONSISTENT BALANCE IN YOUR ROUTINE
“I feel my best and look my best when my body is fully nourished and well-rested. I have always favored slow beauty, and in anticipating a wedding day, advance preparation is key.
It’s important to put into place a routine well ahead so you can awaken to well-rested and healthy skin in the morning of your wedding day.
Planning meal times on a regular schedule is essential so the body knows what to expect. Getting a good night’s rest will ensure we show no signs of being sleep deprived.”
TAKE A LITTLE BREAK FROM SWEETS
“My favorite ways to prepare for a special occasion are to care for my wellbeing by focusing on sleep and nutrition. I like to reduce my sugar intake – less pastries, less juice, less alcoholic beverages, and increase fresh fruits, vegetables and drink plenty of mineral water.”
CONSIDER COMPLEXION-SUPPORTING TEA BLENDS
“I also love preparing special herbal teas or infused water. In the morning, fresh passion fruit infused water provides much needed antioxidants and vitamin C for the skin. Throughout the day, drinking various herbal teas, including thyme, rosemary, verbena, chamomile helps improve stressed or fatigued skin.”
LET THE DAY’S DETAILS PLAY INTO YOUR BEAUTY STRATEGY
“On my own wedding day, I wanted a natural, romantic and effortless look. So, we started my beauty routine very early in the morning, the town was still asleep, with the hair and make-up artists for a late afternoon wedding!
We made my straight hair look curly to catch the lavender flower petals guests were to throw in lieu of rice. It was the end of summer so I had made sure to keep my skin well hydrated for weeks to preserve my perfect tan.”
CONSULT TRUSTED EXPERTS
“We enhanced the definition of my high cheek bones, which I originally disliked, until the make-up artist convinced me that this is a highly desirable feature for portrait photography. This was the day I learned to like my cheekbones!
Throughout the day, I recalled messages from my ballet teacher: ‘shoulders down and back, elongate the neck for an elegant stance’ and from my mom: ‘breathe deeply to smell the flowers and smile.’”
