Illustrator, photographer, street style authority, writer, creative director, beauty lover, artist… Since bursting onto the scene with her blog just over 13 years ago, Garance Doré has established herself as the ultimate icon within the fashion industry. Prior to the blog, she worked as a freelance illustrator in her home country of France, and since she's built a worldwide community of loyal followers by way of her gorgeous artwork, witty yet bitingly relatable blog posts, and her own namesake line of stationery and gifts via Atelier Doré. Not to mention, she's served as creative director for some of the most prestigious fashion and beauty brands in existence—Chloé, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Dior, Prada, Chopard, Tiffany Co., L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, J.Crew, Net-a-Porter, and more—making her one of the most influential household names within the fashion set. In a word (or two), Doré is quite fabulous.
Considering her love for all things beauty, it wasn't surprising when Doré recently partnered with one of the most iconic brands in the business of good skin, La Mer. With the goal of sharing her connection to "empowered aging," plus her unique relationship with La Mer and its roster of cult-loved products, the two have joined forces to celebrate the re-formulation and brand-new launch of another icon, The Regenerating Serum ($365).
Targeting relevant issues like inflammation and skin sensitivity, the new-and-improved serum features a host of new features to further enhance signature MVPs like the brand's trademark Miracle Broth. Now, unique additions like Energy Suspension Technology foster a more advanced ingredient delivery system essentially "cradling" and evenly dispersing product across the skin for superior absorbency and penetration. Not to mention, La Mer has outdone itself with a brand-new ingredient altogether—the new Metabolic Ferment.
Composed of concentrated plant stem-cell ingredients, glutathione, and brightening powerhouse niacinamide, this new formulaic kid on the block kicks collagen production into overdrive and, in effect, curbs the look and formation of fine lines and wrinkles.
To get the scoop on how Doré incorporates the new serum into her daily regimen and to learn about her approach to aging and beauty, we interviewed the French icon on all things skincare, ritual, French, and more. Keep scrolling—there's so much refreshing wisdom ahead.
Secret #1: Dismiss Outdated Narratives Around the Term "Aging"
"One of the things I've loved lately is participating in removing the old narratives around aging—skin can be absolutely beautiful at any age. My skin has never been better, and I have never felt better. Honestly, I don't feel 'old,' and I don’t really have an approach to aging except for working on my interior life and protecting and nurturing my skin, which is what I have always done since I was a teen.
"I think women should take it into their own hands to define what beauty is for them. We've been so trained to look on the outside to define ourselves. A little bit of stress is not bad if it drives you to take things into your own hands and tell yourself, I am the one defining who I am and how I am beautiful. I have no interest in your standards. I am my own standard."
Secret #2: Let Your Authenticity Guide and Ground Your Sense of Self-Empowerment
"My most empowered self is grounded in my authenticity, learning who I am and letting go of who I am not. This allows me to be more present not only within my own life but more present to those around me as well. It's one of my greatest secrets to happiness."
Secret #3: Hold Reverance for Icons in All Facets of Your Life
"I have always had a true reverence for icons—whether it's a brand or person. For instance, La Mer’s approach to beauty is powerful yet simple, with manageable rituals, which I love because I am busy.
"As far as iconic women I draw inspiration from… Lauren Hutton, Marisa Tomei, and any woman who has a bounce in her step and a confident 'I know who I am' look in her eyes. That person is my inspiration; it's who I want to be."
Secret #4: Let Your Skin Live and Laugh When It Misbehaves
"I have always been a minimalist with makeup; it works for me. I do pay very close attention to my skin, but it's also important for me to let it live. I think wrinkles are beautiful, and when I have a pimple, I laugh about it. To me, our skin is the reflection of our health and vitality. If it looks nourished, plump, and dewy, I am happy. I feel good.
"In terms of treatments, I do try a lot of things, I love anything that's not too invasive. I keep it in moderation. I don't want to do too many lasers because I love my freckles, even if some of them are probably sun stains by now.
"I'd say that when we're young, we spend a lot of time looking at what we don't like, and it's quite a waste of time."
Secret #5: Transform Small, Routine Moments Into Mindful Rituals
"My daily skincare routine is honestly very simple, but I make sure it's never mindless. These routine moments, like applying a serum, can become real rituals if you pay attention. I'm convinced that if you pay real attention, your skin feels it.
"For example, I really love the La Mer Regenerating Serum ($365) because it gives my skin the perfect bounce and resilience, so that's exciting because I don't wear a lot of makeup! I always hydrate my whole skin, from my toes to my hair, every day. I feel like it's done wonders, and it's a ritual I've held sacred throughout my entire life."
Secret #6: Embrace a French Attitude About Beauty Standards
"I actually think most clichés about French beauty are quite right—I really do! I feel like French women have a 'don't care' attitude about standards that give them a real sense of power.
"Often, it's not how we look on the outside that ages us—it's how we feel on the inside. So being irreverent and embracing who we are, without making excuses or hiding our age, is an important part of French women's appeal."
Shop Our Favorite La Mer Beauty Must-Haves
The cult lip balm of all cult lip balms—it smells like a peppermint patty but smooths away all signs of fall and winter chap with luxe, velvety ease.
The sky is the limit where this new gloss-treatment hybrid is concerned. Wear it on its own for a subtle sheen coupled with noticeable plumping perks, layered over the balm for an additional blanket of hydration and protection, or use it as a base or topcoat in league with your favorite lipstick; it promises automatic elevation.
The original icon, this creamy formula brims with moisturizing ingredients your skin is craving (this time of year especially), in addition to La Mer's hero ingredient, the Miracle Broth. Described by the brand as "a renewing elixir derived from self-regenerating giant sea kelp," it's melded with pint-sized moisturizing spheres that have the ability to deeply penetrate pores so ingredients are delivered and absorbed with higher efficiency. To dip your toe into the magic, we recommend opting for this handy 15mL version.
When you have no time for any other kind of self-care or extended beauty ritual, this rich eye cream (and ultra-soothing applicator) is a relaxing, ultra-renewing alternative. A little goes a long, long way—it spreads like butter—so believe us when we say the balk-worthy pricetag is 110% a worthwhile beauty investment.
The Concentrate might just be one of the most prized skincare possessions of the majority of beauty editors I know. Made for layering pre-moisturizer, it's specifically geared toward those with irritation or discoloration concerns like redness, dehydration, or pigmentation, Plus, it gifts skin with a satiny finish that looks beautiful under makeup.
If you're a masking addict, you've not yet lived until trying La Mer's super-charged six-pack of masks. With one application, you'll trick your skin into thinking it received a facial five times the price, and thanks to features like Japanese skin-hugging technology and millions of jet-spun micro-fibers, you'll also have a glow-worthy antidote for any kind of skin woe or before a big event.
We get it—$120 is a lot to sacrifice for a foundation, but it's also important to remember this isn't your average foundation. You'll find it tucked inside the kits of practically every celebrity makeup artist, and its skin-perfecting magic lies in the brand's signature skincare ingredients the brand has carried over like the Miracle Broth, Velvet Algae, and a specialized Color Capsule Technology that prevents oxidization—aka that annoying thing when your foundation changes color.
Like an actually effective lip balm or an amazing cream, a truly stellar hand cream is maddeningly hard to come by. This one by La Mer is a standout and can be found inside the highly covetable bags of every fashion and beauty insider. It's silky, nourishing, and the preventative secret for age-defying hands.
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