By: Arden Fanning Andrews
“I’m a Left Bank girl,” says Virginie Dhello, the Parisian art director and trend advisor for storied French fashion houses like Chanel and Louis Vuitton (not to mention muse for Kure Bazaar, the organic nail line launching a “Bubble Vvee” polish shade in her honor this month). “I live on the Left Bank, and I was born on the Left Bank.” Who better than Dhello, then, to consult for a shopping guide to the best hidden gems that The City of Light has to offer?
When we connect over an afternoon Zoom call, Paris Fashion Week has already begun, and Dhello is aglow. “Fashion week doesn’t change my beauty routine,” she admits of sticking to foundation-free staples like a Shu Uemura eyelash curler and Joelle Ciocco Abriciol face oil. “I like to shine a little bit, you know? I want my skin to breathe." Even with a minimalist’s hand, “I have so many products,” she says. “I'm obsessed with cream blush—that's my thing.”
She counts Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks as a favorite amongst her extensive collection. “I usually wear Poppet, because I'm all about pink—it's just the best color in the world,” she says. After discovering the shade at Dover Street Market in the Marais, she’s incorporated Lit Up Highlight Stick (“under the eyes to brighten in Brûlée”) and Squeaky Clean Lip Balm (“I can wear all of the shades”) into her daily essentials. For Dhello, makeup is an embellishment, a way to “bring some light and a little bit of color.”
And there’s something else catching the light from her window. On her neck, a golden ‘V’ letter necklace glints in the sun, which is plucked from a friend’s jewelry line, Vanrycke Paris. If it looks familiar, it’s likely because the now-infamous titular character of Emily in Paris wears the same design—in an ‘E,’ of course. “I had it first!” Dhello says with a laugh. Here, she shares her insider's guide to Paris shopping, from the city’s best iced matcha and luxury vintage shop to her go-to natural hair stylist, and more.
The Facial Massage
“I do one Kobido facial massage every month at Faucheur Paris. It’s been three years that I've been going, and I love it. It’s a Japanese massage that’s also good for fine lines. And even though it’s only the face, I feel like it works for my whole body—it’s really relaxing.”
Facheur Paris, 57 Rue Boissiere, 75116; kobido-faucheur-paris.com
The Holistic Spa
“I prefer a specialist for spa treatments. A friend of mine launched a wellbeing brand, Holidermie, and she also has a spa called Loft Holidermie in Le Marais. I like to go there because she has very specific facials. Last time, I did a hydrafacial that cleans your skin very well and hydrates with hyaluronic acid. She also has a machine for the full body called Passive Metabolic Gym—you sweat a lot, and it purifies.”
Loft Holidermie, 44 rue Vieille du Temple, 75004; en.holidermie.com
The Vintage Must
“Collector Square is one of the vintage shops I love. It’s mostly for very high-end luxury bags, watches, and jewels. It’s a very nice place with a showroom on the Left Bank, and it’s also online, so before you buy, you can see the products.” For clothes, just next to Collector Square there’s a small boutique called Dressing Factory. It’s mostly French brands: A little bit of vintage Saint Laurent, a little bit of vintage Céline, a little bit of Chanel. The prices are quite okay, and the selection is kind of ’70s and ’80s.”
The Healthy Lunch Stop
“Two or three times a week, I have lunch at Toraya. It’s [the Parisian outpost of a famous Japanese bakery that served the emperor], so it’s been around for centuries. They have three kinds of bento boxes that are super easy, super healthy, and super good. They have iced matcha which I love—pure matcha, without any milk. I’m a purist in matcha. I whisk my own every day at home, but I still don’t know how to do the iced matcha like Toraya.
The Hairstylist
Nappy is a Lifestyle, 152 Av. Gabriel Péri, 95870 Bezons; bookings on request
The Skincare Destination
“I’m focused on clean beauty and raw beauty. There’s a supermarket called Aroma Zone, and you can find all the raw oils like coconut, argan, avocado, and also essential oils, so I always go there for body, hair, and even oils for cleaning the house (because I don’t like chemicals). Sometimes in the winter, I use carrot oil on the face because it gives an orange tone that I need.”
The Flower Shop
“My favorite florist is a Japanese flower market called Aoyama. I don’t order, I just go and pick them up because every day they do new bouquets in a mix of flowers. I choose whatever they do because they have very good taste and it’s really different from any other florist in Paris.”
The Vegan Snack Spot
“I’m a vegetarian—half vegetarian, half vegan—and eat mostly gluten-free. It’s super difficult to be vegan in France. I have an addiction to chocolate, and at Maisie Cafe, they have little small vegan coconut chocolate balls, which I love. I also like the beetroot juice, I like the fluffy gluten-free pita bread, and I like the granola, too.”
The Organic Manicure
“I always go to Kure Bazaar at Le Bon Marché for manicures. It’s organic, there are no solvents, and it’s very healthy for the nails. They have amazing colors and they have spots in every big department store in Paris. My favorite color is a specific red called ‘Love.’ I’m going to give you a secret—I’m doing a collaboration with Kure Bazaar and we’re launching a specific color called ‘Bubble Vvee.' Vvee is me, it’s my nickname. It launches on Thursday at this clean beauty spot that I love called Oh My Cream!”
Nail Bar Kure Bazaar at Le Bon Marché, 24 rue de Sèvres, 75007; Telephone: +33 6 14 13 59 08
Oh My Cream, 78 rue Montmartre, 75002; ohmycream.comThe Children’s Boutique
“I have so many friends with babies and children. I go to Bonpoint for what we call a 'semainier.' It’s little socks for the seven days of the week, and they have different shades of beiges, creams, and pinks, so it’s really nice and refined.”
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Shop all Virginie Dhello's clean skincare and makeup finds here! Plus, watch Gucci team up with Parisian makeup artist Violette for the ultimate lipstick swap!
