Travel

Travel Insider: Prisca Courtin-Clarins

Beauty maven Prisca Courtin-Clarins on her stylish hometown, Paris.

by : Vanessa Craft- Nov 13th, 2014

Travel is a necessity when you’re Prisca Courtin-Clarins. The Paris-born entrepreneur and brand ambassador for Clarins has a hectic international work schedule – plus a busy (and seriously glam) social calendar. Living on a plane has its perks, though: Courtin-Clarins says that having a global perspective is essential in her line of work, in which she helps introduce new concepts and products to spas at her grandfather’s company. “I need to understand women’s needs in every population around the world,” she explains. “Chinese women are obsessed with skincare, but Brazilian women care more about perfume.”

BLACK BOOK PARIS

Home-turf shopping “I love to go to the Bon Marché because it’s a big department store with every brand inside. It’s the best in winter when it’s rainy in Paris and you don’t want to walk outside.”

Local lunch “I always go to the same places for lunch: Club Cinquante-Cinq and Nioulargo.”

Best dinner “I eat at Orient Extreme, a Japanese restaurant next to Avenue Montaigne. I always order gyoza and black cod.”

Favourite escape “On the weekends, I try to get away to the south of France. I stay at my family home in Saint-Tropez.”

Winter getaway “From Paris, it’s just a one-hour flight to Méribel, which is where I ski during the winter.”

Après-ski “Lunch on the terrace at Allodis.”

Winterwear “I have a nice Moncler doudoune coat, but it’s not warm enough to ski in!”

Skin must-have “I always use Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum and Cream. And lots of SPF.”

GLOBAL ADDRESS BOOK

Passport stamps “In the past six months, I’ve been to Taiwan, Singapore, Boston, New York, Montreal, Bali, Monaco, Bordeaux and Puglia.”

Beach getaway “I travel so much for work that when I am on vacation, I don’t want to go anywhere. But Bali is one of my favourite places. I love the people, the culture, the clothing – and that you can have two massages a day and no one thinks twice about it!”

Simple souvenir “Whenever I go to a beach, I bring back shells.”

Tourist tip “I buy a guidebook before I go to a new city – I totally do the tourist thing. I’m always curious to see historical monuments but also to discover how the locals live – that really interests me.”

TRAVEL STYLE

“On a plane, I’m not sexy at all, but I am comfortable. I have a special outfit— a huge sweatshirt. I clean my face, put on a lot of moisturizer, take out my contacts and put on my glasses.”