Beauty Confessions: French-Filipina Emilienne Vigier on Her No-Nonsense Approach
Unfiltered, unapologetic, and undeniably chic—Emilienne Vigier decodes the real rules of French beauty
Effortless beauty—many try, but few master it quite like the French. We thank shows like Emily in Paris for inspiring our fascination with French beauty; glitz aside, some overplay the concept and turn “effortless” into an elaborate production—which kind of misses the point. What we’re after is that sense of authenticity, the kind of beauty that feels natural and unforced. MEGA sits down with Emilienne Vigier, a Manila-based French Filipina who has built a following on her no-nonsense approach to life and beauty, all while juggling her fitness routine and a homegrown pâtisserie.
Ahead, she talks all things beauty and dives into the true essence of French beauty beyond the clichés. Is it really all about a messy red lip? A tousled fringe? Let’s take it from the French herself.
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It Starts With Less
Emilienne Vigier schooled us on beauty au naturel before we could even ask: showing up to an interview in a simple tank top, bare-faced, and still apologizing for looking “like a mess” though she looked anything but. It was almost ironic, yet fitting, as she began to explain what French beauty is all about.
Yet, an aversion to heavy cosmetics doesn’t equate to a non-existent beauty routine. In fact, she has her favorites. She swears by a good rose-scented facial mist and the Dior Addict Lip Maximizer. “I need that because I’m not a lipstick person,” she confessed. Moisturizer is also essential for her, along with a reliable concealer to use when she pleases.
But the absolute must-have in her beauty arsenal? Perfume—the answer of a true French. “I will never leave the house without a perfume in my bag,” Vigier emphasized. Turns out, the secret to looking effortlessly chic is really just about keeping your routine as uncomplicated as possible.
La Pharmacie
Heaven for a beauty lover may mean endless aisles of makeup, but the French have a different take. Emilienne deems the pharmacy—or la pharmacie as she calls it—their own version of heaven. “It’s like stepping into heaven because skincare in France is very important,” the French Filipina shared.
These pharmacies are stocked with the best of French skincare and beauty, but she shares that moisturizer is their skincare defense for every season. Her product of choice is that from La Roche-Posay, a staple for the French everywhere. “It’s just crème hydratante, then a simple facial wash. That’s all I use, to be honest.” It’s pretty much a less-is-more world for the French.
Move Like the French Do
When asked about French women’s secret to looking easily polished, she sidestepped the beauty chatter. “It has to do with your lifestyle. That’s it; it’s not really about looking polished,” she shared.
And when you live in a walkable country, no explanation is needed for why the French look put-together even without having much on. It’s greatly owed to movement. “That has an effect on your skin,” she explains. “And it’s not just working out in the gym; they’re walking more than 10,000 steps everyday.”
Though based in Manila, where walking often takes a backseat to cars, Emilienne has still dedicated many years to prioritizing fitness. She’s gone through weights, cardio, and golf, and with the glow she has, it’s clear that the whole French beauty concept is more about the lifestyle than the products she uses.
Beauty à la Française
There’s a wealth of wisdom in Emilienne’s approach to beauty where a simplistic and nonsensical routine will always work best. More than this, though, she’s a firm believer in loving the skin you’re in, and it starts with the skin tone.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to, you know, be a few shades lighter, but number one for me is to embrace your skin tone,” she shared. “Embrace being morena! Everyone in Europe wants to be tan; it’s not even a joke.”
In fact, even her trusted makeup artist knows the drill: only use a drop of foundation. “I still want to look like myself,” shared Emilienne. She revealed that even her partner encourages this philosophy, celebrating her natural beauty without needing a mountain of products. So, it’s certainly clear: feeling good is about authenticity and not excess.
She also tackles enhancements, believing beauty is a personal playground that everyone has the option to explore. “If you want to enhance anything, go ahead! Walang masama dun. There’s nothing wrong with getting areas enhanced if it makes you more confident,” she asserted.
Her advice to Filipinas? Stop doing things that everyone’s doing—following trends just because that’s what the internet says.
On paper, Emilienne may fit the mold of a typical dismissive French: a perma-serious face plus an uncurated, take-it-or-leave-it feed. Yet a chat on a Tuesday afternoon dismantled that stereotype. She’s refreshingly grounded, exuding a quiet confidence that commands without a shout. “I look the way I look because I know how to stand my ground,” she said. Critics may linger, but true beauty is a grounded sense of self—something money just can’t buy.
Featured Image and Photos: EMILIENNE VIGIER (via Instagram)
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