GENTLE MUSIC I'm embarking on a journey around the world to discover the secrets of lasting beauty,... There's snail secretion in this. ...great health... This is your pharmacy? Ah, yeah. ...and extraordinary long life. Better skin than I've got. Look at him. I'm Rachel Hunter. I grew up in the fashion world. Now I want to see what beauty means to other people. And, really, is it a sense of well-being or achieving perfection? From different parts of the world, I wanna find the secrets. First up on my tour of beauty, the secrets of chic. For centuries the French have been at the forefront of fashion. I worship the French style. But are they still leading the way in the style stakes? Puffer jacket. I cannot get away from these jackets. And in a country where they feast on cheese, wine, delicious pastries and long lunches,... One of those, a chocolate eclair and a tart. It's healthy. ...how do they maintain their reputation for great health and well-being? Everything should be a bit messy, I guess. Men always age better than women. I swear to God, it's annoying. ENERGETIC MUSIC Paris is a city where spectacular beauty is commonplace. The grand architectural monuments, the fountains and squares, the bridges crossing the Seine. I first came to Paris when I was 10 years old, and I was floored by its magnificent beauty and its gorgeous people. And when it comes to elegance and style, Parisians have always stood out from the rest. Young women, older women, and let's not forget the guys. Beauty doesn't discriminate here. Not sure about the puffer jacket, but somehow the French have a way of making even them look classy. They have a certain style here. I` I honestly just don't know how they do it ` whether they're in their trainers, in their heels, they look absolutely effortless and chic, and I swear I'm going to get to the bottom of this while I'm here. And I think I'll get some clues from Mathilde Lacombe. She's a top beauty blogger and one of the people keeping the French up to date with the latest trends in beauty. We wanna help every woman to find exactly what is going to suit her skin tone and her beauty habits. Today, Mathilde runs a wildly successful company, sending the hottest new beauty products out to subscribers. What kind of products would you suggest for me? Like if you want to do a French look? Yeah, go for it. BB Cream, it's really big here, so, cos it's... Light. It gives you, like, a nice foundation but without being as heavy as a foundation. What are the unique secrets of French beauty? Really simple things, like maybe just, uh, red nails, red lip and nothing else. And the face, like just, you know, small things that will just make you... Pop. ...pop. Exactly. So... There's this inner confidence, I think that, um, definitely I see in` in France. 40 is the best age in life. 50 is the new 40, and so you see really confident women. Yes. It's good to have lines. What about attitudes to plastic surgery? I don't think it's really common in France to do, and if you do it, it's like really secret. Like, no one should know about it. Yep. Less is more. I think it's like we're different. Yeah, no, it's true. Very very true. Not do your hair too much. Everything should be a bit messy, I guess, for French women, so it doesn't feel, like... I'm with you on that. ...too much. And Mathilde's hot choice for women on the run? I love dry shampoo. Just, it gives you, like, texture and you can just... And you don't have to wash your hair all the time. ...exactly, you can just skip a shampoo. I hate washing my hair. But in Paris, you don't have to go far to find somewhere that can make your hair look fabulous, fast. These are amazing. Yeah, it's like, really... > It's so fantastic. And I can tell you, the stylists here make it a very aesthetic experience. I think I'm gonna do 'so cute'. But I think I might have just made a fashion faux pas. I think, uh, 'imagine' is better for you. Fine. I'll go with 'imagine'. (LAUGHS) Clearly, I don't know what's good for me. And Mathilde's going for the 'follow me' look. How often would you come here? Every time I know that I have either an event or a party with friends, and since I have no clue how to do my hair, I come here. In just 20 minutes I've got some real French elegance. Time for the finishing touches. The talcum powder is to make it not so slippery, right? To stick more. > Yeah, I think just to give it some grip. Like, everything in France smells so good. Look at this detail in the back here. Thank you. You're welcome. ALL LAUGH Basically, then, you can get ready, go out, and you're done. Exactly. But in France it's not just the women who care about style. Grooming is important for men here too, and so is accessorising. The big scarf has always been 'in' in France. Yeah, big scarf. And what beauty treatments could they be doing to look so good? Well, the secret might be revealed in here. For 25 years, globetrotting businessmen, movie stars and the odd rocker have come here to maintain their masculine beauty. I've arrived early at a men's only spa in Paris. Now I'm going to show you around and have a sneaky little look. We have where all these lovely gentlemen who have got off their private jets, they come in and have their hair done. Some very nice perfumes right here, and we have VIP rooms in here where men can come in in their own privacy and have their hair cut, coloured, facial... Sun-tanning room for the full body. Then we have reflexology. Clearly that's big with the guys, their feet massaged. What is in this purple room? (LAUGHS) I mean, you could have a party in here. Owner and stylist Marc Delarc built this pioneering one-stop spa exclusively for men. (SPEAKS FRENCH) TRANSLATOR: When we started, everyone looked at us like we were crazy. Everyone said it was going to fail. When we first opened our doors to the public, we struggled a lot. But thanks to you women, who understand it was necessary, we succeeded. And the good news is there's a range of treatments for every level of vanity. I'm just about to have a pedicure, and then I'm going to have a haircut, and then I'll have a massage or something. Makes women happy too, that our men are clean. What type of treatments do you, you know, love coming here for? Anti-ageing. I love it! I just think it's` it's incredible that now men actually, you know, want to take care of themselves from top to toe. It's become more important to men. Yeah. Cleaner. > Men always age better than women. I swear to God, it's annoying. Voila, c'est fini. Magic. Magic. Magic. Mwah. (SPEAKS FRENCH) Mwah. Mwah. (SPEAKS FRENCH) ALL LAUGH He wants to keep you in France now. I'll come and work here. Coming up ` I love a creamy blue cheese. how do the French eat so much rich food... I love cheese. ...and still look fabulous? It's healthy. s ENERGETIC MUSIC On my tour of beauty, I'm in France, a nation of magnificent architecture, stylish people and exquisite food. Oh, the food. Cheese is my weakness. I love blue cheese. I love a creamy blue cheese. I love cheese. It doesn't seem fair. Even though the French consume rich and glorious cheeses, fattening pastries and more wine than just about anywhere else, they're mostly trim, with low rates of heart disease. So I'm going to lunch with dietician Camille Petit to find out what the French are doing so right. In France, you can eat whatever you want, and people still look beautiful. Um... TRANSLATOR: I think that what you are talking about is what the Americans refer to as 'the French paradox', but I don't think it's that complicated. It's mainly because of what we eat, the quality of the ingredients, and most of all, the quantities that are on our plates. And just in time, here's the meat. Oh my God. > Wow. I'm encouraged by this. We're tucking into a steak, French fries, Bearnaise sauce and bread. (SPEAKS FRENCH) TRANSLATOR: This meal is something of an exception. French people don't eat like this every lunchtime. Hmm. But it's on just about every bistro menu across town, and it's loaded with fat and calories. TRANSLATOR: But I will limit my consumption during the rest of the week. This is the secret about the French, especially French women. It seems to me in France that you have a glass of red wine or two with a big meal like this. Yeah. The wine is completely normal in France. (LAUGHS) TRANSLATOR: We think that if you drink one glass of wine per day, it will maintain your health. Only with red wine, because it contains antioxidants which protects our heart. ...notre coeur. Sante! Sante. It's healthy. Healthy? Healthy. Studies have shown some red wines can act as a fat scraper during meals like this. I hope they're right. And now we're having cheese. BOTH LAUGH I'm so full. (SPEAKS FRENCH) TRANSLATOR: In France, eating is part of our culture. It's truly a pleasure. It's a time to share and to enjoy your family and discuss. But to keep enjoying this pleasure, you need to be sensible. �You can't eat excessively. Everything's in moderation. Yes, that's the secret. Moderation. It's a word you don't often associate with Paris. It's so grand and beautiful everywhere I go. But it sure looks like they're achieving it in their diet, despite the temptations on every corner. But how do French women manage to age so well? The way they dress, the way they are, the way they speak... everything. It just is all so well put together. A woman in her 40s and 50s is still seen as alluring here. Maybe 71-year-old model Isabelle Appay has the answer to it all. Isabelle's living proof that French women can maintain a chic and youthful appearance as they age. Recently she reinvigorated her life and went back to work as a model. BOTH LAUGH What do you do daily for your beauty programme? You swim? Mascara, um... Yeah. > ...a little rouge, under-eye ` yeah, I get it. BOTH LAUGH Simple is beautiful. What's your secret as far as`? Your hair is beautiful and long, and your skin is stunning. Your eyes. Everything. Food. Food? Yeah. But, uh, women in France, they eat cheese and they have steak and pommes frites and wine. (LAUGHS) So you have the most amazing book collection. For Isabelle, beauty goes beyond grooming and a healthy lifestyle. Is the same thing, beauty and consciousness. Meditation is very important, every day ` to come inside and, uh, listen, and stop with the ordinary life. I think you've given us a very clear idea of what beauty is. Um, it runs much deeper than people think. (LAUGHS) You're amazing. Mm. It was a pretty amazing experience in there because she` she was so strong about her` the beauty being spirituality, and Isabelle's beauty lies in her self-acceptance, that it's not just about aesthetics outside. It's definitely, when you see a woman so beautiful on the outside, but so much deeper on the in, I think that's probably the most beautiful thing I've seen so far. My tour of beauty is far from over. I've left Paris, and now I'm on the wine trail to Bordeaux. But it's the impact of grapes on my skin that I want to know more about. So I am going to Bordeaux to find out what the secret is in wine and what it has to do with this. Coming up ` how am I going to go blending my own fragrance? This is some kind of skunk. Skunk? Yes. And what's hot in French fashion these days? The French seem to wear scarves all year round. It will eventually be like the puffer. s ENERGETIC MUSIC Today I'm in Bordeaux, where the weather is warming up. Now, I'm in search of the basic items for fashion here in France, and I have a feeling it's probably going to include a scarf. But definitely not a... puffer jacket. Even in Bordeaux, I can not get away from these jackets. So I'm here in this fantastic shop which looks like it has all the basics that I may need. Here we have a great version of the trench coat, which I think is always sexy with whatever you want to wear. Classic ` you can wear it with jeans, a little black dress. I love a French blue, and a pinstripe shirt, I think, is one of the great classics. WHISPERS: Puffer jacket. The French seem to wear scarves all year round, but it seems to be the fashion right now to have the, kind of, big, heavy scarf around your neck. It will eventually be like the puffer. The French just love accessorising, um, but again I think they're very particular on what they put with their outfits. It always has some kind of flair. Always a bag too. Basic boot here. Goes with, you know, short skirts, jeans, whichever. They have an edge that I would love to have. Blue, with your eyes. So let's put it all together. I love that. The French classic look in less than a minute. What do you think, guys? What kind of boots? Yeah. Shall we put on the more French scarf? And the bag? The bag. Of course we have to do the bag. Basically, I'm ready... So this is very French? < Yeah, very very French. Fantastic. < What do you think about your look? I love it. And look at this ` the eyeliner and that beautiful red lipstick. Thank you so much. Amie's so French. You're gorgeous. CATWALK MUSIC But what can this region teach me about looking after my skin? I've come to Caudalie Spa, where they believe the local Bordeaux grapes can reverse the effects of time. And according to Aurelie, it's all because of resveratrol. The grapevine is a superstar plant. Sounds like I've come to the right place. The treatments here are called 'vinotherapie'. This is a wine barrel bath. Fresh spring water, which is just filled with minerals, which is incredible for detoxing the body of any impurities. No sign of any vino, but the therapy is divine. Now for the Cabernet Scrub. The feeling is just incredible. I feel like a salad dressing. (LAUGHS) And the grape facial. There are endless rainbows in the wine country, so there is about three pots of gold that I've found here. So I'm very very happy. So it's true. The French do skincare better than just about anywhere else. I've got to say that I am definitely a fan of the grape. I'm also a big fan of fragrance, so with my skin in great shape, I'm visiting one of the region's oldest parfumeries. Coco Chanel once said, 'A woman who wears no perfume has no future.' She would have loved this little town. I'm here in Grasse, and this is the perfume capital of the world. And it's here at Fragonard I'm going to create one of woman's most important beauty accessories ` my very own fragrance. So, Corinne, this is the organ of the perfumes. Right. We really often compare a perfume creation with perfume composition. Corinne is one of Fragonard's perfume experts. She's gonna help me get the blend of my perfume right. You have to really memorise all the scents, whether they are good or bad. 3000 different scents in our memory. Cos remember one thing ` perfume is emotion. The notes include some scents that are truly bizarre. This is some kind of skunk. Skunk? And there's a secretion in a glandular very very... Near its bottom. Yes. Oh, it's like blue cheese. It's like blue cheese. It's like cheese. I love blue cheese. Oh my God, this... (SNIFFS) smell comes from a skunk's bottom and it smells like something I would eat. Others are truly delightful. That feels` makes me feel at home. Now to begin. So, my fragrance is definitely more earthy, spicy, with something a little bit exotic, for sure. I've selected nine essences to create my fragrance. What do you think of that bergamot? Woody and citrusy ` um, herbal too... Yeah, very herbal. So herbal. Wow, that's herbal. I just want to eat it. Cos we are going to mix it, eh? I am mixing now. The neroli. That smell. This is the way we do in perfumery, step by step, and then we can always modify. This one is like` woody. Can you find something else? Like... God, it kind of has skunk to it. Shall we continue early to a little bit more? You can go ` you can continue. Can you figure out what flower you can smell inside? Jasmine. You're very good, eh? Oh, I love that scent that it's leaving now. It's like liquorice or linseed or... Very good. Very good. Liquorice. But mistakes can happen as you mix them together. That smells like petrol with, um, lemon cleaning products. I have no hair` nose hairs left. It's quite extraordinary that, you know, 1ml or 2ml over and you've basically destroyed the scent. Yeah, but you can renew it afterwards. That's why we say to go step by step, and you never know exactly the results. This is harder than I thought. Are you familiar with lavender? This one is very relaxing. I don't want to go out to sleep at night when I go out. I need something exciting. Would you like to add more orange, lemon, or bergamot? Bergamot. (SNIFFS) My God, I love this. Smells beautiful. < I think we have it, no? This is amazing. It's gorgeous. It's a real composition. Yeah. You've done it. Is it true that you should never` when you spray it on you should never go like this? Never. That's true. You spray, like that... And that's it. ...here and here. OK, and then you can spray like that. Look ` what do you` (LAUGHS) Behind my ear. It's when people kiss you. So there it is. My Rachel fragrance made at Fragonard. Of course you can keep the recipe. (LAUGHS) I've loved my tour of beauty through France. But the 'French paradox' ` I still don't understand how they do it. They eat pastries, wine, cheese, bread, steak, fries, and they still remain gorgeous, stunning, effortless, thin people. The secret, I suppose, is moderation, but how can so many of them stay self-disciplined? Bordeaux? I mean what can you say? It's the antioxidant capital of the world... with its grape. Who knew the grape was so rich, from its roots to its tips. And as for French beauty, effortless is the key word, and so much of it springs from inside, as it does for Isabelle. Now, there's a person I admire. She really embodies that vibrancy of just going, 'Yeah. I'm 70-something years old. I'm here, 'I'm still living, and I'm still moving forward,' and I think with that vibrancy, you` you should have that in every stage of your life, and I mean, I want to have that in every stage of my life. She embraces age and she loves who she is. She has this endless yearning for life and warmth. It's quite extraordinary. And one of the other things I loved about France was French bulldogs. I have one at home, and I think this one's welcoming me because of my trench coat. I look just like a local. (BARKS) Mm. Maybe he doesn't like my style. Bye. I have one of you.