S o p h i e M a r c e a u beautytalk

Talk about sex appeal. Sophie Marceau frequently tops the polls when men in her native France are asked which actress they find most attractive. The 31-year-old Marceau, who plays a governess in Firelight this fall, was cast in her first movie, La Boum (French slang for “party”) at age 12, after she answered a talent-search ad. At 16, she won a César, the prestigious French film award; at 29 came her first English-language film, the Oscar-winning Braveheart, which led to her landing the title role in Anna Karenina (1997). The outgoing Marceau has no complaints about growing up in the public eye. “Being recognized is hard to deal with in the beginning,” she says. “But now, if I’m not busy, I’m happy to talk to fans. It’s a good way to meet people.”
How do you feel about makeup ? In normal life I never put makeup on. I don’t like it because I can’t kiss my 3-year-old son [Vincent] if I have color on my skin. But I have to do a lot of interviews, so I always carry a makeup bag and my own stuff.
What’s in that makeup bag ? Revlon Colorstay Makeup in Sand Beige. It’s a dry foundation, so there’s no need for powder, but I don’t use it all over my face. I don’t like lipstick — my lips don’t need color — so I have Shu Uemura lip gloss in Wine/Caramel, just for shine. I use a light pinkish blush. And sometimes black eye makeup, Christian Dior Fascination Mascara in Spellbinding Black. I don’t add anything for special occasions — maybe a little more on my eyes to make them stronger, but not much.
How do you care for your skin ? I wash my face with soap and water, then apply a light cream like Clarins, which is natural and very good, or Nivea — even olive oil, which makes your skin more supple. I try to find things that aren’t tested on animals. To be honest, it’s not the first thing I look for, but I do use natural products.
What about your hair ? My hair is long but thin and dry, so I try different things — I can’t stand dirty hair, and yet I know I’m not supposed to wash it too often. So I try to find a light shampoo and conditioner — Clairol smells good and is gentle. In Poland, where my husband [Andrzej Zulawski] is from, and where we often visit, they have a lot of natural products made with fruit or flax that are very good.
What do you like least about your looks ? Sometimes I think my nose grew after I gave birth. The other thing that’s a bit difficult is my skin. It’s yellowish, and when I get tired or nervous or haven’t seen the sun it can look violet or green. People ask, “Are you OK?”
Has your beauty routine changed since your son was born ? Not really, though I was careful to lose weight after delivery. I make my son’s meals, so I’m very aware of what he eats, and that has made me more aware of what I’m eating. I eat everything, just not too much. Not junk food, but I love wine and chocolate. I take American vitamins and drink lots of water.
Do you exercise ? I’ve always done sports, so I don’t worry about my weight. I need to practice a sport to feel good, and to stretch to stay flexible. Right now I work out at the gym at home to save time — and because I don’t like to be told what to do ! I used to swim, and I tried jogging, but that’s so boring. I think I lead a healthy life; I don’t go to bed too late, and I don’t need a lot of care.
Do you have any favorite beauty treatments ? I don’t like facials and massages. Maybe twice a year I’ll go to the hairdresser. Normally I cut my hair myself, but sometimes I have to see a professional to fix it. I’ve only been to a beauty place once — the girl who did the facial hurt me so much I wanted to kill her. On a set it’s different; everyone takes care of you, makes you up, and dresses you.
What is your everyday style ? I like to feel comfortable. I don’t have a real style. I can be very classical. I might wear black for two weeks, then orange, black and green all together. I can be feminine, then masculine. I buy what I like even if I have nothing to go with it, and mix it up. The way I dress hasn’t changed since I was 12.
What about dressing up ? When I need an evening dress I like Ungaro. He loves women. Everything he makes is so well cut, and it’s fresh and flowery. I think fashion is getting much better, more comfortable, practical, feminine. I love the new stretch materials.
Do you have any beauty secrets you can share ? I think one beauty secret I’ve learned is to listen to yourself a little bit. You can sometimes have fun, eat or drink a bit more than usual. It’s important not to become anorexic. People who don’t eat or drink are very sad. Beauty is smiling and feeling good in yourself. I travel a lot, and the beauty ideal is different everywhere. In Paris people are skinny and don’t eat, and they’re very frantic. I’ve always thought that if they ate more they’d be happier and more seductive. The secret of beauty is to smile — to be soft and smiling.
Eleni N. Gage