The Year Is 2010…

And everyone is obsessed with Embryolisse

During the fifth ever Into The Gloss #TopShelf Karlie Kloss coddles a Yorkshire Terrier and declares- ‘Embryolisse is where it’s at’. What was likely meant to be a genuine product recommendation for an everyday moisturizer opened the floodgates to an obsession that would change the brain chemistry of GenX and Millennial women forever…The French Pharmacy. In the years to come, the idea of booking a ticket to Paris to stock up on Face Mist and VitaminA cream would become a right of passage for those who participated in group chats that asked questions like, "Is a Clarasonic really worth it?”. While everyone had their favorites, Embryolisse, a lightweight moisturizer that could apparently fix all of our problems was the main character. She was affordable, convenient and got along with everyone, brightening up the faces of models and DJs and remaining on the tip of every beauty blogger's tongue to this day. 

If you were between the ages of 15-45 and ever used Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, you were reading Into The Gloss in the early 2010’s. Sure we all became obsessed with Emily Weiss and her eye for everything, but Embryolisse was a close second when it came to being the star of the show.  "Embryolisse was THE name to drop — you wanted people to know you knew her, that you saw her when you were in Paris, that she fit in with the rest of your routine." Emily Ferber, former Editorial Director at ITG (with a killer Substack) tells me, reflecting on the career of the beloved moisturizer. 

On a crisp winter day I paid the French icon a visit at her 1200sqft Calcutta marble bathroom on the Upper East Side as she reflected on an expected rise to fame. 

**Editor's Note: this is clearly CAMP and to be read with a sense of humor. 

You were born in 1950’s France- what were your early days like?

Like most, I was born in a hospital. The idea behind my conception being I would go on to help those with skin diseases. But like everything else in life, we make plans and God laughs. As it turns out I was better suited for the beauty industry and the rest is history.

Did you ever think you would forge such a path for yourself in the states?  

I think anything French (croissants, bidets, Francois Hardy), has a love/hate curiosity with coming stateside. I always thought it was possible, but it was never at the top of my list. 

So where were you when the Karlie Kloss Interview dropped?

I was in a bathroom definitely not as nice as this. Of course I had known Karlie over the years, and everyone else who would go on to mention me in the Into The Gloss interviews, but I was more of a best kept secret. I had watched other creams like Creme de la Mere and Clinique Dramatically Different catapult into the mainstream, but for whatever reason I never thought it would be me. Lesson learned…

You’ve been on set for every major photo shoot, used in every nightclub, restaurant, hotel bathroom …so the age old coastal liberal question must be asked- New York or LA? 

The girls look better in New York, but they try harder in LA…which benefits me. I always find people from Los Angeles tend to pick me up in bulk when they're visiting New York or Paris. I keep telling my PR team they need to figure out a way to get me on the shelves at Erewhon. Both coasts have their charm and faults you could say. 

What are the biggest changes you’ve seen throughout your career? 

Up until right around the time Emily launched Into The Gloss, faces looked like faces, not calling cards for a great esthetician or an after school special on the dangers of too much filler. In certain ways I love the Instagram Face, it’s very of the moment, a nod to Bardot in a way…but I miss a crooked nose and natural lips if that makes sense. 

Would you ever book a flight to a far off country to raid their pharmacy?

You know, the French and the Koreans have a ton of crossover when it comes to skincare. I’ve enjoyed working with them over the years and often wonder what it would be like to book a one way flight to Seoul and just disappear. But I would never actually do it. 

One face you’ve never worked with that you would love too–dead or alive? 

I’ll state the obvious, Marie Antoinette would have been obsessed with me. I also think Amelia Earhart had great cheekbones, but I’m glad I came around after her time. It would have been dreadful to have been in her carryon during that flight. 

How would you describe yourself in three words?

The. Real. Deal. 

Allegedly you have beef with Gwyneth because she rarely mentioned you at the start of goop, despite using you for years?

Oh people will make up anything. I’ve known Gwyneth since she was 5 years old as I’ve known her mother Blythe forever. If someone wants to write about steaming their vagina and the ProLon Fast, then so be it. People have to pay their rent! I’ve had enough good press over the years. No bad blood between her and I, in fact she has a shelf for me in her Monticetio guest house. 

Will you ever retire? 

It’s 2024- do you know how expensive this marble is? I don’t have time to retire. As long as people still have pores I’ll be making sure you leave the house looking amazing.

You recently changed your packaging. May I ask why? 

Do you still type away on a bright orange Apple desktop? Anything great needs a refresh. That should go without saying. 

Do you wear makeup?

I believe there’s an American saying ‘don’t put a bumper sticker on a Bentley’. No, I exist as is.