Mother Nature with Father

We first read the article below from the March issue of Her World magazine in Singapore. Even though it's not about skincare products or cosmetics, we thought it's an interesting read to share with you anyway! Hope you enjoy it. :)

The Clarins family – group chairman Christian Courtin-Clarins and his two grown-up daughters, Claire and Virginie – seeks out exotic locations to enjoy nature. They tell Dylan Boey their secrets to travelling as a clan.

Christian Courtin-Clarins

What is your favourite country to enjoy nature?

Claire: Virginie and I just spent Christmas in Myanmar. It has no easy access to the Internet or phones, and we love it there because it’s still pure.

Christian: Australia is a fantastic place to observe the way a place can be urbanised sustainably. Its Kimberly region (which is over 400,00 sq km with only about 40,000 people) can show the world how to preserve nature.

Is nature a big factor when you choose where to holiday?

Virginie: We live in the city, so it’s good to go somewhere different for a change and to be in communion with nature.

Christian: I prefer pure environments, such as the French Alps. We have a house up in the mountains. I can see a grey cloud hovering about the city.

So that’s your idea of a great vacation?

Christian: Yes, to be far away from everything.

Where on earth are such places?

Christian: Turkey, for one. We rent a sailing boat there every year. The sea is clean and the winds are fresh. In Egypt, the desert is like the sea. There is nobody and it’s peaceful. One of the world’s most beautiful oasis is the Siwa Oasis in the Libyan Desert. I stay at Adrere Amellal, a five-star desert eco-lodge. There's no electricity - we have to light candles at night - so you can't cook any meat. You eat only vegetables and they are fantastic because it's an oasis where there is a lot of water to grow them. I hope that, one day, Claire and Virginie will visit with me.

Claire and Virginie Courtin-Clarins

Does the family travel together a lot?

Christian: Yes but never enough. Last year, I was in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo for work and Claire came along. The cities are known for Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer's work and Claire enjoyed herself. Once, we stayed at an organic farm in Tuscany with a magnificent fruit garden where we plucked fruit to eat every morning.

Claire joked over lunch that the family travels together only when the girls break up with their boyfriends.

Christian: It's true that they will be freer to travel with me if they don't have boyfriends. As a father, I don't interfere as long as they're happy. From a selfish standpoint, I'm happy to have more time with them. They see things differently from me and I love it when they open my eyes.

Virginie: Claire will look at all the architecture that dad and I don't look at, and will point it out to us because we are not as artistic as she is. Travelling with our father is the best because he can tell us everything we need to know. Like restaurants, for example. In Taipei, he introduced us to dim sum at Din Tai Fung. He's like our private tour guide.

Christian: Fortunately, I have the money for them to experience the best things.


What's the key to having a great vacation together?
Christian: To listen. And to respect one another.
Claire: Freedom, too.
Christian: Yes, like you allow one another to do what you want...


So where's the next family vacation?
Claire: I dream of going on a safari. He took us when we were children, but we were too young to appreciate it then.
Christian: We'll go to the Okavango Delta next July during the winter season, when the place - an inland delta in Botswana - becomes flooded and attracts all kinds of African wildlife.
Virginie: Actually, I would be happy to go anywhere in the world, if I'm with my father.
Claire: We travel very well together.
Christian: Voila!

Their two beauty travel essentials:

1. Clarins UV Plus High Protection Day Screen SPF40, US$44

"This sunscreen provides all-round protection, even against environmental pollution and electromagnetic waves." - Claire Courtin-Clarins

2. Clarins Double Serum Generation 6, US$110

"This daily moisturiser and anti-ageing serum supports the skin's five vital functions - hydration, nutrition, oxygenation, protection and revitalisation. So my skin gets adequately nourished and revived." - Christian Courtin-Clarins