At Home in Paris with Camille Yolaine

Despite growing up in Alsace, in the Eastern part of France - a region she describes as fairy tale-like (which I can confirm, with its Medieval villages, vineyards and chateaux), Camille Yolaine is about as Parisian as they come - which she attests to herself. She has lived in Paris for over 12 years and has adopted and made part of her daily life, all the things that people flock to French capital for - cycling her bike through the leafy boulevards, taking coffee en terrasse, reading books by the Seine and doing her weekly food shop at the market. And she looks the part too, with her Parisian-uniform outfits consisting mainly of cute tea dresses, a trench-coat, 501 jeans and Converse trainers that are typical of a Parisian girl’s laidback elegance - so much so that she has garnered over +450k followers on Instagram, many of which revere her for her natural French beauty and style. Over the years she has received so many questions about which beauty products she uses and what shade of lipstick she wears that she was inspired to launch her own make-up brand, Yolaine earlier this year. She released the first mascara along with a black and white film influenced by French cinema, entitled Regard Miroir, in which she stars and wrote herself.

The content creator, brand owner and actress lives in a perfectly formed light and bright one bedroom apartment with her boyfriend, on the last floor of a building in the 20th arrondissement - in an area that is one of the last in Paris to retain its villagey feel. She has created a cosy, Parisian home decorated in the same colours and patterns that she likes to wear and filled it with books, vintage mirrors, flower art and ceramics that she has found in flea markets in Paris and back in her home town. It’s a very personal home devoid of trends that wholly reflects her passions and personality. I visited her on a warm summer’s day at the end of July.

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What do you like most about the area you live in, in Paris?

The area I live in is brilliant because it feels like a small village and yet it’s still Paris. I’m running errands all day long with my jobs and it’s so cool to come back home at the end of the day in this quiet and charming place.

What do you love most about your home?

That each decoration item is a memory. And the books are very important. The library is always the thing I look at first when visiting someone. It’s a bit like looking into their soul. Put like that it sounds a bit creepy, but it’s not!

How would you describe your interior style?

A bit erratic I guess? And definitely vintage.

What styles or periods inspire you?

It might be weird to say it like this, but I’m more inspired by colours than periods or styles in particular. For instance, I’ll be looking at my wall with the paintings on it and I’ll think: “Ah, something red is missing here” and I’ll take inspiration from there.

Favourite piece(s) of furniture/treasures?

Books, definitely, because I write my name and the place and time I read it. Each book becomes a memory and I like the idea of me opening up a random book in ten years and remembering who I was when I first read it. Also treasures that come from my relatives: a crystal bird from my godmother, a painting I found in Alsace with my parents, a dried hydrangea bouquet that my painter friend gave me for the anniversary of our first portrait together.

What inspired you to launch your beauty brand Yolaine?

I was a beauty editor in chief for three years and I tried TONS of lipsticks without ever finding the ideal one. People asked me about the shade of lipstick I was wearing so I decided to create my own.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Test and learn.

What would you tell your 21 yr old self?

It’s gonna be ok. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and don’t care that much about what other people think and say about you. People like to criticise anyway so don’t bother doing things according to what they might think.

What is your go-to outfit or outfit that makes you feel confident?

Cute midi dress with puffy sleeves and heels.

What do you like to do for fun? And to relax?

Going to the cinema !!! Cinema is my happy place because it feels like you’re a different person when you get out, every single time. And it’s very important for my job as an actress to be constantly inspired.

Favourite sources for inspiration?

Well, I already answered with cinema. And then books, paintings, just going out and observing Parisian life. That being said I also never say no to a Pinterest rabbit hole. I’ve discovered many painters, artists and ideas thanks to Pinterest.

Last good book you read?

Le Café Suspendu by Amanda Sthers. I have a massive crush on it, it was so good.

What’s in your magazine pile?

I’m actually pretty bad at magazines… but I have to confess I’m really looking forward to these big “150 personality quizzes” best-of magazines they do for summer haha!

What’s on your nightstand?

A painting by Sophie Harding, a British artist I fell in love with when visiting Cornwall and that my boyfriend secretly bought for me and gave me for my birthday. And a real mess, really : books, beauty products, earrings…