Columnists

Nadine O’Regan: The French know less is more in the grooming department

As Love Island parades yet another set of lithe, oiled-up, gym-honed ‘average’ people before our eyes, maybe we should look for better role models for a healthy, elegant self-image this summer – and you’ll find them just across the water

Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu in Cannes last month: her character in Emily in Paris never looks less than stunning. Picture: Getty

Blacked-out cars. Photographers with huge lenses. Security men with walkie-talkies. Queues of excited fans hanging around press cordons, hoping for a celebrity glimpse. During our holiday in France last week, we took in the excitement of the Cannes Film Festival, and even if you didn’t have a ticket to the haloed screenings, the atmosphere was still electric, particularly around the Promenade de la Croisette, winding along the Mediterranean.

“Tom Hanks was here!” our waiter confided ...