I’ve loved the Courtin-Clarins sisters – Virginie, Claire, Prisca and Jenna – ever since I first laid eyes on them a few years ago on the shiny pages of a whopper sized September issue. There they were, all slender physiques, carefully put together Céline outfits and of course, glowing, flawless faces. At that very moment, I became unashamedly hooked. I Googled them immediately. I am now an avid Instagram follower – see Claire’s awesome Céline vans and Virginie skiing off piste in Méribel (NB – how to look chic on the slopes).

But I think what really fascinates me about the foursome is the iconic dynasty from which they come. They share a grandfather in Jacques Courtin-Clarins, the medical student who came from nothing and in 1954 founded the brand we know and love today. Claire and Virginie – or Vivi as she prefers – are sisters, with Jenna and Prisca being their twin cousins. And so it goes, these four lithe siblings are the heiresses to one of the most legendary French skincare brands in history, each utterly charming and about as far from a white lab coat as you can get.  

"It’s things like the fact that Jenna had the Céline Trapeze bag before anyone – ANYONE – else."

Aside from deeply loving the girls for the fun and energy they breathe into the science-y world of skincare, it’s much, much more than that. It’s things like the fact that Jenna had the Céline Trapeze bag before anyone –  ANYONE – else. It’s that Vivi got a first in her business degree, and that Claire studied the notoriously hard course that is architecture and graphic design combined. Course she did. The foursome are best friends with people like uber-stylists Nicola Formichetti and Caroline Sieber and  top Vanity Fair best dressed list, year after year. Oh and there’s also the fact that they are largely responsible for Clarins’ link up with non-profit organisation Feed Projects, which provides food to those in need throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. Honestly, I’d be here all day if I had to count the ways. 

Adding fuel to my building fixation is the recent discovery of the girls’ blog. It’s not entirely new as such, but I am completely hooked. Cleverly named the Beauty Flash Blog, it’s a platform on which I can learn even more about each of them and their glamourous, wonderful ways. Yesterday I read an insightful post about the origin of avocados (did you know they come from South America where they were once thought to be sacred?) . Today I learnt of the girls’ fondness for Harney & Sons White Tea which I’m putting down as another reason they each possess such glowy complexions. Not forgetting the access-all-areas tour I watched (my favourite viewing to date) in which Vivi and Jenna take you on an intimate tour of the actual Clarins factory. I die.

Take a look. Maybe even add it as a bookmark to your web browser, for daily lunch-time musings. OK, I’ll stop now.