Beauty, well-being, staying comfortable in town during your menstrual cycle

Having your period in between strategy meetings, lunch at the Ritz and a vernissage in the Marais? It’s a fact of life for every Parisian woman. In a city that never stops, the menstrual cycle should be a stress-free parameter to anticipate.

The tactical wardrobe of the savvy Parisienne

There’s no need to change your entire wardrobe. Just opt for fabrics that breathe, cuts that leave your tummy in peace, and pieces that are as comfortable on the busy metro as they are in the office.

When it comes to lingerie, we aim for comfort and support. Underwired bras, well-structured bras and high-waisted panties are the natural choice. For those intense days when you’re juggling between the 8th and 11th arrondissements, absorbent menstrual panties for heavy flow become your invisible ally. Slipped under a suit or midi dress, they disappear completely, giving you peace of mind.

When it comes to colors, black remains the safe bet, but burgundy lace or midnight blue work just as well. The idea is not to wear “emergency” underwear, just to feel good in it.

A beauty routine that follows its own tempo

The cycle influences skin, mood and energy. Rather than resisting, we’re better off dealing with it. On days when tiredness rears its ugly head, we prefer simplicity: gentle cleansing, a well-dosed moisturizing serum, a comfortable cream. Skin prefers regularity to risky experimentation.

When it comes to make-up, a few touches are all you need: an even complexion, a line of illuminator to awaken the eyes, a tinted balm on the lips. There’s no question of camouflaging anything, just of meeting your own reflection in the mirror without reading only fatigue.

This period also lends itself to little home rituals: a hair mask in front of a TV series, a gentle scrub in the shower, a carefully applied body oil before putting on your favorite bathrobe. Simple gestures that create a “relaxing interlude” in a fast-paced day.

Slowing down (a little) in a sprinting city

Paris doesn’t slow down for anyone, but within this frenetic pace, you can take a few breaks. Give yourself ten extra minutes in the morning to get dressed, prepare a thermos of herbal tea to slip into your bag, take a real lunch break instead of swallowing a wrap in front of your computer.

At the end of the day, choose to walk rather than take the crowded metro, make a detour to a bookshop in the Latin Quarter, settle into a discreet bistro for a leisurely dinner. The menstrual cycle doesn’t turn us into hermits; it just reminds us that we can ease off without feeling guilty.

At home, we allow ourselves a well-deserved cocooning evening: soft plaid, a novel we’ve been putting off for weeks, a soothing playlist, subdued lighting. The protection is reliable, the lingerie comfortable. All that’s left is to agree to slow down a little.

Living your cycle in Paris doesn’t mean pretending the rules don’t exist, or playing the “everything’s fine” card. Rather, it’s about learning how to organize yourself: choosing lingerie in which you feel secure, maintaining a simple beauty routine that feels good, accepting to ease off a little without giving up on your plans.

Basically, a good routine doesn’t need miracle products or complicated protocols. The most important thing is to feel in tune with yourself : properly dressed, properly protected, with a few comforting gestures to get you through the day without feeling like you’re only thinking about that. The cycle comes around every month, so we might as well see it as a time to refocus a little, rather than as one more constraint on an already busy schedule.