Inside Maison de Beauté Carita
Some addresses do not simply exist. They resonate.
11 Faubourg Saint-Honoré belongs to that rare category of Parisian landmarks where history and elegance have always walked hand in hand. It was here, in 1952, that Rosy and Maria Carita inaugurated their Maison de Beauté before an audience of high society and international aristocracy. The Duchess of Windsor crossed its threshold. So did Catherine Deneuve, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, Princess Grace of Monaco. Within these walls, beauty was never superficial. It was metamorphosis.
The rebirth of Maison de Beauté Carita, following two years of meticulous restoration, does not seek nostalgia. It asserts continuity. The 1,800 square meter mansion has been reimagined as a sanctuary of light, conceived by architects Sophie Thuillier and Cristiano Benzoni of REV Studio. Their intervention reveals a monumental atrium crowned by a soaring glass canopy that invites the Parisian sky inward. White and black marble converse with pink onyx. Polished metal captures reflections like liquid mercury. Space unfolds in arches and perspectives, each line echoing the house’s emblematic portico.
The result is architectural couture. Monumental yet intimate. Spectacular yet restrained.
Carita has always embodied total beauty. Hair, skin, silhouette, gesture. The sisters began as visionary hairdressers before expanding their universe into advanced skincare and transformative rituals. Today, the Maison encompasses treatment suites, a grand salon, a Look Studio dedicated to the architecture of the gaze, a private apartment suspended above the city’s rooftops, and even a discreet restaurant conceived as an extension of Parisian art de vivre.
At the heart of the Maison lies its most sacred ritual: the facial.
Every treatment begins with an in-depth consultation, a diagnostic ceremony performed in serene alcoves shaped by soft curves. Carita’s Augmented Consultation unites the intelligence of technology with the cultivated intuition of the practitioner. Skin is observed, touched, interpreted. The concept guiding the ritual is Skin Aura, the quintessence of complexion defined by firmness, smoothness, softness, evenness, and radiance. The ambition is not correction alone. It is revelation.
The protocols unfold as a choreography. Nearly sixty precise manual movements compose what Carita describes as a dance of the hands. Percussion, sculpting, kneading, and effleurage follow a rhythm both technical and poetic. Circulation is awakened. Contours are redefined. The skin is guided toward a natural lifting without aggression. High technology enters discreetly, enhancing rather than replacing touch. Devices such as Pro.Morphose R.F. deliver concentrated radio-frequency energy to stimulate collagen production and restore density at the dermal level.
Among the most emblematic rituals is OR Rejuvenic, a regenerating protocol anchored in one of the house’s most precious innovations: Biotech Gold 24K.
Gold has long symbolised eternity and brilliance. Within Carita’s laboratories, it is reborn through biotechnology. Micro-algae capable of bio-accumulating gold are cultivated under controlled conditions, creating a regenerating complex that stimulates epidermal renewal, supports dermal restructuring, and neutralises oxidative stress. This alliance between mineral opulence and cellular science defines the house’s contemporary vision.
The OR Rejuvenic ritual proceeds in luminous strata. The Multi-Stratum Regenerating Micro-Essence refines the skin with the finesse of a fluid veil. The Catalyzing Concentrate, inspired by the Carita sisters’ original ampoules, infuses minerals, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin C into the epidermis. The Regenerating Serum transforms upon contact, shifting from emulsion to silk-like fluid. At its heart, the Multi-Stratum Epidermal Regenerating Cream envelops the skin in a supple network, designed to regenerate multiple layers of epidermis and restore structural integrity.
The result is not merely smoother skin. It is radiance with depth. A clarity that seems lit from within.
The Maison’s heritage icons remain pillars of its identity. Fluide 14, born in 1946, remains a symbol of versatility and luminous vitality. Rénovateur, introduced in 1956, continues to embody renewal through its cult exfoliating formula. Lotion Nacrée adds a final pearlescent refinement. Alongside OR Rejuvenic, the CRISTAL Morphologic line sculpts and lifts with micronized tourmaline, while LAGON Hypertonic channels the mineral richness of Polynesian waters for restorative balance.
Yet Maison de Beauté Carita transcends product. It is an expression of art de vivre.
The hair salon honours the sisters’ original mastery, where technique and theatrical elegance coexist. The Look Studio refines the architecture of the gaze with precision and discretion. The private apartment, accessible only to the most discerning clientele, evokes a hidden Parisian residence where treatments unfold in complete privacy. Even the restaurant, Rosy & Maria, curated by chef Amandine Chaignot, extends the ritual into gastronomy, celebrating refined, seasonal cuisine in a setting lined with books and cultural references.
The rebirth of the Maison also embraces responsibility. The renovation privileges sustainable materials, reduced water consumption, and carefully sourced craftsmanship. Luxury here is conscious, integrated into the very fabric of the space.
More than seventy years after its inauguration, Maison de Beauté Carita remains faithful to its founding conviction: bringing beauty to light. In Paris, where light defines architecture, fashion, and gesture, Carita refines it into skin.
At 11 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, beauty is not applied. It is illuminated.
Photos: Courtesy of Maison de Beauté Carita
related posts
.jpg)
