Fashion / Beauty

French Skincare Power Draws a Fashionable Clutch to its Posh River Oaks District Store

An Intimate, Invitation-Only Lunch With Treatment Previews

BY //
photography Johnny Than

As soon as the PaperCity invitations to join Anne Lee Phillips and myself for an intimate luncheon at Ambassade Biologique Recherche pinged inboxes, the eager RSVPs came rolling in. For who would want to miss the opportunity for a personal invitation to explore the French luxury skincare favorite’s first Texas location?

6K4A2622 (Photo by Johnny Than)
Meredith Chastang and Allie Fields at the Biologique Recherche intimate lunch (Photo by Johnny Than)

Welcoming the fashionable clutch to the posh store in River Oaks District were Ambassade director Tyler Freregill, in from New York, the brand’s marketing director Marci Blinderman and uniformed waiters proffering flutes of champagne.

“We are very excited to welcome everybody into the Biologique Rechereche Ambassade and to introduce our customized treatments as well as celebrate the launch of the VIP O2 Collection,” Blinderman said.

Hallie Vanderhider, Karen Mayell, Stacey Lindseth (Photo by Johnny Than)
Hallie Vanderhider, Karen Mayell, Stacey Lindseth at the Biologique Recherche intimate lunch (Photo by Johnny Than)

The skincare line recently entered a new era in oxygenation with this collection that includes four products: Lait VIP O2, a milky cleanser; Masque VIP O2, a moisturizing face mask; Crème VIP O2, a lightweight emulsion; and Crème Contour Des Yeux VIP O2, a dark-circle-fighting eye cream.

The combination, Blinderman notes, has been designed to harnesses the oxygen in the body in order to deliver brighter, smoother and firmer skin.

The ladies were invited at their leisure, before a lunch from A Fare Extraordinaire, to visit treatment rooms where staff demonstrated several custom treatments on lucky models.

Thanksgiving and Christmas Items

Swipe
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025
  • Berings November 2025

“This is the opportunity for the ladies to understand that all of our treatments are hyper-customized so for every person when they have their own treatment it will be different a mix of the right products that are right for them,” Blinderman says.

Biologique Recherche Exterior
The beautifully serene Ambassade Biologique Recherche spa in Houston’s River Oak District has elevated the skincare game with the introduction of the VIP O2 facial.

Key to the magic is the Skin Instant Lab which Blinderman notes “is our diagnostic tool that measures various things such as hyper-pigmentation, barrier function, hydration and helps to really diagnosis and assess the skin and its needs.”

Before the gathering had closed, more than a few of the attendees were signing up for the enviable customized Biologique Recherche experience. And each took home a goodie bag of must-have skincare products.

Anne Lee Phillips, Marci Blinderman,, Shelby Hodge, Tyler Freregill (Photo by Johnny Than)
Anne Lee Phillips, Marci Blinderman,, Shelby Hodge, Tyler Freregill at the Biologique Chereche lunch (Photo by Johnny Than)

PC Seen: Ashlee Love, Nancy Bihlmaier,  Vicki West, Karen Mayell, Hallie Vanderhider, Allie Fields, Cathy Brock, Alicia Smith, Monica Bailey Bickers, Tara Martin, Stacey Lindseth, Meredith Chastang, Valerie Dieterich, Lindley Arnoldy, Lauren Dunwoody, and Hallie Henley Sims.

JW Steakhouse Logos2
Your Seat Awaits

Curated Collection

Swipe
X
X