Sunrise Topanga Hike with Valérie
Valérie Grandury, founder of Odacité, an all-natural freshly formulated skincare line, is certainly one of the most inspiring women we've ever met. This Paris native resides in Topanga Canyon, where each day begins with most breathtaking sunrise hike with her incredible pups. We were lucky enough to join in this beautiful ritual. It is almost impossible to fathom that Valérie, the most glowing, vibrant, and healthy woman, was bedridden in a hospital with breast cancer ten years ago. This brave soul not only healed herself through diet, yoga, meditation, positive thought and by cleaning up her skincare/product regimen, but also used her difficult experience to inspire positive change. In order to heal, Valérie felt the necessity to detoxify her environment. She adopted a raw food diet, quit her job in the film business to dedicate her time to learning and studying the healing power of plants and became a Health and Wellness Coach.
Her illness triggered a desire to completely reinvent her life, reconnect with nature and step into a magnificent and fascinating healing journey. Valérie had the audacity to create Odacité, an innovative company that allows people like herself who value the luxury of skincare to experience all the benefits without the toxic chemicals. The proof is in the pudding, and let us tell you, this woman GLOWS.
HOW THEY GLOW QUESTIONNAIRE
NAME: Valérie Grandury
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP: Paris, France
WHEN YOU ARE EATING HEALTHY, WHAT IS A TYPICAL…
BREAKFAST: Green smoothie
LUNCH: Big salad with greens, lots of fresh sprouts, some form of nuts (cheese, dressing, sprouted)
DINNER: Quinoa with Kale & avocado salad + my "I can't live without it" dose of raw chocolate
SNACK: Thinly sliced apples with raw almond butter, drizzled with a little cinnamon
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO EAT HEALTHY? Real Food Daily (Fabulous brunch, best French toast in town and GF pancakes), Gracias Madre, MAKE, Rawvolution
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE? Oysters
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES/RESTAURANTS TO INDULGE? Santa Monica Seafood
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST MEAL ON EARTH? Anything with dark chocolate
WHAT IS THE BEST DISH YOU COOK/ YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE? Raw chocolate brownies, they taste like the real deal but are actually heathy (almost).
WHERE DO YOU GROCERY SHOP IN LA? Local farm in Topanga, Santa Monica Co-Op, Sunfood online
WHAT IS YOUR FITNESS REGIME? (HOW OFTEN & WHAT DO YOU DO)
For spiritual fitness: I hike to the sunrise every morning with my dogs. For physical fitness: I practice Yoga 3-4 x week. Recently discovered Aerial Yoga, and absolutely fell in love with what it does for my back. It relieves all the compressed joints and aligns your body from head to toe. A must when you sit for so many hours in front of a computer.
WHAT IS YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE? (PRODUCTS, FACIALS, ETC.) I'm a lucky girl since I created a line of products to get exactly what i wanted: efficacy and absolute purity - So my skin care routine is 100% Odacité and my skin looks better now than 10 years ago.
Cleanse, tone, serum + moisturizer morning and night
Exfoliate 3 x week + Deep Hydration Masque once a week
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE NATURAL MAKEUP/ BEAUTY PRODUCTS? Serum Concentrates by Odacité: right now I use Acai+Rose in the morning and Rosehip+Ylang in the evening
A special something Nail polish by Treat , most beautiful red I ever found
Kide mineral foundation - super natural coverage that gives you a beautiful, healthy glow
IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 PRODUCTS WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU? Lets say it is a tropical island with coconuts for my skin care :) I would want to have a Swiss Army knife, a solar charger for my Ipad, my Ipad for music, podcast and books
WHAT PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY/FITNESS/HEALTH GURUS DO YOU SWEAR BY? Myself. I listen to my body (took me a long time), your body is the best beauty/fitness/health gurus anyone should swear by!
TOP 3 FAVORITE SONGS? Way too hard to pick favorite songs. But I love...
1. Anything by Maria Calas, with a preference for Casta Diva, in Norma
2. Imagine- the lyrics are so powerful
3. La Vie en Rose by Grace Jones
MOST LIFE-CHANGING BOOK? Non-Violent Communication by Marshal Rosenberg. Just wish I read it sooner. It helps you find greater authenticity in your communication, deeper understanding of others and, smarter, healthier conflict resolution. If kids studied it in school the world would be a better place!
WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED? Freedom is the best gift anyone can ever receive. I feel immensely blessed to be born and live in countries that encourage women to be who ever they want to be.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY. So many options! Right now I need some R&R so the best day would be: Turn off all screens for the day, start with an early walk on the beach with my husband and the dogs - followed by a"French lunch" (the kind that extends late into the afternoon with passionate discussions), at my house with friends and my sons. Massage at home (such a treat not to have to drive), long restorative bath, early bed, a movie or a book, and 8 hours of sleep!
WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE BEAUTY TIP/SECRET? Find your passion, count your blessings not your problems, sleep 7-8 hours a night. No matter what: Cleanse and moisturize morning and night.
WHAT MAKES YOU GLOW? My amazing sons, connecting with nature, creating new products, spending time in a museum, sharing food and ideas with my friends, making sure my body is happy!
Photography by: Davida Williams