Cheese Comes First at This New Paris Bar

When I wake up in the morning, I shower and wash my face with CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser — I’ve been using it for over ten years. It doesn’t leave a tight feeling, which is a real problem for me during the winter, when I get so dry and dehydrated. I’m not superloyal to any one body wash, I’ll pick whatever looks good. Right now, that is Byredo Gypsy Water, which smells very delicious. Otherwise, I use Dr. Barbara Sturm the Good C Vitamin C Serum and OurSelf HA+ Replenishing Serum, which is super hydrating and plumping. When I shave, I always follow with the Calming Serum from Dr. Barbara Sturm because my skin gets red and irritated easily. If I want to feel extra special, I use Merit Beauty Great Skin Instant Glow Serum. When I use it, people remark on my skin. I finish with Dr. Barbara Sturm Sun Drops.

At night, I use a Holidermie Sérum Repulpant. Out of everything I’ve started using in the past few years, this one has really changed my skin. It makes my pores smaller. In the winter, I use Augustinus Bader Rich Cream and, if my skin is very dry, I’ll add a few drops of their Face Oil. For a mask on the weekend, I’ll use the Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser, followed by the Hydrating Floral Mask while I’m watching TV with my daughter. And I use Vaseline everywhere — on my feet, lips, hands, around my nostrils in winter. During the pandemic, I started using cream blushes. They bring a bit of life to the skin, and I feel better when I use them. My favorite is from Simi Haze called Sun Flush in Sand or Soft. It’s very easy to blend and is superbuildable. I’ll put hair spray on an old toothbrush and run it through my eyebrows to hold them in place. That works better than an eyebrow gel.

I’m on a hair journey: During the pandemic I was losing it by the fistful, probably from stress. I’ve been using Nutrafol Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Growth Nutraceutical. It feels healthier, softer and I don’t think I’ve had as much loss. I use Fellow Barber Styling Cream to give my hair that two-day-old dirty look, but it still feels touchable.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

It was a pine tree looming behind a garden wall that drew the Taipei-born Parsons graduate Annie Le to a derelict nishijin-ori (a traditional textile) factory, in Kyoto’s central Kamigyo ward. “Pines symbolize longevity and endurance in Japanese culture,” Le says — the same qualities she seeks to establish in her guesthouses, grouped under…