The Untold Truth Of The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
If Helen of Troy was the face that launched a thousand ships, Thylane Blondeau is the face that launched a thousand headlines. At the age of four, the young beauty followed in her fashion model mother's footsteps. Soon after, photos of her would find their way to the internet and go viral — leading to her nickname as "the most beautiful girl in the world."
While that sort of acclaim at such a young age might typically lead to a childhood spent in the limelight, Blondeau managed to lead an impressively low-key lifestyle in her native St. Tropez. However, flying under the radar will surely prove more difficult following her scene-stealing appearance at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
Blondeau has already bagged several partnerships with major brands in makeup and fashion, suggesting she's poised to become a major player in the modeling world. Here's an inside look at this rising superstar.
At 10, she created quite the controversy
After the first iconic photo of Blondeau went viral, the young beauty was unsurprisingly on everyone's radar — and her modeling career officially took off. But in 2011, Blondeau stumbled into a controversy that prompted a question globally: How young is too young in the modeling world, and where do you draw the line?
The trouble began when Blondeau posed for a series of provocative shots in French Vogue. It didn't take long for child experts, parents, and the general media to decry the shoot for its perceived sexualization of children. At the time, however, Blondeau's mother — Veronika Loubry — defended the fashion editorial's photos. "The only thing that shocks me about the photo is the necklace that she's wearing, which is worth 3 million Euros," Loubry reportedly told a French newspaper at the time (via ABC News).
Ultimately, though, the French Vogue photo kerfuffle wound up being a slight blight in an otherwise spotless modeling career.
She has her sights set on Hollywood
Some (read: most) would say that a face like Blondeau's is destined for the big screen. In fact, at this point, it's surprising the young model hasn't yet caught Hollywood's attention. That's not to say, however, that she hasn't acted at all — in 2015, she starred in the French film Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues. It was a role she relished, which you can obviously tell from a tear-jerking video Blondeau shared of the film's wrap party.
So it's likely only a matter of time before the "most beautiful girl" makes her way to Tinsel Town and starts starring in American films, too. That certainly seems to be Blondeau's goal, if her dream costars are any indication. In an interview with Teen Vogue in 2017, the then-14-year-old said, "Angelina Jolie is my ultimate goal as an actress. If I could co-star with anyone, it would of course be her. And Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp." Same, girl. Same.
According to Teen Vogue, Blondeau could well be on her way — she's currently perusing scripts to find the perfect on-screen project.
Makeup junkie? You betcha
In 2017, Blondeau crossed another professional threshold when she became a brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris. And you know what that means: all the makeup. Like many teenage girls, Blondeau has a healthy appreciation for cosmetics — not to mention being skilled in makeup artistry kind of goes with the territory when you're a supermodel on the rise.
She doesn't mind sharing her tricks of the trade, either. In 2017, a vlog posted to YouTube walked fans through Blondeau's everyday makeup routine. At the time, that routine consisted of a bit of Chanel under-eye concealer, a few coats of Rimmel Scandal Eyes mascara, Urban Decay's Naked series eyeshadow palettes, brow pomade, and a touch of Chanel lip gloss to round out the look. Simple, yet chic!
In 2016, Blondeau also stressed the importance of makeup's cardinal rule — not wearing it to bed. She told W that "washing off makeup at the end of the day is crucial" when it comes to beauty secrets.
Cannes caused her to fangirl
Blondeau has a special relationship with Cannes. For starters, she had her first red carpet experience there back in 2016. Then, when Blondeau returned in 2018, press outlets raved about the then-17-year-old stealing the show (no small feat when you're surrounded by some of Hollywood's biggest stars).
Blondeau took to Instagram to gush about the event, exclaiming it's "always an honor" to attend, and thanking, well, just about everyone for making the experience possible. "I would like to Thanks [sic] the best family ever @lorealparis @lorealmakeup for bringing me here, and always making everything perfect!! Thanks to @albertaferretti for this amazing dress and @messikajewelry," she wrote. "Thanks to the best hairdresser @stephanelancien and his amazing team!!! And thanks to @kristinavidic_ for this incredible makeup!!!! Thanks to Jess my agent, and my mom, and specially SAM the best bodyguard!! And because of you I always feel safe!!! Love u all."
So, sure, Blondeau kept her cool on the outside like the pro she is. But on the inside, she was fangirling to the max over the big night.
She hearts her "Thylaners"
When it comes to fans, Blondeau comes from the Taylor Swift school of thought — your fans are your lifeblood, so be good to them. If you spend any amount of time on the model's Instagram feed, you'll find frequent shout-outs to her passionate fans or "Thylaners," as they've affectionately been dubbed. She also never seems to miss an opportunity to pose for pictures, host meet and greets or thank her supporters for being so loyal.
Blondeau alluded to the special bond she has with her fan base back in 2015 in a follow-up to her 14th birthday. "You were so many to wish me a happy birthday [sic]," she wrote on Instagram, adding, "I really wanted to tell you guys that I LOVE YOU. And you really are the people that keep me going! Whatever I do I will not disappoint you!"
She must be doing something right by her fans because on Instagram alone Blondeau has more than two million followers (and counting) at the time of writing.
Modeling is her "secret garden"
Although it's hard to imagine given Blondeau's now-global reach, she's essentially just like any other teenager: she likes dancing, swimming, hanging with her BFFs, and skateboarding. When it comes to modeling, it's something separate that isn't a major talking point in her everyday life. "My friends and I don't talk about it a lot. It's kind of my secret garden," Blondeau explained to Teen Vogue in 2017. "But my family is very happy for me."
Of course, her friends are probably very happy for Blondeau too — even if her career isn't a frequent topic of conversation. And while it seems wild for it not to be "a thing" in their social circle, perhaps the novelty of it wore off long ago. After all, by the age of 4 Blondeau was strutting her stuff on the catwalk for iconic fashion houses like Jean Paul Gaultier. Her first modeling photo shoot took place at the tender age of 7. By now, everyone in her life has likely gotten used to Blondeau's high-profile career.
She has a doppelganger, and they're friends
It's said that everyone has a doppelganger in the world, yet, most people never get to meet theirs. However, Blondeau hasn't just seen hers — they've met and are actually good friends. So who is this twin? Hungarian model Barbara Palvin.
The two collaborated on a photo shoot for L'Oreal in October 2016, prompting Blondeau to describe the gig as "working with the queen." In the spring of the following year, the lookalike models ran into each other once again. Blondeau posted a pic of the pair on her Instagram feed, aptly captioning it, "My twin!!!!"
As far as doppelgangers go, Palvin's a pretty good one to have. In 2014, she starred alongside Dwayne Johnson in the hero film Hercules. In 2017, she graced the iconic pages of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition. And did we mention she has more than 7 million Instagram followers? These two don't simply bear an uncanny physical resemblance — their careers seem to be following an identical trajectory, too.
Haters, beware!
To be clear, Blondeau didn't proclaim herself the most beautiful girl in the world. That title was bestowed upon her by the media. However, it's a title which comes with inherent pressure and scrutiny. And for Blondeau, that means constantly deflecting barbs about her looks.
She's not one to stay silent in the face of such criticism, though. In 2015, Blondeau posted a throwback picture of herself to prove her hair is all natural, insisting, "It's my hair since I'm a baby." In 2015, she tried to squash the rampant speculation about her pillowy lips, declaring they have nothing to do with surgery and posting a selfie at age nine to prove it.
But in December 2017, Blondeau took a different tact by starting a dialogue. "I just want to be me, be myself and show you what I like or don't like," she wrote on Instagram in a since-deleted post, elaborating that despite people's commentary on her height, weight, body, style or anything else, "I consider myself normal."
She and her little bro are super-tight
Sibling rivalry is definitely a thing, but you wouldn't know it looking at Blondeau and her younger bro, Ayrton. The little guy pops up on his sister's Instagram feed often, and not in the typical frustrated-teen-complaining-about-their-annoying-kid-sibling kind of way. Rather, Blondeau can't get enough of Ayrton.
On his eighth birthday in May 2015, Blondeau called her little sib the "best BRO ever." She even thanked their mom for "this amazing gift." Aw, right? But wait, their kinship gets even cuter. On his ninth birthday in 2016, she changed it up slightly, calling him the "most amazing lil bro ever." Earlier that same year, she posted a picture of the pair hugging on a beach with the caption, "United for ever, Welded has never."
And the affection is mutual. On January 2018, Ayrton shared the sweetest snapshot of himself giving Blondeau a kiss on the cheek. "Ma Soeur je t'aime," he wrote, which translates to, "My sister I love you." Cue those warm and fuzzy feelings!
Meet the new millennial icon
If Blondeau is primed to become the next millennial icon. Exhibit A? She was hand-picked by Dolce & Gabbana for its spring 2017 campaign featuring "It" kids. The fashion house even tagged all the campaign photos with #DGMillennials. From the looks of it, Blondeau had no trouble fitting right in with the likes of celebrities such as Zendaya, Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, and Rafferty Law.
Exhibit B? Blondeau keeps company with a few other well-known millennials, too. In October 2015, she completed a shoot with "daaa queen" Gigi Hadid. In February 2016, she posed on a beach with fellow model Kaia Gerber, the daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber.
And, exhibit C, Blondeau embodies all things millennial. When asked by W about Chanel's 2016 "Intimate Technology" runway show theme, Blondeau responded, "Intimate technology means my daily life, as I was born in 2001. Technology is part of my routine; I can't imagine a world without technology everywhere." If that doesn't convince you of her millennial iconography, consider this picture of Blondeau lounging on a unicorn-Pegasus pool float.
She rocks and rolls, literally
In case you haven't gathered as much by now, let's just come right out with it — Blondeau is much more than just a pretty face. Yes, she is beautiful, but she's also a lovely person who is alarmingly grounded for someone who's been the center of so much attention. On top of all of that, she also happens to be talented — and not just at modeling. Thanks to a few videos the multi-faceted teen has shared on Instagram, it's no big secret that Blondeau is a musician. She shows considerable finesse on both the drum set and the piano.
In addition to rockin', Blondeau does her fair share of rollin' too. As in, she's an avid skateboarder. "#Skateboarding is a piece of wood, a turning system, and wheels but it changes your world once you step on it," she wrote in 2014 of her hidden talent, encouraging people to "go out and SHRED" whenever they need a quick pick-me-up.
Her mom puts the model in role model
Angelina Jolie may be co-star goals for Blondeau, but someone else has dibs on being her life role model: Blondeau's mom, Veronika Loubry. Given Loubry is a model and actress as well, you could say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Loubry makes frequent cameos on Blondeau's Instagram feed, where the young model can't help gushing about her stunning mother — whether it's sharing throwback photos of her mom's modeling shoots, bragging about her mom's natural "#no-silicone" beauty, or posting photos of the tight-knit pair together.
More than once, Blondeau has made reference to her growing similarity to her mother and how she "couldn't be prouder" about it. It makes sense, as Blondeau considers her mom her closest confidante and advisor. "My mum is always with me, and I'm constantly consulting her," Blondeau told W magazine.