Angelina Jolie’s decision to partner with Guerlain was a personal one.
The actress and philanthropist is the face of the brand’s scent Mon Guerlain, which the company’s website says she also inspired. Jolie revealed her late mother, The Man Who Loved Women actress Marcheline Bertrand, influenced her choice in an interview with Marie Claire. While it’s rare for Jolie to speak of her mom who died in 2007 after battling ovarian cancer for nearly a decade, she opened up the magazine about her mother’s fondness for Guerlain.
“It was a brand my mother loved, so I knew it from my childhood,” Jolie shared. “It spoke to her, as it does to me, of beauty, history, and quality; one of the oldest perfume houses in the world, from France, a country I love and feel connected to.”
France, after all, hosted her surprise wedding to Brad Pitt in August 2014. USA TODAY confirmed that Jolie filed for divorce from the Allied actor in September of last year.
Jolie said her mom, who was married to Ray Donovan actor Jon Voight, scarcely pampered herself.
“She was a very natural woman who never spoiled herself, never wore makeup, and wore modest jewelry,” Jolie revealed, “but she always had a few special items for when she wanted to feel like a lady. One of those — and I remember it because it seemed so elegant — was her Guerlain powder. I think all women have those few special things that make them feel feminine.”
It seems Jolie’s tie to Guerlain will also be a significant memory for her six children as she donated her salary from the campaign to charity.
“The Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation’s work is inspired by our children and their connections to particular countries,” explained Jolie. “We visit the projects together, and it is growing with them. We started 13 years ago in Cambodia, and have since moved to Ethiopia and Namibia, too. It is dedicated to education, health, and the environment. We are gradually expanding, but our focus is still very much on enabling local people to develop their own communities and future, as well as rights for women and children.”
