Soldana, the Paris-Based Filipina Singer-Songwriter
Dissecting "French girl beauty" standards, French pharmacy buys, and her beauty evolution from tanning bed-loving SoCal sorority girl to skincare-obsessed Parisian.
I first discovered @IAMSOLDANA’s content when she made a post illustrating the American vs. French approach to makeup. In the video, which now has over 1.2 million views, she painted the American half of her face with a bold lip, winged liner, and visible blush. The French half is far more minimalist, with a simple skin tint, nude lip oil, and swipe of mascara. This is a comparison I’ve contemplated countless times over my career as a beauty editor. Trends come and go, but “French girl beauty” remains an elusive ideal many women strive for.
It’s no wonder why every publication from Vogue to Byrdie to Allure (which has a whole sub-page dedicated to “French Beauty” on their site) has a French beauty guide. Write “French girl” or “Parisian” before anything (lipstick, hair, skincare, manicure), and there’s immediate intrigue. Meanwhile, videos about French beauty accrue billions of views on TikTok.
When you think “French girl beauty,” do you imagine someone Filipina? Probably not.
That’s why I hit “follow” immediately.
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Nina Cretan, also known by her artist name, Soldana, is a Paris-based singer-songwriter and Filipino American content creator. Originally from the Bay Area, Soldana lived in New York City before moving to Paris in 2020 while working in consulting. She has since left her corporate job, married a French native, and amassed a following of over 291,000 across social platforms.
In a country where only approximately 50,000 Filipinos reside (many of them as domestic workers), it’s rare to see a Filipina living in Paris, paving her own path as a multi-hyphenate artist.
With a healthy dose of satire and self-awareness (Emily Cooper could never!), Soldana shares vlogs of daily life in Paris, observations of cultural differences, French covers of popular songs like “Birds of Feather,” and comedic takes on being Filipino American. She also releases original music. Her singles “Heaven Written,” “Starving,” and latest release “PARLE-MOI” are all dreamy, sensual, folksy odes to love and lust. Think Hozier, but from a woman’s POV (and sometimes en français).
“I think my music is very romantic, whimsical, a little bit dark,” Soldana says. “Since we’re talking about Filipino culture, I feel like singing and music are very big because of my family. My Lola sang to me as a child. I feel like everyone's just very musical from that part of the world.”
I caught up with Soldana before she embarked on a three-week bachelorette trip across the Philippines. Ahead, read more about how living in Paris changed her beauty routine, the difference between NorCal and SoCal beauty, and what’s inside her beauty bag.
What are your earliest beauty memories?
I did do a beauty pageant when I was 12! I'm pretty sure my mom signed me up. Even as a 12-year-old, you're expected to wear makeup and curl your hair and everything. I have all these abstract visions of digging through my mom's wedding makeup. My mom doesn't wear a ton of makeup day to day; most of the makeup she owns was bought at MAC from her wedding day. She would buy me the little fake eyeshadow palettes from Claire's–they were really crappy pigments–and would be blue or green.
When middle school came around, I think my friends were interested in experimenting with makeup and watching YouTube tutorials. I got really into that, too. As I moved into high school, I was a cheerleader. I feel like whenever you're doing stage or performing arts, you use makeup a lot. I experimented with bold looks for a while. I think it carried into college: I did sorority life, and it was still very heavily “done up.” Then, I moved to Paris, and they see makeup so differently here.
Growing up in the Bay Area, did you feel connected to Filipino culture or the Filipino community there?
I would say I felt very connected. My mom was born and raised in the Philippines, but then she moved to the US with her parents and siblings. When my mom first immigrated, they moved to San Bruno or Fremont, which is super Filipino. But then, they moved out to East Bay, which is less of that case. I never had a babysitter growing up. My Lolo and Lola lived a couple of houses down from us. I know other kids went to summer camps during summer break, but I was always at their house. I also basically spent my summers in the Philippines as a kid. I think we're very typical [Filipino] in the sense that my mom and her siblings find every reason to get together at least once a week. I feel like my cousins were my siblings because we were always together. And, my mom only cooks Filipino food!
As a kid, did you feel like you thought about being Filipino at all? Were you super conscious of it at the time?
This is going to sound bad, but I remember being a kid, and I hated it. I think because my school was predominantly white, I felt like a lot of the “popular” girls were the beauty standard–the girls that guys liked were always the white girls. I am half white, but at the same time, I don't get treated like them. I still don't count. So I felt like there was always a part of me that wished I wasn't [Filipino]. Then you get older, and with hindsight, you start to appreciate all the beautiful things that come with it. Now, of course, I'm so happy to be Filipino, but it's funny how when you're younger, you don't always feel that way.
Did your mom or Lola pass down any beauty tips to you?
Neither my mom nor my Lola were really big on makeup. I think they were just more about simplicity is key. My mom only uses either Ivory soap or Cetaphil to wash her face and uses a moisturizer, and that's her only thing. My Lola hasn't worn makeup in a long time! She went to a birthday party recently for a friend, she got her makeup done, and she hated it. She didn't recognize herself! Nobody was really into makeup in my family, and yet, I loved going crazy with my makeup looks.
You’re from NorCal, but you went to school in SoCal (San Diego). California has its own beauty culture–how did that influence your beauty routine?
My very important, formative adult years of college were in Southern California. NorCal is less about being “done up.” It was a bit more on the natural side. It was more like, you were cool if you were doing the least effort possible. I’d wear a full face of makeup for cheer competitions and dances. But then, when I got to Southern California, I started noticing that all the girls around me were getting “done up” every time they went outside the house.
I think SoCal, and I think beachy blonde and tan. Do you have that same association?
Oh my God, I tanned such an unhealthy amount. It's so bad. I don't know why. I was obsessed with tanning. What's crazy is that–this is just San Diego for you–in my apartment complex on my university campus, we had tanning beds in the apartment. It was free to use! It was just in the gym. Also, in San Diego, there's this salon called iTAN where all of the frat boys had memberships to get spray tanned. Everyone was so obsessed with being tan. It was crazy toxic. So bad for you!
Meanwhile, because I was fortunate enough to visit the Philippines a lot growing up, they're selling whitening soaps when you go there. They’re trying to sell you some whitening cream. It’s crazy.
Was it strange to see the contrast between the American vs. Filipino beauty standards?
A hundred percent. The West is all about being tan. I think it's lessening now that people have been spreading more awareness about skin cancer and how it's not healthy to force a tan.
In France, are tanning beds or fake tanning popular?
Oh, they don't talk about it. That's the thing about France – I feel like there's a lot more taboo around beauty. They don’t like to talk about anything to enhance their appearance. They'll do it, but they'll do it in private. They're not as open as Americans who will just yap like, ‘I use spray tan.’ They do love a summer tan, but I don't know if in Paris, specifically, people are going to tanning salons. I don't see that. I think they avoid spray tans because they don't like anything that looks too fake and, sometimes, spray tans don't look the most natural. People are very demure about how they enhance their beauty. They'll never talk about plastic surgery.
“That's the thing about France – I feel like there's a lot more taboo around beauty. They don’t like to talk about anything to enhance their appearance. They'll do it, but they'll do it in private.”
How else would you describe the difference between the French vs. American approach to beauty?
They heavily frown upon makeup. I wouldn't say they're against a lot of makeup because if they can't tell it's a lot of makeup, they don't mind. They're not for the bold looks–they associate that with Americans a lot. They have this stereotype that Americans and British people wear a ton of makeup. So, I think adjusting from this world in California where I was always very “done up,” then coming here [to Paris] where that's not the case at all, was a funny contrast. I feel like I've come a long way. Now, I'm obsessed with skincare.
Do you think that moving to Paris is what made you more interested in skincare?
Yes–I was so reckless with my skincare growing up. I took for granted that I had nice skin to begin with, so I never really had to do anything. Paris had a really big impact on my skincare routine because, if you're not wearing makeup, it's nice to take care of your face, which is very exposed. I have a lot of friends who work at the different parent companies for beauty – [Estée] Lauder, Shiseido – and I worked in consulting with beauty companies as clients. I think that’s what started it, too. When I was working with all the beauty clients, they would give me free products like nobody's business! They had these sample rooms where you could grab products to try. I just started using them and finding what I liked.
Working in beauty, I’ve always heard of “French girl beauty,” this elusive beauty standard that Americans, in particular, are obsessed with. Have you found that this American perception of a “French girl” is true?
Yes and no. You have ones in Paris who, you can tell, are leaning into the “French girl” look. They try to emulate it and go for this messy, effortless look. Bangs is so French. People usually go for a smudged red lip. They want it to seem like you’ve just been making out with someone. A bit of mascara and a bit of rouge on the cheeks, and that’s it. I would say, as someone who's marrying into a French family, all the women in my fiancé's family don't wear a lot of makeup. Maybe “French beauty” is just the natural look.
That’s definitely more minimalist than the American approach to makeup. If you look at any red carpet, you’ll see it’s so much makeup.
But also, it looks good on camera. That's why celebrities are doing it. Also, as someone who used to perform on stage a lot, it looks good on stage! But in real life, you'll never see powder on a French girl's face. You’ll never see that “cake-y” look. I don’t think people wear foundation here–maybe they’ll do very minimal concealer–but you can always see their skin. Otherwise, it’s frowned upon. People are very judgmental about looks – especially in Paris. Whether they admit it or not, they don’t like when you can see the makeup.
Was there anything surprising that you learned about beauty while living in Paris?
I used to rinse my face with harsh acne soaps, I think it was the St. Ives Apricot scrub. I used to use all these different exfoliants. Here–I think it's a French thing–I only use micellar water now. I don't need to wash my face every day. I always take a cotton pad to take my makeup off.
Another thing is that in the U.S., when you go to the dermatologist, they give you medical-grade products. I think it’s funny how my dermatologist in France says, “Oh, just go to the pharmacy and get this product over the counter.” If I'm having an issue with my skin, like I’m dry, they’ll be like, “Oh yeah, go get La Roche Posay Cicaplast.”
Do you know the whole debacle around SPF in the U.S.? [The sunscreen regulations] are super old and outdated.
Yes! This is why people are obsessed with when they go to France, or anywhere in Europe. There’s UV filters used abroad–especially in Australia when I visit my husband’s family–that are just more advanced.
A lot of French people use this app called Yuka. I went on summer vacation with my family this year, and then I took the Yuka app, and Jessica Alba had this new sunscreen that she released. I don't know if it was part of Honest or a new brand, but the aesthetic was natural, minimalist, and healthy. It didn’t look like Coppertone. So, I scanned it on Yuka. I didn’t think it could be that bad. It was zero out of 100. Then, I realized all SPFs in the U.S. are pretty much zero because they haven’t updated the UV blockers.
I do feel like what you get abroad is more advanced, especially in Australia, Korea, and France. I stock up at CityPharma! Which beauty products do you buy at the French pharmacy?
The one that my fiance's French family loves for sunscreen is SVR. This orange one [SVR Blur Sun Secure SPF 50] is a French family favorite. For the micellar water, Bioderma. What I like about going into a French pharmacy is that I don’t need to worry about whether they’re ‘clean’ or not. I trust that, because of regulations in the EU, most products you get will be, in general, cleaner than what you get in the States.
You do have amazing skin – walk us through your skincare routine.
I have [La Roche Posay] Cicaplast, [Retacnyl] Tretinoin is the retinol you get in the French Pharmacy. There’s this new brand, La Rosée, I have their deodorant. I really don't like any deodorants with aluminum. I know they work a lot better, but I like how it's natural. I also have their SPF stick. The Cicaplast [Barier Repairing Balm] is what French people–and doctors–swear by. Whenever my lips are chapped, or I have chapped skin, my derm in France will tell me to get that. Even when I get facials done in Paris, they tell me to put this on afterward to help my face repair.
I use so many SkinCeuticals products because my friend works there, so I get them 50% off. I use the C E Ferulic serum, Silymarin, and the Triple Lipid Restore moisturizer. I use Phyto Corrective Gel because I get a lot of little brown spots. SkinCeuticals is when I want to put actives on my face, and then Typology is more so when I want a really simple moisturizer. If my skin is going through the ringer and I don't want to aggravate it or make it mad at me, I'll just use Typology. They're a classic French skincare brand. I’m a big fan!
What makeup do you love?
I have two different routines: If I want really light makeup, I will use Typology. They have all these tinted serums, but with active ingredients. I feel like I'm not layering too much on my face. They have pretty much everything like concealer, skin tint, mascara. In my other routine, I like to use YSL Beauty Top Secrets Moisture Glow for primer, Make Up For Ever for my foundation, NARS for blush. And Tarte Shape Tape concealer.
What’s your go-to lip product?
Typology! I like the lip oil. It feels very natural. It's straight-up oil with a bit of colored pigment, so it is not too sticky, like lip gloss. It’s just a smoother application.
Are there any spas you like in Paris for treatments?
I go to Better Than Cream quite a bit and another one called Aesthé. I’ve done microneedling a bit at both of them – they’re both really nice salons in Paris.
Thank you so much, Nina. I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with Pearl!
Thanks, Kristina!
She’s like a real Emily in Paris!