There’s long been a myth percolating about the enviable French woman who spends her time munching on baguettes and enjoying bounties of Bordeaux. 6:00 a.m. SoulCycle classes? Don’t be ridiculous. Counting calories? Mais non! And yet, her body puts even New York’s most dedicated gym rats to shame. But what if it wasn’t that les femmes françaises were simply genetically blessed? What if they had another trick up their (cashmere) sleeves?

Enter aesthetician Martine de Richeville, whose slimming massage has long held court as the beau monde’s secret weapon to long and lithe physiques. That’s right—the key to losing inches off your waistline lies within a petite Parisian, fond of magenta lipstick and headbands, whose unique rémodelage technique is said to reshape silhouettes, reduce cellulite, boost tonicity, and release toxins.

Which is why when I learned that De Richeville would be in New York this month at Saks Fifth Avenue’s The Salon and Spa, I immediately booked a slot with her. “It’s a very specific massage,” said the Chinese medicine–trained body guru who recommends at least five weekly sessions to see visible results. “It works on the deeper skin layer where the fat tissue is aggregating. My movement softens these adhesions.”

Beginning with my stomach (“the ‘engine’ of our bodies” she said), she kneaded, pinched, and squeezed my skin. And while the treatment started off pleasantly enough, when she reached my legs, I was quickly grimacing in pain. “That’s the skin’s resistance—the cellulite,” she said. Suddenly, though, the pain disappeared. “It’s better, no?” she said with a smile. In fact, as she moved her hands across my legs, down my arms, and over my sides, memories of my typical morning workout seemed part of a distant past. I could get used to this, I thought to myself.

“See you next week?” I asked, feeling lighter and tighter upon finishing my 60-minute session. Alas, De Richeville shakes her head—she’s returning to Paris tomorrow. “It’s the season,” she said, referring to her devoted clients who would never jet off to St.-Tropez without squeezing in an hour with her first. But for those not heading to the City of Light anytime soon, take heart: De Richeville will be back in New York for an extended stay in September—just in time for New York Fashion Week.Read more at:www.marieaustralia.com/purple-formal-dresses | www.marieaustralia.com/orange-formal-dresses