Mon amour de toutes choses français (My love of all things French) Part Deux

Bonjour! Je me fie que vous avez tout un bon matin...(I trust that you are all having a good morning...)

Today, I'd like to focus on two things that are d'haute importance to the French women; lingerie and skin care.

Lingerie

"French women know that fabulous lingerie can not only transform your body, but it can give your self-esteem a shot of confidence as well, making you instantly feel more feminine and sexy. For them, it is an everyday must. According to a survey, women spend close to twenty percent of their annual clothing budgets on lingerie alone in France." - Margeaux Baulch Klein

I don't know about you, but I do NOT spend a lot of money or time and effort in this category. I do know, however, that when I do...the French are absolutely right...it does make me feel instantly feminine and sexy. I am sure that my husband would be very reconnaissant (appreciative)...oui, ooh la la...if I decided to spend 20% of my annual clothing budget on lingerie. Just wish that someone would develop a line of haute couture lingerie that is comfortable too...best of both worlds! OH...and inexpensive...currently, I would rather spend money on something that people are actually going to see...and also something that will stay on for more than 15 minutes.

Ahhhhh...what a very American mindset I have...

Here is where I would typically post pictures...but honestly, I think that you all know what lingerie looks like. The internet is filled with racy photos of women in skimpy lingerie and since I can't guarantee that I am not going to be a stumbling block to any men out there (i.e. your husbands, boyfriends etc), I'd rather keep this subject photo-free. If you need some lingerie ideas or are curious about what type of lingerie french women don...please feel free to browse yourself...

Skin Care


"French women are notoriously secretive when it comes to sharing their style and beauty secrets. Looking good and ageing well are an essential part of daily life, but they are a part that women don’t want to share with anybody else. “I like a nice car,” Anne told me, “but I don’t want to know how it works, or how its bodywork is kept in tiptop condition. It’s the same for women: we should look great, but why do we have to tell everyone how we do it?”

Because of their secretive ways, it's sometimes difficult to get a straight answer as to the real truth behind their seemingly effortless beauty...however, some things have been written on the subject and I'd like to share them with you...

Skin Care - The French Way

Renée Rouleau shares French skin care tips from her many travels to visit her family in France.

Facial Salons

French women value having beautiful skin and put a big emphasis on quality skin care products. It is rather obvious due to how many facial salons there are, not only in the big city of Paris, but also the small villages around the country. They have as many skin care salons as we in the United States have nail salons. Monthly facials are a regular part of a women's life in France. In the U.S, we are so busy with our lives that we don't take the time to relax and care for ourselves with a nice pampering facial. Similarly with food, Americans are so busy and often view eating as something we have to do to sustain our energy (think "fast" food), but the French truly love food and take their time to enjoy it with their lunches and dinners often lasting 2-4 hours. The French know how to balance their lives and care for their skin and getting their regular monthly facials is something they are never too busy to do.

Starting Early

Prevention is the key to their beautiful skin. By starting young (as early as 15), getting regular facials and following a good home care routine are very important to the French. They know that how they care for their skin today paves the road for the future health of their skin. They are diligent about using their French skin care products. Many American women wait until years later to get serious about their skin in hopes of erasing the skin sins of their past.

Minimal Makeup

Because they are so disciplined about caring for their skin, they like to reveal its beauty, rather than covering it up with heavy makeup. Makeup is viewed as something to enhance them, not to hide under.

"It really astonishes me the way American women wear so much makeup," said Laura Mercier, the French creator of a line of cosmetics and skin care who lives in New York. "In America, even teenage girls are overly made-up. And when you are overly made-up, you send out the message that you are overly sexual, that you want to be visible to attract men."

By contrast, Ms. Mercier said: "French women are not flashy. They must be subtle. The message must not be, 'I'm spending hours on my face to look beautiful.' "

Keeping It Gentle

In the U.S., there has been much advancement in professional skin treatments that can improve the appearance of the skin and slow down skin aging. Microdermabrasion, lasers and chemical peels are some of these popular treatments. But the French really haven't embraced these procedures. Why? Primarily because of the prevention they have taken with their skin allows them to not have to seek these treatments to "fix" the damage done on the skin. American women seek out these invasive procedures to try to turn back the clock instead of focusing on prevention.

Skin Care Products

Since French women religiously care for their skin at home and practice good skin care habits (washing their face every night, using a gentle cleanser, toner and moisturizer morning and evening, giving their skin weekly masks), the skin care business is very competitive. There are many, many French skin care lines that are sold not only at the facial salons, but at the many beauty stores they have. The products are more "natural" using a lot of botanicals and essential oils. They don't use harsh and invasive ingredients that may sting and cause irritation on their skin. Many of the American women have the philosophy of "if I can't feel it working, it must not be working." The Renée Rouleau Skin Care products are very popular among French women.

Minimal Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery in France is not nearly as popular as in the U.S. You won't see many women who've had face lifts or have had Botox®. They take a very holistic approach and embrace their natural beauty. Self acceptance is very strong for the women of France.

Bio Visage Facial Treatments

This popular French skin rejuvenation treatment is considered to be a non-surgical face lift and gives almost instant, visible results to tighten, tone and firm aging skin. Low level electrical impulses are used in conjunction with specialized products to improve muscle tone in the face and neck, tighten and lift jowls, soften wrinkles, and restore the glow of youthful skin...after just one treatment. This painless, non-invasive facial has become popular alternative to cosmetic surgery in France and is now being offered exlusively at Renée Rouleau.

But Then There's The Smoking

They wear sunscreen daily, they limit their exposure to the sun, they practice good skin care habits, they keep their stress levels in tact, and they certainly eat healthy foods, but their one bad habit is smoking. Many, many women in France smoke. Renée actually walked into a nice skin care salon, and the receptionist who greeted her was actually smoking right there at the front desk! Smoking certainly isn't healthy for their skin and many women do have a sallow, dull skin color as a result of both first and second hand smoke.
"...one lady did admit that looking good can be a full-time job. “By the time you’ve got down to your toes, it’s time to start at the top again,” she said. “Sometimes, it all becomes a bit much, but it’s not part of our genetic make-up to just let ourselves go.”

Hmmmm...oooooh, what we could learn...


Hands and feet (From The Sunday Times April 15, 2007)

“My top tip for seductive hands and feet is to rub cream into them as often as you can. There’s nothing more unsexy than flaky feet,” says Manon, a Parisian friend who swears by the Body Shop’s Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion (£7). “Once a month, I cover my hands and feet in cream and then wrap them in clingfilm for the whole night.” I have yet to try her tip (maybe it’s the clingfilm that’s putting me off), but I have tried the Metrospa hand and foot facial at Richard Ward’s salon in London (020 7730 1222), where your extremities are treated to microdermabrasion (normally reserved for the face) before a pedicure or manicure. This process removes the top layer of skin, leaving your hands and feet soft enough to caress or be caressed. Body moisture Another tip for all-over-smooth seductive skin from Nicole is to put on body moisturiser after your shower or bath without completely drying your skin first. This locks in moisture much more effectively.
Perfume (From The Sunday Times April 15, 2007)

Coco Chanel was once asked where you should spray scent. Her response? “Wherever you want to be kissed.” The same could well apply to a French woman’s entire beauty regime. She takes care of every part of her body and face so that she’s ready to seduce anybody from her husband to the Duke of Westminster. And who wouldn’t want to do that?

The more I seek, the more I find...there is so much information out there on french women and their beauty secrets. I find it all so fascinating!

Mais hélas. ..once encore, il n'y a pas de temps...(But alas...once again, there is no time...)

Avoir un jour merveilleux!
Have a wonderful day!

XO