French News & Views

Frenchmen love red lipstick.

You know the drill on this one: I look, listen and read whatever strikes my fancy and then pass the information along to you in the hopes you will share my enthusiasm, surprise and delight. By definition these News & Views posts do not make a cohesive story, therefore headlines oblige.

Today I shall begin with a survey in this week's French Elle which asked Frenchmen what they like -- and more important perhaps -- what they don't like us to wear.

What Les Hommes Said. . .

Not only has Guerlain found a perfect red, but the company has also inserted it into a stunning mirrored tube.

Crazy colors lots of la-dee-da going on -- 56% said "non, merci."

Skirts above the knee (and waaay above the knee) -- "oui, oui, oui."  (Quelle suprise. . .)

Skirts covering the knees -- 90% don't like them.

Detest is the word used to describe wedge shoes or les compensées -- 72% beg us not to wear them.

On the other hand -- or foot -- they love stilettos, 74% would like us to wear them every day.

(A personal aside: Most men I know like ballerines although I cannot give you percentages.)

When it comes to prints, 68% don't like leopard and 66% say they're fine with flowers, polka dots, etc.

Some of these percentages are not particularly surprising: 82% percent want to banish one-piece maillots; 58% don't like running shoes as a street wear choice; 94% hate lots of brightly colored eye-shadow and 98% are crazy about les slims, i.e. second skin jeans and trousers.

Et voila.

A New Find

Mine are on the left. I didn't like the others.

Yesterday while shopping in one of my favorite "boutiques" -- the pharmacy -- I saw an exciting (!) two-for-one sale on Caudalie shower gels. They are dee-vine. I have recently been diagnosed with ultra sensitive skin and these products are for sensitive and delicate skin promising to be "non-irritating and soap-free."

They smell delicious and are a delightful consistency. Both are enriched with aloe vera. The Fleur de Vigne is lightly perfumed with white rose, rose pepper (I don't understand what that means, but the result is delicious) and a soupçon of melon water.

The Zeste de Vigne evokes an undefinable floral bouquet spiced with the leaves and fruits of lemon trees. It's impossible to explain, but out-of-this-world lovely.

Too Cool for The Pool

For every problem, a solution: a take with you wherever you go makeup sac that keeps products cool in all kinds of weather. At the beach, in the car -- anywhere where it's hot and things can melt, we now have one less worry. Tintamar has invented a system like those other sacks for sandwiches and such where you slide in a ice thingie right from the fridge that will keep all cosmetics cool.

The sacs, priced at 22 Euros, come in gold, silver or black.

I would imagine one could slip in some mood altering chocolate. I've found I have more problems with melted chocolate than melted lipsticks, but that's just me.