Finding 50 and Fabulous....Lesser known French Beauty Secrets....

 

 

Nowadays we all know about eating foods high in anti oxidants and limiting wine and caffeine, but as a regular visitor to France, here are some things I've learned on the ground. The things that real people do to enhance their enjoyment of life. Because a joie` de vivre is far more important than just looking young!

 

 

  This is a photograph I took of the staircase in an apartment building where a friend had generously lent us her apartment on the Left Bank for our stay, as she had fled Paris for the Summer to retreat to her country Chateau. As one does. When at home, she, and we, walked up and down these stairs several times a day. That's a lot of stairs, people. And that's in addition to just walking to the Monoprix for groceries, and the other usual stuff that one does in Paris. Walk, instead of driving. Soak up your neighbourhood. Enjoy, breathe.

 

Furnish your home beautifully and spend money on things that will last a lifetime, not a season. And make sure that the furnishings and colours of your home frame YOU as the inhabitant.

 

Choose colours that are flattering to YOU, and use soft lighting to enhance the display of precious items, and to make everyone who enters your home, look their most beautiful. People won't know why they love coming to you, but they will adore how they look when they're with you!

 

In that vein, can I add....mirrors, candles, chandeliers, lamps...lots of them!

 

 

Fresh flowers and greenery are good for the soul. This is a display outside a convenience store and florist in the tiniest little town in South Western France. The floristry side of the business far outstripped the priority given to more mundane goods like butter and milk. You can just cut some from the garden, or clip some leaves or fronds. It's lovely to have fresh flowers and greenery in the house. Be it as cut foliage and blooms, or as pot plants. I always have a mixture all three.

 

 

Eat the best quality you can afford, in moderate amounts, and present it elegantly, at a table presented equally beautifully. None of this eating on laps thankyou.

 

Here is a list of the good things to eat, as touted by the experts. But really, the French people I know don't worry about it too much. They eat what they like, when they like, but always, always moderate portions.

 

Oysters and oily fish like salmon Blueberries Yoghurt Pulses and beans Spinach and greens in abundance Quinoa Tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables Ancient grains Raw Honey Locally grown fruit   That looks about what most of us eat these days. Right? I think we're all reasonably savvy in this day and age. Maybe we're all a wee bit more 'French'.   And here's just a couple more tips that work for me...   Wear lighter makeup Laugh, love, dance, and walk more Drink more water Grow your hair and learn how to wear it elegantly Introduce colour into your wardrobe Dress for your body shape, always Forget 'fashion' and develop your own style Use a good whitening toothpaste Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise   What are your beauty secrets?
...Mimi...