Tips on being impossibly French!

Helen Frith Powell once replied my email. I like her LOL.

ALL YOU NEED TO BE IMPOSSIBLY FRENCH by Helena Frith Powell is a book bought on a whim. I enjoyed it so much. Like reading a magazine, only with 222 pages and zero photograph. Here's a proper post after reading it for the second time.

I never cared much for the French, despite the fact that they are known for their charm, elegance, allure, sexiness, style and everything else (you get what I'm saying). You won't believe the number of books written on this subject. The term femme fatale is French anyway. Well, this book revolves around French women and what makes them, uhm, well, French!

Ways of becoming more French:

It's in the state of mind
I think it's planted in the minds of the French, since they were young, that they need to look good, proper and alluring- it's in their state of mind. So to be more French, set a higher expectation on how you want to look or present yourself. Always be poised and composed! Never lose it. Always be in control.

 They are not exactly French, but they are poised.

When you wake up, walk and make decisions, think Rania, think Audrey!

Move it, move it!

French ladies aren't exactly into doing anything heavy for exercising. They go for plies, yoga and "move" when they they get the chance to.


Exhibit 1: One of the author's acquaintances used her husband to exercise- her husband enjoys sex, while this lady doesn't. She only sees sex as an opportunity to exercise. A win-win for them- husband is happy, she stays slim. HAHA. If only the guy knew...

Exhibit 2: French ladies look for the opportunity to move. Stairs or elevators? They'd choose the stairs.


I have started holding my stomach regularly thanks to this book (the author swears by it). You can also do bum clenches while stuck at a traffic jam or while working. These help firm muscles, I think.

Lingerie love
I must credit this book for changing the way I look at (and buy) lingerie. French ladies consider their lingerie just like their clothes- both equally important. They feel that they have to start from the inside to feel good about the their whole look. Well, some invest a lot in lingerie to seduce (they're French, they can't help it).

Department stores like Galaries Lafayette in Paris provides an unimaginably huge (for our standards at least) selection of lingerie- not a surprise as French ladies spend a lot on really good lingerie- it's part of their budget.

 Chantal Thomass lingerie.

The right lingerie can really alter a person's mood and transform how her body looks. It's not just the outside that counts, the inside may help give you a bigger impact. Don't simply buy cheap lingerie- invest in good ones that will complement and give proper support to your body. Consider them as investment!

"An underwear can either make or break you"

Beauty necessities and dressing right

I read that French bathrooms are like apothecaries. They're filled with jars and jars of creams and lotions. I don't really believe that creams can make a person slimmer or make thighs cellulite-free but they are firm believers of these things. They generally have several kinds of creams for their hands, to be used at different times a day! They also invest a lot in other beauty products like makeup and perfumes and have appointments with their beauticians regularly.

 Think this is enough? It really isn't. At least not for a typical French lady.

The way they maintain themselves may be too much for most of us, but I guess it's okay to take bits of their values and incorporate them in our lives. This book has reminded me that it is vital to take care of how I look (much more important that any bag I'm carrying). And after spending on, back then, an unusual amount on beauty products (never had I imagined five years ago that I'd be buying an RM80 per bottle of 250ml shampoo!) at one point and taking care of myself better, I realized the difference.

If you can afford it, go for a head-to-toe spa. If not, DIY!!! Scrub your whole body and slather good lotion onto your it. Get nails done at home. Wear a mask. You'll feel real great! This may be tiring and time-consuming, but once it's become a routine, you'll look awesome 24/7.

Just do it often. I'm a bit inconsistent in this department...


Also, dress like it matters EVERY TIME. Presentation is vital. As stated in the book:

"If someone is badly dressed or looks shabby, the French won't take them seriously. It's a sign that you cannot hold things together intellectually"

Be cultured

 

French women are aware of their literary past. They "outclass British and American equivalents in terms of education and conversation", as put by one of the author's friends. In France, women who are intelligent and knowledgeable are considered sexy. Reading chic-lits won't do. They read from literary authors. Try Collette.

"For French women, culture is as important as fashion"

Hmm. I've read a few (what I consider) literary fictions (because they were placed in the literature section of Kinokuniya HAHA). The heavier ones, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The rest, I suppose, are nothing comparable to what French women read.

No, studying literature in secondary school doesn't count. Don't cheat.

Also, French women would also queue a long line just to get into a museum or a new exhibition. Dare to be more cultured? Start small- visit the Petronas Gallery or RA Fine Arts ;)


By the way, however vain, Asna is the ultimate French FAIL when it comes to culture. My brother once showed her a painting by Picasso on google.

In an indifferent tone, all she had to say was:

"Oh, I can do that"

I really don't know how to react to that. I think it left my brother speechless.

Anyway, that's all I'm sharing- but there's more in the book (obviously). If you want to read the whole book (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!), kindly visit Kinokuniya or just order the book from Amazon. Good luck in turning more French!