makeup misconceptions

After living here for four years, I feel like I've become a keen observer of my native people-- not the French, but the Parisian (or Parisienne, as they call themselves). And more often than not, the Parisian woman shows off her natural elegance, style, that je ne sais quoi, without a proper coiffe nor makeup.

My clients often ask what types of beauty products the French love, what chic secrets they might take back stateside with them, and I'm always reluctant to answer-- because the answer is less is more. The recent NY Times article explains this phenomenon beautifully-- Sans Makeup, S'il Vous Plait. And I noted the same thing last night watching the Festival de Cannes on tv-- it's amazing how much less made-up the French are, compared to the Hollywood starlets. (The exceptions being those actresses who have 'crossed over' into American culture, such as Monica Belluci, etc.)

It seems a bit ironic that the country resposable for giving us Chanel, Guerlain, by Terry, etc. wears less of it than other cultures,but maybe this is how French women keep their mystique....they somehow manage to look sexy without looking perfect....