All you Need to be Impossibly French

Recently a friend lent me a book entitled All you Need to be Impossibly French by Helena Frith Powell. Although I would not be caught dead reading this on the metro in Paris out of sheer embarrassment, it is one of the most entertaining books I have read in a while.  Helena discusses and contrasts British or American women with French women, and particularly Parisian women.  All you Need to be Impossibly French is "a witty investigation into the lives, lusts, and little secrets of French women".  I have gathered the following guidelines from Madame Powell:

1.  Zen exercise i.e. yoga or power-walking is the way to go:

"I'm French, so I'm quite lazy about exercising, and I smoke.  But I do love going for a run in the morning with my dog.  That's all."  --Eva Green

2.  Never mind the botox:

"Age does not protect you from love.  But love, to some extent, protects you from age."  --Jeanne Moreau

3.  However, when you do want to cover up, make-up is a girl's indispensable ally:

"The most beautiful make-up on a woman is passion.  But cosmetics are easier to buy."  --Yves Saint Laurent

4.  Don't have too many single friends, advice direct from Coco Chanel.

"My friends, there are no friends."  --Coco Chanel

And the rest you will have to read for yourself because I am trying to keep the blog PG....  OR you can read this fun article:  This Is What ‘Parisienne’ Looks Like

Bisous bisous,

Mary