Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange
There are two things from the book that I’d like to share in my turn. The first one is about perfume, this wonderful world of scents, which says so much about a person and which can make our imagination run free in a fraction of a second and make us relive specific moments of our past with an unbelievable accuracy. It’s part of the code of good manners: “Never wear too much perfume; you’ll give your friends a headache.” And not only your friends, but to everyone you happen to pass by. It’s one of the most bad-taste things. Ever. This is a rule and it is not made to be broken. Coco Chanel was the first one who clearly pointed that out. “Spray yourself wherever you might be kissed. A woman who overdoes it with perfume has no future, for she will only offend her friends and admirers.”
And the second one, what I find more important than any beauty ritual are these lifelong beauty tips of Inès:
- Be well-groomed.
- Smell nice.
- Look after your teeth. Have them professionally cleaned every six months.
- Smile.
- Be indulgent.
- Be nonchalant and forget your age.
- Be cooler and more easy-going.
- Be less selfish.
- Be passionate about a man, a project, a house. It’s an instant facelift.
- Do only what suits you. The perferct Zen attitude.
- Accept that there will be bad days. And make the most of the good days.
Let’s make the best of this Tuesday!
photo: edited by me, Alina Ilie photographed by Sylvie Malfray for Elle Romania October 2010
Ada, I love this list so much! Thank you for this lovely post. I think “do only what suits you” is just perfection, and I’m going to really think about that this week, and longer I’m sure.
xo Mary Jo
Oh the perfume rule, sigh… So so true. I think (almost) everyone can remember the feeling when another person has not followed up to that important rule;) Love her beauty-attitude tips. Now I’m only more curious about her book! Hope you have a easy-going week Ada:)
j’adr Ines de la Fressange, She and her daughter are “tres chic”
Alex b
Such a great review! And this collage is amazing. Wishing you a wonderful day, darling! x
yes, her life style is a lesson of attitude !
have a gooood week !
I really loved this set of rules! Ines is great & that’s an inspiring post!
This is lovely! I’ve been wanting to read her book. Thanks for sharing, Ada! xoxo
I love, love, love these tips, especially “Do only what suits you.” Words to live by, absolutely!
I totally agree about the perfumes… I’m gonna try to put this plan (rules) into action and see what happens 🙂 Kisses!
loving this positive post & thanks for the tips on lifelong beauty 🙂
I read through a few pages of the book which my friend has and found it quite interesting, especially considering I lived in Paris for a few years. I do think her fashion tips are not to be followed specifically and are what works for her, but I completely agree with that list you posted. I also hate it when people overwhelm me with perfume. Scent is definitely something to be enjoyed in moderation (or switch to a scented body lotion/oil).
I have just fallen in love with that list! Especially the “forget your age” in light of my impending 30th this Saturday…(c: Couldn’t have come at a better time! Cheers!
oh what a beautiful post! particularly like ‘do only what suits you’ – a nice reminder.
I love these tips! Such good advice 🙂
Hi Ada! I was just thinking about getting the book! Thank you for sharing the tips and it’s so true about perfume! I love wearing mine and it always make me feel good. I also love her tips and being passionate is always a good thing and it’s what makes life worth it! By the way, I really want to see Tree of Life too! It looks so dreamy and I’ve heard good things about Brad Pitt’s performance! Hope you’re having a wonderful day! xoxoxoo
I love the tips on being indulgent and passionate. I love to treat myself and indulge (probably more than I should) and it’s wonderful to be passionate about something. It makes life interesting and worth it.
I cannot believe you wrote a post about that book yesterday! This book was in my letterbox when I got home yesterday 😉 I had been waiting for it for some time as it was currently unavailable. I had seen it in a bookshop and found it really cute and when I was browsing more thoroughly through it yesterday I totally fell in love with it. It surprised me how grounded it actually is and I love that. I’m looking forward to digging into it; perfect summer reading. And I SO agree with you and the author about too much perfume.
@Lisa
I also waited for this book for several weeks. It’s always on and out of stock on Amazon. When I first opened it I wasn’t very excited, I was expecting more information, but I then realized that it’s very thoughtfully written and that I relate to pretty much of what Ines says.
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