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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Steamy Summer Soldes

Good morning blogsphere!

It is another hot, steamy day in lovely Paris and the sales are about to hit their second week. While most of the good couture is gone at this point, there is still the deuxieme demarque to look forward to! :-) Either the buyers planned better or the economy is picking up, because this set of sales did not see nearly the amount of discounted couture available that I was able to snag this winter. Or maybe I just have good taste, because it seemed that the dress I'd been debating about from Maje and the scrumptious velvet Chanel sandals I could not justify paying full price for (after having bought a pair of Chanel white wedges and my Dior wedding shoes in the past month) had both sold through before the sales. My main win was the two pairs of Tod's ballerinas I was able to grab after waiting patiently for nearly an hour to actually get into the store. My shopping partner did score big with a beautiful pair of Prada snakeskin sandals, and we were both able to pick up some cute summer dresses at Derby. Good times. I look forward to hitting up Printemps and Lafayette after the next round of markdowns... :-)

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour:
Summertime equals pool time; and if you enjoy taking a quick dip in the pool for some refreshment from the heat, you know that you will be faced with one of hair's greatest enemies: chlorine! As a blonde who adores floating lazily around a pool for entire afternoons, I've had to battle with brittle, dry hair afterwards. One of the best solutions to the problem is to wet your hair in the shower before you hop in the pool. If your hair is already wet, it will not absorb as much of the chlorinated water. If your hair does get dry and damaged, try a conditioning mask. I have used Borghese's Fango Active Mud for Hair for years. I also recently tried Matrix Sleek.Look Miracle Reconstructor which is more of a hard core conditioner than a hair mask, but I was also pleased with the results. (I love the Sleek.Look shampoo and conditioner so much that whenever family or friends come to visit from the US, I implore them to bring the economy size bottles for me!)

Click of French Culture:
When it comes to weddings, the French love to party until dawn. My American guests were quite amazed by the number of people still going strong on the dance floor at 4 am. At dawn, it is traditional to serve the remaining guests onion soup before they head to bed- a great way to finish an entire day of celebrating! The tradition apparently started long ago, when the bride and the groom would leave the wedding party (leaving everyone else to dance and drink) to consummate their marriage. After an appropriate amount of time, the partiers would arrive with a massive pot of onion soup to wake up the bride and groom. Afterwards, the remaining revellers would come to finish the soup. Today, the bride and the groom party with the guests and retire after the onion soup. Jonesing for your own bowl of onion soup? Try this recipe.

A bientot, readers!
-Liz Anne

Monday, June 29, 2009

Bouncing Down the Aisle...


Bonjour blogsphere,

After a brief two-week hiatus (I know my husband in particular missed his daily dose of fashion tips) I'm back! Refreshed. Suntanned. Officially married. Planning a wedding in a foreign country in a remote location can be quite a challenge! Everything went smoothly on the day of the ceremony, and I promise to regale all of you readers with tales from the wedding, after I conquer the 500+ e-mails awaiting me in my work inbox...


Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour:
So, friends, I must admit that I did something completely horrible before the wedding. I went to the tanning bed. I know. I know. I KNOW. I think the trade-off of three tanning sessions (and the added skin damage) for tan wedding pictures is totally worth it. While I was there, the spa attendant convinced me to pick up HOT! Indoor Tanning Lotion by Australian Gold, and I must admit, I have never tanned faster. While I have sworn off tanning beds unless ABSOLUTELY necessary in the future, for those of you naughty people still partaking in fake-baking, definitely pick up the HOT! Lotion. As an added bonus, it smells really yummy- like chocolate and oranges!

Whether you are a perennial tanning bed user or a sun worshipper, with age you begin to notice more and more "beauty marks" appearing. Don't fear! There is a solution: Lancome Bright Expert. Back when I was still working in the cosmetics industry, I had a client that had developed a really bad pregnancy mask. I convinced her to try the Absolue Spot Serum (which was a precursor to the Bright Expert) and it really broke up a lot of the discoloration. I've heard that the Bright Expert was able to almost completely clear up her remaining discoloration. Next time I'm at the Lancome boutique, I totally plan on picking some up!

Click of French Culture:
Sticking with the wedding theme, today's topic is the ever delectible dragee- served at every French wedding! Some of you may know the dragee as Jordan Almonds- essentially, it is an almond wrapped with a light layer of chocolate and finished with a hard sugar coating. Dragees can be any color- ours were royal blue and white. Another minor tibit is that the thinner the sugar coating, the better quality of the actual dragee. You also take a look at the following detailed pictorial process of creating dragees.

That's all the time I have for today! I promise to post some wedding photos soon!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

French Administration: the Customer is Never Right

Bonjour readers,

Every expat living in France (as well as most French people) has a story or two about the trials and tribulations of dealing with the French administration. There is nothing quite like the French administration. You never really know what documentation they will decide they need, or if they are giving you the full instructions. Also, keep in mind that every individual public servant has their own interpretation of the law and the necessary documents which you need to provide. Depending on the person (and the person's mood), the French administration can be incredibly nit-picking. Also, bear in mind that no amount of crying, cajoling, screaming, table banging, or threatening will change the mind of these dear civil servants, so it is best to bite your lip, sigh, and give in to their demands. Otherwise, the situation will only get worse.

Today, in my never-ending quest for a permanent resident card- Carte de Sejour- I had an appointment with the prefecture. Even though the immigration lawyers and the people at the first phase of our application process found the documentation with our names, address, and bank account details perfectly fine as proof of our joint bank account (I'm legally married), today's public servant decided that it was necessary to have a copy of the actual bank contract along with statements for the last three months. Translation, I have to go back again tomorrow. YIPPEEE. It does give me a way to get out of a horrendously boring teleconference tomorrow, so I shouldn't complain TOO much. ;-) And this is not nearly as painful as what I went through in an attempt to get the CAF allowance when I was a student (10 trips to four different offices and twelve different forms later, I discovered that I did not in fact qualify) or what some of my other acquaintances have told me.

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour:
Even though we may be constantly warned about the threat of skin cancer and the sun's violent rays, many of us women will still be baking in the sun this summer, working on the perfect shade of bronze. However, even with proper sunscreen (ahem), there are times when even the most careful of us turn a delicate shade of lobster red. Don't worry, dear readers, there is relief! I personally never go to the beach without my Clarins Ultra Soothing After Sun Gel. It really cools down my skin and prevents unwanted peeling. In the case that I do burn badly (usually caused by an accidental nap), I always keep a tube of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream handy. It's a classic product created in 1930 which is great for healing burns, abrasions, chapped lips, etc. There's a reason why it is still around after all these years!

Click of French Culture:
Most tourists to Paris visit Notre Dame and the Sacre Coeur; however, Paris is peppered with myriads of grand cathedrals and churches. One of my personal favorites is the Madeleine. The church itself is quite impressive both inside and outside, and sits atop one of my favorite streets in Paris- Rue Royale- home to some of the best shopping in Paris. Today's click of French culture is also inspired by current craving for Madeleine cakes, a yummy treat! Even if you're not in France, you can make your own at home.

A bientot readers!
-Liz Anne

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I see London, I see France....

Bonjour readers!

I'm baaaaaa-aaack! After a lovely jaunt over to England, home to light drizzle and amazing Indian food, I have returned to the city of lights. I never realized just how close and accessible London really is to Paris- the TGV take a mere two hours to go from Gare du Nord (in central Paris) to St. Pancreas (in central London), much faster than taking a flight or even driving to Deauville for the weekend. So, with that in mind, I totally plan to hop across the channel more often!

For me, the nicest part about being in London (other than visiting with my friends from school), was being back in a country where everyone speaks English. Don't get me wrong, I have a good mastery of the French language and enjoy the lilting cadence and accent; however, every once in awhile it is nice to have signs, menus, and store clerks available in English. Even if some of the British accents sound like a complete foreign language and there are some bizarre words such as loo and codswallop, it's still nice to understand *almost* everything!

I know Paris is the fashion capital and all, but I really enjoyed shopping in London. London has a really cool scene at the moment and a lot of great brands (and the Euro/Pound exchange rate is insanely good for me at the moment!). The sizes are also a bit bigger, and clothing can be a bit more flattering for those of us with a little extra winter blubber still on our bones. The British also have much more colorful clothing- brights and neons were definitely in- where as in Paris, there are many shades of drab from many of the stores (although places like Manoush have great colors). I particularly enjoyed browsing in the massive Top Shop in Oxford Circus. They had a lot of great dresses, but they also had a ton of knock-off classic Chanel bags... they dominated the entire first floor of the store! And gladiators seem to be back in full force again; however I have yet to see a single person sporting a pair. It was so cold on Saturday that the majority of the girls were traipsing around in their Uggs still!

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour
One thing many people dread about summer is that their skin gets much more oily and shiny in the summer. While some people choose to combat the shine with powders and blotting papers, I have my own secret weapon. One of the best kept secrets from Lancome is their T-Zone Matifier. When I used to work for Lancome back in college, I used to pour one of our massage oils on my hand and then apply the T-Zone Matifier. It would instantly suck up all the oil! The great thing about this product is that it can be applied over make-up as a quick touch up without ruining your make-up. No mirrors necessary! It also can be applied under your foundation to keep you from getting shiny during the day. Great product for any time.

Click of French Culture
France music is not just about cheesy pop or techno. The French are also known for their storyteller musicians who weave a tale with each song. Benabar is the most famous example of this style. One of his songs, Y'a une fille inhabite chez moi (translation here), is all about a girl taking over a guy's apartment. Renan Luce (Les Voisines - about how a guy prefers his female neighbors to his male neighbors) is the latest in the grand tradition.

A bientot everyone!

-Liz Anne

PS: J-15 until THE SOLDES!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

French Women Don't Get Fat (but Americans can...)

Bonjour everyone,

So, tomorrow I'm off to London for two days to see some friends and to take advantage of the Euro/Pound exchange rate! I love that I can just catch a train and be in London in about two hours. SO convenient.

The main reason I'm hitting up the London stores for some shopping stems from the fact that there are not many heavy French women. Therefore, the body slimmers which have allowed my gourmand consuming body to look sleek and fit in suits and dresses (I hate seeing any lines) simply do not exist here. There are a few, but the ones that do exist do not have the complete fat sucking-in abilities that I love so much about my American ones. So, I plan to take full advantage of being in the homeland of Bridget Jones to find a proper body slimmer!

While there are not so many obese French women, this does not mean that French women are not weight conscious or constantly stuffing their faces with macarons, pain au chocolat, and cheese. There are many diet methods popular in France, and gyms are starting to sprout up more and more. The current diet trend in France is Methode Dukan. It's like the South Beach diet's big bad older brother. You spend five to seven days eating nothing but protein (fish, eggs, sandwich meats, chicken, etc.) and NOTHING else. No butter, no oil, no bread, no fruit, no veggies, no alcohol, NOTHING. The next five-seven days, you eat protein plus veggies. The you rinse, lather, repeat until you're down to the weight you want to be at. (There's a stabilization period afterwards) I did try it- eating nothing but protein is REALLY boring, and I did not lose the weight instantly like some of my friends. However, it did help me cut down on my portion size, and a few of my friends have been quite successful with said diet. I may give it another try, but as I will be having a lot of guests for the next three weeks, I think it's better to start afterwards... it's much less torture when you don't have to be tempted by what everyone else is eating...

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour:
Keeping with the summer theme, let's talk self-tanner. As much as I love the sun, I do not love the thought of skin cancer or freckles/age spots (I have also lived in FL, where many older sun worshippers now have spotted leather for skin). I can be quite incompetant with self tanner, so I need something idiot proofed. (Case in point, when I was working as a Beauty Advisor in college, we got in a new spray on self-tanner. I made the mistake of testing it on my arms, thinking that it would not be so strong. WRONG. It was more like a spray tan, and it turned me BROWN. I had to apply it everywhere to try to even myself out, and not only did I end up with some white streaks on my legs, but my arms got a second dose... people were calling me Bahama Mama for WEEKS) Anyway. My favorite self-tanner is Lancome's Flash Bronzer for Legs which I have never once screwed up. :-) It's got a shimmer to it, so you can see where you are applying it, and it builds over time, so it's not uber dramatic in the first application. I've also been a HUGE fan of Clarins self-tanning products as well, they are worth the money and again are pretty idiot proof.

Click of French Culture:
France has always had a huge film culture (Cannes film festival, anyone?), but what many Americans do not realize is that the French have a lot of great comedies. My personal favorite is Hors du Prix which is about a gold-digger and a bartender which will crack you up. Click here for the IMDB synopsis and click here for a trailer. It also stars Audrey Tatou, who starred in the classic Amelie. I guarantee you'll love it.

Well, that's a wrap for today! A bientot!

-Liz Anne

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Seven Days in Sunny June

Bonjour everyone!

It's another beautiful June day in Paris- the sun is shining, the weather is balmy, we are halfway to the weekend... Everyone always talks about springtime in Paris, but personally I always prefer the June/July months. There are leaves on the trees, the flowers are in bloom, and the cafes are full! I spent lunch lazing in little park near my apartment (which I consider to be my extended backyard). So peaceful to enjoy a nice parisian salad and a bottle of Badoit. I'm totally addicted to bubbly water- the bubblier, the better! Nothing is crisper and more refreshing on a hot day!

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour:

Summer means sandals. While are feet are vacationing from winter tights and socks; they tend to get all dried out. And no sandals, no matter how gorgeous, look good when you have cracked heels and chipped polish. One product I've always found to be quite useful over the years is softening socks- you wear them for 45 minutes, and they really help to restore the softness of your feet between pedicures. I tradionally have used Borghese; however, I recently picked up a new pair from Bliss in Sephora that seem to be quite efficient as well.

Click of French Culture:

Since the 1980s, the stars of the French music scene have gotten together each year for a benefit concert and to record a song together. The collaboration is known as Les Enfoires and the proceeds benefit a charity organization known as Restos du Cœur, which delivers hot food to the homeless. This year's song, Ici les Enfoires, is currently getting a lot of radio play; however, my favorite of the collaborations is the 2006 Le Temps Qui Court which is a remake of an old French boyband song. It's about how time flies.

And speaking of time flying... I too must run! A bientot everyone!

-Liz Anne

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Bienvenue and Welcome!

Bonjour blogsphere,

Lapin a la Mode kicks off today! And what could be a more appropriate topic than the upcoming SOLDES! As of today, there are just 22 days until the summer sales commence in Paris. Have you planned your shopping route yet?

For those of you are not familiar with the French sales (there's still time to book tickets!), there are no words that can fully describe this bi-annual bargain-fest. Unlike the US, where many stores have a different sale every week, in France there are two major sales per year- one in late June/July, and one in January/February. During this period, EVERYTHING goes on sale, starting from 30% and dropping down to 70% off or more. Keep in mind that 30-50% off of a Chanel handbag equates to a lot of money. Traditionally, there are three sets of mark-downs as the sales progress. Usually couture is done after the first mark, but the best deals are during the second mark. Due to the economic crisis, the sales are proported to incredible this summer... although, I was in Hermes on Saturday and business was BOOMING... If this summer's sales are anything like the winter sales...

Anyway, I'm in the preshopping phase for the sales and am determining my plan d'attaque. I have the good fortune of a very short walk from the two biggest department stores in Paris, Printemps and La Galleries Lafayette as well as Rue Royale and Place Vendome. As I will have a few sales virgins with me, I'm still debating whether to hit up the complete chaos that will be the department stores Wednesday, or if I should hit up the shops around Rue Royale/Rue Faubourg Saint-Honore, which will be slightly less crowded and have a higher proportion of true fashionistas to the tourist bargain hunters. The main benefit of the department stores is that you have a lot of brands all in one store; however, the reality is that almost all the high fashion lines I want to hit up are strategically positioned on or near Rue Faubourg Saint-Honore... The only drawback to Rue Royale/Faubourg Saint Honore is that the stores are much more spread out than in the department stores.... I'm not wild about hitting up the Champs Elysees for two reasons: it will be packed with tourists and there are not many good brands to speak of (although it does have an AMAZING Sephora)... Hmmm.... Readers, what are your thoughts? Where will you be starting the sales?

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour:
Summer is here! Whether you're bronzing in the sun or starting a self-tanner regime, tans develop much quicker if you've properly exfoliated! Exfoliating regularly also gives your skin a much more even tone as well as boosted radiance- making you look even better in the more revealing clothing of summer! My personal favorite body exfoliator is Exfoliant Fraichelle from Lancome- it smells divine and is very effective at sloughing off the remains of your dull winter skin. I also am a fan of The Body Shop's Brazil Nut Body Scrub.

Click of French Culture:
I have to admit, I'm a huge French music fan. For your enjoyment, I present a current hit: Bob Sinclair's La La Song and the disco classic Dalida's Laissez Moi Danser which I guarantee will get your head bopping!

A bientot readers...

-Liz Anne