The French Pharmacy

One of the many charms of living in Paris for the year includes having constant access to that holy grail of beauty: the French Pharmacy. If pouring over Into the Gloss and tearing out pages out of the beauty supplements of Vogue has taught me one thing, it is that, when it comes to skin care, French products are the crème de la crème of the skin care industry. Here are a few of my favourite French discoveries, any other recommendations are welcome!

Bioderma Crealine H2O Micelle Solution: A favourite amongst make up artists, this is frankly the best cleanser you will ever use, it is super calming on the most sensitive skins and gets rid of even the most stubborn eye makeup.

Homeoplasmine: Meant for skin irritations, works perfectly on chapped lips to condition and plump. The French equivalent of Lucas Paw Paw Ointment.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen: A very effective and affordable sunscreen that has a large selection of skin type specific variations. As someone who burns incredibly easily, this is a must-have. It doesn't appear greasy on the skin so I can wear it as a substitute to moisturiser in the summer season.

Avibon: Rich in vitamin A, this product is great for getting rid of blemishes and tackling dry skin.

Embryolisse: Cult moisturiser used by everyone from Jane Birkin to Gaia Repossi which is said to simultaneously cleanse and moisturise the skin. It can also be applied as a mask for when your skin is feeling especially parched. Also a great primer for makeup.

Klorane Camomile Shampoo: I usually like to chop and change the products that I use in my regime so that my skin and hair don't get too used to anything. Having said that I have used this shampoo every time I have washed my hair for the past year! It leaves my hair clean and soft and actually lives up the claims that it enhances and lifts your natural highlights. Their Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oatmilk is also brilliant for in between washes.

Decléor Aromessence Rose D'Orient: This oil immediately calms irritations and gives a luminessence to the skin. Smells absolutely DIVINE.

If you happen to be in Paris, my recommendation would be City-Pharma in St Germain as it's tax free!

(Photograph: Into The Gloss)

Kunstkammer

On Sunday I visited the Fondation Pierre Bergé to see it's Saint Laurent rive gauche: La révolution de la mode exhibition. What struck me, aside from the vast array of impeccably crafted garments dating from 1966-1978, was the notion of collecting. The exhibition relies heavily on the private collections of Loulou de la Falaise, former Chanel model and Saint Laurent's muse Betty Catroux, and the man who is allegedly responsible for starting the 'vintage' craze, Didier Ludot. The 'collector' is nowadays revered as someone who exhibits qualities of both perseverance and passion. Indeed, the famed Anna Della Russo has an entire flat dedicated to housing her impressive clothing archive. The only thing I intentionally collect is Vogue UK, much to my mother's chagrin, as they are stacked on top of one another resulting in a sort of makeshift bedside table, the rest neatly arranged in date order in bookshelves concealed in my wardrobe. I started collecting in 2002 and have continued with each yearly subscription. I imagine they are worth very little but I prefer to see my collection more as a tangible outlet for my love of fashion; it gives me such pleasure to see an inspiring fashion photograph in the knowledge that I can go and look up the rest of the editorial in my own little archive. However, undoubtedly there is money to be made in collecting, I constantly regret not jumping on the Lula bandwagon earlier, with issues 1 to 4 going for as much as £130 on eBay. My collection starts at #5, and it is my life's aim to acquire the full set! Sadly my bank balance does not allow for this at the present moment! For drastic times such as this, there's always The Fashion Spot which holds a vast archive of every magazine you could possibly dream of. I've recently been reminiscing with editorials from Carine Roitfeld's reign at Paris Vogue here. But for me digital will never be an adequate substitute for print, so if anyone has a copy lying around of the June 2005 issue of UK Vogue, then please let me know, it's the only one missing from my collection!

(photograph: the Selby, title: 'kunstkammer' or 'Cabinets of Curiosities' were popular amongst collectors in 1750-1800)

FAQ

Apologies for the lack of updates - I have been drowning under a the sea of French bureaucracy having made the move to la belle Paris. My days have been spent exploring the florists and patisseries of left bank, spending lazy afternoons wandering through the Marais with friends making mental outfit notes and not forgetting some all important shopping! My most recent purchase: a camel coloured polo neck from COS which has become a steadfast staple in my wardrobe. I was even photographed by Tamu Mcpherson wearing it with my Bator, high waisted jeans and some grey high heeled desert boots outside the Chanel SS11 show (which made my day!) I find the street style here is just so inspiring - I wonder if this quiet chic will ever get old? I see thousands of muted colours interspersed with scarves, blazers and ballet flats yet they never cease to inspire me and introduce me to new ways of wearing things.

So having been off the radar for a while, I thought it was about time to give something back and do a Q&A session with my readers. And one thing I ask of you - any suggestions of your favourite things to do in Paris would also be most welcome! So fire away...

Bonjour Paris!

Oh the joys of packing a wardrobe worthy of moving to the most stylish city in the world! My imminent move to Paris has been causing me sartorial anguish in bucket loads! Not only is my studio matchbox sized (I'm seriously considering my microwave as potential shoe storage) but I have the added pressure of Parisian style to contend with! However, whilst drowning in a sea of wooly tights, polka dots and denim I came across this inspiring collage of Gallic beauty Clémence Poésy from Elle Ukraine and was reminded of my number one fashion rule - simple is always chic. Problem almost solved.

(Image from thefashionspot)