L'Aubergine Grillée: July 2011

When it comes to beauty, we need to "think French", they said.

I heard, French women in the 1940 were the most fashionable people on earth. The city of light is famous with remarkable French lace, women's hat, and good quality fabrics. French or European had the image of haute couture.

But look at them now, they embraced natural beauty. Of course, it is easy to look natural when the skins are great. It probably one of the French secret. Gone is the day where woman put thick make-up and neatly combed hair to go outside.

The women I know from my husband's family never seem to use any foundation for everyday use. But for occasional events for party or dinner they use a little foundation which need to be blend really well, a little color on the eyelids, mascara, natural color lipstick and a light blush-on. And they prefer to chose the dress which are not too catchy but great tailor-made and fabrics.

I confessed the more I spent sometime with the French femmes, the more I realized I don't have to spend inordinate amount of time grooming any usual American women do (i know that from reality US TV). Most let their hair air dry, wear little make-up, and skimp for hair removal. And I tell ya, most French men don't really care about bikini wax. The more you spend less on the prep time, the happier French man (real life: husband) because he can smell the real "me" not the deodorant or shampoo. I swear sometimes the appreciative comment he made made me want to sprint to shower. Fact: They prefer lacey (not push-up bra from Wacoal or Triumph) bra. Errrr, have you seen Charlotte Gainsbourg's dress when she is heavily pregnant in Cannes 2011?

Recently, I discovered French beauty, Charlotte Gainsbourg. She's a model, an artist, also a singer. I used to wonder what's a big deal with her beauty. Far glitzy from Hollywood stars, Charlotte is a natural beauty that possesses the kind of ease and elegance that is only possible of someone that is extremely comfortable in their own skin. She is boyish and yet so feminine at the same time (this is very hard to pull off, trust me). She looks just as chic in a pair of jeans and cowboy boots. Often wearing little to no makeup, it's not that she doesn't care about her appearance, it's that she is that confident. Beauty is effortless for her.

And then, my favourite French actress is Marion Cotillard. I am convinced that French women born with some "chic gene". As usual, they look impeccable without an ounce of effort. And even two weeks after she gave birth. Not only she is an artist, but she does environment activities. She is also active in GreenPeace organisation.

I have noticed there are many women in Asia thinking about their beauty above everything else. I see 16 year old girls wear fake eyelashes and using thick make-up. They look so fake, now they look like Lady Gaga drag version. The thing is, I never subscribed to Kim Kardashian's look (which I know lotsa women in Indonesia loves her look). Fine, she's a celebrity wearing a tight-dress for almost every occasion even picking up the groceries. Many of us strives for American ideal of beauty walking around with the same manner of Kardashian but it doesn't help them at all judging from their look. They end up looking artificial, generic, and a bit "barbie", or worse "aging Barbie". American beauty is polished, from hair to toes.

Oh crap, Monica Belucci.
Sans make-up you are still look like a goddess. What's wrong with her gene?

These are outstanding women on European beauty magazines cover without make-up and photoshop. Amazing!

Perhaps those in the industry are so tired of seeing perfection, that they crave what’s natural, imperfect, and unique. I can relate. I live in Asia for along time, sometimes I crave a bit of the weather that is cold, gloomy or snowy. It’s a bit ironic because isn’t it the fashion and beauty industry that has created this deep longing in women for perfect, ideal beauty.

Are they all au naturel? If we are able to look at their closet (which is pretty impolite sometimes), it is full of beauty products from the hair to nails. They actually spend on serums, conditioners and good shampoo, good quality night and eye creams, also the most important is Day cream with the SPF. French women spend more to look natural, I think. Look at Carla Bruni now, she has done Botox. The difference is the do it in a subtle natural way without the eyebrows being "jacked to Jesus".

Furthermore into the reality, some women in France turn to dermatologists for their skincare, and their visits are likely to be covered by health insurance (woott wottt, i better pack my bags and move to Paris). Yet even the generous French system doesn’t pay for botox, collagen or hyaluronic acid injections (Restylane), nor for “lifting” or most other cosmetic surgery. But that doesn’t stop French women from having something done.

The objective of plastic surgery in France, according to Dr Michel Soussaline, a Paris surgeon with more than 30 years’ experience, is “to keep the natural beauty and charm of each individual woman, not to fit some current ideal of beauty”. In the United States, he says, women who spend a lot of money on facelifts want to show off their investment.

Of course, I was not raised in European family nor American. I wouldn't say either that I am completely Westernized and I did not raise in the strict Asian upbringing. I do not see this just because I am married to French man (but somehow it does a little effect).I am exposed to different kind of beauty from the TV (mostly Hollywood), Internet, magazines and reality, even my upbringing. I would like to learn how to attain the inner beauty into my womanhood. I would like to explore the natural beauty of who I am, embrace the differences and seriously still feminine. In this perspective, French beauty teaches me to unlearn the rulebook of my adolescence.