French women have the most beautiful complexions.   They approach beauty in a very natural way and look to products to give them that dewy, effortless look.   The look though is nothing but effortless.  A tremendous amount of work goes into looking "natural." and an array of products makes this possible.  The place where most Frenchwomen shop for their beauty and hair products is City Pharma.  Here you will find discounts of 30 to 40%  on popular brands such as Bioderma, Vichy, Roc, Caudalie and Roger et Gallet.

Here are some of the products my French friends use.

Micellar water is the latest makeup remover and toner.  The water is made up of microscopic oil particles that cleanses the skin without stripping it of  oil.   A favorite  is Le Couvent des Minimes ,
3 in 1  Micellar water which is a blend of rose water and wild rose hip polyphenols and rose essence.

Bioderma Crealine H2O-  Fabulous makeup remover that is very gentle to your skin. Models love this product. This is another micellar water.

Darphin Aromatic Renewing Balm has essential oils, spices, medicinal plants and flowers in its formula, giving your skin a glow in the morning when used at night.

Avene-D- Pigment Rich Dark Spot Remover - Enriched with plant based oils, apply nightly for improved texture and appearance of skin.

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk- A shampoo that gets your hair clean without water.  This dry shampoo gives you volume but removes the oily look from hair, leaving it soft and full.

Avibon -  A Vaseline type cream that is loaded with Vitamin A.  Use it on lips, dry cuticles, rub it on feet  and  use sparingly  on skin to give yourself a glow.

Embryolisse Lait -Crème Concentrate.  Fashion beauty editors love this very rich moisturizing cream,  Some of its ingredients are shea butter, aloe and soy proteins.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir -  This is a facial toner and mist that keeps skin hydrated throughout the day and gives your skin that dewy look.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, - A  luxurious body oil with the most beautiful fragrance. 

Caudalie Vinexpert Radiance Day Cream with SPF 15.  This grape derived moisturizer is rich in antioxidants.

Votre Vu  Le Joli Crayon -  This eyeliner pencil goes on so smoothly.  You can smudge it but it will never bleed and sets where you put it. 

City Pharma , where you can find most of these products is in the Sixth Arrondisement.

City Pharma
26, Rue du Four
011 33 (0) 1 46 33 20 81

Paris Fall 2015

I am leaving for Paris for my annual Fall trip and I have a list of places I am interested in seeing.

Everyone is talking about a restaurant in the Second Arrondisement, Terroir Parisian. The chef previously worked at the Le Meurice Restaurant. He now creates a Paris centric menu, going back to his roots and using only locally grown vegetables in season and organic meats.

Terroir Parisian Palais Brongniart
28, Place de la Bourse
011 33 (0) 1 83 92 20 30

It's all about the meat when you dine at Les Crocs de L'ogre in the Seventh Arrondisement.  I heard about this restaurant from the Concierge at the Trump Soho Hotel in New York City.  He is from Paris and he told me that this was his favorite restaurant for meat.  What appealed to me the most about his recommendation,  was that it is not frequented by tourists,  even though it is near Invalides. My husband and I dined here on a warm evening and sat outdoors,  where we enjoyed watching all the local neighborhood action.  Here you will  be served a perfectly prepared cut of steak that serves two and is accompanied by perfectly roasted, golden potatoes and green salad.  The restaurant likes to feature wines from a specific region each evening. The night that we were there, the wines were from the Island of Corsica and were very good and reasonably priced.

Les Crocs de' L'ogre
81, Avenue Bosquet
011 33 (0) 1 45 56 96 29

Les Crocs steak dinner 

This small, 20 seat restaurant, L'Atelier Vivanda, is in the Sixteenth Arrondisement, near the Arc de Triomphe. This is another meat lover's restaurant , where the steaks are perfectly prepared. Try the 35 Euros, three course menu, where you get an appetizer, entrée, with a side dish of potatoes and dessert. The beef carpaccio is another popular dish.

L'AtelierVivanda
18, Rue Lauriston
011 33 (0) 1 40 67 10 00

Let's go shopping!

If you are as serious about your fragrance as the French are then head to Frederic Malle in the Sixth Arrondisement.  Here you will find unusual fragrances.  I am asked constantly what fragrance I am wearing and my signature scent is now Malle's  "Portrait of a Lady."  This sumptuous fragrance is composed of many layers such as oriental roses, cinnamon, sandalwood, patchouli, musk and frankincense. I think you will find this scent to be  spicy and slightly floral.  I also adore their room  spray, Rosa Rugosa, which  has the scent of wild rose bushes.  It's hypnotic.

Frederic Malle
37, Rue de Grenelle
011 33 (0) 1 42 60 26 24

I adore costume jewelry. I often mix the real with the fake. Here in the Sixth is Poggi Boutique where you will find necklaces, earrings and bracelets in gold, silver and bronze tones with different colored stones and ornamentation. I adore the three tone, gold wire, large hoops earrings.

Poggi
10, Rue de Grenelle
011 33 (0) 1 45 48 11 28

My favorite places for tea can be found at Palais des Thes in the Sixth and Mariages Freres in the Fourth. Palais des Thes makes a blend called Thes des Vahines which is a black tea with rose petals and almonds. The fragrance is intoxicating and when you add a touch of honey to the brewed tea it brings out the almond flavor. Mariages Freres has over 600 teas. My favorite is French Breakfast, a black tea with aromas of vanilla. Perfect for drinking in the morning.

Palais des Thes
61, Rue du Cherche-Midi
011 33 (0) 1 42 22 03 98

Mariages Freres
30, Rue du Bourg-Tibourg
011 33 (0) 1 42 72 28 11

Finally, if you love Azzedine Alaia, who designs clothes that celebrate a woman's body with body conscious designs, then you will want to go to his only boutique in the world, located in the Fourth Arrondisement. Walk Behind the main entrance to his sale boutique where you will find his clothes  heavily discounted

Azzedine Alaia
18, Rue de la Verrerie
011 33 (0) 1 42 79 19 19

I will be back at the end of October with many new additions. In the meantime, you can find my book on Amazon. Paris Style: An Insider's Guide to Shopping and Dining, with over 200 entries.

  J'adore Paris!!!

DREAMING OF PARIS

Springtime in Paris and I am longing to stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries. Walk along the Rue de Rivoli as you enter the beautiful formal gardens of the Tuileries and enjoy the flowers, trees and Parisians. If you enjoy gardens, be sure to walk toweards the Gate to the Place de la Concorde where the Librairie des Jardins aux Tuileries stands, a bookstore devoted to gardens.

After touring the Tuileries I would have lunch at L'Ardoise, 28 Rue de Mont-Thabor. This is hearty bistro food. Try the grilled scallops with shiitake mushrooms or the veal with morels and cream.

I may not always have the opportunity to be in Paris, but I can certainly update everyone on the latest dining and shopping trends in my favorite city.

Here is my wish list of places I will visit on my next trip to Paris in May:

ANGELA CAPUTI JEWLERY
15, Galerie Vero-Dodat - 1st Arrondisement

This Florentine jewelry designer has finally opened a shop in Paris.
Her faux jewelry line is made of resin and she designs bracelets, earrings,
brooches and rings.


RENAISSANCE
14, Rue de Beaune, 7th Arrondisement

Vintage couture and costume jewelry. This store carries Dior, Balenciaga,
Givenchy, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.

FREDERIC MALLE PARFUMS
37, Rue de Grenelle, 6th Arrondisement

I adore his fragrances, especially my favorite, "Portrait of a Lady."


There are some new restaurants that I am anxious to try. Friends who have returned from Paris have said that PASSAGE 53 is French cuisine with a Japanese twist. Try the 8 course degustation menu. 53 Passage des Panoramas, 2nd

Paris in June

I have a passion for cooking and while in Paris I found the ultimate shop for cooks. G. Detou carries cooking and baking supplies in bulk. Here you will find enormous bars of chocolate from French chocolate makers, caramel chips and salted caramels, flower extracts, candied violets and citrus peels, vanilla beans, flavored fleur de sels and sugars. A variety of spices, nuts and nut oils, flours, pistachio and rose pastes, mustards, unusual honeys, jellies and flavored vinegars. The selection is overwhelming and you will want to bring home many of these unusual food items as gifts for friends.

G. DETOU
58, Rue Tiquetonne, 2nd Arrondisement
011 33 (0) 1 42 36 54 67


What woman does not adore beautiful lingerie. I found a boutique that has lovely lingerie but is reasonably priced, Princess Tam Tam. Pretty color palettes and fun prints with simple lace details. They also carry swimwear and sleepwear.

PRINCESSE TAM TAM, 6th Arrondisement
51, Rue Bonaparte
011 33 (0) 1 45 49 28 73



The oldest candle manufacturer in the world, Cire Trudon, was the royal purveyor of candles for Louis XVII. Today, they make candles in over 30 colors. There are scented and unscented candles in tapers and shapes in the likes of animals, french cheeses and the Eiffel Tower. All candles are natural, made with vegetable waxes and contain no paraffin

CIRE TRUDON, 6th Arrondisement
78, Rue de Seine
011 33 (0) 1 43 26 46 50

HAPPY NEW YEAR I am leaving for Paris in 5 days for the SALES!!! I will post my newest finds and look forward to sharing them with you.

There are so many outstanding places to dine in Paris but I tend to favor the restaurants that don't have the Michelin stars. The smaller, family run bistros that prepare food based on what is fresh and in season for that day are the places I frequent.

I really enjoy Lezard Cafe in the Second Arrondisemen, it is always busy at lunch and often hard to find a seat. They prepare a delicious salmon tartare and their Salade Saveur is the dish I always order. The Salade Saveur has baby lettuce with fresh slices of mozzarella, sliced roasted chicken, pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes in a pesto vinaigrette. For dessert, try the tarte tatin.

Lezard Cafe
32, Rue Etienne Marcel
011 33 (0) 1 42 33 23 73
Second Arrondisement

If you are looking for the traditional chateaubriand with bearnaise sauce and pommes frites, you won't find any better than at Chez Georges. This restaurant has been in the same location for 100 years and they continue to serve all the classic French dishes. Their profiteroles with choclate sauce are the best.

I love walking around this area near the Place des Victoires and Etienne Marcel for shopping. Here you will find many boutiques and one of my favorites is Jay Ahr. This shop sells its own line of evening and cocktail dresses as well as jersey wrap dresses.

Jay Ahr
2, Rue du 29 Julliet
011 33 (0) 1 42 96 95 23
Second Arrondisement