Cosmetics, The French Way
When I think about the French, the first things that come to my mind don’t include cosmetics. I think fresh baked bread, expensive wine, and places Americans love to visit, such as the Eiffel Tower. However, those are very basic things that do not, by themselves, reflect French culture. It’s the things that affect the rest of the world, the things that make an impact on society, that deserve recognition.
French-born designers like Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Hubert de Givenchy have impacted society with their fashion, of course, as well as their
beauty products. I am particularly fascinated with the history of Givenchy’s so-very-French cosmetic line. Givenchy Cosmetics was first introduced in 1989, it
was re-introduced five years ago, and then was gone from the US two years later. Now it is new and improved, and very available here in the USA, thankfully. Maybe my attraction to Givenchy’s cosmetics come from its hard-to-access track record. Or maybe it’s that the black, gold, and deep red packaging truly feel elegantly French to me. Whatever it is, I find myself reaching for these products again and again…they’re so classic, exclusive, and so very French!
Is it possible for my foundation to adjust to different forms of light to make my skin flattering in all lights? That is what this foundation claims to do. Now, reading about it just made me critical, so I had to go out and try it for myself. I tested two different shades and was thoroughly impressed to find that both were very flattering, no matter what the light was. It blends better than any foundation I have ever tried, and has great staying power. Foundations that work for me are hard to come across, but this one is on the top of my list.
I tested out three different colors of lipstick in this line and ended up buying two. I am truly a gloss kind of person, so a lipstick really has to impress me for me to buy it. When I went and tried the different colors, I found that their claims were true. The lighter colors were more transparent, whereas the darker colors were more intense and obvious. These colors are fabulous for everyone because you can buy a lighter color if you prefer a sheer, barely-there shade, or a darker color for an impact. Plus, the small black packaging just feels so indulgent.
I think one of the many luxuries in life is pampering your fingernails. People judge you by your manicure, and the quality of the polish you use depends on how long your manicure lasts. I like the colors that this line offers - from light pink, to coral (which is huge right now in the fashion world) to my favorite, a deep, vampish red. The deep red colors look fabulous on short, filed nails. And if your nails are longer, I recommend going with one of the lighter or nude colors, dark colors are just too flashy. These polishes look great on your
fingernails ... and your bathroom counter.
Whenever I think of liquid eyeliner, for some reason French foreign film stars come to mind. I can’t exactly tell you which film I’m thinking of, but I think it has to do with my association of the French with simple chic. Don’t get me wrong, in the beauty world, less really is more, so a simple line of liquid eyeliner can make quite a difference. Or perhaps I associate the liner with the seductive bedroom eyes it creates. Either way, this liner has the ability to create the truly French seductive eye that you see in the movies. Now all you need is a steady hand.
