2011-10-31

Drew Ryniewicz - THE X FACTOR 2011 Baby

That 14-year-old literally made me cry. As Nicole Scherzinger said, her version is much better that Bieber's version.
I wish her to find a music label and record an album. I will definitely buy it!


Drew Ryniewicz X-Factor USA What a feeling

This young girl is only 14 and is making the most beautiful cover of What A Feeling that I have ever heard.

2011-10-26

Julianne Hough October 24, 2011



The Marc Lièvremont effect

Freddie Mercury

Marc Lièvremont

For anyone who did not follow the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Marc Lièvremont is the coach of the French squad.
Since this world cup, we have noticed in France the launch of a new trend for men...the mustache. Yes, unfortunately, the mustache is back in France. I find Marc Lièvremont handsome. He has a nice face and a pretty nice body thanks to his career in rugby as a professional player. But, please, this moustache is a fashion faux-pas. Even the French squad made fun of him at one of their daily meetings by comparing him to the late Freddie Mercury.
So, please, Marc, do to all women a favor. Tell men this mustache was just a joke and that there is nothing uglier for a man than a mustache.


2011-10-23

Hayden Panettiere October 22, 2011





Has Kate Middleton really influenced women?



Picture from The Daily Mail

Since Kate Middleton married Prince William and became the Duchess Of Cambridge, there is not a day spending without a paper somewhere in the world praising her (and her sister Philippa aka Pippa) for influencing street fashion. Praises go from her wedding dress to her court shoes.

The wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen was unanimously acclaimed. For having seen it on display at Buckingham Palace I can confess this dress is one of the most beautiful and delicate thing I have seen. Paradoxically, despite all the positive critics across the world, clothing stores that offered copies at a more reasonable price have not seen their sales boom. It appears that women, on their special day, want to keep their individuality and be unique.

Kate Middleton is worldly said to have contributed to the "return" of the nude tights. I am always surprised to read that. If I take my personal example, I have always worn them. I mean if I go to a formal event and my attire is of a light color, this seems pretty logical to me to wear nude tights. I cannot go tights-less because I would not look neat. I can not wear dark tights neither. Obviously my case is unique and before Kate's wedding, if I understand those articles clearly, I was perceived as someone old-fashioned for wearing nude tights. Oh well...Since the royal wedding, sales rose by 65 per cent.

The Middleton family, Kate, Pippa and their mother, Carole, are also considered to have launched a new trend when it comes to shoes (apart from contributing to make the L.K. Bennett Maddox wedges popular all around the world): the nude courts. Once again, for the same reasons as the nude tights, I wear nude courts. I have a particular affection for the Pigalle nude courts by Christian Louboutin.

Kate Middleton is not a traditional royal. Whereas late Princess Diana or younger royals like Charlotte Casiraghi, granddaughter of late Princess Grace of Monaco who are fashionistas and only wear designer items from head to toe, Kate has kept her shopping habits and keeps on shopping high street outfits. She has a preference for Zara, Topshop, L.K. Bennett and Jigsaw. She briefly worked for Jigsaw after graduating from college. Her high street style contributes to build a connection with every woman and build the image of a woman with simple tastes who has not changed. On a pure Public Relations level, I think she does a great job!

As a conclusion, I would not be as enthusiastic as most of the papers in the world. I do not think Kate Middleton has revolutionized or influenced a lot at a fashion level.

2011-10-22

Lana Del Rey, the latest music gem






Lana Del Rey is a young woman with an amazing voice and style. Somehow she makes me think of Kate Bush.
Listen to Blue Jeans and Videogames. You will fall in love with her music.

2011-10-16

Les Journées Particulières LVMH 15 & 16 octobre 2011

Right after, visiting La Grande Epicerie and tasting absolutely everything and enjoying myself, I decided to go to Dior with my friend whereas I was supposed to get there on Sunday morning.
Once on the Avenue Montaigne, we realized that we might have made a mistake by not sticking to our original plan. There was a huge line contouring the Dior headquarters. Considering we only waited for an hour at La Grande Epicerie, we decided to give it a try and enter the line. We ended up waiting for...3 hours! Yes, you read it well. 3 full hours! Only fans could endure that. Thank God, we had lunch before at La Grande Epicerie. Most people in the line were starving and thirsty. After 2 hours and a half, we reached the Holy Grail. We were given invitations to get in but stayed outside for 30 minutes more. What made our waiting exceptional is that while waiting right at the door of the Dior headquarters we bumped into the Arnault family: Bernard Arnault, the father, and LVMH Chairman, Antoine Arnault, his son, an INSEAD graduate, in his early 30s, who is the Head of the Communication Department, and Delphine Arnault, his daughter, a London School of Economics graduate, Head of the HR department for the LVMH Group, Sidney Toledano, Head of Dior, John Galliano, and Fendi, and the French Minister of Culture, Frédéric Mitterrand.
Once inside, we felt like kids entering a toy store with our eyes wide open, amazed by everything we saw. The visit lasted an hour. We got in touch with different Dior collaborators and observed and learned some of the tricks to hand-make shoes, jewels, watches, dresses, etc. We learned a few tricks in make-up with two great Dior make-up artists.
At the exit, we were given goody bags (see my picture above).
I want to warmly thank the Arnault family for this wonderful day I spent thanks to them. I spent 10 hours in the Journées Particulières LVMH. Everything was perfectly organized. Visitors were well taken care of. Thank you for making our day. For making us dream.

Les Journées Particulières LVMH 15 & 16 octobre 2011






This weekend, in Paris and in some other cities in France and abroad, Antoine Arnault and his father, Bernard Arnault, Chairman of the French multinational luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, decided to welcome visitors inside 25 of their houses and show the "behind the stage".
I decided to visit La Grande Epicerie and Dior. The reason why I chose to only focus on those two houses was very simple. I love gourmet food and taste exceptional food. I like to buy pastry, for example, at La Grande Epicerie on Saturdays. Every single bite is like heaven on Earth. La Grande Epicerie offered to its visitors to see and take part in bread-making, pastry making and gourmet food workshops led by its chefs. I was expecting to queue a few hours at every site so I decided to show up at La Grande Epicerie at 9.30 AM considering the visits were supposed to start at 10. When I got there, there was a sign indicating a 2-hour-wait. I did not get scared and started to wait. The weather was very nice with a beautiful blue sky and the temperature outside was clement. Visitors were all delighted to be there and chatting together. We were served tasty macarons to spend time and make our waiting a bit more pleasant. After just an hour, I was introduced inside the store and started the visit. We visited the below-ground production facilities (bread, pastry/desserts and catering). We observed the chefs and their staff working, we learned about their jobs, and taste. I ended up tasting over 15 different things!!! I cannot believe it myself! I had appetizers, main dish, desserts, drinks, cookies, cakes, bread, cheese, etc.
Since 1923, the ground floor of Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche department store has been home to a vast grocery store called La Grande Epicerie de Paris. Over time, it has established itself as a true gourmet institution in the French capital. 25 cooks, 20 bread bakers and apprentices from across the globe work there.

2011-10-12

Christina Ricci October 11, 2011





She looks stunning! Christina Ricci in the streets of New York yesterday filming a scene for Pan Am.

2011-10-10

Brides pressured to lose weight before the big day pile the weight back a few months later





A surprising yet quite interesting study revealed by the Sydney Morning Herald showed that most of the brides want to shed an average of 9 kgs before the big day. Every woman want to look her best when walking down the aisle. The idea of having hundreds of pictures of you taken when you are not looking your best is quite frightening. Pressure is high on the shoulders of the brides. Family members, grooms themselves, wedding magazines and dressmakers, etc tend to encourage the weight loss. Problem is the higher the pressure, the more likely the weight loss will only be temporary.

Dr Ivanka Prichard from Flinders University in South Australia followed 350 brides before and six months after their wedding. Half of those brides wanted to shed an average of 9 kilos. On the big day, half of them had lost weight but the majority had only lost between 1 and 2 kgs. The women who had the greatest pressure to lose weight prior to their wedding are the ones who generally gained the most a few months later. The reason for this is quite simple. Prior to their wedding they drastically changed their lifestyle by exercising more, eating less and watching more what they ate. The problem is that those changes were so drastic and not realistic with what a healthy diet should be that as soon as the wedding was over, those women were back to their usual lifestyle. This is what we called yo-yo dieting. Those women gained an average of 2.14 kgs six months after their wedding.

A study is underway to follow men before and after their wedding.

Stay Hairy, Stay Healthy

Have you heard about that law that New Jersey wants to pass? The State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling is considering banning bikini wax after two women got hospitalized for infections.
In theory, the Brazilian wax or bare-it-all wax has never been allowed. Only neck, abdomen, legs and arms are permitted. But, bikini wax generates a lot of money with a procedure going from $50 to $60 and millions of American women -and men- get bikini waxed. Beauty salons are,therefore, not willing to see their revenue fade away.
What may cause an infection is the hot wax that can irritate or tear the delicate skin in that area and result in infection and in-grown hairs and rashes. But, banning Brazilian wax would only encourage people to cross the state border and get the procedure in another state. Regular bikini wax would still be permitted though.

Look 10 years younger in just 40 seconds! I found the Fountain of Youth!




When we hit the big 3-0, there are two ways of reacting. Either you try to comfort yourself by thinking of what older people always tell you such as the fact that turning 30 is a great experience. You feel better in your shoes than when you were 20. You have gained enough maturity and experience to fully enjoy life. Bla bla bla bla....or, the second reaction can be: It is so obvious I am older now. Before (when I was 18 to 29), I could party all night long, get back home & shower quickly and be just in time at work and be efficient all day. Now even RedBull Diet seems to have no effect on me. I am old. My body needs more time and sleep to recover. Jet lags have become something (much) harder to deal with. And, let us not speak about those ugly wrinkles appearing around my eyes whenever I laugh.
Fighting the aging signs might be a lost battle but we all want to get involved in that battle. We are ready to try every single new beauty cream on the market. To the cheapest to the most expensive ones. To the more natural ones to the weirdest ones (snake venom and placenta proteins are some of them).
There are mainly two problems that women face using those miracle beauty creams. 1) they want to see obvious change over the night aka look like they are 20 when they are 35. 2) Those creams might be effective but only in the long run which means "be ready to spend a lot" and as soon as you stop using them, you lose all the benefits you might have gained.
Women spend, on average, $ 37.457 on wrinkle-reducing treatments over their lifetime (source: Daily Mail 10.10.11). Wow! That makes a lot! Multiply this number by the number of women around the world who are 30+, I understand why the cosmetics industry is doing so well.
Recently, a new miracle product has entered the market. Its name is Nanoblur. Since it has been released, it has been number 1 of the sales charts in 22 countries!
A few quick facts on this cream that are given on the website:
- Works in 40 seconds
- Reduces signs of age by up to 10 years
- Non-oily, fragrance free
- Suitable for all skin types
All that for only $19. It might be worth it to give it a try and judge by ourselves.
I have not tried the cream yet. I will should the opportunity arise.
Here is the link to the website if you want to know more about it: http://www.indeedlabs.com/nanoblur/

2011-10-09

Victoria Beckham October 8, 2011




Victoria Beckham holding baby Harper looking amazing in different variations of pink.

The Row alligator backpack sells out!



The alligator backpack is by far the most expensive item designed by the Olsen twins for their high end clothing line. The twins turned fashion designers and met a great success with their two lines: The Row and Elizabeth & James named after their younger sister(who is promised to have an amazing acting career) and their brother.
As any high end clothing line, The Row had to have a exclusive and pricey item. This is now the case with this alligator backpack that can be found at the reasonable price of $ 39.000. Paradoxically, the bag is already sold out Ashley Olsen announced a few days ago while in Paris attending the Fashion Week.


Key words: Ashley Olsen Mary Kate Olsen the Olsens The Olsen twins The Row Elizabeth & James Elizabeth Olsen Alligator backpack

Look of the Day Kristin Cavallari October 7, 2011







I love the looks of both Kristin Cavallari and her pal.

Seventies Look by Vogue Italy










Key words: Vogue Vogue Italy Seventies Look Fall clothes

Reese Witherspoon October 7,2011






This is simple but it always works.

My hair routine to get beautiful hair



If like me, you color/bleach your hair, you have to take really good care of your hair. Choosing the right product is not easy. On my side, I chose 2 products that I would absolutely take with me on a desert island.
Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense This product has been recommended to me by every single hairdresser in Paris. This is considered as la crème de la crème. Kerastase is the professional line by L'Oreal. Regular price is 36 Euros but I get it at 24. I use it after every single shampoo. You apply it for 5 minutes before removing it. On my side, I apply it for at least an hour. Sometimes, I apply it all night long and remove it the following morning. The longer, the better.
Osis + Flatliner I use it to protect my hair from the heat. This way you can every day use your hairdryer or hairstraightener without fearing to ruin your hair. Osis is the professional line by Schwarzkopf. I do not know the price for this product. I get it at 9.60 Euros.




Key words: hair routine Kerastase L'Oreal Osis + Schwarzkopf

Do your skin a favor, get an appointment with Joelle Ciocco


At the beginning of the summer, I had my first appointment with Loubna at the Joelle Ciocco Institute in Paris. Probably the best investment I made for my skin.


First, let me explain to you who Joelle Ciocco is. Joelle Ciocco is a French woman who has been working as an epidermologist for 30 years now. An epidermologist adapts and keeps the cutaneous Biodiversity balanced; The Epidermologist personalizes and reinforces a “High and Smart Cosmetology” shield. She developed her own line of cosmetics and you are not allowed to buy any product of her line. She gives you a prescription.

Her clients are celebs from all around the world. In the sitting room, you can be seated next to Marc Jacobs, Vuitton designer, Franca Sozzani, the Vogue Italy Editor-in-Chief, and many, many other famous names from the fashion industry. You can also find yourself sitting next to actors, TV celebs, tycoons, etc. The sitting room in itself is amazing!

You can choose to have an appointment with Joelle Ciocco herself or her assistants. Her assistants also take car of celebs. They are not second-zone epidermologists. On my side, I decided to trust Loubna. She has done an amazing job with my skin. Putting your skin in the hands of the Joelle Ciocco Institute is a bit more pricey than going to a dermatologist or a beauty institute but results are so amazing that this is totally worth it.

I frequently go to the Joelle Ciocco Institute because my skin which was oily had started to turn dry for months and there was noone able to give me back a soft skin. Loubna taught me a new way of taking care of my skin in the morning and at night and results have been visible just after a few days.

Here is the way I take care of my skin, even though this is a very personal protocol, I think this might be of some interest for you:
Morning protocol:
Sodium Bicarbonate

Night protocol:

Joelle Ciocco
8 place de la Madeleine
75008 Paris
Phone: + 33 (0) 1 42 60 58 80





key words: skin cosmetics beauty dermatologist doctor Joelle Ciocco Marc Jacobs Vogue Italy La Roche Posay Uriage Secret Clear

2011-10-08

Losing weight with simple tips


Shedding a few pounds does not always require you to get a membership at a gym and drastically change your eating habits. Dropping a few pounds (above 10, please, get the help of a professional) might be achieved by changing just a few things in your lifestyle.
Here are 10 tips compiled by The Daily Mail that I briefly summarized and that you can learn more about by checking the article .
1 & 2 Start using smaller plates and bigger forks. This will help you reduce the amount of food you eat. This is a psychological trick.
3 Eating with a male companion. Women tend to eat less when they share a meal with males.
4 Read labels of what you eat. Being self-conscious of the calories you are about to eat helps you reduce the quantities.
5 Drinking 2 glasses of water prior to eating reduces the appetite.
6 Light at night has been found to be responsible for weight gain.
7 Make sure you do not have any candy/snacks in front of you at the office. Instead, have healthy food in front of you.
8 Be careful around friends. Try to hang out with people who have a healthy diet.
9 Friends are sometimes luckier than us when it comes to weight gain. Therefore, do not try to copy the eating habits of your skinny friends.
10 Paradoxically people who watch advertisements for exercise tend to eat more than those who don't.





key words: weight pounds stones gain health tips food calories kilos diet eating habits meal