French Girl Friday~ La Toilette Française*

To care for one's skin, inside and out
can help you channel your inner French
Girl and "éclat " (shine)

I know that I have shared this type of post again and again on French girl Friday, but it is an important one to post, to encourage and well I am asked quite often about this subject when I ask my readers over on FB what they would like a post about. I have been reading Forever Chic by Tish Jett and most of the information is not new to me either, or my readers, but it is presented in a most pleasant to read format. I am really enjoying the book, the authors stories and her own journey through channeling her inner French girl so to say.  This weeks chapter was on caring for one's skin from the inside out, head to toe ;something that comes naturally to a French woman and which is a very important part of each of their days.  There was some great reminders, points and suggestions made.  The author stated that she learned to care for her skin from her Mother originally (learning more once she moved to Paris) , I really did not have that, my Mom.  God love her, my Mom was and has never been as much of a girly girl as I, in that area, and it was always me who encouraged her with the use of sunscreen, creams, lotions and potions and to visit her dermatologist...not sure she ever felt it was as important as I did/do. I did have good examples growing up all the same tho. Both my Grandma and Grandmother had their tips and I followed them through most of my life and added some of my own to my daily routine as well as learning from friends and through reading books/articles on the subject. 

  

A lot of my readers on FB keep complimenting me on my skin, how perfect it is.... confession time, a lot of that is tricks of lighting and good make up coverage or even when that is not a factor, just how it seems to come across online in photos and my videos that I post on my companion page for the blog. I will say this, my dermatologist says I have nice looking skin, nice to hear from a professional, however I fear if she took a photo with those special cameras that show sun damage it would be a different story!! To the naked eye and without make up on, I have red blotches, brown sun spots, broken capillaries, crinkled skin and puffiness under my eyes and deep lines between my eyes as well as around my mouth. I still at nearly 49 years of age break out, and have always had acne issues that have caused serious scaring and texture changes to my skin....so far from perfect. That all being said my skin is in better shape than a lot of women my age and I look younger, or so I am told than many of my counter parts. So what are my rituals??? 

Daytime...

My mornings are quite simple. I apply my sunscreen and then my firming cream before either leaving the house as is, or applying my make up. I then put on some powder to have something that helps keep me a bit more dry... I have some I had made for me through a vendor on Etsy, it smells like roses and honeysuckle! That's it. easy peasy!! 

A new favorite combo...one for the body and one for the face.
Never leaves me greasy and make my skin nice and moisturized.

I may have an oily T zone still, a perk as far as keeping
wrinkles at bay, a curse as far as breaking out still,
but my cheeks, neck and chest still need to be treated...
I buy these sample sizes at CVS and love them! 

Evenings.....

Each night I cleanse my face. I rarely go to bed without doing it. I will say that I do "wash" my face, unless I am in the shower. I hate cold water on my face, preferring warm and with the drought going on, running the water till it runs warm ( except during the hot months) wastes water, so what's a girl to do?  Well, I used to use makeup wipes, even if I was not wearing makeup, mainly cause of all the dirt, grime and perspiration that comes with living in the city and being outdoors a lot. recently however, and I shared this on another post, I discovered a very French product, developed because the water is so harsh in France, micellar water! I use the Simple brand, but there are a few more that have come to the states recently and most are affordable. I love this stuff, and even if I have used a wipe or washed my face in the shower and then use it, it pulls a lot of grime out of my pores! It leaves my skin feeling great too and on a hot night, it is refreshing! I can not rave about it enough! You can find it at most drug stores.

The great thing about this product is
that a little goes a long way, and
you do not have to rinse!

Often if I am wearing a lot of mascara, I do have an old school thing I do first before using my "water", and that is baby oil. A simple cotton pad with some oil on it breaks down the mascara. I let it rest on my eyes for a few seconds and then gently wipe away, then I finish with the cleansing water. So very easy and I can use the back of the pad to remove my long wearing lipstick too!  A great tip is that olive oil or the now popular coconut oil work just as well and a real plus most people have one or the other in the kitchen cabinet!! I look a hot mess after doing this step, but the cleansing water quickly takes care of all that. 

A dollar store bottle of baby oil
lasts forever!!

My next step is to tone my skin as I do have that oily T zone and something very French is Rose Water. It smells wonderful and leaves my skin nice and toned and dries up just enough oil... and I have been breaking out less when I use it. I bought mine in the liquor section of all things, but you can find it in the international foods isle quite often and on Amazon too. It was not expensive and it goes a long way. You could make your own, but though not hard, it is time consuming. 

  

Once I am done with my face, I then put on lotion or in many cases body buttercream. I have a lovely rose scented one that between the rose water and using it makes me smell like the garden on a hot Summer's day and leaves my skin so very soft. I also use a lip balm to keep my lips from chapping...my faves are any of the EOS brand.

  

Daily, no matter what I spritz on scent, sometimes several times a day, of course shower and use a wash cloth with moisturizing body wash, such as Oil of Olay on it... and every week I exfoliate both my body and my face, the body with a sugar scrub and the face with a scrub made for doing so. Every two weeks I treat myself to getting my nails and toes done; I know the perfume and the mani pedi do nothing for the skin, but it is part of my routine for taking care of myself. The number one thing I do for my skin is loads of water  and or decaf tea, something that keeps me visiting the restroom, a lot, LOL, but it is worth it! Water/clear fluids helps with keeping me slim too as it keeps me from over eating. I take vitamins and especially vitamin C, oh and my tea of choice each afternoon is jasmine green tea, both have antitoxins... very important for the skin.

Very non- French of me, I do not have a single scent, a signature scent, I like choices
depending on my mood, but all my scents are floral, and most have rose as one of the
floral scents included. 

Not a French way of doing nails, they prefer
shorter, natural, neutral or classic red.... I enjoy that
too, but sometimes you just want to have fun! 

So that's kind of it. I know it sounds like a lot to some people, but really it does not take me long at all... a few minutes at night and most days the same in the morning unless I am wearing make up which I have my 5 to 10 minute face and my more involved 20 minute face.  I visit the dermatologist every six months ( after having skin cancer) and I exercise, both also very important for my skin.... but the walking helps push toxins out and I feel it helps with how my skin looks. I never see all of it as work or a chore, it is simply the way that I take care of myself, nurture myself, and assure, at least I hope, that I keep a youthful appearance , not that I am ashamed of my age, but I would rather look young for my age than older! So I guess I channel my inner French Girl Woman ( French Girl Fridays flow better than French Woman Fridays *wink*) and embrace my American woman all at the same time and I would not have it any other way. 

Breast Lift update...

Officially at 5 weeks now, healing is going well, I have had my tape and any lingering stitches removed and next week I can get out of the surgical bra and wear a NON under wire bra, start to do housework and lift light weights again. I go back in two months for the next check up. I am still uneven. It would seem that I have a lot of scar tissue in my right breast, the one that had the drain in the longest and it is causing it to be tight, hard and sit higher. I have been instructed to massage my breast several times a day over the next two months and then will get further instructions. The hope is to break up the scar tissue, and hopefully the breast will soften and "drop" so that it is similar to my left breast. I apparently do not have much swelling left, so I am officially going to be a B cup. I had thought, as did the doctor that I would be more of an A, but he really does not think they will come down much more.  I was a D cup with my implants in and so basically I lost two cup sizes. It is not the flatter chest that I thought I would have so no going around in nothing but petals under my tank tops, but I am ok with that... I can wear bralets... you know those stretchy little bra tops they sell for cheap at most youthful clothing stores, so that is fine, and great for walking to wear under a loose T or like today my tank top so my nicer bras do not get all ruined in our hot Summer weather. I am hoping and praying that with the massaging and time that I will even out a bit more. I do not expect Twins, but sisters, instead of cousins would be so much better and go a long way with how I feel about how I look in and out of clothing. If there are any revisions to be made, unfortunately I am told it will be a year from now before that is discussed....so the journey continues. 

In love and appreciation... blowing kisses your way..
XOXOXO

* title taken from a chapter in the book Forever Chic by Tish Jett
available on Amazon