Althouse: "Here in America, you accept the best version of yourself. In France, it’s like, this is the way I am."

May 1, 2015

"Here in America, you accept the best version of yourself. In France, it’s like, this is the way I am."

"Me, without artifice. If you don’t like it, too bad for you. We are also very rebellious.... We only can do 15 minutes of makeup every morning. The French girl is kind of lazy... [B]eing natural is really something we have in our DNA. Most of them don’t wear anything, have super-long, messy hair... strong lipstick, nothing else — maybe pink. If anything else, it’s a strong, sexy messy eye that looks like they did it with their fingers, which is probably true. They’re sexy, but not glamorous."

From "Why French Women Don’t Contour." (There isn't even a French word for contouring.)

35 comments:

Gahrie said...: Most French women don't shave either.; 5/1/15, 11:05 AM
Caroline said...: Not true!
My French grandmother once told me that one can leave the house well shod and well-coiffed and the "dress can be blah."
Of course in my early twenties (when I was in school in Paris) I laughed at her retrograde beliefs...but now I live by it.
One thing you won't see in Paris is a woman walking around in gym shorts and sneakers.
My feet killed me from walking around in jeans and heels that year, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.; 5/1/15, 11:06 AM
Sigivald said...: Alternatively, as Phoebe from WhatWouldPhoebeDo would put it: This is American myth about how natural and effortless French beauty is.

The reality is unlikely - as Ms. Walker says - to match those statements, however true they might be of some French women.

The idea that the average French woman uses no artifice in makeup or hairstyle or clothing is ludicrous.; 5/1/15, 11:22 AM
Fernandinande said...: French word for contouring: contournage.; 5/1/15, 11:23 AM
Etienne said...: That's really just a banality about Paris. While the city is in France, it has very little to do with French women.

The difference between Parisian women, and the rest of France, has to do with economics. When the Brits land at Gare du Nord, all they want is to [well, we all know what they want, and makeup and deodorant is redundant]; 5/1/15, 11:25 AM
Scott said...: I wonder if Virginia Postrel has a take on this.; 5/1/15, 11:26 AM
Roughcoat said...: Ooh-la-la. Love them French girls. Love the French. Love France.

Btw: they do shave. For most women, the whole not-shaving thing went out a long time ago. About the same time the magnificent Brigitte Bardot began appearing sans most of her clothing--and hairless where it mattered--in French movies.

French women are masters at looking messy and sexy at the same time. Like they just got out of bed. It's really quite a turn-on. Of course it helps if the woman in question is beautiful. But hey.; 5/1/15, 11:27 AM
Unknown said...: 15 minutes to put on makeup? Is that real?; 5/1/15, 11:34 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: I like French women - however they present themselves. And I like how they look regardless of make up. They're thin. I like thin. Others may differ.; 5/1/15, 11:41 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: Right, the French have a philosophy of "just be yourself"

Sounds great!

And, when it mattered in 1940, the Germans conquered France, in like, one month or so?

And, in the future, when Islam slowly takes it over from within....; 5/1/15, 11:41 AM
Etienne said...: One place that I notice that men and women don't shave their pubic area, is at nudist beaches along the Med.

Not as hairy as the 70's though, when razor blades tried to circumcise you like an African girl.

Maybe it has to do with sunburn...; 5/1/15, 11:42 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: I had my heart broken by a French woman with strong, sexy messy eyes and a beautiful sexy dirty mouth.

She said menage a quatre was one too many.

Sometimes I still pine. Soulfully.

I am Laslo.; 5/1/15, 11:46 AM
DKWalser said...: What in the world is "contour" in terms of makeup? Never heard the term used in that context before.; 5/1/15, 11:49 AM
DKWalser said...: By the way, the online Merriam-Webster dictionary says the origin of the English word "contour" is French. Makes one suspect that there might be a word for contour in French.; 5/1/15, 11:53 AM
Rusty said...: Merde!; 5/1/15, 11:54 AM
Etienne said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/1/15, 11:54 AM
Anonymous said...: Looks like I'm the only one so far to pick up the subtle George W. Bush Urban Legend reference at the end. Assuming that was a subtle George W. Bush Urban Legend reference at the end.; 5/1/15, 12:07 PM
n.n said...: This article sounds like a projection of Portland's "keep it weird" on a budget.

The standard is rational and reasonable, where women and men alike strive not for perfect but optimal and presentable.; 5/1/15, 12:36 PM
rhhardin said...: It's a revision of Emersonian perfectionism.; 5/1/15, 12:44 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I don't think Americans contour either. That's some niche phenomenon, isn't it?; 5/1/15, 1:03 PM
Etienne said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/1/15, 1:11 PM
Heartless Aztec said...: And the "I just had an orgasm" messy hair is lovely. On all women actually.; 5/1/15, 1:57 PM
Etienne said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/1/15, 2:12 PM
Big Mike said...: Countour is a French word. But I suspect you knew that, Professor.; 5/1/15, 2:22 PM
Julie C said...: Two American celebrities come to mind: Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. No, not their asses.

They have the heavy cheek contouring on their faces.

Do everyday Americans do it? Maybe in New York or LA.; 5/1/15, 2:24 PM
DanTheMan said...: >>When the Brits land at Gare du Nord

How do the Brits land their airplanes at a train station?; 5/1/15, 2:47 PM
Etienne said...: DanTheMan said...How do the Brits land their airplanes at a train station?

Sorry, landing may be on old term for the platform people gather on to load and unload the train.

My English may need an update...; 5/1/15, 3:02 PM
DanTheMan said...: Had I known English was not your first language, I would not have posted my snarky remark!

Je suis désolé.; 5/1/15, 3:41 PM
clint said...: "Most of them don’t wear anything, have super-long, messy hair... strong lipstick, nothing else — maybe pink."

That sounds like a reasonably attractive look for any reasonably attractive woman.

Also reasonably likely to get you arrested on this side of the pond, at least out in public.; 5/1/15, 4:28 PM
n.n said...: Here in America, we strive... or we did once. Today, we still dream, but for instant or immediate gratification.; 5/1/15, 4:32 PM
Drago said...: DanTheMan: "How do the Brits land their planes at a train station?"

Practice my friend. Lots and lots of practice.; 5/1/15, 5:17 PM
Moose said...: I just bought shorts today!!; 5/1/15, 6:03 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/1/15, 6:22 PM
Christy said...: Haven't been to Paris in a long time, but mostly I remember women who looked interesting but not pretty.

The article strikes me as a little silly. A good make-up job doesn't look obvious, just good. Too many take their understanding of Americans from the attention whores they see on TV.; 5/1/15, 6:40 PM
Be said...: Ah bon.

https://youtu.be/0NhqN0KcWAE

Pas un(e) seul(e) parmi elles qui fait de la contournage.; 5/2/15, 9:17 PM