The Lux Hedera Preservation Society

Virtual ballad in Paris West suburbs Part III

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:17:30 GMT

Remember 'Amelie' ('Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain') directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the movie superhit of 2001?

Amelie's father lives in a place called 'Enghien' (or Enghien-les-Bains). IMDB states it's been filmed in Eaubonne, a city nearby. I can't find any detail about the choice of fictively setting Amelie's father house in Enghien but I guess the explanation may be that Enghien is one of the few suburban cities left untouched by the years which was also the whole point of the atmosphere created in the film.

There are no huge council flats towers for instance which is rare in the Paris suburbs. I assume they did take great care in order to keep the city green and tidy. When sat on the West banks of the lake, 5/6th of the sight is the sky and the rest is a long stretch of green and water. There's not a single thing that hurts your eyes. Les Bains means the Baths as it is the only Spa location in the Paris region. The other main feature is the casino. It contributes a lot to the wealth of the city thanks to the taxes collected.

Enghien-les-Bains (Val d'Oise, 11km West of Paris)
Coat of arms:

It'd take more than a single page to pay an honest tribute to the eclectic and beautiful style of Enghien (anything from Art Deco, English cottage, Scottish castle to Breuer or Normand style houses) but here's a little compilation I made yesterday:

My favourite of all, ultimate home fantasy!

This is not the famous Scottish castle though it does look very Scottish to me

The gates of the now sadly infamous Scottish castle. It's almost impossible to take a proper picture of the estate unless you're on a bark on the lake:

In the early 00's, this place was owned by a couple of business partners from Lebanon (see the Peggy Maaz and Nadim Khouri Klink case). I don't know whose property it is now. It may have been seized after they were sentenced and vanished in the Lebanese haze to never return. The value of the property is estimated at € 4 millions!

Let's have a closer look at that roof...

Yes indeed it's a horse!

The casino seen from the esplanade, they recently built some sort of window panels which unfortunately hide the architecture. It looks kind of ok inside but I think it's a shame.

An vintage advertisement poster

The Patenôtre-Desnoyers esplanade

All pics by me except the Scottish castle (http://fr.topic-topos.com), Amelie Poulain poster, casino (www.gamblingworld.com), vintage poster (www.artgalleryofgreatneck.com) and esplanade (www.wikipedia.fr)

Virtual ballad in Paris West suburbs Part II

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:50:39 GMT

My grand-parents had the chance to own a house in an exceptional location called 'Le Vésinet'. I'm not going to expand on my personal history but they were a bit of a miscast in this very lavish upper-class residential area. Penniless Italian immigrants, I still wonder how on earth they ever landed on that place. Somehow, they picked the right spot to have their house built there.

Wikipedia states: 'enclosed in a maze of parks, artificial rivers and lakes, leafy avenues'. With 1/5 of the town being parks, trees and greens, this is certainly one of the most beautiful suburban cities to live in. Despite I hated visiting my grand-mother like the rest of my siblings, I still have fond memories of the surroundings. The name 'Vésinet' actually sounds terrible to the ear, an endless laughing stock particularly for my elder brother ('Le petit Vésinet qui se gratte', le 'Vésimoche'...)

Le Vésinet (Yvelines, roughly 16km West of Paris)
Coat of arms:

My grand-parents'house. 6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (maybe 3 in fact), a huge garden with a massive shed. Don't be fooled, it was plain ugly and depressing!
Edit: My parents told me that they would have bought the house when it went on sale last year (owned by my grandma who died a couple of years ago) but they didn't because it reminded them of too many painful memories! Aaargh

Built on the banks of one of the artifical lakes, this house was used in the French popular TV serie from the 60's 'Belphegor, le fantôme du Louvre' (the Ghost of the Louvre museum) as 'Lady Hodwin's mansion'.

Belphegor (that leather mask always freaked me out!)

The front side of the house, as seen in the serie

The artificial lake

I also remember a house covered with fake concrete branches but I wasn't able to find it during my virtual visit (Frangin, tu vois peut-être de quoi je parle ?). Time for a little trip back to Le Vésinet!

Pics from Google maps street view and http://www.blog-vesinet.fr

Virtual ballad in Paris West suburbs Part I

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:07:57 GMT

Google maps street view feature is getting better and better everyday! I had a fun day today with virtually walking in various places I lived or hanged out at some point. Not all cities or streets are yet available but it's definitely a fantastic tool to visit a place (or revisit a place). The precision and the details are simply wonderful. I started with my hometown obviously then checked other places I remember going when I was a child. So let's start the ballad!

Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine, 7km West of Paris)
Coat of arms:

First house I lived in. In my street, there used to be a baker's, a convenience shop, a cobbler's, a café-restaurant with an open garden, another café, and a butcher's. Very unsual though for a residential area of that kind.

The butcher's, converted into a house. Most of the interesting architectural details have unfortunately been removed.

There used to be a railroad crossing our street with an old iron bridge and a small station house (above). Now converted into a leafy walkway (the rails stayed for a while until the path was covered in asphalt).

The small newsagent's shop on the other end of the street. Still there!

The primary school (reads 'school for girls' as boys and girls used to be split into different buildings until the 60's)

Some beautiful houses:

Enamel plate (reading the knickname of the house)

Other view of the previous house

Various interesting buildings:

A movie theatre converted into a supermarket (like most of them in the region)

My local tobacconist's (also a café), used to be called 'Le Balto'. If you click to enlarge the picture, you'll notice the 'Carotte', a typical advertising sign for tobacconists. It's meant to be the shape of a carrot but looks more like two traffic cones stuck together.

Ironmonger's: the best around. The owner ran that business all of his life with his brother (I think). They wore dark blue coats like in the good old times and the wife looked after the till locked in a small 'cage' in the back of the shop. Famously known for having absolutely 'everything' (possibly even condoms!), a first-class retailer.

A magnificent building (1930's?) with a huge square yard and the same building again behind.

I used to gaze at that building when I was visiting my grand-mother. Despite the stately outlook, these are council flats.

Below, a detail on the facade:

All pics from Google maps street view
I can't believe I forgot Snow-White house! Here it is:

The little granny who lived there had a whole set of Snow-White and her 7 dwarves in display. I was amazed!

Summer's here kids

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:18:34 GMT

I didn't realize it's nearly been a month since I got my ukulele! I've played almost every single day going through acute pain in my fingers, blisters (and eventually thickening skin in the process) and minutes of despair though it's been so far 99% pure pleasure.

As it's been a long time I actually haven't learned anything (that's what 9-5 jobs do), I thought my brains would be unresponsive as well as my left-hand fingers (damn ring finger still is) but slowly the learning process is kicking again. Here are the chords I can now play by heart without even looking at my hand:

A/A7/Am/Bb/C/Csus4/C7/D/Dm/Em/Em7/E7/Fsharp m/F/G/G7/Gm/Gm7

These are very easy chords to play but I'm quite proud after just a month of practice. The strumming is not easy on the other side and juggling with all '3' (chords, strumming, singing) is a real challenge (how did I ever manage to once be able to read two key charts, coordinate two playing hands and sing at the same time, I don't know!).

The most helpful websites I've found are:

Pineapple's Pete Uke School: http://www.ukeschool.com
Very good online lessons (a shame there are not more), an online tuner, play-along sections and step-by-step instructions

Chordie: www.chordie.net
Chords and tabs with the possibility to select your instrument and transpose the song to different keys. The layout is very appealing however some chords are not very accurate

Ukulele chord finder: http://www.sheep-entertainment.nl/ukulele/index.html
Useful to find out what a set of chords sound like. Helps when you're trying to figure out a song by hear

Chords transposer: http://www.logue.net/xp/
One of the greatest tools around. You simply copy and paste the song with the keys and it automatically transposes it to another key

Strumming exercises: http://guitar.about.com/od/freebeginnerlessons/a/beginner-strum.htm

Chord chart: www.kiwiukulele.co.nz
An excellent chord chart classified in groups (all the time played/sometimes played/hardly ever played) and are finger-numbered

Shortly after I got my ukelele, I also bought a chromatic tuner that turns out to be handy to find keys out in a song. Ukuleles are very touchy little things, they love to get out of tune. The chromatic tuner enables perfect tuning (much better than the still good online tuner above). I also bought a pack of Aquila strings (Italian made!) as they're supposed to improve the sound quite noticeably. The strings are still laying about in a drawer because I can't be bothered changing the strings. My Stagg sounds ok to me for the moment. But I'll give it a try when I can play a bit better.

I also started to track down the songs I liked and wanted to play. Funnily enough, they don't necessarily sound great on a ukelele. They can even be disappointing. However, some pop songs of bands of singers I don't particularly like sound absolutely stunning. Pop songs have another advantage for beginners: They practically all use easy chords like A/C/G/D/F.

So far I gathered the following songs in my songbook and I can play them fairly ok!

- Wish you were here/Pink Floyd (great great song)
- Hung up/Madonna
- Don't speak/No Doubt
- Confide in me/Kylie Minogue
- Can't get you out of my head/Kylie Minogue
- Toxic/Britney Spears
- Everytime/Britney Spears
- Baby one more time/Britney Spears (Travis who did an acoustic cover of it a few years ago opened the way for turning cheesy pop songs into really interesting sounding stuff)
- Honey honey/Abba
- Does your mother know/Abba
- Elisa/Serge Gainsbourg (for my little niece Lisa and the only french song I can bear playing, really tried hard to find anything else but apart from Gainsbourg, it's pathetic)
- Suspicious minds/Elvis Presley
- Cool/Gwen Stefani
- Call the shots/Girls Aloud (god knows how much I dislike girls bands especially that one)
- What goes round/Justin Timberlake (the original is already a gem, the ukulele loves it too)
- What's up/4 Non Blondes (ouch, I know...)
- Lonely Girl/Pink
- Be my baby/Vanessa Paradis

Other songs I'm trying to figure out as no chords are available:

- Ballad of pure thought/Millionaire
- We've had enough/Michael Jackson
- Brendan Benson/Lesson learned
.

So far so good!

This would deserve another entry but I'll stick it in here. Youtube has an audioswap function that allows people to get tracks for free to go along with their videos. This often happens when a person has used a copyrighted track and YT has removed it. One artist had the great idea to let people audioswap therefore videos (even from other artists) are played with HIS songs. It's a very effective advertisement system because people looking for let's say Greenday end up watching a Greenday video with the track of someone else. If they want to buy the track, they're redirected to iTunes...

I understand the concept of copyright however I've always questioned myself whether paying £10/15 for a CD (that'd be the average price in France, UK is a bit luckier with places like Fopp) was really a fair price. I never thought it was. Stripped off the 'box, CD support and booklet', the price drops down at 89p or so on iTunes. What justifies such a price difference? Why people are so offensive towards executives or politicians' salaries when they have no issue purchasing CDs at that price? The music business has always been a complete rip off. In 1984, the average price for a LP was round £8 (so that's 25 years ago!). In the late 80's we were forced into the CD technology at double the price! Now people should ask themselves the right questions about illegal downloads and stop whining. I also think that no matter what, using a copyrighted track on a home-made video is a way of inciting people to buy. Me, the first! Countless times I had forgot about songs then bumped into them by chance on YT only to think "I need to get that!".

I'd say the same for movies. Who ruined the once enjoyable experience of going to the movies? What's all about these places where all you can hear is people eating, crunching, answering their mobile phones and just generally behave like they were at home with no consideration whatsoever for other people in the theatre? These are the reasons why I've become more and more reluctant to go to the movies with the time. I'm probably one of the few idiots who still buys DVDs (Thanks Fopp) because I have no interest to store so much data on my computer and see no enjoyment in watching a bad quality rip off on my tiny screen!

Ukulele bis repetitas

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:58:19 GMT

Vahine no to vi by Gaugin

I finally got my ukelele today after a lot of hassle. I've always tried to support small shops, small websites, small vendors as much as I can. However this time, I've learned my lesson. The website I used claimed that deliveries were made by a courier which was great as I wanted to avoid the national postal services at all costs. Pretty quickly I got a message saying the ukelele had been sent, along with my tracking number. It turned out that the tracking number was from the national post, not a courier. Five days later the number was still not recognized. To make things worse, the type of service used was 'economy delivery, no signature required'!! After an un-replied first e-mail and a few unsuccessful attempts to call this company (they were hanging up on me basically), I decided to add a little bit more pressure. I hate doing this but I had no choice considering how much money I had spent. I told the seller that if I didn't get a reply quickly, I'd get in touch with a watchdog consumer association that has been getting a growing reputation in terms of efficiency.

And guess what... Two hours later, I got a confirmation that the tracking number would be available shortly. In brief, until I started to use weapons of mass threatening, the ukelele was never sent! This morning, the postal service guy came in and knocked at my door. I didn't even have the time to put my shoes on, he was gone in thin air after leaving my parcel at the doorsteps...unattented and no way for me to be able to check the content. Damn... I'm glad I was home today and glad the ukelele was in perfect condition despite the rather -can't be arsed- wrapping. There was not even a receipt inside the box. So to say for the boring part, there will be reviews about this website.

For the happy part, it's been great to mess around with this little hawaiian guitar all day. My fingers hurt like hell despite the strings being in soft nylon. It's very small (60 cm long) and it feels much more natural than holding one of those big guitars. Especially for a girl with some assets on the front. The tricky part is to be able to remember the tabs, the strumming pattern (which gives the rhythm of the song) and the lyrics, all at the same time. I try to learn how to place my fingers without looking (that's what I did when I learned the piano and typing) and so far so good! My intermediate musical level is very handy even if I'm still confused about the English keynotes (Do=C, Re=D, Mi=E a.s.o.). I may just ditch the French/Latin system and carry on learning with the ABCDEFG notation.

The sound of the ukulele is quite loud and clear while soft and cheery at the same time. I thought I may be disappointed but this is definitely my new drug. Perfect to keep my hands busy, my mind busy and stay focused for a long period of time (this is something that in general I've found more and more difficult to do). The first two songs I've planned to learn are 'White sandy beach' (a classic for beginners apparently though I find the Bflat minor key excruciatingly hard to play) and 'Confide in me'. Thank god, that was worth the hassle...

Ukulele!

Sat, 30 May 2009 13:25:12 GMT

Cocoon is the new english-singing French musical sensation. For once, I'm quite proud to be French. The band was born 3 years ago though I was abroad at that time and Scotland is a long way home. Britain is rather self-sufficient in terms of music, especially for the continental music to ever cross the Channel. I happened to hear Cocoon's song 'Chupee' recently as it's been heavily played on at least two TV ads (which is confusing). I realized I had already heard that unusual sound but never really made the link with the Ukulele. One of them is 'Somewhere over the rainbow/what a wonderful world' by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole that is so delightful and delicate. I've never heard an instrument rending the accousting sound so full and interesting.

Israel Kamawiwo'ole

Cocoon

Even the video itself is worth the sight. Low-key, visually budget-tight, old-times special effects all shot in what looks very much like La Forêt de Fontainebleau! The appeal is found in the contrast they brought to our current musical landscape (the overdose of bad, formatted French R&B distorting the language to make it sound more 'English' is the ultimate example), a breath of fresh air, innocence, simplicity and the resurgence of underused musical instruments. I grant you that Ukuleles look like toys. They come in different sizes with the soprano version being the smallest of all. At up to 13,5 inches long, you could think only kids would be interested. My preference goes to the concert one that reaches up to 16 inches because it seems to be a fairly nice size to play.

2nd Pic from http://thinkingisnotdangerous.blogspot.com

Another brilliant cover of 'Island in the sun' by Weezer played by Aldrine from Ukulele Underground

I don't know how difficult it is to learn how to play but with only 4 strings and my intermediate musical knowledge, I'm very tempted to give it a go. :)

Le Journal de Lisette Caroline: 70's pre-teen mag

Sat, 30 May 2009 11:35:37 GMT

My dad just brought me a huge cardboard box full of old stuff that I thought were lost. In a massive file holder, I found a French teenage magazine from the 70's that I had bought in the early 80's in a discount/unsold stocks shop. The content magazine itself is not very interesting oscillating between very innocent and a tad stupid cartoons and a still very present pre-1968 flavour (you'll be a good kind housewife my girl).

The cover

A recurrent cartoon featuring adventurous redheaded twins

The 'celebrity' page. For whoever heard about Herve Vilard, they'll laugh. The graphism and gaudy colours are particularly well achieved.

Caroline... I remember reading some 'Caroline' cartoons. She had animals and was travelling on a house boat. I guess it was very popular in France but I was too little to be deeply impressed.

The only advertisement found in the magazine. Teenform is an american brand but it never took off in France as far as I know. Well we had DIM! Note the David Hamilton touch and the moody face of this poor pre-teengirl (oh my tits are growing, sigh). What was the sulking about? After all, there was a song saying...

Tu as quinze ans
Quoi de plus merveilleux ?
Les gens te diront
Que tu n'peux être plus heureux
Que tu n'as pas de soucis,
Pas d'impôts à payer
Pas de responsabilités
Tu as quinze ans et vraiment
Pas l'âge des tourments

You are 15
What else could be more wonderful?
People will tell you
You cannot be happier
You've got no worries
No taxes to pay
No responsibilities
You are 15 and really
Nothing to worry

'Ballade pour un puceau'/Ballad for a virgin by Michel Polnareff (excellent French music! Too rare not to mention it). And the much talked about poster while on tour at roughly the same period:

Topshop Gallery of Horrors SS 2009 part II

Sat, 30 May 2009 10:40:55 GMT

It seems that Topshop still hangs on the 80's vibe! I don't know who they are fooling! Here's a fresh new bunch straight from the TMO (Topshop Monstrosity Oven):

Would you wear that? Exactly...

As much as the 80's were an eyesore fashion-wise, there also were 'not so bad' things (Madonna in 'Desperately Seeking Susan' is a good example). I still don't understand how Topshop figured out to dig all the most horrendous design/patterns of the era. They're horribly expensive too! If a brand feels compelled to go back in time, fair enough but at least they could make the creative effort to bring back the good parts. I'm under the impression that this 80's craze was born after Agyness Deyn who's probably the most overrated model ever. Just quotes in the like of 'when I was 17, I had a skinhead' from a woman born in 1983 like it was some sort of avant-garde fashion statement really makes me cringe. Here's the crime perpetrator in action:

Favourite Make Up Gear

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:19:20 GMT

Ruby & Millie demi matte base bone 2:

This sheer foundation comes in a pump/brush system (as far as I can remember this was one of the first brands to come up with this idea, way before Yves Saint Laurent Perfect Touch). The brush is a bit useless to apply it only with it but great to make a few strokes then blend with a damp sponge or a flat-top brush. The great thing about this foundation is that even sheer, it gives an incredible light to the skin. The downside of it is the pump. I have no idea why after such a long time, they haven't done anything about it. The product doesn't come out evenly or easily or ends up hours after inside the lid.

Rimmel mono blush Santa Rose:

The Santa Rose shade is a soft muted pink that gives an nice outdoor flush on the cheeks.

Gosh juicy peach 41 blush:

The colour looks pretty strong and dark (a kind of burnt orange) in the box but it's actually a very nice colour that brings out the green in muddy eyes though you need a light hand.

NYC Mod Quad Get down browns: (discontinued)

That particular mix contained 3 eyeshadows (light purple, golden rust and ivory) with a dark chocolate cream liner. The blend was perfect and light enough to enhance eyes that are on the dark side.

Maybelline unstoppable: (discontinued)

On the contrary to many other mascaras, the brown version is not too dark and the brush does a good job at separating the lashes without loading them. Doesn't smudge and lasts the whole day.

Shu Uemura lipsticks and eyeshadows:

Shu Uemura cosmestics are probably one of the best brands in the world. The eyeshadows come in little square boxes and are highly pigmented. My favourite shade is this blue pastel aqua:

The packaging for lipsticks is not so nice though again they're highly pigmented and glide on the lips with a texture that feels a bit 'elastic'. Shu Uuemera stores an impressive colour range including odd colours like green, purple or grey.

http://www.shuuemura.com

Revlon custom creations 020 light:

I love Revlon for their innovative ideas. I wonder why no-one (as far as I know) has ever thought of a versatile formula such as this one. The Custom Creations is available in 6 colour groups from (fair/light, light, light/ medium, medium, medium/deep, deep). Each colour group provides 5 shades from light to dark. Therefore it's impossible not to find the perfect shade! It's lightweight, very easy to work and lasts all day without fading or changing colour. It's actually very practical when your skin changes colour throughout the year.

Lancome Glamour On The Go:

I got this palette at the airport on my way to Scotland. Besides it's absolutely cute, I'm surprised at how good the eyeshadows are (I got other palettes in the past but they were quite disapointing). Even the small brushes included are of great quality. I'm having a lot of fun with it and it well deserves the name 'Glamour on the go'!

And open...

Favourite Body Gear

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:01:48 GMT

Sally Hansen airbrush legs:

I'd never have figured out putting make up on my legs until after years of zero sun on them I came across this product that is pretty fantastic. It's very easy to use and gives a natural slight dash of colour on legs. Dries in 2 minutes and washes off with water and soap. What could we ask more for?

Burt's Bees lavender and shea butter handcream:

The best handcream of the world. The good thing about that one is that you need a little and it protects your hands the next time you wash your hands so you don't need to reapply over and over. As much as I like shea butter on its own, I prefer using this because it sinks in the skin very quickly and it's more flexible. Not that cheap though (£10) but totally worth the price.

Olive Oil and exfoliating glove:

That's a pretty messy recipe I'm going to give but if you have time, I don't know better to exfoliate and moisturize all in one. You'll need >>>

(a cool packaging from http://www.nudo-italia.com)

(these are from http://www.thesanctuary.co.uk, they're good quality for a reasonable price). You'll need to cover your entire body with olive oil, it has to shine! Leave it for about 15 minutes covering with an old bathrobe then take a shower and wash yourself with a soap using the exfoliating glove. The dead skin cells wil rinse off leaving the skin soft and smooth. No longer need to buy ready-made scrubs or body lotions!

Kestos vintage ad >> Agence Eureka http://bibigreycat.blogspot.com/

Favourite Face Gear

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:59:34 GMT

Skinfood Cleans All: Some little wonder from New-Zealand. I found it by chance one day at Tesco but it doesn't seem to be distributed all over the place. First of all, this product is paraben free, not tested on animals, free of artificial perfumes and colourings, non comedogenic and has a recyclable package. It can be used by both men + women (though I've never seen any reason NOT to do unisex cleansing products so good point for this company). It feels more like a cream than a cleanser though it does wash out any dirt and make up and leaves the skin perfectly smooth and hydrated. The smell is quite strong but delicious (lavender and orange oils, manuka honey). It's also rather cheap (round £4) and lasts a long time because you don't need a lot to do the hard job.

The SPF 15 + moisturizer from the same range is also a great product and great base for make up. It contains avocado, lavender, orange and tea tree oils (the smell you'll notice over the others). The packaging is exactly the same and can be used indifferently by men and women. Again a little goes a long way. No spots, no itch, no allergies, it's just fabulous.

http://www.skinfood.co.nz
worldwide online shop available!

Kiehl's calendula toner: Kiehl's is way out of my budget range though I made an exception for this one because it really did wonder to improve the colour and texture of my complexion. At £30 something the 236ml bottle, that's a pretty expensive product!
I found it after many researches for a plant that would help with the spots and redness I had a few years ago. Calendula or Marygold is known to help treating various skin diseases and has anti-bacterial and healing properties. And so far so good, that toner has been doing his job. The calendula petals float in the bottom of the bottle. I must say I'm not insensitive to the snowglobe effect here...

It's alcohol free and balances the skin oils. It neither smells bad nor good, just 'plantish'. To see any effect, it should be used twice a day for a least 2 weeks. Kiehl's is very famous brand however I like to buy it from Space NK who has gorgeous paper bags with cord handles. I have tried other stuff from the brand on occasions but was not impressed at all or they were containing dreadful almond oil that has the mighty power of giving me huge breakouts.

Nivea aqua sensation anti-shadow eye cream: As much as I don't like the rest of Nivea products, I have been using this one for ages (it had another name before this version). So here's the problem: I usually wake up with puffy lids and the eyes very dehydrated. If you've ever tried to apply cucumber slices on your eyes, you'll see how good it is to turn monster eyes into rather nice and fresh ones. Well that little pot just does the same and is far more practical than to carry your cucumbers around.

I'm always very suspicious of any marketing blahblah. Without being miraculous, this one does what it says on the box. I'm glad they're still making it after all these years.

When things go wrong, I start to have zillions of tiny whiteheads and uneven complexion. Scrubs are not for me. My skin hates them with a passion. After I stopped my acne treatments, my skin kind of returned to spots and misery. On top of that, it could be very dry when in the cold and raging winds of Scotland despite the high degree of humidity. The problem of acne is not so much that it is ugly, I could do fine with it. But it never lets you do a proper make up when you feel like cheering you up a bit. So how could a dry skin also be an acne-prone skin? That's a good question and a mystery but I'm the living proof it's possible. Au naturel, my skin isn't oily at all. My problem doesn't come from overproduction of sebum. It comes form hormonal imbalance I know I have and very likely my skin barrier not working properly. I've seen people with oily skin and not a spot in sight! My skin does need exfoliation though. After many tests, I have become a great fan of....

Garnier Pure Skin Purifying Peel Kit: The product comes in 2 parts. One tube of scrub and one tube of peeling solution. The scrub is not too harsh and the skin doesn't feel dry thereafter. The peeling solution is a kind of transparent gel that is applied in generous quantity and left overnight and rinsed in the morning. I have never ever had any problem with this kit just good surprises with a noticeable reduction of whiteheads, acne scars (I still get the odd PMS spot) and generally a much smoother skin within 10 days.

The unlucky bit is that...they seem to have stopped manufacturing it and I haven't come across something as good as since.

Lancaster Monaco SPF30 sunscreen: The acne medications have unfortunately made my skin very sensitive to the sun and shortly I needed a very high SPF (and not just a 15 one!) if not a total block. Previously I used Roc Minesol that was great until they changed the formula into a greasy weird liquid thing. Once I was at the airport boring myself out of my head, I picked up a Lancaster sunscreen to give it a go (and a potential random mistake). This one has an excellent consistency and can be used as a moisturizer and make up base. It sets rapidly on the skin and smells like holidays in Tuscany.

What else? The hydration lasts for the day without feeling greasy. It never caused me any spots, redness, itch or allergies. As for the SPF, I'd easily go one step up. Again for this one, looks like they stopped it as it is very difficult to find. Another one I've been using for ages.

Burts Bees' repair serum: You should know by now I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging. For a while, I used to go and have a back massage at Willow Trade (that's when I was semi-rich!) in Glasgow and spotted some Burts Bees stuff among their shelves. The brand sold several of their products in travel size in a small pouch so you could try almost everything without blowing the Bank of England! Some of them contained almond so let's skip those, some others were just plain ineffective. I got hooked on two: The repair serum and the lavender/shea butter handcream. I previously mentioned the repair serum. It's almost nothing but oils and unexpectedly it did wonder to my skin. It's quite expensive but as for most of the products listed above, you only need a little. Repairing? I wouldn't go that further but It's very light when mixed on a watermisted skin and keeps it hydrated and protected and the fine lines definitely disappear...at least for a while.

I buy it from a UK website called 'My Burtsbees' http://www.myburtsbees.co.uk because they have a fantastic customer service and delivers to Europe (despite their awful bubble envelops however you can ask them for a box package. I warn you, if you don't, everything will be smashed). They have a twin website at http://www.bloomsburystore.com/ if you're in need of inspiration for unsual gifts and deco stuff.

Other good things from Mother Nature:

Cucumber

It's delicious with creme fraiche, salt and pepper, mustard vinaigrette and of course to give a treat to your skin

Shea butter

I first heard of shea butter when I was 15. One of my classmates (she was from African origin) was using it on her body. It's very very thick and needs to be worked on the palm until it gets smooth. It sinks into the skin and is extremely protective. It won't wash away and water will roll on your skin. However for having tested it on my face, I wouldn't recommend it or maybe just on chapped lips. It is widely used in cosmetics and beauty products (you sometimes see its Latin name 'Butyrospermum Parkii'). I'd reserve it for night hand masks (a generous amount + white cotton gloves) and for any dry part of the body (elbows, knees, heels, legs).

I'd strongly encourage you to buy the real stuff because it's less expensive and comes in big pots. Also many online sellers offer Fairtrade shea butter and that's definitely the option to take to support local producers in Africa.

Olive and jojoba oils:

Jojoba

Olive

These are my two favourite oils. Olive oil is definitely something most of people have in their kitchen. It's thick enough to remove make-up or to mix with a liquid cleanser. I have used it for a while in place of the Burts Bees serum but it's just too thick to use as a moisturizer and takes ages to be absorbed. Jojoba on the other hand, being the closest thing to the skin natural sebum (it's actually a kind of wax) is very silky and is a bit more versatile (face/body/hair) unless you have very dry skin. It's also a great oil for massage. It doesn't smell so good so you can add a couple of drops of essential oils if it's putting you off.

I'm off to Scotland tomorrow for a few days. I'm quite excited to be able to visit some of my friends and also just wandering around shopping after 2 months of necessary abstinence can only do me good!

Coming soon: Favourite Make Up Gear, Favourite Body Gear

Fashion in films: Coffy (1973)

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:52:24 GMT

If you're like me a huge fan of 'Jackie Brown', here's another kitschogem featuring extravagant and powerful Pam Grier. Coffy is the sort of films you'd expect to be found in the £1 DVD bin though it deserves a view at least for the early 70s fashion in full bloom. The plot is weak though Pam Grier 'nurse by day and avenging angel by night' magnificently supports her role. Drugs in the early 70's in America is depicted as a serious problem. People lead to use drugs to bear lives far from being decent (that's more or less the message of the drug head gangster at the end). So the film has some interesting food for thought and social apspects. But what about fashion? Afros, collars, glasses and trousers are as big as they can be...

Coffy trying to trick a pusher, dressed as a prostitute/junkie. Behind her, a crochet bag (more further)

Check the tapestry in the background, some uglish 70's pattern! This is not Coffy on this one but a young woman at a callgirls pad. I love the choker necklace and the afro of course.

Callgirls pads must have been the prehistory of today's call centres (thouhg obviously they don't 'sell' the same thing!). The headset is amazingly modern. I like the little gold heart pendant, the green ostrich feather, the double bangles and her eyes are just awesome.

Coffy arrived at the callgirls' wearing this massive shells and gold necklace. I don't like too much the dress though it has some interesting split-open sleeves.

Oh my dog... Pure typical highwaisted bellbottom, cinched waist and probably platform boots under. The ad message from Coca Cola makes me wonder if this was put on purpose or not ('it's the real thing. Coke').

The pusher. This is some serious pimp costume. Looks like a jumpsuit with a cape held by a golden chain. The hat has pheasant's feathers on it and the glasses are making a big statement.

And here is Coffy's crochet bag. This is by far my favourite prop...

Coffy is available on DVD copyright American International Pictures and MGM home entertainment

Auvers sur Oise is the new Paris

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:01:57 GMT

I went to Auvers sur Oise on Sunday afternoon to have lunch with some of my little brother's friends. Auvers sur Oise springs automatically the name of van Gogh. Auvers sur Oise is not very far from Paris but it's already bucolic. It looked huge despite being a pretty small town in terms of population.

The church of Auvers by van Gogh

Auvers nowadays seen from the sky

I could totally see myself living there one day. It combines the atmosphere of a small village on the hillside (facing the South), intense cultural heritage and the proximity of the capital. We spent most of the day eating and drinking outside wearing T-shirts (something excluded in Scoland in any manner!) watching the guys getting VERY drunk and playing ping-pong. I heard a lot of singles being reluctant to mingle with married-3 kids couples but I really can't see why. The kids were wonderful and very funny. Usually when they appear 'uneducated' and really piss you off, it's often because they're bored out of their head and try to grab your attention.

Anyway I definitely plan to go back to Auvers with any charitable soul who would like to go with me and it's high time I discovered the wonders of the 95 department (France is divided into departments themselves belonging to a region of France).

van Gogh self-portrait

Shoe Making and Red Shoes

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:27:23 GMT

A few years ago I came across a book called "Make your own shoes" by Mary Wales Loomis. I tried to get hold of the book but it turned out impossible to find. I even set up an Ebay alert over a year with no success. Mary Wales Loomis may look like the nice old grandma living at the corner of your street but she made her dream come true. She did exactly what Howard Davis did i.e. she ripped a pair of old shoes up and started to make her own shoes from scratch.

Fortunately she now has a website where the book is available to buy. Mmmh that's good news. I guess there are hundreds or thousands of people like me interested in the shoe mysteries and wonders. As I have absolutely no means to go the Cordwainer's college (bar the Summer course) unless I win an indecent amount of money at the lottery or unless a miracle, I suppose that's a start.

I also found a website listing technical books (something I also was desperately trying to find). The site is at:

www.shoetrades.com

I don't think I ever talked about my favourite shoe designers so here we go!

Ferragamo 1938

Louboutin (here the Trottinettes)

Perugia fish 1931

Perugia again, two models from 1950 and 1952

Danny Sullivan from Irregular choice is my absolute favourite because they are the only funky shoes I can afford!

Roger Vivier

This leads naturally to mention that I have a passion for RED shoes. There's really something special about them. You don't feel the same when you wear them...

These are from Topshop. I thought it was my lucky day when I spotted one pair in my Topshop micro outlet just before I left Scotland. But there was only one pair left in size 6.

Beautiful Moira Shearer in the film 'The Red Shoes'

Who hasn't dreamt to own a pair of Dorothy glitter shoes? From the film 'The Wizard of Oz'

and last, Kate Bush's album 'The Red Shoes'

Trends or No Trends: Who Cares?

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:27:02 GMT

As I have plenty of time at the moment, I've decided to look after my 'Mood' notebook again (see my
my older post on the subject).

I'm not very sensitive to trends. I just don't understand the concept of it. The only time they are useful is when they give the possibility to buy a particular style or item you've had in mind for a while and that was not available (ie polka dots!). But buying a trend for the sake of it, I don't get it.

When I started the Mood notebook, I also used to write down the official trends along with what I was spotting in the streets of Glasgow. I've found no correlation between the countries either. One more time a particular French website I won't name has a list of trends that are a least a year behind the UK. On top of that, if you observe them year after year, you'll notice that nothing really changes. It's the same trends labeled differently. Ok they may be trying to explore the full spectrum of a trend, fair enough.

This year was funny because suddenly the trend was supposed to be 'no trends'. Whao...sounds very much like everyone was inspiration-dried out and hey, let's invent a new concept called 'no trends'. Blame it on the crisis. The last time we faced a major depression, they sucked a new concept out of the streets with the grunge.

Here is what I found in my delicious Mood book:

AW 2001 or 2

Leather
x Floaty dresses
x Raglan sleeves T-shirts with names of cities or well known areas (Brooklyn, Harlem)
x Camouflage
x Boot cut jeans
x Corduroy
x Patchwork/suede
x Embroidered jeans (fashion crime!)
x Slash necklines

SS 2003 or 2004

x Mini trench coats (GAP initiated)
x Vivid colours especially yellow and green
30's (nope, that one didn't take off until 2008)
x Vintage (now everything that is more than 2 years old is called 'vintage')
x Vintage bands t-shirts (Kiss, ACDC, David Bowies, Guns & Roses...)
x 80's revival (that one has been on and on since to my great despair)
x Oversized glasses or 'bug' sunglasses

AW 2003/2004

x Ultra long scarf with small stripes (GAP)
x Beige corduroy bags
x Oversize picture T-shirts
Birds, carnival, Moulin Rouge
BIker chic
Tweed trilbies
Boyish
x 60s revival
x Argyle patterns
x Zips, punk revival (whatever, we had that one again in 2008)
x Acid colours
High society
x Bardot jumper
Anna Sui 'Dolly Girl'
x Japanese prints
x Corduroy jackets
x Tights in funny colours (still 'on' in 2008) I have tons of these
x Courreges style dresses
x Satin dress a la Gucci
Middle-Age/Joan of Arc (failed miserably)

Other 2003 (AW2002/2003?)

x Prairie
Jumpsuits
x Parkas
x 70s shirts
x Shearling coats

Personally, I was that year obsessed with GREY

Sarah Jessica Parker for GAP in 2004, this campaign had a huge influence

AW 2004/2005

x Ugg boots
Tweed jackets
Equestrian (didn't work)
Purple
x Missoni lookalike jumper at M&S, chevrons
x Crochet belts
Bubble skirts (didnt' work)
Wild west (didnt' work)
Tartan/checks (worked later in 2007 2008)
x Wrap dresses
Leopard (as previously, worked but later)
x Ponchos (followed by an invasion of ponchos all over the UK)
x Hot metal (GAP bags)
x Blouse (especially the one with pussy bows)

AW 2005

Romeo and Juliet (don't ask me what that was)
x Fake fur (followed by an invasion etc.)
Embroidery
x Lace
x Military style (followed by an invasion etc.)/Gothic fairytale/Victoriana/Napoleonic/Aviator on the border of the overdose)
Tweed trousers
Ethnic/Folklore/Beatnik/Eastern countries
x Pompoms
Knit layers
x Kukui beads
x Waistcoat (thanks Kate Moss for bringing this from the deads)
x Customized handbag (appliques, charms)
Boudoir/Mademoiselle

The ones with the cross are the ones that were the most popular at the time.

SS 2006

x Navy stripes
x Polka dots
x Red gingham
x Shorts
White
x Trench coats (though it's totally a staple)
Pied de poule/Hound's tooth pattern
x Glitter/sequins
Braces
Dungarees
x Cowgirl (again! Also named 'prairie')
x Puff sleeves
Navy trousers (ie extra wide)
x Schoolgirl
Skull scarves (nothing new here Mr McQueen, there were huge in the early 90's)

On the streets in 2006 >> Metallic bags, ballerinas, grey skinnies (thanks again to Kate Moss), shrugs and more shrugs (with sequins), Marinieres, Fur collar parkas

I kind of stopped after that, that's a shame. Other things I remember but I can't date them:

Velvet tracksuits (Juicy Couture style) especially in pink
Empire line tops
Burberry patterns (but it's kind of cultural in Glasgow)
Tartan mini kilts
Slouch boots
Big hoop earrings
Jeans in boots
Metallic shoes
Cropped jackets, 3/4 sleeves, swing coats
Pink or yellow Dayglo tutus (yes they were girls wearing this!)
Denim mini skirt + black cropped tights combo

Some of my new pages on the Mood book>>>

I'm still in the process for the layout. It's not quite how I would like it to be. I'd need a proper A4 notebook and more base material. Maybe some texture, ribbons, wrapping papers... More coming soon...

Oh The Tiresome Jobhunt

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:44:18 GMT

Here we are... I've started to cruise the job offers since yesterday and it seems harder than an actual day in my previous job. Just reading the offers demotivates me. Most of them are so 'hard to please' than I just want to turn my iBook off. What I mean by this is the excruciating and sometimes unrealistic requirements compared to the job offer. You must logically be in your 40ies if you have accumulated the studies and experience they claim they want you to have. We all know as a fact that they get carried away with the requirements in order to deter people (hence why it looks SO unappealing). I feel a touch of arrogance in all these ads. The culture of the 'elite' is still very very strong in France. Incidentally, I hate companies who lies on the salary or make no mention of the job location (time wasters, I know you!).

Ah...I just got a reply from an ex workmate and close friend from Belgium. He put the finger on something I had completely forgotten: We had to cover so many responsibilities from order booking, order tracking, order processing, to financial checks, mild technical support, post ship and delivery issues, customer relationship management. And for myself on top I was also in charge of all the new employees and customer service quality control. In the end so much to do in so little time was actually not helping us developing in-depth knowledge.

I was one of the few experts in networking products configuration. I could fix and even re-do complete configurations for our partners. I knew all the tricks and ropes of the order management system to pass these configurations, modify them which sometimes was extremely complex to handle. The worst I had took me nearly 3 weeks to sort out due to the partner's constant changes. Still I had no real knowledge of these products.

I once was assisting one of the new employees in an issue that soon turned out to be an absolute nightmare. Some client had initiated a return/replacement for a defective product that kept being sent (3 times!!) by the technical support to an incorrect address somewhere in the Middle-East. It couldn't be picked up due to customs regulations. I involved all the people I knew until I manageD to talk to the technical support manager, constantly switching back to the client. The only knowledge I got was anything I could find by myself on Internet. I had to do considerable search on the different technical cases opened, something I was not even meant to do. Still I know very little of customs and logistics.

We had to run financial checks (or audits) which were very strict and sometimes complex to figure out. On top of that the order management system could bug and the whole order had to be reviewed. This could lead to strong arguments with the clients or the sales teams. Still I know very little about financial control.

Being entangled this way with other departments gave us indeed a glimpse of the overall organization but not enough to acquire strong competences. I knew my job was hard but it was really ok with me. I only realized how qualified it was when the recruitment started to get lousy especially in the last 6 months. I have always set the right expectations when I first met with the new employees. Not to demotivate them but to make them understand they would need super extra focus and rigour at the beginning.

Then I came across inextricable situations with people I practically needed to learn how to use a keyboard or worse how to write an email in decent and professional English which was one of the main requirements. This is one of the reasons why I quit my job even before we were announced that we would lose our jobs. I was appalled to see so many recruitment failures going by. I was constantly feeling sorry for the customers, the way some of these people would speak over the phone or write to them (in top of grammar and spelling mistakes). Then speaking with my previous newbies, they told me I had provided them with an unparalleled support and it wasn't about me but a problem with the HR. What pride can you take in your company when things degrade this way and no one seems to care?

So yes, I wish these job offers were written in simpler English (or French for that matter). I honestly don't understand what the actual job is for some of them. It sounds way too pompous (in comparison to my old days browsing s1job.com for instance). I'm very much like Stanley Kubrick in a way. I don't know what I want, but I do know what I don't want.

Actually I have a few considerations for my working environment: all-English, multi-cultural, well structured and organized, autonomous, not OTE driven, supporting internal training and career development and located in Paris (I now live too far from it to adventure anywhere in the suburbs).

My Belgian friend told me that he did post his CV on job websites after leaving the UK but soon kept on receiving offers that he qualifieS as 'total bollox' until he registered in a recruitment agency. And apparently it did the trick. He had nothing to do but wait for the phone to ring. He's very happy in his current job and the company he works for seems to have high standards and ethics in terms of staff management (which were certainly not the case in our previous common job). We and many others suffered a lot from this. I recall a few persons who quit because of ONE supervisor's constant misbehaviour. These were experienced and mature people though.

When I was offered my position of 'assimilated' supervisor (because officially I was not despite my responsibilities), my major goal was to change this and treat people with respect and professionalism like I have always done. And of course, it worked. The official supervisors hated me for the influence I rapidly gained. The sort of supervisors who would tell people 'I'm YOUR supervisor, YOU owe me respect'. Sorry but that's probably the worst method to gain genuine respect. I just couldn't stand these ego-obsessed manners. They ALL were this way because they usually came from nowhere and had no qualification. Suddenly one step higher on the ladder their ego massively inflated. Treating people like little children was also one their favourites. They knew no other way and wouldn't have the slightest idea to do this differently anyway. I was untouchable because I didn't need them and I rarely had to report to them. That was great.

As a conclusion, I start to understand how difficult it'll be to fit any description. I would need a company who bets on employee potential with a strong staff training policy. A bit like in my dad's old days. Unfortunately and unlike someone I used to know who had a very poor CV, I never really had the chance to build a strong relationship network in my company. This is however the strongest asset to be able to move forward to more interesting positions. The person I mentioned above started a similar job as mine at the same time but was working directly for the company (unlike us who were working on behalf of a client). He eventually secured an excellent job back in France when the company shut the order management team down in UK. So lucky...

New Book/The Secret Of Looking Young

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:25:38 GMT

In one my older posts, I talked about one of the greatest books about style, 'The Pocket Stylist' by Kendall Farr. I found out today that she will be releasing a new book this April. Still about style, it's this time aimed at women over 40. Age 40 always seems to strike the last hours of feminity and youth. Though I disagree with this and because people never want to believe my true age (they usually take 10 years off) I'm quite curious to find out how K.Farr handled the subject.

Getting hold is hard and painful. We've been conditioned so much to regard this as unacceptable we never really learned to accept it's a natural process and see beauty in older women positively. The other night, I was watching an interview of one our most famous actresses in France called Michele Morgan. She's 89 and I was amazed how beautiful she looked. I mean beauty exuding from the inside.

Genes are probably a big part in the growing old process. But there are controlable factors and you don't need to spend a lof of money in treatments that have very little effects if none.

1/ Protect your skin from the sun
2/ Keep your skin moisturized
3/ Get enough sleep

There are of course other controlable things such as taking regular physical activity, stop smoking, reduce alcohol consumption and overall having a healthy lifestyle. Number 2 will get more and more difficult with the time. The 3 I've mentioned are the ones I have personally and more specifically experienced as being effective.

1/ I have never been a fan of tanning even when tanning was BIG especially in the late 70s and 80's. As a point of comparison, my sister abused it on several occasions and sun damage showed pretty early despite her olive skin.

2/ I had a perfect skin until the age of 22 and for no obvious reason I gradually started to have acne. I don't remember using any special skincare routine up to that age and acne caused me a lot of problem later due to the treatments I was prescribed. I eventually got my solution when I started to use completely natural soaps and a mix of water mist topped with a few drops of Burts Bee's repair serum. The oil seems to lock the water in. It greatly improved my skin. At age 36 one fine Summer morning I woke up and realized that fine lines had appeared under my eyes when I was smiling. It really seemed to have appeared overnight, scary! The repair serum still helps however my skin now needs constant attention.

3/ When I'm really knackered towards the end of the afternoon, I sometimes take a 30/60' nap. I have noticed that everytime I do, my skin looks flawless and smooth as a baby bottom. This almost never happens during the night because I've always had a bad sleep with apparently sleep apnea too.

Twiggy, the personification of youth

Most of the people who assume I'm 10 years younger do because most of us have cliches about what a woman should look at a particular age. I honestly don't feel like I'm a nearly 40. I've never lied about my age and I doubt I ever will. When I see pictures of 'every day' women roughly my age, I do realize I'm different. I got IDed 3 times while I was in Scotland. Once to get into a club at age 31, a second time last year while buying a bottle of wine at M&S and the last time was about 2 months ago when I bought cigarettes! God know I may actually look 15 years younger if I didn't smoke...
But I have the feeling that this is what younger generations will experience as well. They will look younger than their age. It's all in the head up to a certain point. It has a lot to do on how much attention you pay to your general appearance and the way you dress. I don't condemn women who would go under surgery if that makes them feel better but there are still a lot of safe alternatives that requires little effort but without a doubt a lot of discipline.

Fashion Footwear

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:59:40 GMT

Above is one of my several books about shoes and footwear that for once I took the time to read before going to sleep yesterday. It's more of a collector's book with price tags and very thorough description but for any shoe passionista, it's a must have.

At the end of the book there's section about shoe designer Howard Davis, an African-American who once worked for the Frenchissim Roger Vivier. Davis as a child, used to dismantle her sister's shoes and rebuild them with a new design (unfortunately there are no details about this unusual activity). While working for a department store, his shoe sketches drew the attention of the store's manager who recommended him to a big shoe manufacturer (Delman). Delman gave him the opportunity (so rare nowadays) to learn the ropes of the shoe business. And off he went!

The story is followed by an interview with Davis who cites 3 schools for anyone who would like to become a shoe designer: Parson's in NY (where he currently teaches), Cordwainers College in London and Ars Sutoria in Milan. Ah if it could be that simple. I had a look at the Cordwainers college a few years ago and it seemed so out of reach. My current situation makes the adventure impossible to take up no matter how I turn things around except maybe for a short Summer course. In France there is only ONE reputable school of shoe design, the Colbert Insistute. Unfortunately it is not as you'd think located in Paris but 350km away. I feel like I have petrol on one hand and no car on the other. I have thousands of shoe ideas and no means to make this real. It's both frustrating and depressing. I don't know why this vocation came in so late in my life. I'm convinced I'm not the only one. At least my musician friends have numerous virtual platforms to express themselves. But what about a trade that requires extreme technical knowledge? Tricky indeed.

I was 15 when I bought my first vintage shoes at a junk/antique fair. It was a pair of 1910's suede and leather boots with a row of mother-of-pearl buttons. At 15 1/2, I joined the Arts section at highschool. I was desperate to get into one of the highest-ranked schools of Arts in Paris. But being easily demotivated with no proper support from my Arts teacher or my parents, I miserably failed the tests. Anyway these Arts schools were not actual technical schools. It was such an 'old France' academic system, LOADS of theory and very little practice. If anything, I wanted to be neither a painter, neither an illustrator nor an interior designer. I would have needed something extra specific. Something that was at the time still regarded as education for the 'intelligently challenged' ones who were not able to pass the Baccalaureat. What a lot of bullshit. So much for the so called 'Egalite' in France...

One sure thing makes me laugh now. When I checked the website of this particular school I wanted to join 25 years ago, the educational body was complaining about young people to be technically skilled but creatively poor. You'd think it's nonsense but it's not. As much as the opposite is also true. And on the contrary to drawing, painting that are for the good ones an ability they're born with, shoe making requires techniques that can be taught and mastered. Once you've got the knowledge comes the creative part can be unleashed. So what good would have it been to join this school? None, I would have got bored and eventually dropped, I'm sure of this. On top of that, unless you're a Mozart, I can't see how you can have enough maturity at 15 especially now. It takes years to absorb creative material and develop its own style.

I haven't gave up my dream. If the only thing I can afford time and moneywise, then I'll eventually go to the Summer course at the LCF (London College of Fashion). I don't have the pretention to become a Vivier or a Ferragamo though if I ever managed to get into it, it'd give a sense to my life. I'm sure there's one thing other passionate people share is that sense of complete focus and energy burning when one works towards its passion. To be completely in it, work hard and get the priceless satisfaction to be in harmony with oneself.

Art Deco in Glasgow/Beyond Biba Movie

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:48:41 GMT

Lately I joined a Facebook group called 'I miss Glasgow'. I have to face the reality, I DO miss Glasgow. Most of my friends are now about to leave the crazy city too after we were told last November that we were going to lose our jobs. It's not as dramatic as it sounds because we were all foreigners and we all know we can land back on the relative 'safety net' of our respective countries.

Still, it feels like our good times came to an end and that somehow we've been torn apart. I remember when I first went to Glasgow a few weeks after my arrival (I was living by the seaside some 40km off Glasgow) it looked nothing like any other European cities I had travelled. Every street was straight, everything was angular and square. I would often get lost at first because the streets could easily be mixed up. I fell in love with the architecture. Some buildings look Amsterdamian, some others Venetian, some even Parisian and Art Deco is everywhere in high proportion.

I started to take a lot of pictures of the Art Deco buildings (or what looked like it as I'm not an expert) in the idea I could convince someone at the Lighthouse (an architecture and design venue in the city centre) to organize an exhibition about Art Deco in Glasgow. But I dropped the idea because I lacked of time and had no clue whether this was naive or sensible.

The Rogano restaurant in Exchange place, created in 1935

Building at the intersection of Queen St and Ingram st (the Glaswegian avenue Montaigne)

The Watt Bros building takes up 3 angles in Sauchiehall st, Hope street and Bath st. My favourite granny's shop, one of the best stores in Glasgow, a real maze with different uneven levels and stairs.

The Watt Brothers lift at the 'ground floor', beautiful

Dunnes Building at the intersection of Sauchiehall st and Cambridge st

The ABC venue on Sauchiehall st, was the first cinema in Glasgow

Stunning building in Gordon st

My Art Deco inspired window display during the time I was working at the charity shop.

Also I learned yesterday that November Reels is currently post-producing a documentary film about Barbara Hulanicki and Biba. Fantastic news!!

Picture copyright of November Reels http://www.november-reels.com/

Whatever Happened to Topshop

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:19:08 GMT

I recently read an article on the web that comforted me I was not victim of hallucinations. Topshop was once spotless in the equation design+quality+price but this tends to be history nowadays. I will always remember my first trip the flagship store in London in 1994. During a short period I was off work, I had come along with my sister and her husband-to-be who needed to visit some broadcast company. The moment I stepped into the Topshop store I immediately knew the beast in me was unleashed. Already a huge fan of London and a regular of bus trips from Paris, I however never had been to this fashion paradise. I was in awe. It was so different from Paris, there was such creativity and the prices so affordable!

It was the hippie/70s revival at the time and I got a thin light tunic shirt with little flowers and a crochet waistcoat. I still have the shirt (mended several times) and it's still one of my favourite shirts. I guess it could even qualify as 'vintage' Topshop now. Later I got caught in regular 9-5 jobs or was out of work and therefore no money. I stopped going to London except on two occasions for the Notting Hill Carnival over the week-end.

When I moved to Scotland, I would go to Topshop very often although that turned out to be too dreadful for my bank account and I had already found out other shops to go. Then something happened. The prices rose up while the quality went down. I still hold a grudge for that trenchcoat I paid £80 (!!!) made in one of the worst material I had seen (a mix of acrylic/wool in very dubious proportions). The only redeemable thing is the cut that is amazing. After this unfortunate incident, I almost completely stopped going and if so, I'd never pay the full price.

More recently and possibly due to that nasty 80's trend resurgence, I think the design too has gone downhill and competitor Primark has been very agressive in this territory. I swear some items currently sold on the website could look like they've been -to quote Miranda Priestly- "fished out of some clearance bin" in grannies'shop. Welcome to the Topshop SS2009 gallery of monstruosities:

I kept the best one for the end. The high waisted tapered heavily stone washed jeans. A monument that combines all the ingredient for massive fashion crime!

To be fair, number 2 could be okay pulled by a born-with-style young girl though sorry too much 80's and dayglo for me.

Among the monstruosities, I have a soft spot for this one. Somehow there's something cool about it:

Looks very much like a grunge revival here...

Every cloud has...a silver lining

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:21:54 GMT

France has several Overseas department and territories on the globe relics of our colonial past. I'm not sure how it is talked about on foreign medias but pick the right biased footage and you'll definitely think there's a civil war in the French Caribbean islands. I'm no expert in what's really going but one sure thing it is a very complex topic. The main concern over the last few weeks was the purchasing power and the extremely high prices compared to the ones we have in France. Almost everything is imported and common sense tells you that you can't expect the price of food especially to be the same when it shipped some 7000 km. I learned that while watching a very interesting political program the other day. One of the participants stressed that local agriculture and livestock farming were almost nonexistent despite the fact that these islands could afford to live off their local production if only...

As the strikes paralyzed both countries, people had to get food and necessities from other sources (street markets). Yesterday I watched another channel called France O aimed specifically at Overseas territories and departments. Some people mentioned that they were rediscovering street markets and how new behaviours have been developing since the crisis has hit all of us and that it's the way Guadeloupe and Martinique should head from now on. As no fuel was available for weeks, people would walk and spend more time with relatives and friends. I really liked the positive outlook these people had on their department and country because there is hope for these beautiful islands to get the head out of the mud eventually.

In my opinion all we can and should do at the moment is to stay positive and have faith things will eventually get better. An economical crisis is always a good opportunity to refocus, get creative, find new ways of living and take lessons from the mistakes. And maybe rediscover the basics, the essential. It's foolish to think things will stay the same (either good or bad -that's a buddhist principle-). Life is a continuous flow. You head to serious distress if you can't accept this simple fact.

Since I started working 17 years ago, I worked for 6 different companies and not by choice but because I had no other option but to take whatever was coming. It was a matter of survival. At the lowest, I lived on 2000 FF (roughly £200) a month for over a year which was nearly 3 times less than the minimal wage in France. Most of the time I had to go and eat at my parent's. I would walk or cycle a lot to avoid to spend in transport, I'd go to free exhibitions and got a pass at my local library. I occasionally would do some works for my parents too to get extra money. It was really hard but you get used to it because adaption is one of the most amazing abilities of human beings. But I never gave up even after sending 100 of cover letters. I would get dressed and put some make up on, keep my flat tidy and had faith. Until I eventually found a job that sent me miles and miles away from France. As I had never ever had problems finding a job before that time, I told myself that it was one these tricks life does: I didn't find a job in France because destiny had planned something else for me: to go and live in Scotland (which oddly enough was one of my childhood dreams). Retrospectively it's one of the best things that could have happened to me. I worked for one of the most prestigious American companies and hopefully this will be an asset to get a decent job the next time. I learned so much there!

I don't know what tomorrow will bring nor anyone does. But one thing is sure, sitting on your arse moaning (don't get me wrong I do do that sometimes) and waiting for your 'rights' to be fulfilled and saying 'it's unfair' is not an option. In industrialized countries we still have choices. Relating to what I said previously about food, one's got the choice to cook from scratch or buy disgustingly pricey ready-made meals. There are 100 ways of being a savvy and responsible consumer. My mum who must be the wisest of all of us has been shopping in a 'soft discount' market for over 20 years now. This huge warehouse buys back overstocks of food and products arriving at the end of the selling date from supermarkets. That way they manage to slash the prices down considerably. So you may not find that particular stuff recently advertised on TV but there's more than you can ever dream of!

There's nothing wrong in wanting a decent way of life though to believe bliss triggers from material possessions only, we should all know this by now, is mad. We depend so much on the world around but actually how many people have this in mind? What you have may be not the next day. As an example, my sister who earns a small fortune will very likely lose her job within a year or so. She works in an industry badly hit by the crisis and they kind of try to get rid of her because she earns a lot. She's been farting in silk for years, has a very nice house with an indoor swimming pool, has a 58'inch tv set, wear designer clothes, jets around the world several times a year, has a company car and until recently she had a job considered as 'for life'. Sounds rather great doesn't it? Curiously I have never got green with envy for her lifestyle. That was and maybe still is her conception of a fulfilled life but...not mine even if I do appreciate the occasional luxury.

She reportedly once said 'I will never ever be poor'. She probably suffered a lot my parents didn't splash on us with material possessions but they were religiously saving to get a bigger house and feed mortgage saving accounts for each of us. I did suffer too but that was for the best. When she was about 13 she used to run a small business of stolen goods. She would shoplift and resell anything she didn't want to friends, classmates and even parents' friends. She was such a show off. She had to have better and do better than the rest of the world already. She eventually got caught red-handed. I was with her that day, I was 6. The security took us in the back of the store and submitted her to a very impressive questioning. She cried but soon displayed her best performance since. The store manager forced her to call a relative. Instead she called one of her classmate's grand mother. The classmate was bearing the same first name and shamelessly unruffled she posed as her over the phone. That sums up the character...

When I came back to France mid January, one of my brothers reported to me that she had made nasty comments about me, that I was 'zen', I was the one to be envied! Hang on a minute. I have no job and jobhunting at the worst possible time, I have no social security, I'm living on savings and have to check every e-cent coming out of my bank account, I do have a house but that needs a lot of work, I have no friends, I have no boyfriend, I have no car, I haven't taken proper holidays in YEARS and I'm the one to be envied? That demonstrates what mental attitude does or does not. Because the reality is that my sister's mental misery is conversely proportional to her external signs of wealth. I simply count my blessings every day and I'm so grateful to have what I have because not everybody can say the same.

3D Deco, the Pink, the Green and the Brown

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:23:32 GMT

I've been trying to figure out what to do with my rooms for a while. The best tool to create and manipulate the 3D is the planning tool from Ikea (www.ikea.com) though it's only limited to a few rooms and can only be furnished with Ikea stuff. Also no functionality to change floors, walls, colours.

Another great tool can be found at www.mydeco.com The choice is very vast but this time it's the tool that is a bit tricky to use as well as damn slow. I assume it's a matter of time and practise as some 3D rooms created by users look beautiful and almost as real as a picture.

After 3 long hours, here are what I managed to do:

This is more or less what my bedroom looks like at the moment minus the colour of the walls and other items (pale violet blue, green carpet, wicker round seat instead of the pouffe and green plants on top of the drawers).

The pink bedroom... It'll look very different because I couldn't find the objects I was looking for (birdcage, white tray table, golden angels, cherry wallpaper...)

The brown bedroom... also not quite like I have imagined it but so far that's the one I like best.

Fashion in films: Donkey Skin

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:04:00 GMT

This is the first fairytale movie I've seen when I was a child. I was obsessed with the costumes (see my previous post at http://luxhedera.livejournal.com/29304.html). A little known fact I learned when I got the DVD is that Jim Morrison turned up to the shooting location. He briefly appears on the footage of the making of.

As I said, I'm not a huge fan of musicals. I can more or less cope with them if the singing part is occasional. Donkey Skin is originally a fairytale by Charles Perrault (17th Century) who also wrote some of my favourite tales such as Puss in Boots (le Chat Botté), Cinderella (Cendrillon) and Diamonds & Toads/The Fairies (Les Fées).

To my knowledge, Donkey Skin has never been brought to the screen by Hollywood/Disney though it remains one of the most magical stories and it'd be hard to emulate the magic created by Demy's film. Demy himself was greatly inspired by Cocteau's film 'La Belle et la Bete' (Beauty and the Beast) another fairytale by Madame Le Prince de Beaumont in the 18th Century. La Belle et la Bete featured a long corridor of living arms holding candelabras which has been 'transposed' into blue living statues in the King's castle in Donkey Skin.

Cocteau is also quoted by the King when he reads the first poem to his daughter.
The blue dress (note that blue is the colour of Donkey Skin's father kingdom while red is the colour of the prince's father kingdom).

The blue dress in full

The'colour of the weather'dress

The 'colour of the moon' dress and the slightly crazy Fairy of the Lilacs

Donkey Skin's beautiful bedroom

Ready to go asleep

Leaving the castle with the donkey skin

The 'colour of the sun' dress

The wedding

All tales by Perrault can be read in their English version at: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/perrault.html

Another famous tale writer from France was the Comtesse de Segur and her 'New fairy tales for little children': Forbidden forest of lilacs, treacherous rose, fairy and magician turned into a doe and a cat, nasty sisters, doomed teenage princesses, malicious spells, beans and hen feathers mysteriously tranforming into gold thread and diamond dresses... It's very enjoyable to read despite the underlying moralistic tone that some may dislike. Russian born the Comtesse de Segur exiled in the middle of the 19th Century to France where she spent the rest of her life. She's most famous for her novel 'Les Malheurs de Sophie' (Sophie's misfortunes) which depicts what a typical high society education must have been like at the time.

Donkey Skin is available on DVD copyright Paramount pictures

Hello, it's moi again, let's the moaning start

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:36:24 GMT

It's been nearly a month I came back just to realize how little has changed here. Consumption craze and credit crunch have taken another form here but to the opposite of Scottish people who've got this incredible ability to always stay positive, French see the crisis and its consequences as "unacceptable". When the credit crunch started to be mentioned in UK magazines I had no idea the country was facing an economical crisis (NB: I rarely watch TV and never read the news). It came at some point with the rise of prices roughly round October last year. Despite that, I never came across a single moaner but rather people aware we were heading a difficult period but refusing to yield to negativeness. And I guess this is the major difference between Scots/Brits and French.

As I was looking for a solution for my situation in terms of Social Security (another maze of nonsense), I read a message from a guy sharing his difficulties to find a job back in France. He was making very obvious this huge mentality gap between France and United Kingdom: too much discrimination. And I'm not talking cultural discrimination. In France and for probably decades, discrimination has been locking a huge potential workforce. The guy was mentioning that in UK (that has still a lot to improve for employee protection in my opinion) there's very little or nonexistent regard for age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity even diplomas. They give much more attention to experience and people's potential. In France, we are still in this mad archaic system of a diploma recruitment basis. To fight discrimination, a law has been voted and it is now illegal to mention any discriminating criteria in a job offer. But the discrimination, as far as I can remember has always been there under various forms and this is probably one of the good reasons 8 years ago I decided to exile myself on the other side of the Channel.

Even access to training, vocational training, studying is limited, constricted, suffocating under heavy administrative procedures. As an example, before I could start my travel agent qualification in the 90's, I had first to get "any" job to account for a minimum of hours (roughly 3 months) which turned out to be 6 months as the only job I found was a 6 month contract in a call centre. Then it took about 2 months to sort the administrative part to be able to apply for the training and another 2 months before the actual training started. What a waste of time when I think about it. Especially when I realized that I had no hope to ever earn more than the minimal wage which was in 1998 £530 net per month. Fortunately this was a bit compensated by the fact that I worked for one of the biggest companies in France and therefore entitled to a bonus and a double month paid in December. Meanwhile, an ex-colleague of mine in UK has accumulated numerous qualifications since she's been living in Scotland by attending various evening courses at the Uni. She told me she could never come back to live in France as long as this crippled mentality lives on. I don't have a clear idea of what the European Community stands for but I blame every governement for not considering the great pragmatic things they could teach each other.

So here I am, back in my country after 8 years and a few months living, working and paying taxes in UK, at the worst possible time. But I refuse to look like, to think like my compatriots because I want things to be different and I want to make a difference (not in a megalomaniac way of course). Then today I started to have serious doubts about my decision to come back. I stayed over an hour at the Social Security waiting in vain as I was told I couldn't access any Health protection/benefits unless I applied for a minimum basic cover (that takes up to 3 months to be granted or rejected). Even the conditions are a nonsense. I need to prove I have been living in France steadily for a least 3 months! So what happens until I can do so considering I have been there for 4 weeks? Other alternative is to find a job and work a certain number of hours defined by them. Then again, what happens if I get very sick before I reach this number of hours?? Because if it's just a couple of visits to the GP or paying for my contact lenses, that's no big deal for me. I don't necessarily need to be refunded by the Social Security system as I have often did in the past even when I was contributing to the system.

I went to the MFE (Maison des Francais a l'etranger -House of the French living abroad-) website where I managed to find a PDF regarding French citizens coming back to live in France. What I found left me completely speechless. The document clearly states that if I worked and paid taxes towards Inland Revenue and NHS, I should be able to be covered for sickness. I feel really let down by the system while in UK everything from NSH to Inland Revenue, daily life in general seemed so easy and coherent (I think here of the PAYE -pay as you earn- system for instance). Even the French Consulate I contacted several months before I left wasn't really helpful. They directed me to the website where the information was not even consistent with the PDF published on the MFE website.

Another thing really shocked me during this unbearable hour at the Social Security. Several people before me had to provide private information that could be heard by anyone in the room. But here's my point, if I understood well while I was there, I worked and paid taxes in a country of the EEC (that supposedly have social and fiscal agreements) there'd be no transition period whether I'm unemployed or even if I had found a job straight away or even if I'd find a job soon. So if you stretchthink, I am only covered if I go to the UK with my NHS number. What a nonsense, what should I trust then? I guess I have only one thing to do is to go back to the Social Security and bring that paper to get a clear explanation.

Later on, I had what I thought was a genius idea: find a private insurance. Since I was born, all I ever heard was that our social system was in ever growing debt disaster though it seems that medical insurance has to stay the monopole of the state. I have no real knowledge about public/private insurance system apart from what I experienced in UK because I was contributing partly towards one via my employer. In 8 years, I went to the GP once, to the ER once and considerable times to the dentist's and the optician's. With the private medical insurance, I could get very good medical care (that's it if I wanted the same for the dentist's I had to buy a complementary cover). I absolutely despised the NHS 'service' and witnessed several times that it was really a basic service, the pauper's service. I quickly shifted to a private dentist after three miserable experiences with an NHS one. I paid a serious fortune for my teeth though I don't regret it a single second. Which of course brings a lot of questions. If we would ever go into such a system, this would mean that only the people who can afford it can get a decent medical care and of course it sucks. Now in my current situation, I really wish I could pay for a private medical insurance even if it means I'd have to eat pasta until the end of the year.

And that's it for the very long very boring post...

French Beauties Mix III

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:49:14 GMT

Joelle Mogensen

Joelle Mogensen was born in New-York in 1953 and was from Danish/French/Vietnamese/American descent. Before her band 'Il etait une fois' (Once upon a time) became famous, she coincidentally lived in my hometown. The band had a huge success in France with catchy pop songs but the band split in the late 70's and Joelle moved on solo until her sudden death at the age of 29 in 1982.

My brother and I used to make a lot of fun of one of the band's song called 'J'ai encore reve d'elle' (I dreamt of her again) due partly to the very sentimental and cheesy lyrics (which happens to be the trademark of the band). In this song she sings alternatively with the main singer, reaching extremely high-pitched tones towards the end. Typically a song we love to hate.

Nonetheless Joelle had a great sense of style, a lot of charisma and seemed to be a very sweet, down-to-earth-, happy-go-lucky passionate woman. Who knows what she could have become...

Michele Mercier

Born in 1939 in Nice (France), Michele Mercier reached the peaks of the stardom when she played the role (funnily enough Brigitte Bardot knocked back the role and bitterly regretted it later) of Angelique in the 'Angelique Marquise des Anges' serie directed by B. Borderie from 1967 onwards. It was one of the biggest European and most successful production of the 60's. Set under the reign of Louis XIV (Le 'Roi Soleil'), it tells the story of young woman from a penniless aristocratic background who will go through a trail of big ups and downs. My favourite episode is 'Angelique et le Roy' where she's wooed by Louis XIV but faithful to her beloved husband will politely decline the offer. Outrage! This episode splashes the luxury and beauty of the Versailles court with a hint of 60's though...(I'm thinking EYELINER here).

I quite liked the story for it portrays a very strong, determined and independent woman. Angelique constantly seems to come back to life after enduring the worse. It's great fun to watch.

In a rare moment of peace...