French-a-fy: Hair and Makeup

I am sorry for the lack of posts! I have been busy dealing with the technicalities of my trip. Now that I have the major obstacles out of the way such as, my passport, campus france, and finally-MY VISA :)- I am ready to prepare for the much more blog-worthy aspects of my trip. 

To be honest, applying for a visa was quite the daunting and tiring task. From sending in applications to the embassy, to waiting for a reply, to my in-person interview in San Francisco, then back to waiting for a reply, this process seems to be the equivalent of running the New York marathon in Louboutins! All right, I may be a bit dramatic, but now I am ready to kick off those heels and have some fun preparing for my trip to the land of chic! And what better way to do so than with a makeover?!

Not only is the excitement of a new country beckoning, but I also have that first year on my own to look forward too! With that said, I of course want to take this first leap not only in cute shoes but also with confidence. I've turned to classy and iconic French women for a little help. 

Brigitte Bardot- Of course she was the first that popped up when I googled, "classy and iconic French women" I believe she is the perfect icon to turn to because she invented that infamous french flair Krystyne wrote about in her recent post: effortlessly chic. 

In my makeover, I want to have a Bardot-esque influence on my hair and makeup. Here is why:

Miss Bardot perfected the Parisian classy look: smoky eyes, nude lip, and tousled tresses. 

I also love this look because it is timeless. It is easily maintainable and practical for a college student like myself. Proof of this classy, time-transcending BB enchantment is evident even in modern day. 

Designer, Mr. Jean Paul Gaultier, opened his fall/winter 2009 runway show with a Bardot-inspired model. 

Longchamp's fall/winter 2008 ad campaign also capitalized on the globally adored Bardot look.

Although my locks may not be as luscious of Brigitte's, I am excited to keep this belle femme in mind when I go in for my next appointment! I will be sure to post pictures when the transformation is complete, but not before I turn to another French woman for a FASHION makeover! I'll save that for the next post!

à plus tard!

Kate

Stars and Stripes Forever

Bonjour again!


With about a month left until the start of my European life, it is time to really try and assimilate more French culture into my hum drum life in Nevada. I started with the wardrobe in my last little chat, and I now may distill the carefree joie de vivre of the French in a single key item of clothing: the Brenton stripe shirt. My favorite come from Petit Bateau and J. Crew.

www.petit-bateau.us

www.jcrew.com

Now the hardest part -- the language. What I've found to be helpful is watching French cinema. I particularly love anything that stars Audrey Tatou or Marion Cotillard. They are two French women that exude the simple elegance typically associated with the French culture. With Audrey's quirky, indie rolls to Marion's deeper emotional cinematic portrayals, I have a movie to satisfy whatever mood I happen to be in. While I still have to watch with the subtitles on (this isn't a secret miracle to learning French), the more I watch the more familiar I become with common phrases and the mannerisms attached to speaking French. Hey, every little bit helps.

Audrey Tatou (google images)

Marion Cotillard (google images)

xoxo

Krystyne

Francophile's UNITE!

Mes amies,

Love is in the air! I'm not talking about the cheesy Hallmark driven version of love popularized and idolized by the romantic comedies that we all secretly love to watch in marathons. Non, Mademoiselle. I'm talking about love for the most romantic country in the world: France (of course!). A slurry of new and exciting things are jetting out of the country that made horizontal striped shirts and a beret an iconic look. From haute couture confections to (GASP!) Gossip Girl sightings, Paris is feeling the love from every direction.

There is one thing that draws the svelte and gorgeous to France at least twice a year: Fashion. What better place to film one of the most influential shows to hit the closets of girls and women (and yes, sometimes even guys) everywhere? I'm amazed that they haven't done this until now?! Gossip Girl and Paris - a match made in the macaroon shop in the skies.

Leighton Meester and Blake Lively on location in Paris, France.

Source:omg.yahoo.com / PacificCoastNews.com

Looking through these delicious GG pictures really got me to thinking, "Hmm, so what should I pack?" Naturally, being the logic driven person that I am, I turned to research to answer my question. I replaced the encyclopedias with The Satorialist and other more fabulous sources, and my answer can be distilled into two words: effortless chic. I have four more words for you, "Easier. Said. Than. Done." How can these women look like they just rolled out of bed (perfectly tossled hair, strategically disheveled clothes. Glowing from head to toe.) without looking like. . . well. . . like they just rolled out of bed (think Walmart at 2 am). Mind-boggling. New Summer goal: perfect the ethereal and immaculate look of carefree couture. Ha. Wish me luck. Here's a few women that seem to have this look down.

Source: http://fashion.elle.com/blog/paris_style/

Source: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Source: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Now do you understand the casual goddess-bum on the couch paradox? The gauntlet has been thrown!Au revoir for now,Krystyne