If you're like us, you love perfume. And you especially love Parisian perfume.
How fantastic is it that Carlin is now carrying L'Artisan Parfumeur in the shop?
Magnifique!
"The L’Artisan perfume house was founded by a visionary perfumer, Jean Laporte in Paris in 1976. By now, his unique perfumes have become cult objects. Their creative, path finding creations are radically different from the host of commercial scents lining the shelves of perfumeries."
When you sample the lovely scents Carlin has chosen for her shop, trust me in this, you will have a very hard time picking which one to buy. That's perfectly okay, just buy two!
"A L'Artisan perfume ignites true feelings or recalls magic moments of your life – whether it is a dreamy walk in the fig gardens, or a playful chase of butterflies under the blossoming orange and citrus trees..." -Neroli perfume & luxe
The other seven Ooh La Frou Frou girls are jealous.
When I told them the title of my post, you should have heard the fun conversation we had over coffee one morning this week. Of course, each of us feels that SHE is the most girly-girl of all. Truth is, we ALL are. I told them they could do their own Girly-Girl post sometime ... I wouldn't mind. After all, we're all girly in different ways.
My definition of a Girly-Girl: A woman who not only enjoys being a girl, but embraces it and celebrates it.
I'm going to start my post with a toast (a virtual one!) to all of the Girly-Girl Glamorous Followers of our blog! One of our darling Followers shared a beautiful bottle of champagne with Ooh La Frou Frou this week on Twitter. (Not really, of course, just the picture of the gorgeous bottle ... Twitter's good, but not THAT good yet!) I thought I'd share this pretty bottle with you, as I don't think I've seen a prettier one! Here's to you, Lily, (you are a true Girly-Girl, indeed) and to all of our wonderful Girly-Girl Glamorous Followers!
I couldn't possibly talk about ALL things Girly-Girl in one post, but I'll share with you a bit of girly fantasy and romance and three ways in which I celebrate being a woman.
What Girly-Girl doesn't love a special occasion? Actually, each moment of our lives is an occasion, a moment that won't be here ever again, so why not celebrate even those little moments as Occasions?
It takes some intention to create an Occasion. They usually don't happen on the spur of the moment. One way I celebrate my femininity is by surrounding myself with beauty. And this, in turn, makes simple, everyday things become Occasions. For instance: Instead of picking up juice from the grocery store, I squeeze fresh juice the night before. I've purchased a very special Waterford Crystal Amethyst Champagne Flute ... just one flute ... just for me. A whole set would have been very expensive. But just one ... makes my morning juice an Occasion.
I also purchased one place setting of china especially for my breakfast ~ my only criteria was that it would make me happy each morning. There's something freeing when you don't have to make the weighty decision of a service for 12.
Illustration of oranges by Sandy - artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection. (c) Ooh La Frou Frou 2010 ~ all rights reserved.
If you're like me, when you start thinking of making life's little moments more special, you'll find yourself "planning" Occasions for yourself. How many things in your day could you make an Occasion?
I celebrate being a girl by buying only what I absolutely love and never buy something that doesn't feel wonderful on my body. I believe in dressing well even when you think no one will see you. That's precisely the time they will.
I love fashion. And not in the practical way. Sometimes I just melt when I watch the haute couture fashion shows. The Girly-Girl in me wonders what it must be like to walk as a model walks, past flashing cameras, hearing the swish of layers upon layers of tulle.
Some of you may remember this runway show earlier this year: John Galliano's Dior 2010-11 Paris Fashion Week Runway Show that featured dresses and gowns resembling beautiful flowers, where the models even wore cellophane on their heads as a whimsical nod to bouquets. I asked very nicely if the Ooh La Frou Frou artist would create an illustration of me in one of the haute couture gowns from that Paris fashion show. Voila! Directly beneath my illustration is the video of the actual runway show. Even though many of you may have already seen it, if you have a minute, you may enjoy viewing the video to see if you can spot the actual dress that is illustrated on me! (There is a quick 15-second advertisement in the beginning of the show) If you don't have time to watch the entire show (takes about 10 minutes but it's fun!) you can forward ahead ... the long gowns are toward the end of the show!
Illustration of Ooh La Frou Frou girl Hope in her fantasy walk down a Dior runway at Musee Rodin during 2010-11 Paris Fashion Week. Artwork by Ooh La Frou Frou's artist and creator, Sandy. (c) Ooh La Frou Frou 2010 ~ all rights reserved.
I've started something fun & girly: hanging pictures of beautiful couture items that I've spotted in magazines and loved. I place them in pretty matching mirrored frames that hang side-by-side in my dressing room. This breathtaking ostrich-feather clutch by Valentino Garavani is the latest addition to my wall.
I'm simply not dressed without perfume. Deciding which perfume is really you is another matter. Recently, I shopped for perfume one afternoon with Alex. Yep, that's me in the black and white dress and Alex in the pink. I thought I'd try something new, but haven't found one yet that I love more than my signature scent. These things I know about choosing perfume: 1. Never make quick decisions without wearing the perfume for a day. It's different on everyone and changes throughout the day. 2. What someone else loves or what the designers have that's new doesn't really matter ... it's all about you.
Illustration of Ooh La Frou Frou girls Hope and Alex perfume shopping by Sandy - artist and creator of the Ooh La Frou Frou Collection. (c) Ooh La Frou Frou 2010 ~ all rights reserved.
Perfume isn't about your head. It's about your heart. There is nothing else that stays in your memory quite like scent. It's a very romantic thing. Perfume designers know that perfume pulls at a Girly-Girl's heart strings. Thought you might enjoy a little Chanel No. 5 romantic mini-movie:
Your perfume can be such an important part of you, you may wish to wear it close to your heart.
Artwork of Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf, Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel and Twirl by Kate Spade by Sandy, artist, Ooh La Frou Frou Collection. (c) Ooh La Frou Frou 2010 ~ all rights reserved.
