I spy with my little eye... a lovely Gift.

A big Merci to the Roger Vivier and Al Tayer team for sending me Ines de la Fressange's Paris Guide and a pair of sunglasses, such a useful and stylish item in Dubai. 

"Parisian Chic" is a parisian lifestyle guide divided in 4 chapters: 

1- the Wardrobe - basically, how to achieve the chic undersdressed look Parisian Ladies swear by. The one basic rule I always apply and a lot of ladies in Dubai should adopt if you ask me: whatever your size, never, and I mean it, never buy a size small. Always go for a loose and simple style. Some of my most stylish friends in Paris even decided to loose the bra, that's how free the Parisian is. Just pick any photo of Ines and you will get the idea of the French Elegance.

2- the Make-Up - understand, the no-make-up. The less you wear, the more Parisian you will look.  It applies to eyewear, foundation, and nailpolish. Dark circles are even acceptable under certain circumstances: if you are an artist for example, or you've been covering the fashion week, it's day 5 and you are so knackered you can't even remember if polka dots or in and out.

3- Interior Design - how to make a fabulous interior happen with bits and bobs. The good thing about Parisian flats is that they are tiny, so put a 1950's lamp you found on the pavement and fixed in a corner, 2 or 3 frames from the flea market on the wall and you have a fantastic 20 square meters studio! Yes, I forgot to say that cosy is an adjective that is very used when it comes to describing Parisian flats. That being said, finding the right retro accessory is not an easy task when you don't know where to look for it, and Ines's guide comes very useful.

4- Ines's addresses - definitively the best part of the book for me. She even tells you what seat to pick in restaurants. That's how specific she is, and we love her for that.

If you haven't read it yet, I remember Boutique 1 used to have a few copies, go check.