Paris Tips: A Scents and Sensitivity Day Tour
Gary Cooper in the arms of Betty Compson, Press Photo, The Spoilers, 1930 (All images T. Brack’s archives)
Coty and the Champs-Élysées, Ladies Home Journal, 1950
By Theadora Brack
Weather got you down? Heck, we’ve all been there. During the colder months in Paris, here’s how I conquer the blues and get back on track because “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise,” says my friend Victor Hugo. So get your mojo rising. Come hither.
Step 1: Let it shine
Pamper yourself. Just do it. There are certain hazy shades of winter in the City of Light that can wreck a gal’s complexion. So where do I go for some beauty SOS? Like the locals, I usually head to my trusted neighborhood pharmacist, and she’s never let my visage or mains down. Is there a beauty glitch or hiccup that can’t be fixed at the pharmacy? I don’t think so. (more…)
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Paris Tips: Porte de Vanves Flea Market
Passion for Fashion at the Porte de Vanves Flea Market Photos by Theadora Brack
Keep your eyes peeled for vintage magazines
By Theadora Brack
Blame it on the falling autumn leaves, but suddenly I’ve got a hankering for some good old-fashioned, finger-snapping, moody-bluesy time travel at the Porte de Vanves Flea Market. Grab my hand. Here’s one for the ode.
Thank the notorious “rag and bone men” (today’s “dumpster divers”) for getting the flea market party started in Paris during the late 19th century. Mon Secret: The one down at Porte de Vanves is where I find most of my retro treasures. Mum is the word. (more…)
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Paris Tips: Celebrating the Statue of Liberty
Jeanne Herring and Captain H. Hogervorst, Holland-America Line, 1956 (T. Brack’s archives)
Lady, I can see your halo at the Musée des Arts et Métiers
By Theadora Brack
In celebration of Election Day in the U.S., let’s change course and pay homage to my favorite Franco-American gift, the gigantesque statue of Lady Liberty in the New York Harbor.
Sadly, because of Hurricane Sandy, the Statue of Liberty temporarily closed again only one day after re-opening from being closed for a year-long supreme make-over. (Whew. Got that?) Don’t fret. A gal’s gotta do, what a gal’s gotta do. Soon she’ll be back in action. Yes, I’m a believer. Here’s to a speedy recovery! (more…)
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Paris Tips: 7 Spooky Ghost Stories
Notre Dame Photos by Theadora Brack
Who was M.J.?
By Theadora Brack
‘Tis the season to be spooky, so I’ve dusted off my slim leather-bound volume of ghost adventures in Paris. I repeat: You know the thrill. Grab the flashlights, popcorn, and sleeping bags while I light our fire. Play on, Debussy’s “Sirènes.” Boo la la.
Who’s there?! (more…)
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Paris Tips: Lingerie Shopping in Montmartre
Parlez-moi d’amour at the Moulin Rouge Photos by Theadora Brack
Mural on rue des Abbesses and Lepic (near the Moulin Rouge)
By Theadora Brack
Get to stepping because we’re going lingerie shopping in hilly Montmartre. Lightweight and affordable, they’re my favorite souvenirs. If buying dozens of French slips is wrong, I don’t want to be right!
But first, for the love of petticoat inspiration, let’s kick off our quest at the Moulin Rouge. You know the thrill! Grab your bag, cocktail, and Kodak camera.
Topped with a 40-ft high cylinder-shaped beacon with spinning wings, she emits a deep reddish glow. Shining like a superstar, liquid neon signs and bright floodlights bounce up against her façade, spilling out onto the street in an illusion of a soft red sea. This strange effect has never failed to make my heart swell and knees buckle. (more…)
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Paris Tips: 4 Favorite Splurge-Worthy Sweet Spots
The Devil Wears Vintage Valentino (20 euros, Abbesses Brocante, Paris) Photos by Theadora Brack
Happy 150th Birthday, Ladurée!
By Theadora Brack
Feeling very much like a sweet voluptuous tart this week, I’ve decided to update my personal list of favorite splurge-worthy treats in Paris. I’ll also include a few tips, sweet spots, and flashbacks, too. So grab a spoon and a blindfold—let’s make a squeal!
Tip: You’ll find pâtisseries on practically every block in the city, so keep your head and be selective. I recommend starting your gastronomical quest with a little “window licking” (faire du lèche-vitrine) because sometimes it is possible to judge a joint by its cover—or window display. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a line snaking out the door. That’s always a good sign of the times! (more…)
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Paris Tips: 8 Fascinating French Beauty Fads
Vitrine on rue Caulaincourt (Van Gogh’s former third floor flat is nearby at 54 rue Lepic) Photo by T. Brack
Go gentle into that good night (T. Brack’s archives)
By Theadora Brack
This week I’ve got a strong hankering for some smooth time travel on the rocks. You see, I’ve decided to shake it up with a heady mix of old French fads and beauty secrets. So grab a seat, fasten your seat belt, and prepare for lift-off!
1. Starry, Starry Night
4 ounces sea salt
2 ounces spirits of camphor
2 ounces of ammonia
8 ounces pure alcohol
Can’t sleep? Here’s an ancient French cure for the blues. Dissolve sea salt in one cup of hot water. In a separate bowl, add the camphor, ammonia and alcohol. Add seawater. Mix well and bottle. When needed, rub it on vigorously. And repeat. But don’t drink it!
While living in Arles in 1889, Vincent van Gogh wrote his brother Theo: “I fight this insomnia by a very, very strong dose of camphor in my pillow and mattress, and if ever you can’t sleep, I recommend it to you.” Tip: Don’t try this concoction at home. Use Vicks Vapor-Rub instead. It’s safer—and still legal! (more…)
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Paris Trip Planning Tips: Holiday Windows and the Big Winter Sales
Shoppers on Board! Photos by Theadora Brack
Big Winter Sales at Galeries Lafayette (1938)
By Theadora Brack
Are you trekking to Paris during the months of November and December? If so, here are a few events to keep in mind while planning your jaunt.
The grand magasins typically launch their “Vitrines de Noël” (holiday windows) during the first two weeks in November. As soon as the 2012 dates and themes are released, I will post them here.
Fashion Enthusiasts, this tip is for you: “Les soldes d’hiver″ (big winter sales) usually start during the first or second week in January, and last through mid-February. Again, I’ll keep you updated on the 2013 dates. So stay tuned! (more…)
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Paris: Olympic Games Pop Quiz (Meet me at the Louvre!)
What’s My Line? Guess the name of our mystery guest! (T. Brack’s photo archives)
Just do it (Musée du Louvre) Photos by T. Brack
By Theadora Brack
Calling all Quiz Masters back to the stadium because I’m still feeling the void left behind after they extinguished the flame. Saluting the closing of the London 2012 Olympic Games, I’ve crafted a new riddle for the road. So fasten your seat belts because it’s time for some bumpy time travel.
We’ll also take a spin around the Louvre with a few of my chiton-clad friends. Bygone it, Atalanta—Ready! Set! Bolt!
The question
Identify the Olympic Champion on the right in the top photograph. Tickling the bonus points, tell us how long it took Odile, Arthur, and Franz to run through the Louvre in Godard’s “Bande à part” film. Stop. Did I just spot the Nike of Samothrace?
The clues
1. Wind it back to the 1924 Paris Olympic Games at Colombes, France. (more…)
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Paris Tips: Tripping to Le Bon Marché
Sister Wendy taking a shopping break with the “Sous le chapeau” sculpture by András Lapis Photos by T. Brack
- A tribute we will pay! (Modes de Paris, 1948, T. Brack’s archives)
By Theadora Brack
Blame it on the vacuum left by the Olympics, but I’ve got a strong hankering for another round of window-shopping. So this week, I’ve decided to trek it to Le Bon Marché, the very first department store in Paris (in fact, one of the world’s first). This iconic darling not only changed up the rules of retail, but also set waves of shopping frenzies in motion and acted as a muse to artists and writers of the avant-garde set. Plus, this is where is the 1920 Olympic flag was made! Who knew?
So pack your charge plate and rose-colored glasses. A tribute we will pay! (more…)
Paris: People, Places and Bling 