A Trip To Strasbourg, France: 20 Things I Learnt

1. Customs... what's customs? (I could've brought in a prickly pear, fire ants, a wooden sculpture from Thailand and a Brahman with mad-cow and they would've been none the wiser).

2. Not putting on weight whilst in France is IMPOSSIBLE. (3kg gained in two weeks, I kid you not).

3. Scurvy is imminent. (Apparently framboise macarons don't help ward it off either... who knew?)

4. They don't do tap water (bottled flat or sparkling are your options).

5. Don't step out on a crossing expecting cars to stop for you. (They won't, and you'll be as flat as a Nutella crepe before you can say 'Merde!')

6. French girls seem to have two modes of make up (super natural 'Emmanuelle Alt style' or 90's-disco-glittery-eye-shadow-liquid-eyeliner-pink-lipgloss-combo.)

7. The French pay a lot of tax.

8. Australians don't pay a lot of tax.

9. If you're stuck for conversation with a French person, mention tax. (If you're heading to France, I consider this the most precious of all knowledge I could bestow upon you. This one little fact will provide you with at least an hour's worth of conversation. At least. If the convo wanes, throw in Gerard Depardieu moving to Russia, and you're good for another 20 minutes. You're welcome.)

10. Don't mention that you eat cheddar cheese to a French person. (I made this mistake and apart from being told in no uncertain terms that 'vie do not eat zis awful cheese', I got the distinct impression they wanted to sprinkle me with holy water and make me eat a wheel of brie.) 

11. Whilst we're on the topic of cheese, don't order anything with munster cheese on it whilst in a restaurant, unless you have a gas mask in your handbag. (To say it is pungent is an understatement.) 

12. You will never have to use the phrase 'where can I find a florist/bakery?'

13. One of my French friend's houses is as old as Adelaide.

14. My favourite French shop to pronounce is 'Naf Naf'. Closely followed by 'Princesse Tam Tam' (Btw, Princess Tam Tam is where it's at for gorgeous lingerie).

15. Don't leave France without a bottle of Bioderma.

16. When in Alsace, do as the Alsatians do; drink reisling and cremant, and eat tarte flambee. 

17. Notre Dame ain't got nothin' on the Strasbourg Cathedral.

18. The French love foie gras, and love to serve it for their special guests.

19. I was a special guest.

20. I hate foie gras.

A very Frenchie Christmas to you all!

Alsace has such an interesting mix of German and French architecture.

Getting a tour of the Strasbourg Christmas Markets with a glass of Gluhwein (mulled wine) in hand.

Heading to a church Christmas concert.

My nemesis!

Au Revoir! 

France For Christmas!

You can see the Christmas markets in this photo and of course, the Strasbourg Cathedral (I've climbed the stairs to the top of the Cathedral btw, in tight jeans and a blazer no less - no easy feat!).

2012 will hopefully be the year I experience my first WHITE CHRISTMAS! The flights are booked and the boy and I are set to head back to France for the festive season. He's so excited to go back to Strasbourg to have Christmas with family and friends. I can't wait to walk around the Strasbourg Christmas markets, go to a Christmas church service at the Strasbourg Cathedral and hopefully wake up to snow on Christmas morning! I'm determined to try some mulled wine and authentic Bouche De Noel whilst I'm there too. Let's hope the rest of the year passes by quickly - I can't wait!

My Foundations

1. Make Up Forever High Definition Foundation (#118 Flesh)
2. Chanel Pro Lumiere (#20 Clair - Cameo)
3. MAC Studio Fix Fluid (NC20)
4. MAC Studio Sculpt (NC25)
5. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light (Intensity 1.0)

I always have a couple of foundations on the go. My skin type is combination and I am prone to break outs, so most of my foundations are medium to full coverage.

I use MAC Studio Fix on a daily basis atm because it's full coverage and long wearing. I want my foundation to still look good at the end of the day and I feel as though Studio Fix does this. I like Estee Lauder Double Wear Light for every day wear for this reason too.

I would love to be able to use Make Up Forever HD every day because it has the niiiiicest finish, but because you can't find it in Australia, I'm trying to save this bottle I got in France for as long as I can! As the name suggests this make up was made for High Definition technology, so it looks great even in front of a high def camera. A great foundation if you're having important photos taken eg. wedding day.

I was so excited about my Make Up Forever HD Foundation purchase, I had to document it!

Chanel Pro Lumiere gives medium to full coverage. The bottle says it's a semi-matte finish, and I'd agree. It can get a bit too 'dewy' for my liking after a couple of hours, especially if the weather is humid.

MAC Studio Sculpt is my winter foundation. It's too moisturising for me to use during summer, but is perfect for winter. To get a flawless finish, I recommend using a natural bristle brush to buff it into the skin.