Cultural differences : Flower scents vs. chemical fruit smells

Two months since I last wrote a blog! I wish I could say " I was away on holiday", which I was, but in this day and age that is hardly an excuse since you are connected all the time (not least through the phone, but as I have mentioned before, blogging through the Iphone is not that easy). It did not stop me from having a few blog epiphanies during that time...

I thought hard about this article I read on the NYT a few weeks back. French women apparently age more gracefully than American ones, in the opinion of this journalist. Or they perhaps accept aging better (well, some do). I would say that it is true that many French women never lose their sense of style, no matter how old they are. Its enough to go one afternoon and admire the elderly ladies sitting in Parisian cafes to know Im right. But while I was having one of the best showers I've had in a very long time (kids sleeping, somebody else to take care of them if they woke up and the odeur of my favourite shampoo and soap - brought back especially from France- filling the room) I thought about how much I missed the beauty product aisle in French supermarkets. After all, 33 percent of French girls in the ages of 15-19 year old are already using wrinkle cream.

Maybe its the high number of pharmaceutical companies or all those traditionally French fashion labels specialising in creams, perfumes and makeup that make all these products available at a fair price. But I rather think that all these products are available because there is a real demand for them. French women take care of their skin and use ALOT of different soaps, creams and hair products in general. In that way I will say Im very French. I love my shampoo and monsavon. When I lived in Iceland my grandma used to send bottles of it to me regularly. It always made me so happy. My aunt has always given me skinproducts for special occasions (oh how much I love my Dior creams, I think they are solely responsable for getting me back in shape after the birth of my second child). And every time I go to France I have to have at least one trip to the supermarket to adimre the shampoos (it sounds a little bit crazy, I know - but ok I also love the chocolate aisle and the one with all the yougurts!) 

Why is it that scandinavian stores do not have a wider range of products? I am very disappointed by Danish supermarkets. Not too mention the pharmacies (Aptotek) that you have to look for and cue in because they are so little and there are so few of them, one for each neighborhood (In France they are on every corner which perhaps is a bit too much.. and can be irritating as I have blogged about before... They all want you to lose weight and haunt you with posters of perfect women eating diet pills and using magic solutions during springtime. I know I know, French women dont get fat...) There must be something in between. and perhaps the secret to good skin and great hair is less soap, I dont know. I just know that if I want to use soap I want it to smell of lavander, silk or other beautiful things. That is what makes me feel beautiful. Oh ok, and being loved, that helps...