Things from Paris: How to Shop, Play & Look Chic

How to look like the French moms (=chic, not tired), do playgrounds like the French moms (=drop off and get a glass of wine), and how to (not) shop like the French moms

Bonjour, friends! I recently tagged along my husband’s 3-day work trip to Paris, without the kids, and while I have been to Paris many times before, I now saw it through a completely new lens.

Since the last time I visited—when my first child was a baby—I have not only become a mom of three, but I have also broken off my love affair with the French Bringing Up Bebe-style of parenting and reconnected with my clear soulmate, the Scandinavian way of things.

Did you read Bringing Up Bebe or French Children Don’t Throw Food?

And, as a woman, now having experienced parenting in the US and in Scandinavia, and seen how things are done in multiple different cultures, I have a whole different kind of confidence & awareness to choose what I aspire to and get inspired by. Here are 3 things worth noting on how to play & look and (not) shop like the French!

1. How to (not) shop like the French mom

My boys love wearing Scandinavian kids’ brands, the Danish Molo in particular, which is cool but designed for play. If you buy them in the US, they are easily double the price and go from affordable to luxury. So, as soon as I had showered off my red-eye flight feels, I walked over La Seine and past Musée du Louvre to my favorite Parisian department store, Galeries Lafayette.

It has an entire floor featuring chic children’s styles, one display cuter than the next, and also has a section for Molo. I tell the French sales associate that my children love the brand, and ask if the teeny tiny selection is all there is.

“Yes, the French never buy this brand. They consider it too loud, too bold, too colorful and too relaxed. Only tourists buy it,” she says, slightly disappointed.  

“Well, great,” I say. “I have learned and accepted that my boys won’t behave, eat or sleep like the French, so I’m OK with them not dressing like one either! I will take everything you have for boys in my kids’ sizes.”   

We both laughed and together we found sizes for the cool, comfortable & play-ready outfits. As I was hoping to find a few more things (I like to shop for my kids twice a year, once for each season, and that’s it), I asked her:

“Where are all the other clothes that kids can play in?” as all I could really see for boys from other brands, were neutral-toned collared shirts, button-downs, knit sweaters and cardigans, belted-pants and hip denim, and feminine dresses, tights, and knits for the girls.

The selection was “put-together” even from the brands that I know also offer more functional wear—which, as a fun comparison, is the only kind of style you would find in a Scandinavian department store.

“Well, this is what the French kids wear: anything more casual, and anything with shapes like animals are considered pajamas. But just to go to a playground, they swap to something from Zara.” 

2. How to Do Playgrounds Like the French

I love the Parisian parks, jardins, and in my walks, I stopped to check out the playgrounds, which are superb.

I noticed that for some of them you had to pay to enter, but discovered from a friend that it’s just about 1 euro, and what you also get are pristine bathroom facilities.

I also came across an adventure playground for 7-11 year olds where grown-ups are not allowed to enter! You drop off your child for an hour, on the hour, go get a café au lait or un verre de vin at one of the sidewalk cafes, and pick them up an hour later.

The adventure park has a supervisor on the grounds. Now, in Finland, and in other Scandinavian countries, kids older than 7 routinely play alone in playgrounds without any supervision,  but beyond Scandinavia, a supervised drop-off playground is a concept so genius I don’t know why this hasn’t been imported to the US!

This would make a difference for parents much more than turning your child into a gourmand!

Would you love a playground like this too? Or would you feel too nervous leaving the kids there?

3. How to Look Like a French Mom

With drop-off playgrounds, well-sleeping and well-behaving kids, it’s no wonder that French moms look so relaxed—and so chic.

Walking down the streets of Paris, I wondered if there was there another way to get this look, the-my-kids-don’t tantrum, my-kids-sleep-through-the-night, my-kids-don’t-throw-food” look?

I googled for a makeup store, and quickly found a French eco, bio beauty boutique— and, after Bonjour, I asked for this, with the help of the Google translator:

My pronunciation must have been pretty good, because the sales associate understood, and laughed so hard.

Even though I could only understand 15% of what she replied, with my high-school-level French, I got that while she couldn’t make magic happen, we could increase my luminosity. She also told me that she understands how I feel,  because even though her two boys have slept well since they were both five months old (obviously), they were très énergique.

So, from a French beauty expert, here are the tips on how to look like a glowing French mom (and yes, I bought everything she recommenced!): 

1. weekly skincare is a must: twice a week face scrub followed by an anti-aging mask that softens the fine lines, and eye cream every morning and night are critical, she said. Though, under the eyes, never swipe it on, only tap tap tap.

2. Concealer is mandatory. Never leave the house without it. Ideally dot some color corrector underneath.

3. Mix skin color corrector with light foundation to create a luminous skin.

4. Brush on light bronzer, but not as a bronzer—rather as a contouring tool, but not the Kardashian style. The French style is with a very light hand, and a soft brush, swipe it from sides of the forehead down to the front of the ears, to under the cheekbones and then blend well with another brush to diffuse any lines.

5. Swipe on blush, and choose a color that looks most natural on your skin: just enough, not too much.

6. Add highlighter high on top of the cheeckbones, right underneath where you tapped on concealer, on top of the bridge of the nose, on top of the cupids bow on your upper lip, and in the middle of the chin, and maybe under the eyebrow arch. 

“What about the eyes?”

“For you? To look less tired? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Just mascara.”

Instead, she said:

“A lipstick will give you a boost,” she said as she grabbed a brightly colored fuchsia tube. 

It seemed way too bold for me, and way too bold for the French, but I decided to go with it. The result, admittedly, was super fresh, and the look was very quick and easy to do.

Hi and thank you for reading! At the end of the post, don’t forget to tap the heart-shaped like icon! It’s like saying hi back:-)

Once I met up with my husband later, we decided to go to the Paris Soho House for drinks, and dinner. As I sat down,  a French waitress walked by and complemented me on how luminous I looked—perhaps no surprise, given my Parisian makeover just an hour earlier (though it could have also been the two nights I slept for ten hours straight). I glowed extra all night.

What do you think about this French mom look? Would you try?

So here’s my point: no matter where we live and parent, there are countless cultures that do things a little differently. Some things we can’t control, but some we can. If we look at wellness, beauty standards, and parenting through a more global lens, we can pick and choose what feels good, right, and helps us thrive!

x Annabella

Have you read Bringing Up Bebe or French Children Don’t Throw Food? What did you think?! When buying kids’ clothes, do you go for style or functionality? Have you discovered beauty tricks that helpo you look less tired?

Now, please tap the heart-shaped like button! It’s like saying “hi”!

And consider sharing this post with your social circle, especially with anyone who has tried to do things the French way!

In between posts, you can find me on Insta - my Paris Dispatch video is here!