Frenchie Mythbusters - Shaving
I always say that these are going to be short and sweet and then end up writing a mini-novel. So I'm just not going to say anything this time. I don't want to jix it.
I sort of half-way believed this at the beginning of my study abroad year. It was almost winter, so everyone was wearing coats and covering their legs. Well, one hippy woman I know wore a skirt with no tights at church once, and she had definitely not shaved in a very long time... But, this is also the type of woman who wouldn't have shaved back in the states either. Definitely not a good candidate for representing French women in general.
I'd considered asking one of my lady friends. But that would have been super awkward, and my French sucked. Who knows what I would have ended up telling that poor girl. There were a quite a few embarrassing incidences of accidental vulgarity before I really got a hang of the language.
Spring came around and I started dating Monsieur Right, who is very French. A wonderful thought came to me: Maybe I could get out of shaving sometimes. Maybe Monsieur Right thought shaving was weird and that women's legs were better au naturel ! Gosh, I could save so much time in the shower. (Though I resolved to continue shaving my underarms no matter what M. Right's cultural upbringing had taught him to prefer. Unshaven pits kind of gross me out)
So I asked him if it was true, that French women didn't shave their legs. After expressing shock and distaste, he shot this little myth down real quickly. Too bad for me, non? ;)
After about 50 trips to the beach that summer, I learned that Monsieur Right was right. (and that French girls really know how to rock a bikini, regardless of size. I'm allowed to be a little jealous of their rock-solid confidence, right?)
To sum things up, smooth silky legs are definitely "in" in France. They have been for a long time.
One French grandmother's tip: Put a layer of hair conditioner over your legs before you shave. This will soften the skin and make shaving a breeze. Feel free to rub in a little almond oil as well.
See? Even French grannies are doing it.
You've all heard it. French women don't shave.
I'd considered asking one of my lady friends. But that would have been super awkward, and my French sucked. Who knows what I would have ended up telling that poor girl. There were a quite a few embarrassing incidences of accidental vulgarity before I really got a hang of the language.
Spring came around and I started dating Monsieur Right, who is very French. A wonderful thought came to me: Maybe I could get out of shaving sometimes. Maybe Monsieur Right thought shaving was weird and that women's legs were better au naturel ! Gosh, I could save so much time in the shower. (Though I resolved to continue shaving my underarms no matter what M. Right's cultural upbringing had taught him to prefer. Unshaven pits kind of gross me out)
So I asked him if it was true, that French women didn't shave their legs. After expressing shock and distaste, he shot this little myth down real quickly. Too bad for me, non? ;)
After about 50 trips to the beach that summer, I learned that Monsieur Right was right. (and that French girls really know how to rock a bikini, regardless of size. I'm allowed to be a little jealous of their rock-solid confidence, right?)
To sum things up, smooth silky legs are definitely "in" in France. They have been for a long time.
One French grandmother's tip: Put a layer of hair conditioner over your legs before you shave. This will soften the skin and make shaving a breeze. Feel free to rub in a little almond oil as well.
See? Even French grannies are doing it.
This week's myth is:
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