Contrary to author Mireille Guiliano’s assertion in her book titled French Women Don’t Get Facelifts, they actually do —although not going to the unnatural  extremes common in North America.

Having read her earlier best-seller, French Women Don’t Get Fat, I was curious to see what she could add to my quest for knowledge about achieving eternal beauty.

The book was full of the usual good advice about eating healthy, natural foods, exercising the body and nourishing the mind and spirit. She covered all the usual bases including basic wellness, hair, makeup, clothes and of course, shoes and bags. Anecdotal information about her friends and their beauty habits made for an interesting read. With homes in New York, Paris and Provence she moves in rather different circles than most of us. As the former spokesperson for Champagne Veuve Clicquot and senior executive at LVMH  (Louis Vuitton) as well as CEO of Clicquot, Inc., she obviously has the resources, the motivation, the budget and the essential raw materials to package herself to her best advantage. The result is the best she can be.

While I try to be the best I can be much of the time, I’ll never achieve Guiliano’s level of je ne sais quois.  I’ll forever be 10+ lbs. overweight, never acquire that perfect once-in-a-lifetime flattering haircut and I’ll always be inclined to be a bit lazy. I do however possess the ability to recognize great shoes when I see them. Guiliano claims to wear only four pairs of shoes. Ferragamos. While I do not have the resources to buy her favourite brand, her second-best choice for comfort unearthed a brand name new to me and not stratospherically out of my price range.

United Nude shoes are designed by a Dutch architect Mattijs van Bergen and are available on-line, sometimes at reduced prices. Just Google United Nude. I’ve always favoured clothes and jewelry that are architecturally inspired. I’m attracted to the odd angles, geometric designs and quirky compositions. Happily, I found a pair of United Nude shoes on-line that I absolutely loved and were manageable financially so I ordered them (free shipping).

French women may not get fat and they may forgo facelifts but they most certainly get shoes. And now I’m going to get them too. Can’t wait for that FedEx truck to ring my bell. Maybe my new shoes will help me speak better French. It’s worth a try. N’est çe pas?