A Long-term Investment or a Quick Fix
There's something about French women. They have a stylish and cool feel that American women have long been trying to imitate. The two countries have quite different approaches to beauty. Mathilde Thomas, co-founder of French beauty brand Caudalie, will explain the subject in her new book, The French Beauty Solution. She said the key to French beauty is the belief that "beauty is something to give you pleasure. Because when you feel good, you look good."
In 2010, she went to the U.S. to expand her brand. She traveled all over the country meeting customers. She found that the American concept of beauty was more about pain than pleasure. Many women said they made their beauty choices based on the notion of "no pain, no gain." They thought they had to suffer to be beautiful. In contrast, she and French women believe the notion of beauty should be pleasing to you.
Thomas' book discusses how women in the U.S. are all about the "quick fix." This means they will try a product that will instantly solve a beauty problem. They don't care if it hurts, is expensive, or is damaging in the long run. That's quite different from the French view of beauty. In the book, Thomas sees the French view as an essential and pleasing part of the day. It is also a lifelong and active investment that makes you look and feel good.
In the book, Thomas says, "Our beauty routine is based on prevention and upkeep. And it is viewed as an essential, ongoing investment. What I saw here was much more of a tendency toward the quick solution. Millions of American women consider beauty a priority in their daily routine. However, many of their habits are either too expensive, too painful, or simply not effective."
American women like Thomas' beauty products.