Paris In New York

This week-end - A taste of France for Kids and Adults

Where to taste sweet delis from France, buy cute French clothes or books, and meet French people in a fun environment ? 

The Lycée Francais de New York is opening its doors to the public this week-end for its 2012 Fall Festival. Spread between Friday evening, November 9th and Saturday, November 10th, participants will enjoy various tastings of cocktails, high end chefs, a book fair, a vendors’ fair as well as many fun activities for children. 

Friday Night: TASTING SOIRÉE: Friday, November 9th, 7pm - 10pm

This Tasting Soiree cocktail party (for adults only) gathers more than twenty top New York City restaurants and caterers including: Ajna Bar, Bar Italia, Canyon Road, Cuis’in, DBA Bareburger, Fleur d’Oranger, Le Gamin, Great Performances, Kayser, Lactalis Deli, La Grande Pomme, la Marina, Moulin à café, Orsay, Pernod Ricard, Pinkberry, Sushi Shop, Vegan divas, etc…

Adults only.  $40 in advance, $50 at the door.  Ticket price includes food tasting and open bar.

FAMILY & SHOPPING DAY: Saturday, November 10th, 10am - 4pm

Get a jump start on your holiday shopping

Free admission and open to the public.  Featuring more than 40 vendors selling a variety of items for every age and every taste including:

Jewelry, fashion accessories: Two B’s Accessories, Avenue Chic, Minh-thu Le Roy, Violette, Gabrielle Vallarino, Bonnie Jennifer, Diane Rihs, L’atelier, Sugar and Vine, Bridget Gem’s, Tru Tru Design, Nathalie Regnault Sann, Blu Aura by Monica & Saide LLC

Adult and children’s clothing: IL GUFO, MUNY DESIGN INC., Kidini, Alessandra Battistoni, Busayo, Untuckit

Food: Alain Milliat, Canele by Celine and Kusmi Tea, Le Palais Des Thes, Fleur D’Oranger, Simply Gourmand, Antonia Ressle, Macaron, Cuis’in

Books: William Hall/High Valley Books, Krystel Abimeri, Bayard Presse

Home décor: Annabelle’s Pottery, Theoreme/Agnes de Villarson, Pia Rossi, Lee Baratier, Gregoire Ganter Photography, Adventure Shop, Craftspring, Retro NY Metro Inc.

Toys and children’s items: Raphaele Guerin, Patrick Martinez, Clafoutis, Little Pim

Beauty: Caudalie Spa

Movies: vente de tickets pour le Festival In French with English Subtitles

The Fall Festival vendor list wouldn’t be complete without the French Book Fair. This popular booth features new books for both adults and children including pictures books, atlases, novels, comic books, first readers, and many more.  100% of the proceeds from the sale of the books go directly to the Lycée Français.

Finally, children will be entertained with a variety of activities and classes for kids of all ages including: music classes, basketball, dance, soccer, yoga, story time, djembe, Brazilian bracelet making and many more.

For more information on the Fall Festival, please contact: Marysella Castillo [email protected] or call (212) 439-3853

 

 

 

Terriblement Noir - Manicure Couture chez YSL

A French Touch for the Holidays...An elegant new Manucure Couture at Yves Saint Laurent, inspired by the "Le Smoking" tuxedo jacket.  Two deep black shades, one matte and one shiny for a sophisticated tone-on-tone manicure. A new couture look for the season...maybe not for everyone. Pick the right dress to match !

 

For those who prefer colorful manucure, try new combinations like Belle de Jour (Turquoise & Purple), Rive Gauche (Orange & Fuchsia), Belle de Nuit (Plum& Gold) and Y-Cone (Pink & White)

Time Out New York - Best French Spots In NY

I am interrupting my vacation for this little bulletin. This is written direct from the island of Corsica, called Ile de Beauté for the amazing turquoise water and its unspoiled nature.

With my IPad and irregular wifi connection, I am trying to tell you about some interesting infos I received. Time Out New York just issued a special France story with "Best New York Spots To Shop for French Clothing, Beauty and Homegoods" In the July 14th édition. 

POUR LA MODE
See photos and products at Time Out New York 

Le Grand Strip
Formerly known as Fille de Joie, this recently renamed Williamsburg store is filled with racks of vintage duds that owner C.C. McGurr discovers largely on trips to France. The garments tend toward the funky and over-the-top (we recently spotted an ’80s crochet romper for $60 and a ’50s fur-trimmed evening gown tagged $220), and are organized by color. Head farther back and you’ll find yourself in a ladies’ boudoir, complete with a metal-framed bed, antique velvet couches, and a rack of vintage lingerie featuring such pieces as a ruffled cotton tank from the 1800s ($275), pink silk stockings ($35) and gingham bloomers ($65). Mention TONY for 10 percent off all purchases through August 15. 197 Grand St between Bedford and Driggs Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-3525, legrandstrip.com)

Ludivine
Ask any chic French woman how she achieves that certain je ne sais quoi, and she’ll likely tell you that her closet is filled with well-cut basics in luxe fabrics. This pair of boutiques, run by Provencal native Ludivine Grégoire, will set you up with simple but elegant pieces from usually hard-to-find French labels like Maison Michel, Denis Colomb and Stouls. Expect a well-edited—though pricey—selection of effortless, timeless items, including Vanessa Bruno lightweight cardigans ($160), Carven sheer-front and striped-back tanks ($270) and Notify supersoft bell-bottom jeans ($260). Finishing touches include K.Jacques strappy leather sandals ($245), Stephanie Jewels delicate gold earrings ($145) and Nuxe lip balm for perfecting that French pout ($21). 172 W 4th St at Jones St (646-336-6576) • 1216 Lexington Ave between 82nd and 83rd Sts (212-249-4053) • boutiqueludivine.com.

Rue St. Denis 
Before used garments were all the rage, French expat Jean-Paul Buthier opened his Upper West Side vintage boutique in 1990, which was inspired by his days of thrifting on Paris’s Rue St. Denis when he was a teen. The shop has since migrated south to the East Village, and it carries a large selection of dead-stock pieces that Buthier sources from recently closed stores and warehouses across France and the U.S. Guys will be happy to hear that 70 percent of the stock is men’s, so they can snag French plaid button-ups from the ’80s ($30–$45) and a ’60s three-quarter-length rain jacket ($135). There’s even a vast, meticulously organized suit room in the back, where you’ll discover a ’70s Pierre Cardin velvet style ($380) or ’60s double-breasted numbers ($340–$440). The double-breasted suits tend to be cut boxier than other items here, since they’ve never been worn, but one of the in-house seamstresses can tailor your purchase to your liking (starting at $20, hemming is free). Over on the ladies’ side, look for a ’70s Cacharel polka-dot blouse ($65), a ’40s embroidered blazer ($285) and a bevy of ’60s and ’70s Indian cotton flowing dresses ($85–$95). 170 Ave B between 10th and 11th Sts (212-260-3388,vintagenyc.com)

POUR LA BEAUTE

See photos and products at Time Out New York

Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa 
This upscale haven combines two of life’s stress-relieving pleasures: wine and spa treatments. Husband and wife Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas founded the first Caudalie spa on their family vineyard in Bordeaux in 1999, and have since opened seven locations in other wineries across the globe (this location in the Plaza Hotel being the only urban one). Caudalie’s treatments often utilize grape seeds, stems or skins for their antioxidant and skin-firming properties; reap the benefits of Mother Nature in services such as the Crushed Cabernet scrub (35 minutes, $145), during which a mixture of grape seeds, honey and brown sugar is used to slough off dry skin, or the Wine Maker’s Massage (50 minutes, $185), in which you’ll be gently prodded with a traditional winemaker’s smooth wooden stick. Posttreatment, recline on the leather couches of the wine lounge, where you can nibble on assorted cheese from midtown bistro Artisanal ($18–$25) and sip a glass of bordeaux ($10) from the Thomas family winery, Les Hauts de Smith. Mention TONY for 10 percent off all services through August 15. The Plaza Hotel, 1 W 58th St at Fifth Ave, fourth floor (212-265-3182, caudalie-usa.com)

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 
The grandson of Parfums Christian Dior founder Serge Heftler, owner Frédéric Malle worked as a fragrance consultant before realizing that perfumers had no creative freedom in the commercial world. In 2000, Editions de Parfums was born as a way for perfumers to create amazing scents without financial or creative restrictions. Malle doesn’t make perfumes himself but instead oversees a group of nine top French perfumers, who create whatever scents strike their fancy, such as Edmond Roudnitska’s Le Parfum de Thérèse (a tribute to his wife that smells of leather and fruits, $250) and Jean-Claude Ellena’s Angéliques sous la Pluie, redolent of rain ($180). The space was designed by French architect Patrick Naggar to resemble an Art Deco apartment, with fine art prints on the walls and some of the furniture that Malle inherited from his grandparents scattered throughout. In addition to 100-milliliter bottles of the fragrances ($180–$320) in their liquid form, you can also purchase any of the scents as a lotion ($85–$95) or shower gel ($70). Nifty rubber inserts that smell of freshly burned Indian incense ($105) will help freshen up your closet or sock drawer. 898 Madison Ave between 72nd and 73rd Sts (212-249-7941,fredericmalle.com)

L’Institut Sothys 
Located on Paris’s ultrafashionable Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the original L’Institut Sothys spa made a name for itself by offering luxe European-style facials, which are heavy on face and neck massaging. You can indulge in the classic deep-cleansing treatment (60 minutes, $115) at Sothys’s midtown location—the only one outside of Paris. Slip into a plush robe and sip a gratis cappuccino, before heading up the swooping staircase to one of the ten treatment rooms, where a full range of spa services—including an hour-long detoxifying mineral-and-salt scrub and body wrap ($135), and a Hydroptimale hydrating facial (75 minutes, $175) that features a moisturizing face mask—are performed. There are also a handful of nail stations downstairs for getting a spa manicure ($48), which is pricey but lasts up to two weeks. Mention TONY for 20 percent off all full-price facials through August 31. 37 W 57th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-688-9400, sothyspa.com)

POUR LA MAISON

See photos and products at Time Out New York

D. Porthault 
This high-end Parisian brand has been hand-printing bedsheets, towels and tablecloths since 1927. Started by lingerie boutique owner Daniel Porthault and his wife, Madeline, the company was the first linens label to produce printed or colorful sheets, at a time when everyone else was making plain white bedclothes. D. Porthault now has an archive of 10,000 prints, including bold flowers, cheeky stars and country-inspired vines, which you’ll find on queen-size sheet sets ($950–$2,650), girly boudoir shams ($165–$275) and fluffy terrycloth towels ($140–$345). Those without très grand budgets can still snag simple embroidered place-mat and napkin sets ($125–$275), colorful cotton voile handkerchiefs ($40) and lavender sachets for sprucing up dresser drawers ($22–$55). Mention TONY for 10 percent off all purchases through August 13. 470 Park Ave at 58th St (212-688-1660, dporthault.com)

 Madura 
Think of this Parisian brand—which has 36 stores worldwide—as a French version of Crate & Barrel. The 40-year-old company carries a range of home goods, including lacquered end tables ($318) and suede storage boxes ($38–$58), but it is best known for its customizable window curtains that come in an array of punchy solids and prints, like a laser-cut bright stencil version ($138–$158) and a neutral linen style ($98–$458). You’ll also find pillow covers to mix and match, including an embroidered taffeta option ($46). 1162 Madison Ave at 86th St (212-327-2681, madurahome.com)

 Maison 140
The son of a Better Homes and Gardens editor, owner Ramsey Marc has perfected the French country-cottage look in his well-curated home-design and gift shop. The cozy, worn-wood–floored bazaar is filled to the brim with items that balance traditional French-inspired decor and modern chic housewares. The majority of the stock is imported from France, including Sabre’s candy-colored acrylic flatwear ($5–$40) and Provence artist Heidi Caillard’s signature guinea hen sculptures ($129–$169). Everything else is either French-inspired or made in Europe, such as striped linen dish towels by Belgian brand Libeco ($13–$25 each) and Vancouver artist Sid Dickens’s plaster-covered collectible wood wall tiles depicting French iconography ($84). Mention TONY for 10 percent off all purchases (excluding Heidi Caillard and Sid Dickens items) through July 30. 140 Ninth Ave at 19th St (212-255-0022, maison140nyc.com)

 

Holidays gift ideas : Lancome - beauty must-haves

The Essential Skincare and Makeup Collection 68$

 

Photogenic Lumessences Compact :42$

Oscillation Power Foundation : the new micro-vibrating , polishing mineral make-up 48$

Order at www.lancome-usa.com or at Sephora stores

Free shipping until December 14th.

Savon de Marseille, the famous soap

Yesterday, I was shopping at Conran Shop when my eyes got attracted by a display of Savon de Marseille soaps blocks and liquid hand soaps.

I used to see those big creamy blocks of Savon de Marseille at my Grand Mother's. I always found that they were smelling bad and ugly looking. And here we are, nicely packaged with wonderful fumes (Verbena, Cherry, Lavander, Ylang-Ylang), our Savon de Marseille is in New York City...

My mother used to say : " when you have a bad stain on your shirt, rub it with Savon de Marseille, let it soak over night and it will go away.." So I tried. I brought back my Savon de Marseille from the South of France and used it whenever I had a stain on my kids' clothes and... it WORKS !

So what's about Savon de Marseille ? Why are they still crafting it after one thousand years?

"Totally biodegradable, the white soap is made with palm oil, the green with at least 50% olive oil. Both varieties are exquisite, ultra-moisturizing skin care. Marseille Soap is recommended by dermatologists throughout the world for dry skin and other ailments. Its incredible purity and moisturizing properties make it ideal for sensitive skins. In France it has been trusted for generations to cleanse everything from linens to little faces.

Big blocks of olive oil based soap have been crafted for one thousand years in the South of France. 

It takes the Maitre de Savon (soapmaster) two weeks to make Marseille Soap. The delicate mixture of olive and vegetable oils, alkaline ash from sea plants and Mediterranean Sea salted water are heated for ten days in antique cauldrons. Know-how passed down through the generations will reveal to the soapmaker the right moment to pour the mixture into open pits where it slowly hardens. Cut into cubes and stamped, the soaps are then set out to dry in the sun and cool winds. Only a few savonneries (soap factories) near Marseille still make this legendary soap in the traditional manner. But Savon de Marseille is once again being rediscovered for its extraordinary purity and gentle skin care, and its popularity is again on the rise worldwide." www.marseillesoap.com   

Also at Conran Shop, the old fashioned soap "dispensers" that were originally designed for French public schools. A perfect solution for busy hand washing centers like the kitchen sink, children's bathroom and outdoor showers...A simple chrome bracket mounts on the wall and the lightly scented vegetable soap slides onto the rod and is held with a sturdy cap screw. The soap lasts for a long, long time, and we'll soon be offering refills just in case you go nuts and use yours up quickly

Savon de Marseille is also available on www.amazon.com

Holidays - Idees Cadeaux - Spa treatment "a la francaise"

Manhattan is the kingdom of French luxury spas.

Everybody knows Clarins Skin Spa on Madison and Lancome on Columbus, both famous for their high quality beauty products and expert advance technology.

But three new spas have opened in three landmark New York City hotels in the past three months. 

The Caudalie Spa at the newly remodeled Plaza Hotel uses the popular products made with natural grape extracts, known for their topical value of antioxydants. Caudalie’s founders also own the famous Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux, France which has produced Grand Cru wines since the 1300’s.  

Sense Spa at the Carlyle Hotel  is a splendid oasis of luxury and serenity in middle of the jungle. All treatment are anti-aging using Sisley’s products. Botanically based, Sisley was a novelty in 1976 when Hubert d’Ornano, who is essentially skin-care royalty, launched the line. Mr. D’Ornano also created and sold a little line called Lancome.

The third spa français to open in New York is the Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf=Astoria. Enter in the scent of perfume bottles from the 180-year-old fragrance house’s Champs-Elysees spa... Guerlain utilizes world-renowned skincare. Their technologically advance ingredients and methods enhanced product infusion and performance with an emphasize upon anti-aging. The spa also provides a makeup playground where every piece of Guerlain makeup is available for use. 

Great Haircut at reasonable price - MV Salon

MV Salon is very Paris in New York...the vibe, the style, the clients !

If you are tired of the very expensive salon, where you somehow feel uncomfortable and wonder after a week on your own why your haircut is worth $400, then MV Salon is your place.

European music, Moroccan lamps, French accent, movement...alive...almost like a brasserie atmosphere !

In 2003, owners Caroline Lameda and Eszter Szabo created a salon where state-of-the-art techniques are mixed with expert styling. Both trained in the French Tradition of apprenticeship under master stylists like Jean-Claude Biguine or Jacques Dessange, they learned how to "work the hair" and make great haircut. Eszter remembers working on "la coupe a la lionne" who was the big trend with layered lengths and strategic curls...(which seems to come back in Paris by the way. See picture below)

" We love offering a great quality of work and reproduce the way it is done in Paris". But I would just add, with simplicity and warmth...

MV Salon also specializes in hair color treatment using European products. They know what they are doing. I personally receive a lot of compliments about my highlights...

The clientele is largely European, including many parents from the French school around the corner, says Caroline. “Our salon has an international vibe where each person can find his or her roots.”

And for the parisian atmosphere, stop by the salon any weekday after 5pm for wine and music !

Special Paris In New York offer : receive 15% discount at your first visit !

MV Salon
1467 2nd Ave (at 76th Street)
New York, NY 10021
212-472-7200

On Live....

Feeling overstressed, jetlagged or sleep-deprived ? It’s naptime at Yelo…….

Nicolas Ronco just launched the new concept of Yelo a month ago-- private cabins that enable you to relax and re-energize naturally in few minutes. So instead of caffeine, there is reflexology treatment or napping in an ideal soundproof and cocooned environment. Going to Yelo may become the new trend for stockbrokers, lawyers, sleep-deprived parents, overtired students, and even partygoers. www.yelonyc.com

Here’s the deal. You sit in a custom designed “zero-gravity” chair (feet above your heart), listen to ambient music of your choice…and fall quickly into a Power Nap (20 to 40min”- $12-$24). The lights gradually brighten to bring you back to reality softly. As a result, your productivity goes up in the short term and you are healthier in the long term. Before napping, you can also get a reflexology treatment where a therapist relieves excessive stress by using finger pressure and massage techniques on your feet, hands and ears.

Nicolas Ronco moved to New York in 1988 for a summer exchange program at Columbia. He then worked for Time Warner in a fast growing division. The “crazy Frenchman” (as they called him at work) fell in love with New York and decided to make his life here.

Nicolas, where did the idea for Yelo come from?
First, I found inspiration in my own background. I grew up in Tunisia where napping is considered as part of the daily routine. Later, when I was working at Time Warner, I saw more than a few of my colleagues taking naps at their desks, and I also felt those “tired moments “where you feel like lying in your bed for few minutes. During my numerous professional trips to Asia, particularly in Japan and Korea, I realized that reflexology centers were like Starbuck coffees – they were everywhere! Asians tend to nap as soon as they can –it is very different than here. And they are some of the most productive people on earth ! There is a real human need to nap.

How long did it take to build Yelo ?
I came back to NYC in 2005 and went to meet with the HR department of Time Warner to investigate the market and see if they would let people get time off for napping. They totally encouraged me. I then came up with a specific concept of short but powerful treatments that work well together and where you don’t need to undress or shower after. Easy, efficient and no-hassle. After raising a bit of money, we then worked on the design of the cabins that are at the center of the concept. We looked in nature and decided to adopt the shape of the beehives: small cabins, still very comfortable a bit like the womb environment and easily transportable.

Who are your clients ?
It is really very New York, meaning quite eclectic. Since we are just across the street, we get people from Hearst and Time Warner. Our customers include a psychotherapist who comes to recharge her batteries on a regular basis, a lawyer for whom Yelo is like a second home. Even though he is a member of a sport club, he prefers Yelo for relaxation. We also have exhausted parents that come to catch up on their sleep as their kids have taken over their beds. Or airline companies which send us their employees and VIPs to recover from jetlag. Interestingly, we definitely have a more masculine clientele than a regular Spa.

Can you tell us more about your New York experience ?
When I first came to New York City for a summer exchange program, I thought it was an amazing place. This is the place I want to be! I then got obsessed to come back afterwards, which I did when I found a job at Time Warner. New York is always a bit harsh when you arrive but very quickly everything becomes easier and you feel more comfortable You are far from people who know you, so you can totally reinvent yourself. Manhattan is both a village and an enormous beast. You get the best of both world.
The other great thing also about NYC is that as a foreigner, I always felt welcome. This tolerance level was very touching for me. I have to be honest I also used a lot of my charm (as a Frenchman) to obtain the forgiveness of my mistakes at work ! I avoided French people at the beginning, but the funny thing was that I met some of them here that I should have met more naturally in Paris. Like Gilles Amsallem who created the French Tuesdays (www.frenchtuesdays.com) who has the same background than me.

Which French locations would you recommend ?
I particularly love Jean-George (www.jean-george.com). I find the service amazing and the food delicious.

Nicolas is planning to open 25 new locations in NYC within the next 5 to 10 years and also branches in hospitals, airports, train stations, malls and big firms. To be continued.......

Yelo
315 West 57th Street | Between 8th and 9th Avenues | New York, NY 10019
212.245.8235
[email protected]
www.yelonyc.com

Avene, Lierac, Vichy, La Roche-Posay...French dermo-cosmetics products available in NYC

All over the city, you can now find the French dermo-cosmetics products that you used to bring back in your suitcase from France : Avene, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, Lierac.

Recommended by dermatologists worldwide, those products follow strict guidelines including a medical approach to skincare, efficacy proven through clinical studies and tested on sensitive skin by dermatologists. All those products are Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

Duane Reede and Eckerd have opened new upscale skincare centers to present those major dermo lines from France. Their expert - extensively trained by French skincare professionals – offer a personalized skin profile utilizing skin analysis, designed in conjunction with dermatologists.

Rich in soothing and softening thermal spring waters, those products adress a variety of skincare concerns including acne, aging and dryness. I particularly like all the products from La Roche-Posay from Ceralip (lip balm) to the Lipikar ( Body Emolient Lipid-replenishing Lotion Pump) or their sunscreen products.
For the cold, I recommand Anti-Redness from Avene, which is a rich moisturizing cream ideal for the face of your kids in winter.

Eckerd

495 Broadway
Manhattan, NY
(212) 334-0431

Four World Financial Ctr
NY, NY
(212) 608-8416

1299-1301 Second Avenue
NY, NY
(212) 772-0104

Duane Reede
460 8th Ave (one Penn West)
34th St/8th Ave, Manhattan, NY
(212) 244-4026

535 5th Ave
44th/45th St, Manhattan
(212) 687-8641

773 Lexington Ave
60th/61st St, Manhattan, NY
(212) 829-0651

625 8th Ave
40th Street, Manhattan, NY
(212) 273-0889