The James Logan Courier

Reviewed by Jessica Stewart, Courier Book Editor

All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women by Helena Frith-Powell
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Plume (November 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0452287782
ISBN-13: 978-0452287785

“There’s no denying French women do have a certain something. Anglo-Saxons have always admired the French sense of style. Even English soldiers during the Hundred Years’ War were impressed with the French women and the way they looked. If your best friend tells you her husband has a Bulgarian mistress, you can at least console her and give her some hope. If she tells you he has a French mistress, you know your friend is toast.”

Half autobiography, half how-to book, All You Need to Be Impossibly French is an interesting look at the lives of French women. It is an in-depth look at how exactly some of the sexiest women in the world manage to be sexy all the way up to their deaths.
French women seem to just ooze sexiness without even trying, mystifying other men and women for years. How does a country known for its bad hygiene and hairy armpits come to be famous for its gorgeous women? Over the centuries, France has always been ahead on the fashion scene, but that doesn’t mean the women are beautiful. So, what’s the secret? Well, there are actually quite a few secrets.

First, the French women DO bathe, and they use tons of creams to keep their skin looking healthy and their body smelling beautiful. In fact, a lot of their money goes into purchasing cosmetics.

Second, they wear sexy underwear. Even though nobody knows exactly what the women are wearing under their clothes, they get a confidence boost just knowing that their underwear would seduce even the most conservative of men.

Third, they are born with the knowledge that they are French, and that means they are sexy. This arrogance, or confidence, however you want to view it, makes them not only believe they are sexy, but it actually makes them sexy.

Finally, they keep their bodies in great shape. They won’t admit they are on a diet, but compared to the food eaten by, say, Americans, they are. Their fitness routines are hardcore and elegant at the same time.

These are just some of the discoveries made by Powell, who goes way more in-depth on these topics. She interviews powerful female politicians, fashion icons, and men, in the process discovering all of the different points of view on the matter of French beauty.

This is definitely very interesting, although there are quite a few grammatical errors that make the reading choppy and sometimes hard to understand. This is a definite chick book; guys wouldn’t enjoy it too much unless they are really into the whole beauty/fashion scene. It is quite amusing sometimes, so even those who absolutely detest reading will enjoy it.