French women don't get old - ten tips to age gracefully

(Yuri Arcurs)

After Mireille Guiliano's 2004 dieting bestseller, French women don't get fat, the Parisian wisdom 'du jour' seems to be about how to keep looking youthful.

The New York Times has published a story on "aging gracefully, the French way," citing actress Catherine Deneuve and politician Segolene Royal as shining examples.

The story, released July 15, comes complete with a guide on how to "age like a Frenchwoman." Here are your ten (summarized) golden commandments:

1. Take care of yourself and be aware of your own femininity.

2. Avoid heavy makeup.

3. Use lotion instead of soap.

4. Rinse your skin with cold water to improve circulation.

5. Eat fresh foods in small portions. (The author of the article admits, however, that many French women help nature along with the aid of pills or other treatments.)

6. This is why you won't have to exercise. Go to the spa instead.

7. Go to the dermatologist.

8. If it has to be plastic surgery, "the objective is to look like themselves - not someone 20 years younger."

9. Don't dress like your daughter, and pay attention to great accessories (good jewelry, statement shoes, a nicely wrapped scarf).

10. Wear sexy underwear. As the French writer Françoise Sagan wrote: "A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off you."

For the full story, click here.