The French Beauty Solution: Time-Tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out Hardcover – Illustrated, July 14, 2015

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about skin care and products to try and products to avoid. Yes, there is some shameless plugs for this particular brand of cosmetics, but really, what do you expect? The author owns her own company and mentions some of her products. You know what that tells me? It tells me that she produces skin care products that she really believes in and does the job they are supposed to do. You don't have to use her brand, if you don't want to - I'm sure there are other products out there with the same components that would produce a similar effect. But this book is written in a way that me, a non-scientist, can understand why certain ingredients are used and understand what they actually do to your skin. I truly enjoyed the read and will probably refer back to this book when I purchase any cosmetics in the future. If anything, the book has made me more aware of what I put on my skin. And that's a good thing.

Beauty ReviewAn entertaining read which provides a basic understanding of skin, how to care for it, which ingredients to use, and a dash of French beauty philosophy. Recommended for people wishing to learn the basics of skin care and beauty from the French perspective.I bought this book because I've recently been having problems with my skin after many years of neglect - I was a Buddhist Monk and pretty thoroughly abused my body in my pursuit of liberating my mind. I'm now approaching my thirties and that abuse has begun to surface on my skin - red, splotchy, and uncomfortable at times. It was time, I decided, to try and learn more about it and give it some more care and love. And, in addition to technical knowledge and useful tips, I was also looking for something entertaining and philosophical. This fit the bill.The book is an entertaining mixture of biography, history, cultural commentary, beauty philosophy, psychology, and how-to with a generous splash of science and a touch of self-promotion.Mathilde Thomas, the author of this book and founder of Claudelie, a hugely successful beauty products company, covers a wide-range of topics using her life-long experience and knowledge in the field of skin-care and fashion. She covers nutrition, how to eat, the importance of confidence and authenticity in discovering one's on personal beauty, the how-to and why of skin care, including sections on the body and the hands (these were, admittedly rather short, but they felt just right for the scope of the book), a long list of suggested ingredients, a wise choice given the fast-paced nature of the industry, all of which is woven within sweet little stories from her life, vignettes of classic French beauties, or a few sharp remarks about beauty philosophy.After reading the book, I felt I had a good foundation in skin care, both in terms of how the skin works and how to take care of it, and can now do so fairly independently. I'm also philosophical by nature, so I quite enjoyed her jaunts discussing the French aesthetic and French culture - I did not agree with everything that she said nor will I do everything that she suggested, but it was helpful in clarifying my own views on this subject which I'd neglected for so long. To her credit, she never came across as preachy - she was just sharing her views in an honest, straightforward way. It was great.There were, however, some problems with the book. First, she spoke in very broad stroked about two vastly diverse people and cultures - French and American. The foil of American culture was a great device for the book - contrast helps see things more clearly, but she could have been a little more careful in her writing to acknowledge the diversity in these two cultures rather than presenting them as one-dimensional monoliths. What about black Americans and French? What about Jewish Americans and French? Gays? Outsiders? And other French or American sub-cultures? All of these groups have their own unique philosophy, standards of beauty, and practices. The account she gave was impoverished by her silence.I would like to reply to some of the gripes that people have made about her supposed cultural arrogance. I didn't share this feeling at all - I'm an American, and I felt like she tried her best to give a fair appraisal of each culture. That all cultures are created equal is something I don't believe in, and I felt it fair for her to praise and share the virtues of a culture and people which she takes a healthy degree of pride in. She wasn't accusatory or lambasting Americans at all. I find such criticism to be unwarranted.Second, a tad bit of the science was bad. Her writings about the tremendous health benefits of wine have been largely debunked. Her intrinsic fear of "unnatural" products and her confidence in "natural" products was too sweeping and ungrounded in fact. There's a more nuanced middle-ground that she failed to find. Fortunately for her though, there are many people in her camp so for readers who agree with her views will find her a welcomed ally and useful resource. But, to be fair, a lot of what she said was true and backed up by numerous studies.Third, the writing was good but not great. The feeling of the book was similar to sitting down and having a glass of wine with the author on some late evening in France - sophisticated, learned, but casual. But while it was good conversation, it was not beautiful conversation and would be well served to have a make-over.Other than these minor issues, the book was great and I now feel ready to start taking steps to heal my skin and protect it in the future.

This book is fantastic, and I'm only half-way through. Mathilde has a wonderful approach to sharing practical, no-nonsense beauty and health advice that isn't really taught to young women in the U.S. She demystifies skincare and the French lifestyle, making them quite accessible to the American reader.Mathilde also has an excellent writing style. She is very fact-focused and seamlessly weaves personal anecdotes in to illustrate her points, without overdoing it. Every page is full of useful information.One of the sections I have found most valuable so far is her chapter on skincare ingredients (Ch. 5). In this section, she lists the worst and best skincare ingredients to look for, and then concisely explains why each is categorized that way. Very helpful!

This book is a beauty bible, addressed to women of all generations, where the fabulous author delivers her most secret advices and tips to "look and feel beautiful inside and out" by explaining how generous and beneficial can be our mother nature.I may be French, but I still learned many beauty rituals made with natural recipes. I really enjoyed the chapter where the writer explains the meaning of ingredients you might find on the labels of your skin-care products: which ones are good, which ones are not, SO helpful!The last, but not the least, I am planning on joining the "grape detox community" in September. I love the concept, and it is recommended by a beauty expert, Mathilde Thomas.

I'm really enjoying this book so far. I actually got the advance softcover copy on Abebooks.com before it became available...then I ordered the hardcover on here on Amazon. So now that I have 2..I'll send my mom one of them. I adore Caudalie skin care...& I've always admired Mathilde Thomas and I'm so happy she wrote this book & shared her French beauty secrets. This book is beautifully written & it's also a beautiful book...I mean I like leaving it out on the table bc it's beautiful to look at ;). I met Mathilde in person at an event at their Bleecker St. boutique in NYC..she's so lovely & kind & beautiful. It means a lot to me..having this amazing book on top of already loving Caudalie & having had the chance to meet Mathilde & also Bertrand at events. They care a lot and put so much love into their skin care line. This book is a must have indeed! ♥ Chloe Moreno