Beauty secrets from around the world

Traveling is my hobby. I’d rather spend money on a good trip than on a pair of designer pumps. Taking in culture is something I do literally. Of course I visit the local restaurants and museums but I always take in the whole external setup of a country when I’m there. I also see it as my personal mission to extract female beauty secrets. So let’s take a little trip around the globe so I can share my discoveries with you.

Has it ever occurred to you that the Chinese (any many Asian women for that matter) don’t have blemished skin? Josselin just returned from Shanghai and she spotted those flawless faces straight away. According to her this is because they have a thorough cleansing ritual. Visiting bathhouses is a common habit. There they cleanse the skin with a good scrub. Furthermore the Chinese always protect themselves from the sun. Light skin is very fashionable over there.

Have you ever seen a Chinese person with deep wrinkles? I haven’t. The Chinese standard is that they always look ten years younger. It might have something to do with the ancient practice of acupuncture. By pricking little needles in the face they stimulate the blood circulation, which in turn arouses the collagen which then ensures young looking skin.

Bo has said this before: everything that’s hip comes from France. The French rock at the natural look; they’re simply the best. But how do they achieve that gorgeous look without a lick of mascara? Apparently French women spend a lot of time taking care of their skin. Bathroom cabinets are cramped with jars and bottles they buy at the pharmacy and not at the regular drugstore. When I was a student living in Mexico I met a real Parisian names Ines, still a very good friend of mine. There wasn’t one blemish on her skin and I, unable to contain my curiosity, asked her how she did it. She swears by two products. She cleans her skin mornings and evenings with Bioderma Créaline wash. Also a big hit among models she told me. Afterwards she applies Avibon cream on her face every morning and every evening. A jelly-like cream that gives her skin a healthy doses of vitamin A enhancing the anti-aging effect. Outside of France this is sadly not available. But being the sweet friend she is she sometimes sends me a tube or personally gives me one when I visit her in Paris.

Ines hardly ever wears mascara or eye shadow but always accentuates her lips by choosing a vibrant color. “That’s all you need.” One of her favorite French brands is Arcancil from Paris. Very affordable, click here and see for yourself.

I can drool over Brazilian women, ultimately feminine because of their full buttocks (love that), long thick hair and beautiful bronzed skin. Adriana Lima is my dream woman. But how do they pull this off? My friend is in Rio at the moment and I gave her the order to do some sleuthing. According to her Brazilian women are obsessed by their big derrières. If they haven’t visited the plastic surgeon – butt-jobs are very popular in Brazil and Venezuela – they workout like their lives depend on it.  A good fifteen-minute workout everyday should be enough. Check out this video. Brazilian women commonly have a lot of hair but it’s rather rough. That’s why they swear by hair masks, usually making them themselves using avocado and oil. They do this about two times a week. To keep their bronze skin radiant and protect it from sunburn they apply a facemask made of oatmeal and water. Leaving it on for about twenty minutes supposedly works miracles.

I also have a thing for Australian women. I’m a fan of the Down Under fitness gurus Emily Sky and Kayla Itsines, who I follow on Instagram. It looks as if all Aussies have athletic bodies. Many of these ladies were raised near the sea so moving about in the fresh air is something they grew up with. But radiant sun-kissed skin seems to be in the Aussies DNA. This is because many Australians are conscious of the fact that they have to nourish their skin and protect it from the sun. This is a major Governmental propaganda scheme. We all know the Australian Gold  products right? The koala bear on the brown bottle? I had a friend who went to Sydney for a couple of months and the first thing he received from the locals was this brand of sun protection. Miranda Kerr to me is the perfect example of an Australian beauty and her skin is perfect. Luckily for us she has her own organic skincare line: Kora, promising an flawless face….