Ms Bubu and Her Girlyness: Paris

If you are new to my blog, I have spent the last 3 months of 2014 in Paris, as I was doing an internship there. As I was working in a minimum-paid job, I jumped at the chance to do this internship, even though for some it meant a step backward.

I didn't really blogged about my Parisian life when I was there, as to be honest, I was busy enjoying it! I actually lived in Saint-Denis, a northern Parisian suburb. For French people, Saint-Denis is known to be a rowdy place, not necessarily safe. I've never really had any problems there. Sure, it is not as luxy as Saint-Germain-des-Prés, but then it was something I was able to afford. It was also a 5 minute-walk from the office, and the Metro. From there I would have Paris at my fingertips, so I was a happy bunny!

I lived in a large appartement (3 bedrooms, but I don't know how many m2) with an Italian girl, Laura. Laura was just the perfect roommate, always laughing and sometimes bringing me pain au chocolat (the way to my heart)! Since she arrived there first, Laura had the biggest room, the one with a balcony. But I liked my room anyway, it was bright and just perfect for my stay.

Looking back at my pictures, I realize I don't have a lot, and it's a sad thing. I guess this is just a testament to the things we take for granted. Anyway, here is a few snippets that I have for you!

This is the view from my bedroom window. I liked the fact I could just open the window wide open and I could pop my head outside. Here in Quebec our windows usually have mosquito screens, so we can't do that! You can see the belfry of the nearby church. Everyday the angelus was rung at the tone of it reminded me of the first notes of Lana Del Rey's Video Games. So soothing...

And the view looking down. I've never really seen anyone actually play table tennis on this, but people appropriated it in their own way. Here, some kids playing with a ball. Sometimes it was a man drinking coffee on it and throwing a ball to his dog. I liked watching them, I like people watching a lot!

Laura's Bialetti. Of course! Being Italian, espresso is really important for her, and the most important thing she brought from Italy was this coffee maker! I've always liked the design on those, and one day I'll have my own!

The counter top of the kitchen. It was pretty small, so I couldn't really take a picture of the whole room properly. Nutella was a staple on this countertop, and Laura had a great collection of herbal teas for the evening.

A typical breakfast in Paris. I love their yogourt pots! They are either made of glass or terracotta and I was keeping them all. A true hoarder. I put all kinds of thing in there, like makeup brushes, perfume samples, hair bands, etc. I brought back a few, I had to!

There. It is said. I'm in love with chocolate. And those giandujas Marco, a friend of Laura, brought us from Italy. As you can see, this was around Halloween, and I was so proud to find a pumpkin, as Halloween is not celebrated as much as in North America or the UK. Funny thing, when I was talking about that to some of my colleagues, one of them told me: "We don't celebrate Halloween here in France, we celbrate All Saints more." To which I asekd: "What do you do for All Saints?" To which she replied: "Nothing". Weird way to celebrate hahaha! :P

Weird thing, but this is the WC (toilet). The lighting is bad because there are no windows nearby... I liked the world map on the wall and the big bookshelf behind. It contained travel books and graphic novels. I like Tintin and there were a few. :)

One of the shops I liked there is Maisons du Monde. It has a lot of nice shabby chic décor things. I'm not too much into the shabby part of shabby chic, but I do like the style, when used parsimoniously. The basket and the candle in the picture above are both from there.

Well, this is the only picture in which we see my bedroom a little (beyond the rack). There was a store that opened in Saint-Denis whilst I was there called Action. I believe it is a Dutch store. It is a bit like Dollarama, but better, as there is loads of homeware, for dirt cheap! And the decor bits are similar to Maisons du Monde. That is were the little heart tray is from. The star string light on the rack is from Maisons du monde. It is battery operated and was expensive. I found some similar style ones later at Action for 2 euros!

Do you like Paris? Have you ever been there? Do you like home décor posts?

Share |

Tips When Visiting Citypharma in Paris

beauty 16:42:00

If you are a little bit in to French skincare, you probably already know about Citypharma. It is probably one of the best known pharmacies in the world!

It stocks all the main French pharmacies brands you can think of, is regularly replenished, and most of it is the cheapest place you can find!

During my three-month stay in Paris this Autumn I've visited Citypharma countless times. Here are a few tips I can give you:

Try to avoid weekends and evenings

If you are a tourist in Paris this will not be a problem for you, but as I was doing an internship and worked during office hours, I could only go during those times. Of course it will probably be jam-packed any day you'll go, but I think weekends are the worst!

Leave your boyfriend (and dog) outside

Yes, I've seen dogs in the pharmacy! Heck, what do people think? As for the boyfriend, unless he has something to grab, it is best for him to stay outside, as he will only take up some real estate and place is not a luxury here.

Know what you want

Most people here have a wishlist and it is a good idea, as you might forget things as you'll be lured by all the products inside. Now I'm not saying not to be open to new brands, no! Just have an idea of what you really want, so you won't do like me and go back every so often!

Have a game plan

I've tried to have an idea of the settings before going, but couldn't find anything on blogs. But I'm going to spill the secret here, once and for all! One the ground floor you'll have everything beauty. One the first floor is mainly drugs and vitamins, boring stuff! When you arrive, you have nail polishes and makeup on the right hand side. You will find Mavala, OPI, Essie, and UNE makeup if I recall correctly. Then you'll have body and skincare. That's where you'll find the bulk of Caudalie, LaRoche Posay, Uriage, Nuxe, etc. On the left hand side, you will find haircaire: René Furtherer, Phyto, vitamins for hair, etc. A little furhter on the left you'll have "green" products, such as Melvita, Cattier. This is a nsty spot. It's tight, and the assistants tend to be there, so people gather around. Then you can make your way to the cashwrap. You'll have everything dental on the left. And points of sale are on the right at the back. That's also where you will find the lipbalms and hand creams. So if you are looking for Nuxe Reve de Miel lipbalm, that's where you have to check!

At the cashwraps

Now at the end of your shopping experience is the till. You might have a big queue of people waiting paste the toothpaste aisle. Don't be fooled, because when you enter the area, each till has its own queue. If it's busy the assistants are going to say so, but if you don't speak French you'll be a t a loss!

Have you been to Citypharma? Any tips I've missed out?

Citypharma, 26 rue du Four, 75006 Paris, Metro Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Share |