I’m riding down Lincoln Road on my rental and I suddenly remember that now is the perfect time to pick up the Blackberry charger I forgot to pack. I’ve hijacked Anna’s charger on this trip and I’m sure she will soon notice that I’m holding it hostage. As I’m looking around, I barely notice that I’ve completely blocked the entire sidewalk and that there is man patiently waiting for me to move so he can walk by. But instead of getting angry, he asked me if I was lost and needed help. I smiled and remembered that I’m definitely not in New York right now.

Long story short, he thought I was asking for a pay phone and pointed me in this direction. It’s not what I wanted but it is exactly what I needed. Just a shot of kindness from a stranger and an old school phone booth that feels like it’s been plucked from an old PARISIENNE film. Charming, isn’t it?

Despite the manic day we had yesterday, we were truly psyched to have a slip of time for a studio visit with local artists Naomi Fisher and Jim Drain. The two are at the helm of a burgeoning new artist-run collective called The Bas Fisher Invitational, which serves as gallery space for both local artists and other hand-picked talents the two are excited about. Nestled in Miami’s Design district, the pair’s exhibition/studio revealed not only a show in the midst of installation but a spacious work area that offered brilliant glimpses of each of the artist’s handiwork. Fisher focuses on photography, painting, and video all based on performing art produced in natural settings, and Drain is noted for his inventive work in textiles, scavenging much of his materials (the ones he doesn’t make himself) right from the streets. From massive collages of fabric and colored cushions to Fisher’s bewitching fluorescent portrait paintings, we were more than inspired.

In the nineties, when I was a fashion editor at Glamour magazine, the Creative Director Cynthia Joannides took me to Paris to cover the collections. I had been before as an art student backpacking and roughing it. This trip was different. I saw Paris thanks to Claudie Rappaneau (the American Glamour French Editor) as a Parisian sees it. I saw it all, from Poilâne boulangerie to YSL himself. It was incroyable! Subsequently I did many fashion shoots in Paris and continued to go a few times a year.

Eventually I tired of the fashion show grind (but never of Paris) and became a beauty editor. Naturally (thanks to my love of the exotic) I ended up married to a Hong Kong born British Francophile. Traveling less for work and more for fun my husband and I started spending time in Paris in less swanky hotels than my conde nast roots were used to and finally swapping apartments with friends of friends in the heart of the Marais. Now one of our favorite destinations, we have gone for two weeks the past two Junes. Early enough in summer that everyone is still zipping around, just rainy enough and cool enough that it feels romantic. Getting back to my roots in fashion we have swapped with Stephane Saclier (http://stephanesaclier-pr.blogspot.com/).

He has a charming lofty apartment among the roof tops on Rue du Temple, the perfect segue between my artistic ideals from my days as a student and my fond, luxurious memories of fashion week. Stephane comes to NYC and stays in our east 61st street apartment and we text daily discovering where to get the best cup of coffee or baguette. It’s wonderful, we shop at the market, we hang out and have dinners at friends apartments and we feel Parisian. Things slow down, the light is more beautiful and the idea of a to go cup of coffee seems alien. It’s these little details that make Paris unique, the specific way a shop is just undone enough, always stylish and never over styled. Nobody seems to try too hard and regardless they all look fabulous. In Paris women are on bikes with high heels and not a helmet in site, in NYC we would be chided for our lack of safety, Americans can be so..”je ne sais quoi”. I love to shop for my four year old daughter in the fabulous vintage shops devoted to childrens’ clothes, in NYC they would seem old, here they are ‘mignon’ (qu’est qu c’est le mot pour cute?)”. And that to me is the allure, it’s the little things. Everything is better in Paris; the light, the bread, the cheese, the pace, the gardens, the stairways, the random café.

Elaine D’Farley | SELF Magazine

This little street in Echo Park is like a tiny version of The Marais. It’s only a few shops, but it’s got the charm and character of any PARISIENNE street. Tucked away off of Sunset Blvd, it’s visited mostly by the locals, who you can see drinking coffee and reading screenplays any day of the week. Check out some of the shops on this street: Tavin, Lucas, and Chango.

It’s true about French women keeping their beauty secrets just that. After begging, pleading, and with some friends, bribing… I was finally able to gather enough secret products from the French beauties in my life to pack with me on my PARISIENNE journey. Here are the Top 10 things that I tested in the last 10 days that have cleansed, toned, lifted, exfoliated and brightened my traveled skin. Think of me when you pack for your holiday. I did all of the testing for you.

MakeUp Forever So Divine

Biafine, $63.00

Guerlain, Skincare Travel Set, $49.00

Vichy Normaderm Astringent Toner, $16.00

Caudalie Gentle Cleanser, $26.00

Lancome Paris Exfoliant Fraichelle, $31.50

Cle de Peau Lip Treatment, $48.00

RoC Complete Lift Night Cream, $16.64

L’Occitane Brightening Smoothing Exfoliator, $8.00

YSL Parisienne Perfume, $39.00

Pot au Chocolat

Café Stella is a little bit of Paris tucked behind the red walls of historic Sunset Junction. I read that this was Silver Lake’s best kept secret but when we got there, the secret seemed to be out…and spreading! After a hilarious episode with the very dapper valet, we huddled together in the outdoor patio directly under the heat lamp (yes darlings, LA does get a bit chilly at night so pack accordingly) for our last LA meal. The problem was that I had no concept of time while on the West Coast and ate a pretty big meal before arriving to the restaurant. Oops. But this is moi and I always have room for Pot au Chocolat and a glass of Champers. The next time thou, I am coming very hungry. The Steak au Poivre looked amazing from afar.

Cafe Stella, 3932 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90029