Ever wondered what it is that makes French women so alluring? Many things, as I’ve been learning during my study of the language. They have so many interesting ways of being, but one expression that I love is Jolie Laide, which directly translates into ‘ugly-pretty. The French are known for being beautiful in an unconventional way; a woman’s beauty lying in the appeal of her imperfections and how they fail to comply to the societal norm.

French actress Audrey Tautou who once told Allure magazine: ‘I think when you’re an adult you start to like the very things that make you different. If you obsess about some defect, you make it obvious to everyone, and suddenly everyone is staring at that defect. It’s always like that. The more you hide something, the more it shows. But when you accept your defect, suddenly no one on earth sees it anymore. In fact, it becomes as asset.’

The French don’t go for cookie-cutter beauty the way the rest of us do. No wonder the French are so sexy; they love all their idiosyncrasies. Which begs the question: Are the rest of us striving to be like something that simply doesn’t exist? In our anxious attempts to look like the ladies in the magazines, do we forget one key factor? This is not how they look in real life. If you don’t believe me, check out this clip by clicking here.

To wish you looked different to how you are, is one huge energy loss. Seriously! Yes, we can blame the media for all those airbrushed pictures, or we can take responsibility. Stop chasing the phantom perfect and instead start to look at why you think you should be different. What happened during your childhood that led you to believe you were anything less than naturally beautiful?

It is enormously common for women to spend their time criticising and comparing themselves with other women. Just consider, when you compare yourself to another, you are actually judging yourself. Realise that jealousy is a potent opportunity to explore what is keeping you from feeling happy in your own skin. Complimenting another woman you would normally be secretly jealous of, will immediately make you feel more abundant within. Try it!

And on that note, I invite you to do a little experiment this week. For one whole day, note down how often you think of yourself in a negative way. And then ask yourself whether this is the behaviour of an empowered woman. Take back your beauty and start being your own best friend. Like Proust once said: ‘Let’s leave the obviously pretty women to the men with no imagination.’

If you’d like to learn how to love yourself inside out, listen to Erin’s True Beauty playshop for all the free insights!