Home & People From being a beauty in engineering to engineering beauty

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 10

Home & People From being a beauty in engineering to engineering beauty

By

TUI THOMAS

Marie-Pascale DelauneBonnet was determined to be a pilot, not merely to fly light aircraft for recre* ation but to captain Jumbo jets on international flights. She studied aeronautical engineering for a degree at a special school in Paris as a first step towards reaching her goal, but it soon became apparent that she was on a dead-end course for a woman. “It was not fair, but when pilots were selected by airlines they were always men,” she said on a brief visit to Christchurch.

The tall, willowy Parisienne believes that women with the right temperament and the same qualifications make just as efficient pilots as men. “It is all up here,” she said, tapping her unfurrowed brow. “Women have as good brains as men.” She also found that there were always excuses put forward in France to block women from become ing part of a team on ae-

ronautical engineering pro= jects. So the cool-headed, logical thinker did not bother to finish her degree. She opted for a career with equal opportunities and enrolled at an international business school in Paris. She studied subjects such as marketing, trans-

port, customer problems and economy. But when she graduated she narrowed down her choice of work to fashion or cos= metics, both mainly

“women’s pursuits.” “I was interested in helping women make the best of themselves,” she explained in her clipped French accent. She settled for cosmetics and joined the market development division of the House of Lancome, Paris, in 1973, moved into exports and was put in charge of the Indian Ocean and South Pacific zone, which includes New Zealand. She was in

Christchurch' to introduce

retailers to new products and to advise on their use. “Every time I go to a new country I assess women’s beauty problems, which are basically the same,” she said. “The most important factor is that cosmetics have a psychological effect on a woman because

she wants to please all around her, including the man she loves.” Women who care about themselves want to “smell rice, look nice, more beautiful and younger,” she says. And Marie-Pascale finds it a tremendous challenge to cater for and satisfy their wishes. Mari e-Pascale’s own flawless olive complexion is an example of what she calls “doing the right things for the face,” the object of her teaching. On her present and previous visits to New Zealand she has been appalled at women’s neglect of their skins.

They allow their faces to become too dry, but that can be overcome with good night and nourishing creams, she contends.

New Zealand women can, she says, look just as chic as Parisiennes if they want to, by going to “smart stores” for their clothes and cosmetics.

“Our team is in New Zealand to introduce the latest fashions in cosmetics and it could almost be called the ‘Garbo look', with very pale foundation, dark green or brown eye shadow, dark pink blusher and wine-red lipstick.”

Miss Delaune-Bonnet describes it briefly as a pale look with dark highlights to emphasise a feminine face as a contrast to the mannish-type winter styles in vogue, such as tailored suits worn with ties and Garbo-style slouch hats.

The vivacious MariePascale is an accomplished pianist, enjoys classical concerts and the theatre. Keeping fit is part of being beautiful and she plays a lot of sport, such as squash. "But there has been no time for my hobbies in New Zealand,” she said when asked if she had taken advantage of the late summer to swim in the North Island.

After working all day she must spend the evening writing reports and getting ready for the morrow.

After leaving New Zealand Miss Delaune-Bonnet will return to South Africa, where she has already fulfilled two months of a two-year contract as her firm’s market development manager.