The good news is, summer is  here. The lucky ones will start enjoying their well deserved, long awaited break very soon. Everyone probably thinks of hitting some dreamy Asian beaches. Therefore, every girl needs to check her list of beach vacation basics: flawless manicure and pedicure – done; waxing – tick; summer clothes and bikini taken out of the bottom of the closet – check; spf minimum 30 for skin protection – bought. Looks like everything is ready…but..WAIT?! How about ….FACE- KINI ?!

Back in 2014, a powerful social group in China – called 大妈 dà mā or simply – ‘old grannies’ ( yes – the same ones you see around 8 pm all over China taking over various squares to show off their dancing skills) came up with a one-of - a kind initiative. It was so arresting that it even gained a foothold in fancy French circles. First, though, a couple of reminders.

As I mentioned in one of my first episodes , the Chinese ideal of beauty is white skin. And rule number one to remember is’ yí bái zhē bǎi chǒu’ – white skin can hide hundreds of defects’. That’s why, especially during summer, cosmetic giants usually rub their hands, expecting to make millions on Chinese women ready to spend any amount just to keep their skin white. Well, that’s how it used to be until last year, when the dà mā gang launched their counter attack.. The clever grannies decided to change beach fashion forever. Not just in China , but worldwide, as it turns out. They designed a unique mask that covers a swimmer’s whole head and neck, down to the collar bones. Only eyes, nostrils and mouth get a peekaboo at the sun. This groundbreaking invention bears the name 脸基尼 (liǎn jī ní ) and consists of two words: 脸 liǎn – face and 基尼 jī ní – bikini and its Chinglish version goes ‘face-kini’. And it’s been on the mouth of every fashion freak in Paris ever since.

As I am planning to treat myself to some nice beach holiday, I will be keeping my eyes wide open to spot this intriguing new fad. Or maybe even equip myself with one liǎn jī ní, not to stand out of the crowd and keep my precious white skin intact.So, get your liǎn jī ní on and enjoy the sunshine , wherever it is!