Want to know how to achieve the French-girl beauty look? The fact that we all rushed to swipe-up French it-girl Violette_FR’s hotly anticipated new beauty line just proves how obsessed we still are with achieving the Parisienne aesthetic.
The good news is that it’s not about having the perfect contour, ombre lip or meticulously drawn on eyebrows, instead, it’s an example of undone minimalism at its finest. To give you some much needed inspo, we’ve scrolled the ‘gram for the ultimate OG French muses. We’ve zoned in on their signature beauty looks, and taken note of their tips and tricks for how achieving that elusive ‘effortless’ aura. You can set your morning alarm a little later, too, as French beauty tips drastically shorten your morning routine. More sleep plus nailing nonchalance? Sounds like a no brainer.
Jeanne Damas and the French-Kissed lip
Known to be the city of love, we couldn’t showcase a Parisienne beauty look without a romantic rouge lip. The trick for wearing it the French way? Keep it soft and a little smudgy rather than too perfect. When applied the French way (i.e. patted in to blur the edges) it gives that sultry just-kissed look. And, if you’re stuck on which shade to buy, look no further than red roses for reference. The Petal Bouche Matte Lipstick from VIOLETTE_FR’s collection, has a rich velvety colour, created to emulate the texture of soft rose petals, and CHANEL’s Rouge Allure Liquid Powder has a clever foam applicator that kisses the pigment into lips for a blurred effect.
Sabrina Socol and the French-girl fringe
You won’t find most French girls sweating over their straighteners, instead they prefer a style that looks like you’ve rolled straight out of bed and still look fabulous. The advice from our fave fringe-crush, Sabina Socol? “Style your hair like you didn’t even try.” She shared her three steps to a phenomenal fringe on her Instagram. Step one: wet your bangs with water. Step two: blow-dry your bangs while holding them in place with your hands. Step three: use texturising spray [like Bumble & Bumble’s Thickening Dry Spun Texture Spray] to give them the shape you want. Get your routine down and you can do it under five minutes. Merci!
Hanna Lhoumeau and sexy, mysterious scents
French beauty isn’t just a look it’s an attitude. It’s about celebrating sensuality, sexiness and radiating a special confidence. What better way to do so than by giving yourself a spritz of a musky, enigmatic fragrance? It’s no accident Gabrielle Chanel’s, Coco Chanel, is so popular after all this time. So what’s the secret to intoxicating fragrance? French perfume always has contrasting notes from Ylang-ylang to Orange Blossom – confusing yet delighting the senses and giving that air of mystery. In other words, to smell utterly irresistible and finally master that mysteriously sexy aura, a French perfume should be top of your purchase list. YSL’s 2019 launch of Libre Eau de Parfum looks set to surpass the brands other iconic scents (like Opium) as a signature scent for our generation with it’s lilting mix of lavender, jasmine, white musk and vanilla, while Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle still dominates best-seller lists.
Kenza Sadoun el Glaoui and mood makeup
If you want a little extra va va voom to channel your creativity that day, lead with your mood. Think about how you feel, but also how you want to feel and be spontaneous. Perhaps it’s a statement eyeshadow kind of day, a red lip moment, or a laid-back minimal makeup vibe – simply apply accordingly. Play around with your make-up, experiment and have fun (you can wipe it off at the end of the day). Parisienne’s approach make-up in the same way they approach life – it’s carefree laid-back and in the moment. Kenza Sadoun el Glaoui is a great example of going with the flow and switching up her beauty look when the mood takes her.
Chloe Lecareux and celebrating skin
The trick to looking effortless, is to not look like you’ve applied too much makeup. Fresh, natural-looking skin trumps ultra made-up complexions for French girls. And if you happen to have a blemish or eye bags? C’est la vie. Dot on a little concealer rather than masking your whole face with foundation. The trick is tactical and minimal coverage just where it’s needed – that way your skin and freckles have a chance to shine through. As for heavy contour? Ditch it for a sweep of skin-perking blush.