So what if you had to can your plan to visit the City of Lights this summer? You can always channel your inner Parisian belle, strolling nonchalantly along the Champs Elysee. Nail French-girl beauty with five easy steps.
Psst… the key is to appear effortless; like you woke up looking fabulous. Anything that says that you’ve tried hard is a major faux pas!
STEP 1
THE SKIN IS EVERYTHING
It’s in the French woman’s DNA to go the extra mile for skincare, not so much for makeup. The last thing a Parisian wants is to look cakey or made-up. By following a skin-friendly diet and regular maintenance with facials, high-quality hydration and facemasks (that change seasonally), they spend less time fussing with makeup. They’re big on sunscreen, upping the SPF for a day under clear skies. French girls believe in ageing gracefully and pooh-pooh the idea of cosmetic procedures. It’s all about loving your unique features.
Action Plan: Ditch the foundation, and blend concealer lightly only over imperfections. Or use a light-weight BB Cream. Powder only when necessary. Let a healthy, au natural glow do the talking.
STEP 2
BEHOLD THE EYES
French girls think less is more for an everyday look, so a heavy-duty eye palette is out. But they do believe that the brows frame the face, and tend to spend some time on them.
Action Plan: An eyelash curler and mascara make bigger, brighter daytime eyes. For an evening look, choose a nude or shimmery colour for the lids, and use a black or brown eye pencil to line the top and outer corners of the lower lids, smoking it out with your fingers or a smudging brush. Fill in the brows where necessary and set in place with clear brow gel.
STEP 3
BE BEAUTY COY
Contour? An absolute no-no in keeping with the French girl’s idea of subtle beauty. But blush, yes, that she’s partial to.
Action Plan: A soft rose or warm taupe highlights the cheeks and lends a soft, girlie glow to the face. Swipe the barely-there remnants from your fingers or brush horizontally across the mid-bridge of the nose and on the tip of your chin to look like you’ve just returned from a cruise down the Seine.
STEP 4
PUCKER UP
Now here is where you can go all out. Nothing screams Parisian chic better than a bold red lip. Play with the shades – cherry, poppy, postbox, crimson, scarlet or ruby – just make it red. Now you know why they balance it out with low-profile eyes.
Action Plan: A long-wear lipstick is a must, whether couture or drugstore. Forget the lip liner. Just fill your pout in with colour without over-lining. And for that carefree, je ne sais quoi charm, smudge ever so slightly at the borders for lips that don’t look too defined.
STEP 5
The Mane Thing
A bed-head is one of the strongest style statements that French women ace, without breakage and looking poufy.
Action Plan: The secret to easily achieve out-of-bed hair – don’t brush it. Comb your tresses before a wash, and follow up with a loving dose of hair serum, but no brushing. Let loose knots set in for hair with modish movement.
