Violette’s 7 Simple Beauty Steps To French-Girl Chic
Whether it’s a lit-from-within, natural radiance, effortlessly applied minimal makeup, or even a lived-in sultry eye and red lip, looking ‘perfectly imperfect’ – a skill mastered by the French style set – is nearly every woman’s beauty goal. Here, makeup artist VIOLETTE shares her secrets with MALENA HARBERS for achieving that French insouciance – even if it is just a soupçon
Wear makeup that works for you, not your friends
“When it comes to beauty, French women want to be themselves, not a better version of themselves,” says Violette, Guerlain makeup creative director. “So, figuring out what makeup works with your features is a very French mentality. I think more than ever, people right now are in need of a healthy approach to mental health – and really prioritizing that over success or performance. To be happy, we must express who we are, so that’s why I try to inject beauty that works for each individual into my makeup as much as I can. What’s more, the French mentality is to really focus on taking care of what Mother Nature gave us, so we try to follow a diet that’s as good as possible, get a good night’s sleep, try to stress less, and use great skincare and haircare – and then, makeup is fun. That’s the goal.”
Ditch your skincare routine
“Everyone’s skin is different and every moment is different, too. I don’t believe in skin type, more in skin tendency. So, for example, at a certain moment, your skin can be oily, whereas it can be dry at a different time. As a culture, we’re going back to this much more instinctive approach to skincare, too. You don’t need to stick to the same routine day after day. Instead, focus on deciding what your skin needs in that moment. Traditionally, French women don’t have that many rules when it comes to skincare. We also go to dermatologists, talk to pharmacists, and take a more minimalist approach to our routines – our skin can do the job it’s meant to do; it doesn’t need a million products – just be sure to always clean it well.”
Commit to a simple look
“If you want a look that is effortless, you must be effortless – so your makeup techniques should be effortless too. A slick of lipstick, a little bit of mascara, a little bit of foundation applied with your fingers is probably the technique we use the most.”
Use your fingers
“French women are more into creamy textures because it’s easy and we usually do our makeup with our fingers on the go. For instance, we’ll use a lipstick as a blush or apply foundation by touch with our fingers and we don’t really apply it all over the face; nor do we use powder. It’s really rare that the French women I know use powder. To create a red lip, I use the ‘blurry’ method. This involves applying lipstick and blending it with your finger, which gives an effortless, ‘just bitten’ effect that I really like. And, of course, a nude lip has its place in the French woman’s makeup arsenal too, because it embodies the effortless spirit that characterizes the Parisian woman’s style – it’s that delicate balance between natural, chic and daring.”
Apply makeup deliberately
“It’s very important to look like you’re wearing makeup – and that the makeup isn’t wearing you. It shouldn’t look like it’s freshly done either. You must put it on, forget about it and live your day. So, for a nude makeup look you apply mascara and maybe a little bit of a creamy eyeshadow or a hint of eyeliner by the lash line, – you blend it and that’s it. It’s just about giving freshness to the eyes. When it comes to the classic smoky-eye look that French women do well, I personally love to apply the products with my finger because they blend together so much better.”
Highlight with bronzer
“In France, we’re not big fans of contouring. We prefer bronzers to add radiance to our skin and deliver the power of a fresh, healthy glow. I use Guerlain’s Terracotta powder in dabs on the top of the cheekbones, and the bridge of the nose, for a sun-kissed effect. Keep it natural and have fun.”
Avoid perfection
“It’s so important to accept the version of yourself that you already are. You don’t need to be a better version of yourself. That way, you can use makeup as a styling tool instead of an aesthetic tool. That’s why I love to do ‘couture’ colors, and fun textures in colors, because you can dress up your face and have fun and really celebrate yourself. Whatever you choose to do, the key is to pick one statement on your eyes or lips and make the skin very natural. Everything shouldn’t be perfect. For example, create intense smoky eyes, but keep the skin super-natural. And you shouldn’t do something too glamorous – keep it more rebellious, spicy, mysterious and dangerous.”
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