Every time I’m in Paris I get so wowed by French Girl Beauty. Parisienne girls are so delectably chic, yet it never looks contrived, it always seems so effortless.

Clemence Poesy

I’ve never, ever run into Parisienne girls sporting the makeup overload that you see here. (which doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, I’ve just never seen it).

street cred, Paris

Opaque, overthick foundation, Instagram styled contour, or clowning, or baking or whatever the idiocy du jour, just doesn’t show up on the streets of Paris. (Apart from on the faces of the IG/YT enthusiasts visiting town.)

street style Paris

My Parisienne friend Emmanuelle told me that her hometown squad think Kardashian styled makeup is like a horror movie.
It’s too big, too much, hides the girl and makes her look lacking in self confidence.

 I asked her for a list of beauty products that the average chic Parisienne girl uses to pull off that effortless, gorgeous, killer cool, French girl beauty.

Marion Cotillard

She told me that to a French girl looking too perfect feels too fake, but that they wholeheartedly believe in great skin. “Beautiful skin is everything,”

Tip One: With that in mind French girls take care of their skin, making sure it never looks stripped or dried out by always using a facial oil.

Personally I like dry finish oils so that my skin doesn’t look liquefied or slimey. My favorites are Tatcha Camellia Oil which is a super luxe skin care product from Japan, and Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, which is France’s leading beauty oil. I am obsessed with the gold version of this incredible oil, which not only hydrates but also illuminates the skin.

Both of these have a dry finish, so makeup not only glides on after you apply it, but it also holds all day.

Audrey Tatou

Tip Two: Next, rather than a thick or heavy foundation, French girls prefer to give the illusion of perfect, bare skin by using a sheer and lightweight product like a BB or CC cream.

I use BB’s over CC’s, mostly because I haven’t found a CC that I’m crazy about.

For a lighter cover try Ren BB Cream, if you want a little more coverage try MAC BB Cream.

Tip Three: French girls don’t get crazy with concealer, many preferring to use none at all because a little shade under the eye makes you look real. (I’m looking a little too real these days. This is one step I can’t get too French beauty with!)

Tip Four: Mascara is never thick or clumpy. A chic Parisienne prefers a defined and slightly elongated fringe of lashes. Try a mascara like Lancôme Definicils.

Marion Cotillard

Tip Five: The perfect way to pull the entire effortless chic look together? A red lip. Rather than a gooey, glossy red lip look for a soft, hydrating matte red lip. 
My personal favorites are Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red, which is a true red. MAC Ruby Woo, which is a blue based red, and for my golden skinned girls MAC Lady Danger, which has an orange base.

Lea Seydoux