Over the years, French women have always drawn attention with their immaculate looks – their hair, makeup, and outfits have always been special, but it was virtually impossible to put a finger on what makes them different. They stand out from the crowd and no matter if they’re headed to brunch or out on a date with a special someone, they look amazing. Even though everyone’s style is different, we were able to put together a list of beauty staples French girls swear by.

When you start researching French beauty, you learn much more about what you shouldn’t rather than what you should do. Everywhere you look you can see beautiful women with supermodel hair, but how do they do it? They don’t use blow dryers and they have figured the right way to sleep with damp hair to get those perfect locks and strands.

The key is to wash your hair before going to bed because if you wash it just before you leave the house, it’ll be too ‘wild’ and you’ll have to tie it in a bun. Instead, wash your hair in the evening, use a towel or an old cotton tee to soak in the extra moisture, and go to bed, when you wake up you’ll discover that there’s no need to use heat to style your hair.

Wise fashion and beauty investments

France and French women have always been known for their love of couture and fashion, but that doesn’t mean that girls and women are spending a fortune blindly following beauty and fashion trends.

They will much rather stick with timeless sandals and bags and occasionally indulge than spend a lot of money on something just because it’s popular at the moment. This means that they have impressive collections of beauty products they know are the best for them – moisturizers, serums, essential oils, and foundations, and every now and then they will buy something to keep up with current trends, such as a new lipstick or a nail polish.

Skincare is the key

Something people generally notice about French women – they prefer the minimal makeup look. This is because they invest a lot of time, money, and effort into keeping their skin as healthy as possible. They have complex morning and evening beauty routines, but they don’t spend too much time applying makeup. Instead, they moisturize and use natural anti-aging skincare products that make them look younger than their age. There are many women who are proud of their ‘almost bare-faced’ look, and good skincare is the key to such confidence and pride.

Multifunctional products

How often do you get a headache trying to find the perfect eyeshadow to match your lipstick? French women have the perfect solution – they use their favourite product in different ways in order to achieve a balanced look. Not only do they use coconut and argan oil on their hair as well as their skin, but they use liquid lipsticks as eyeshadows too! Be careful though, you don’t want to use ultra matte liquid lipsticks as these are often too stiff, but if you find a fast-drying lipstick, you’ll be good to go. Not only will you have a more pigmented colour, but you’ll save some money on eyeshadow palettes.

Makeup on point

Even though their makeup look could best be described as ‘effortless’, they actually care a lot about how they look. Their makeup is minimal and they are famous for their ‘almost bare-faced’ look. They achieve this easily and they aren’t afraid to skip makeup altogether. They feel that a woman with a bare face is seductive and exotic and they will often only use one or two products on their face: just the lipstick and mascara, or eyeliner only. They feel that this shows that they are comfortable in their own skin, and confidence is often the best makeup a woman can wear.

French women seem to have a superpower that allows them to get that seemingly effortless yet perfectly refined look. Even though this seems like a mystery, the key is in their approach to beauty. They embrace their imperfections and work their way around them, allowing themselves to wear their dark circles and tousled hair in such a way that they look chic and charmant.