Beauty secrets revealed

“Parisiennes will have you believe that they are born with perfect skin and delightfully messy hair. That from the cradle onward they exude a scent worthy of Chanel No. 5. That these ‘natural’ attributes are a heritage that cannot be explained.

They are all lying.

Au naturel is the fruit of hard labor; meticulously passed down from generation to generation. What follows is a series of unusual tips that could be summed up as follows: how to take care of yourself while giving the impression that you don’t take care of yourself. It is the art of beauty–the Parisian way.”

(How to be Parisian, page 32)

French beauty mantra: less is more.

In my efforts to become more Parisian, I’m hopping on the “no makeup” makeup look bandwagon. Luckily, this look is really trendy right now. These steps are a combination of rules from the book, along with my personal recommendations:

1. “Start with a moisturizer to smooth your skin. Then hide any imperfections with concealers or a BB cream.” Use whatever moisturizer to fits your skin type. The book suggests BB cream because Frenchwomen avoid foundation. They believe in letting your natural skin shine through. Lately, I’ve been skipping BB cream for Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. It’s a super thin formula that evens out discoloration and leaves a dewy, radiant finish. To conceal the “designer bags under my eyes”, I dab a little bit of Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Waterproof Concealer By Tarte. Eyebags have been such a problem for me because I’m always up late doing homework. This concealer is my holy grail right now because it doesn’t look cake-y over BB cream or skin tint.
2. Hypnôse by Lancome is recommended by the book itself. I love this mascara because the wand really helps to define lashes and make them look fuller without clumps.
3. Brighten up your cheekbones with a dab of color. Cream blush has the most subtle effect. All you have to do is rub it in with your fingertips for a natural-looking flush.
4. Polish off with a bright red lipstick and the signature Parisian pout.
5. “And, of course, a touch of perfume on your hair, behind your ear or on the nape of your neck, never did anyone any harm…”

The most important beauty lesson I’ve learned from How to be Parisian is that you don’t have to strive for perfection.They cherish all the things that make them different. They don’t hide behind a veil of makeup or obsess over plastic surgery. They take care of their skin, get a good night’s rest and surround themselves with people who make them happy. Parisians know au naturel always wins. That natural glow is as real as it gets. I think that’s why we’re so in love with them.