French women are known for their minimalist approach to beauty. They choose to embrace and enhance, rather than cover and contour. Intentional, confident and effortlessly chic, read this step-by-step guide to French make-up.

1. Start with a Simple Skincare Routine

French woman don’t typically wear a lot of heavy make-up and instead opt for a “barely-there” aesthetic. And because of this, it’s important to adopt a simple yet consistent skincare routine. Using a gentle cleanser and a hydrating moisturizer before applying make-up keeps skin healthy. Cleansing removes dirt, oil and sweat ensuring that make-up is applied evenly and stays in place longer. A moisturizer hydrates skin and prevents make-up from cracking and flaking. Moisturizers also create a smooth surface so that make-up can be applied and blended more easily.

2. Create Your Make-Up Base

Once you’ve cleansed and moisturized, it’s time to create a base. You can start with a clear primer which will create a uniform base, help make-up glide on easier and extend make-up wear. I personally love Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer and have been using it for years. While French women wear foundation, it is usually applied with a lighter touch such as using a tinted moisturizer. Spot concealing rather than full-coverage foundation is preferred and used under the eyes, around the nose and on any blemishes that require a bit of disguise.

3. Daytime: Enhance Your Natural Look

Eyes: During the day opt for minimal eye makeup and emphasize your eyes using a soft neutral palette: light shades of taupe, soft browns, a matte champagne or soft greys. Add a coat of brown or black mascara and a sweep of eyeliner to complete the look. For a quintessentially French look, add a cat-eye or winged tip to your eyeliner.

Cheeks: Choose a shade that enhances the natural flush of your cheeks. Think soft peaches, a delicate rose, shades of soft coral or a rosy beige.

Lips: While not always necessary during the day, you can stick with a clear lip balm or play up your lips with a neutral nude, tints of rose or a peach lipstick with nude undertones. For a cooler palette, try a light shade of mauve.

4. Into the Night: Effortlessly Refined

French make-up is intentional and the key to evening make-up is to only emphasize one feature. Go with a bold eye or a bold lip, but never both.

Eyes: Refine your eyes for the evening ahead with a richer palette: medium taupe, rich espresso, a shimmering champagne to highlight your eyes or a few precise sweeps of charcoal to create a smokey eye effect.

Cheeks: Create a more defined cheekbone by choosing warmer and deeper tones. A warm peach or rose, a deep coral tone or cooler shades of mauve.

Lips: There’s no other make-up look that symbolizes Parisian chic quite like a bold red lip in a matte finish. There are two different categories of red lipsticks: reds with a blue undertone and reds with an orange undertone. There are subtle differences between the two. A red lipstick with blue undertones is a cooler palette and will pair well with your Fall or Winter wardrobe, when you’re more likely to wear richer hues. A blue-based red is also often seen as a classic and sophisticated choice. A red with an orange undertone is a warmer palette and would generally be worn during bright and sunny seasons like Spring or Summer. It really comes down to preference, but I personally love a red with a blue undertone because it makes your teeth look whiter!

If red is too bold a colour for your occasion, consider a wine or berry coloured lipstick or a nude lipstick with warm undertones, as both are timeless and versatile choices.