Picture by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels. Makeup is meant to enhance features, not hide them. Wearing too much makeup will make you look cakey and completely different. Unless that’s your goal, here are some things to keep in mind when applying makeup. This is also how most French women do it, so if you want to look chic like a French woman, these tips will definitly be valuable to you. Tip # 1: Eyeliner Photo by Eugene Liashchevskyi from Pexels Dark, thick eyeliner will make you look overdone. Though it may be perfect for Saturday night, it definitely doesn’t look natural. Instead, make sure you sharpen your eyeliner pencil so it makes a thin line. Also, avoid using a dark eyeliner on your waterline, especially if you're a woman in your 50+ years, because this might make you look dragged. Tip # 2: Mascara Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels. Most mascaras have a tendency to clump, which forces your lashes to come together and leave large gaps. Applying mascara lightly will avoid this issue and enhance your lashes in the most natural way. If you're not so young anymore, I suggest you only put mascara on your upper eyelashes. Again, putting mascara underneath your eye might make you look dragged, so keep in mind that you should try to lift your look instead of drawing the attention downward. Tip # 3: Foundation First, choose a foundation that matches your skin tone. A little goes a long way, so start applying lightly and add more as desired. The goal of foundation is to create a smooth, even tone. Also, select a brush that is appropriate for your foundation; some brushes work best with a liquid foundation, as opposed to pressed powder. Tip # 4: Powder The same holds true for powder - not too much. Powder has a tendency to sit on top rather than blend into your face, so be sure to blend your makeup to avoid obvious lines. Tip # 5: Lips For a natural look, it is best to stick with neutral colors. Sometimes a clear gloss is perfect to keep it natural but add that little bit of spunk. You can even just throw on some tinted chapstick! Tip # 6: Appropriate makeup This last tip is perhaps the most important one: Wear makeup that is appropriate for the occasion! If you are going to the beach, you shouldn't wear the same or as much makeup as you would if you were going dancing. Same thing applies if you're going to a job interview or some other formal setting: You shouldn't wear the same makeup as you would going to a party. Also, when you are in daylight, your makeup should be lighter than when you are out for the evening. ----------------------------- I hope you found this article useful to you. If so, feel free to share it with someone else, and I would love it if you would follow my blog! À bientôt!
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Picture by Andrea Piaquadio via Pexels Imagine browsing through skincare aisles and finding that one, perfect product that boasts of all-natural ingredients. Then you read the label, expecting to find a virtual salad, but instead you find yourself reading benzoic acid, butyl stearate, and some totally unpronounceable names. You're no botanist, but you're quite sure that all that stuff doesn’t grow on trees. This is because most commercial items meant for skin care nowadays contain preservatives and other chemicals to maintain their consistency and shelf life. Problem is, most of these chemicals can actually irritate more sensitive skin. So what solution is there for this kind of crisis? Simple. Mix your own, homemade skincare line. There's really nothing to it, as most ingredients are found in your fridge or fruit basket. All-natural skin recipes are easily found on the Internet or even in magazines. Usually, these skincare mixes are composed of a combination of one or two fruits. Combinations like these can include either the fruit pulp, fruit juice, or both. Milk, water, or honey are usually added to smoothen the mixture. Add-ons such as oatmeal, wheat germ, brown sugar, and dried herbs are also included for more specialized effects such as a pimple treatment, flaking, and oily skin. Skincare using natural ingredients offers great variety. There are facial cleansers, scrubs, moisturizing creams, and face masks. Don't worry, because indications for use are usually found with the recipes. The recipes indicate whether the mixture is for normal, dry, oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin. Some are even more specialized as blackhead removers or whitening solutions. Picture by cottonbro via Pexels.
Natural skincare routines have many advantages. # 1)The ingredients are easily available and the choices are great. They are also natural, thus, greatly reducing risks of allergies or skin irritations. # 2) The ingredients are cheap, which translates into more savings for you. # 3) You can modify the recipes to suit your needs. Since the risks for irritations are minimal, experimentations are relatively safe. # 4) Vitamins and antioxidants are naturally found in fruits, while milk and honey have restorative properties. Therefore, you get the same vitamins found in commercial products while limiting or eradicating chemicals. As these skincare recipes use natural ingredients, they require refrigeration and can only keep for a week. However, it is better to make these in small quantities or batches for immediate use. In addition, these recipes contain natural hydroxy acids and vitamins for direct and instant skin rejuvenation. Last, but not least: Don't forget to keep fit by exercising, having a balanced, healthy diet, and regular sleep. With these prerequisites and your new skincare solutions, you're on your way to having healthy skin that can top what science can offer. Now, that's what you call natural. ----------------------- I hope you found this article useful to you! If so, I hope you'll follow my blog and also share this article with someone else who might be interested in it. If you want to read more articles on skin-care, and if you're interested in how French women do it, check out my article on How to do skin-care like French women. À bientôt! Picture by Moose photos via Pexels French women are experts on how to look effortless and chic. To them, it seems almost second nature. Today, I’ll dive into how you can create a simple, yet elegant makeup look. And: the best thing about it is that if you use makeup already, you will probably have all the items it takes to make a French makeup look. Less is more In almost all instances you can “frenchify” your life by thinking “less is more”. What I mean by this is that French women have tuned in on what is important to them and removed everything that’s unimportant. French women use makeup to enhance their features, not hide them away or alter them in any big way. That’s why you will rarely see a woman with full contour and smokey eyes on the streets of Paris. It’s all about looking like the best version of yourself, not turning into someone else. So let’s dive into what makes French makeup so effortless and “I woke up like this” chic. 8 steps to create a French makeup look Picture by Andrea Piaquadio via Pexels It all starts with skincare To make the most out of your canvas, you should always prep it. French women prep their skin by taking care of it. If you need some tips on how to best take care of your skin, you can read my article on French skincare. And if you just want to jump right in: always let a moisturizer be the first step in your makeup routine. Skip the foundation Remember, less is more. French makeup is all about discretion. So you won’t see French women wear a ton of foundation. What they’ll do is dab a little concealer on, or maybe use a BB-cream. A BB-cream is perfect for a French makeup look as it is a three-in-one product. A BB-cream will moisturize, give you light coverage and, most importantly, has SPF. French makeup is basically there to enhance. The idea is that no one should notice the makeup before they notice the woman. A hint of blush French women love to glow and accentuate their healthy skin. In order to get this look, you need a good blush. However, it should never be too bright. You can brighten up the face by applying a touch of rose or pink coloured blush to the apples of your cheeks. Cream blushes are more popular because they are easier to blend to get a natural look. Tip: to make your look even fresher and more sunkissed, you can throw a little bit of bronzer into the mix. Just be careful to not use too much. Keep your brows full Picture by Andrea Piacuadio via Pexels You’ll find no perfectly sculpted brows in a French makeup look. Rather, the brows will be kept full, and never overly filled in. The French look is all about looking clean and groomed, but not overly polished. Stay away from eyebrow pencils and pomades. Keep it simple with some eyebrow mascara. For a natural brow, apply the mascara in short upward strokes. Make sure to follow the natural curve of your eyebrows. Just a touch of mascara If you want a French makeup look, you should keep your eye makeup simple. Give your lashes a good curl, treat them with a good lash conditioner and add just a hint of mascara. Skip the eyeliner and focus your attention on a good mascara that will give your eyes dimension. Natural eyeshadows Picture by Andrea Piacuadio via Pexels Most French women will not wear a lot of eye shadow on an everyday basis, but if you want to add some colour to your eyes, go for neutral tones. To achieve a French makeup look you should dab on a minimal amount. It does not have to look perfect, but it should be well blended with no sharp edges. The signature red lip To go with the very simple eye makeup you can add the staple of any French makeup look “la pièce de résistance” if you wish: the bold red lip. The red lip can be worn with any outfit, whether it is a t-shirt and jeans or an evening gown. The red lip will add drama where you need it. Just remember that the french will most often wear this bold colour with the rest of the makeup being very minimal. When you wear a red lip, nothing should steal attention away from it. Picture by Milena Hasvil via Pexels
Focus on one feature If you want one simple piece of advice you can take away from this, it is to keep it simple. Focus on one feature at the time. If you wear a red lipstick, make everything else discrete. If you wear a bold eye makeup look, keep the lips natural. Focusing on one feature at the time will make your face look brighter and fresher. Keep it relaxed Casual makeup application has become a popular trend which emphasizes French women’s relaxed approach to makeup. The point of this type of application is to make it less perfect and more lived in. Do a smokey eye by blending out your eyeliner with your finger or use your fingertip to apply lipstick by dabbing it on (only with clean hands of course!) This helps you achieve a more natural less polished look. Just like French women! -------- Did you like this article? Then you might also like my article on French skincare. I'd love to hear from you, so if you want to leave a comment below, I'll be thrilled! Also feel free to share this article with anyone else who might be interested in it. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels French women always seem to have great skin, don’t they? Well, there’s a reason for that: they do skincare … well … the French way. French skincare is different to skincare in America, or even in different European countries. So, if you want great skin, try simplifying your skincare routine by adopting French skincare. HOW IS FRENCH SKINCARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TYPE OF SKIN CARE? Well, for a start: French skincare is more relaxed and intentional. It’s also quite minimal. Typically, a French skincare routine will have 3 steps. The key factors are a mild cleanser, a toner and a good moisturizer. You can compare that to an average skincare routine in other countries (where you’ll often find recommendations for doing an elaborate routine both in the morning AND evening). A typical skincare routine in other countries may look something like this: Do not mistake the relaxed attitude for indifference In a French skincare routine you know what each step does. And a French woman will certainly not freak out over a pimple. She’ll simply let it run it’s course, because there are more important things in life. I think we can all learn something from French women here. It’s our imperfections that make us who we are, and honestly, we should all learn to love those imperfections! However, this relaxed attitude must not be mistaken for not caring for their skin. It’s just that the focus is different. A simple, yet effective routine leaves time to enjoy other aspects of life. Like a good cup of coffee in the morning. French skincare is just as much about prevention and having good skin in the future as it is about having good skin right now. Additional steps to the basic routine In addition to the 3 key steps, a French woman will use a gentle exfoliant once or twice a week. There is no need to use it more often, and your skin needs to rest. If you exfoliate too often, your skin will be stripped of it’s natural barrier and you might end up with dry skin that breaks out. In addition to a simple routine, French women tend to start getting facials at quite a young age. Typically, they’ll get a facial maybe once a month. Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels How can I replicate a French skincare routine at home? 1. Reduce the number of products. First, go through your products. Most likely you’ll do well to reduce the amount of products you use. You especially need to get rid of any harsh cleansers or exfoliants. Any soapy cleansers are no use in a French skincare routine, as soap can disturb your skin’s pH balance and strips away natural bacteria (that are good for your skin). Instead, opt for mild cleansers that remove makeup gently. 2. Stick to your products Another thing French women do, is they stick to the same products. They find some products that work for their skin, whether that’s oily, dry or normal skin. And you should too! When you buy products, buy with intention. And when you find something that works for you, stick with it! You may change between a lighter and heavier moisturizer depending on the season, but other than that, your skin will thank you for not overloading it with new products all the time. That way you save your money and you save your skin. 3. Buy few, but high-quality skin products As I touched upon just now, you want to buy only a few products. But the products you buy should be high quality. So stay away from the superstore value pack moisturizer and do like French women: go to the pharmacy. French women don’t buy their skincare products just anywhere. They prefer buying them at the pharmacy, where they can also get expert help to find the best products for their skin. When you’re shopping for new products, you should never be afraid to ask for help. How you can benefit from a French skincare routine If you struggle with your skin, I think you could definitely benefit from simplifying your routine and adopt French skincare! Less is more, and with an effortless routine you can enjoy the rest of your day with less stress. If you choose to adopt a French skincare routine, I also think you’ll find that you slowly will get a more relaxed relationship to your skin. --------------- I hope this blog post has been of value to you. If you liked it, you might also be interested in my article about 12 Ways You Can Become Slim & Chic Like A French Woman Without Even Breaking A Sweat. If you enjoyed this blog post, feel free to leave a comment below and also share it with someone else who might enjoy it, too! À bientôt! |
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