For centuries France has been a leader in fashion and beauty trends.
Both haute couture on the runways and effortless Parisian street style influence the way people dress around the world.
It’s chic without trying too hard and isn’t too difficult to achieve.
But, the French girl’s look was always fresh, elegant, and effortless.
The dramatic years of 1920s French beauty
The 1920s were a time of political and social change.
It was the end of World War I, and the economy was on the rise.
French women embraced this time by indulging in bold beauty trends.
According toSunday Edit, the makeup industry didn’t start gaining traction with most French women until the 1920s.
Prior, makeup was mostly worn by French actresses and adult performers.
Stylish French girls at the time began wearing black eyeliner and red lipstick.
For the lips, use a matte red and follow your mouth’s natural outline.
Keep the rest of the face fairly natural.
1920s actress Renee Adoree is an excellent example of the look (viaIMDb).
Shocking lipstick shades of 1930s
Much of 1930s French girl makeup remained the same from the 1920s.
Red lipstick was also still fashionable.
She was a contemporary of Coco Channel and one of her biggest rivals, perDailyArt Magazine.
it’s possible for you to clearly see how World War II’s events impacted the French style.
The war meant limited supplies, and new styles developed as a result.
AsAllureexplains, hair care products such as shampoo and dye were challenging to get hold of.
1950s doe-eyed look
In the 1950s, the focus was pulled from the lips to the eyes.
One of the keys to French girl makeup across the decades is never doing too much at once.
French models popularized the doe-eyed look by wearing dramatic eye makeup with everyday fashion.
And the actress Brigitte Bardot made the style known around the world.
However, the classic French girl look maintained a more effortless and natural feel throughout this time.
Dramatic, fluttery lashes accomplish this look.
Although, the French did start to embrace frosted lipstick to contrast with natural face makeup.
Fresh makeup of 1970s
French girl beauty in the 1970s relied on natural, healthy skin.
This was often finished with a smudged, but not too dark smoky eye and glossy lips.
English-French actress and singer Jane Birkin perfectly embodied the on-trend French girl of the time.
Although she originally came from England, Birkin was embraced by the French.
Birkin toldVogue, “The French gave me a real gift in accepting me very quickly.”
Fashion brands are still inspired by the chic and youthful looks of the 1970s French girl today.
Channel based their Fall 2020 show off the style.
Women started wearing bolder colors in both fashion and makeup.
This was also true for French beauty.
Instead, women might wear vibrant colors on the lips, eyes, and cheeks all at once.
Farida Khelfa was a French supermodel who also inspired French beauty at the time with her edgy nightlife style.
it’s possible for you to see how Jacquemus replicated this in their 2017 Fall runway (viaInStyle).
Models took to the catwalk wearing oversized blazers and shoulder pads while wearing eye-catching pink lips.
As usual, the prevailing face makeup for French women remained clean and simple.
The ’90s French girl aesthetic was heavily inspired byVanessa Paradis, a popular French singer and model.
AsGraziadetails, these celebrities were all about shimmer and sparkle.
Their beauty looks relied on shimmering or frosted eyeshadows with glossy lips.
Often that eyeshadow was packed all the way up to the brow bone.
Hairstyles also embraced glitz and fun with crimping, high ponytails, and color streaks.
It’s better to concentrate on having good skin.
For instance, instead of using foundation, I would use a BB or CC cream."
The real statement was the brows.
Peter Philips, Dior’s makeup artist, shared some of those secrets withElle.
The first was not to overfill the brows.
This creates a dewy, healthy look that matches youthful brows.
The first step to achieving a modern French girl look is to focus on timeless red lips.
Another way to enhance natural features is by using trending black blush.
