5 Beauty Secrets French Women Swear By

Here are five beauty secrets that French women swear by that you can easily order online or buy at your local drugstore or Sephora.

Stick to Tried and True Skincare Products

Though it’s common to see young women in the United States experiment with their skincare routines and try the latest skincare trends and hacks from TikTok, French women like to stick with their tried and true skincare routine.

French blogger Leonce Chenal writes, “A stellar skincare routine is one of the most important French beauty secrets. French women take skincare very seriously, not only for great skin today but for great skin in the future. The French will always seek up for qualitative (maybe expensive) beauty products. They use to stick with what they know works instead of changing their skincare beauty routine every week.” [sic]

One of my favorite French skincare products is the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, but another good and less expensive French product is the Eau Thermale Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel for Acne Prone, Oily Face & Body.

Find a Signature Scent

A nice perfume is essential to any French woman’s beauty routine. Adrienne Coléon Gaskell, of the blog Oh So French, writes, “Each morning, I choose my perfume much like I do my lingerie, based on what I’m doing that day, what I’m wearing, my mood, and the season. Spritz it on before getting dressed and you’ll have a soft halo of fragrance that makes a subtle, sensual statement.”

You can buy classic French fragrances like Chanel Coco Mademoiselle at Sephora or you can try a subscription service like Scentbird to try luxury fragrances.

Emphasize One Feature 

French women are all about the je ne sais quoi look by keeping their makeup simple. However, it’s still fun to go bold by emphasizing one feature. Gaskell writes, “Be a makeup minimalist. Choose one feature to emphasize, and keep the rest of your makeup to a minimum. For example, highlight your eyes with a sweep of eyeliner and mascara, but keep your skin and lips bare. I also think there’s something very seductive about a woman with bare skin, a hint of mascara, and a bold lip color. It shows that you are comfortable in your own skin.”

Some of my favorite products to help emphasize one feature is a red lipstick like NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo or a brow product like the Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow + Tinted Volumizing Eyebrow Gel.

Air Dry Your Hair

We all know that blow dryers aren’t the best for our hair, and French women like to go au naturale by air-drying their hair and using leave-in products to help their hair dry beautifully. Some great products are the Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Paste with Pure Rassoul Clay and Rose Extracts and the Garnier Fructis Smooth Air Dry Anti-Frizz Cream.

Wash Your Face with Micellar Water

Some facial cleansers can strip your skin of natural oils and dry you out. Luckily, French women have found the perfect alternative for removing their makeup and washing their faces — micellar water. Micellar water is a French invention — a soft cleansing and hydrating water with suspended “micelles” (tiny balls of mild surfactants) that bind to oil, makeup, and impurities. 

You can get a great French micellar water like the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water on Amazon or the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser & Makeup Remover at your local drugstore or Ulta.

Closing Thoughts

French women are famous for the je ne sais quoi look of natural beauty (and for their style) that you can easily recreate at home. It’s easy to embrace our natural beauty as French women do, so why not try it out?