How To Be Parisienne

French women seem to have figured out how to pull off effortless style. Want to knowhow they do it? Heres a primer on the art of being a French beauty

- Rio Jo Rolan-Enriquez

Make skin the priority

French women love skincare more than layers of foundation. Whenever I look too done or too polished, I always feel so un-French beside my too-cool-for-makeup Parisienne friends. This is why pharmacies are stocked to the brim with all kinds of skincare products imaginable, and some are quite miraculous.

1 Homeoplasmine Pomade, amazon.com Before Glossier’s Balm Dotcom, there was this. And there will always be this. A super hydrating lip salve that can be used anywhere else that needs instant moisture, this works best as a nighttime lip mask and an in-flight pick-me-up.

2 La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF60, laroche-posay.com No French beauty routine is ever complete without sunscreen, and this brand happens to have the best ones. After all, how can one flâneur around the city beautifully with sun-damaged, rapidly aging skin?

3 Avibon Vitamin A Ointment, amazon.com The retinol treatment to end all retinol treatments. Very elusive to people outside of France, you only need a wee-bit of this pomade nightly to reap the benefits. Heads up, though, this is really oily and heavy on skin (your face will feel warm from the heaviness), but you’ll thank yourself for going through all the trouble the moment you wake up: Brighter, plumper skin, and over time, less lines and sagging.

4 Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, Beauty Bar and Rustan’s French glow in a bottle. Slather on post-shower for a radiant healthy-looking sheen. Bonus: Dab some on your face’s high spots for instant highlights!