What's French Girl's Vanity

I don't know about y'all, but I am fascinated (and jealous) of the French's girls ability to always look so naturally put together. It is effortless chic, no?

I am constantly picking up and reading books on French life and culture. I recently read Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl by Debra Olliver and I LOVED IT! Inside there was an entire section on French aesthetics, including what an average French girl keeps on her vanity.

The list is very limited, but remember, the French are for QUALITY over quantity, and have learned that less really IS more. So what's her vanity?

1-2 High quality lipsticks (Peachy/Pink and fire engine red)
Light Powder
Powder Blush
Mascara
Eyeliner
Lightest Pink/Beige nail polish and maybe a real red for special occasions.
2 signature scents for Summer/Winter

If I were to really dig in and find my inner French girl, this would be the only products from my collection I would have on my vanity:


MAC’s Cremesheen Crème Cup

This color is just a divine every day color. It's creamy and moisturizing. I LOVE it.

Revlon's Colorburst lipstick in Soft Nude

I do love this too, not at much as Creme Cup, but it is a great color.

I don't use powder, instead I use a light shade matte bronzer and lightly dust it all over my face. NYC's matte bronzer in Sunny This is a great cheap gem! So many 'high end' make-up girls choose this over the pricey bronzers.

Revlon's Matte blush in Perfectly Peach Such a sweet color. A light sweep on your cheeks is all you need.

Maybelline's Collosal Mascara

I hate experimenting with mascara. All you need is to have some one important see you when you have black raccoon eyes from that 'one' bad mascara day where you decided to experiment. No thanks.

MAC's fluidline eyeliner in Blacktrack

Eyeliner is so versatile. It is the only thing you need to take your look from day to night

Milani’s Crème Brulee and China Glaze Something Sweet

Both very sweet colors that I love. On a daily basis I am an opaque milky beige/pink kinda girl anyway.


Elizabeth Arden Pretty perfume for spring/summer and Burberry Brit for fall winter

These are both my all time favorite scents. I dabbled in a few others for a while, but I always come back to these.

Now being a true make-up girl myself, I know I would have to add a few products to the mix:

Revlon’s Eyeshadow in Vintage Lace, and MAC’s wedge
An all over lid color and a nice color to define the crease and give the eye some depth.

'trendy' nail polish color such as OPI's Metro Chic Of course, another favorite for those 'wild' nights out. Okay, I NEVER get wild, but I'd like to think I can loosen up a bit sometimes.

I think the French have it right. They do have that certain je ne sais quoi one is always trying to achieve. Maybe tonight I'll do some purging of my make-up draw. Yes, maybe I shall.

Also, in the book it made such a valid point that American girls are constantly changing our looks. Bold hair cuts, bright eye shadow colors, highlight/lowlights, etc... According to Olliver, French woman are more inclined to find a look that works for them and stick with it for years. I personally, have been a person with a certain 'look' that I have stuck with for years- Nude/Pink lips, light blush, and MASCARA and so on. I would never venture into the realm of bright eye shadows or red lips, or even red nails. With the exception of chopping off my hair into a bob, and now I wish I had stuck with my long locks.

The point is, French woman KNOW who they are and every decision they make, down to their lipstick shade is a conscious decision, "Is this ME?" Every item they bring into their life is not to change who they are, but to make them fundamentally MORE who they are. Some may call it predictable I guess, but others call it being ENTIRELY self contained.

The next time I am contemplating buying a new shade of lipstick, I will stop myself. Why? Because I have the confidence of knowing that every time I walk out of my house I KNOW I look good in my current shade. Amen to that!