Beauty

Two French girls let us in on French beauty secrets

Chic duo

03.10.2017

By Gwen Ong

Two French girls let us in on French beauty secrets

 

When we think of French girl, we picture a sophisticated lady with beautiful skin, windswept hair and seductive smile. Case in point – Caroline Parnot of @the_caroo and Aude Sarkamari of @audesarkamari – the French fashion bloggers who are giving us a glimpse into the Parisian way of life. Gorgeous and confident, the girls have a wardrobe we want to replicate, a lifestyle we wish to emulate, and a gorgeous complexion we desire to achieve. We stalk the duo to find out more about the French girl beauty everyone has been talking about for years. 

 

Who are they?

Caroline Parnot is a 28-year-old dentistry graduate. She lives in Paris and blogs on Pardon My Obsession, which gives an insight about her fashion encounters, beauty rituals and travel adventures. When not blogging, you can find her walking the streets of Paris to find inspiration in its beauty.  

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Aude Sarkamari is a 30-year-old digital strategy and PR consultant of French-Iranian descent. She shares her love for fashion, beauty and travel through her blog, My Name Is Odd. She is also the founder of Caption Magazine, which focuses on art, design, culture, music and movies.

 

Bonjour ladies! Can you share with us what your beauty routine is like?

CP: My beauty routine is so easy, I tend to do the minimum. Laughs. I’m not a beauty addict and I do stay loyal to my favourite beauty products. I don’t wash my face with soap but instead I use Bioderma Créaline every morning and night before I go to bed. Then I apply a moisturiser, and that’s it! Also, I never use makeup on Sundays, just so that my skin can breathe.

 

AS: I really like Galénic, Sisley, La Mer and Carita. I do try out a lot of beauty products but these are the brands which I feel are the best. To protect my skin, I try to cleanse it thoroughly every night, and I also make sure to keep myself hydrated by drinking a lot of water daily. I start with cleansing my skin every morning, then I apply lotion, serum, eye cream, day cream and a lip balm. Then I’ll decide if I want to do my makeup. Or not. Laughs.

 

 

Tell us, the general perception is that French girl beauty means being au naturel – is this true?

CP: I agree. French girls tend to prefer the natural look. But make no mistake, we can look super glamorous by night. We’ll amp up our look by adding a fierce red lipstick to the game. However, we will choose either to play up the lips or eyes, never both at the same time.

 

AS: It’s true that we are known for having a “discreet”, natural makeup. French women love being chic and classy while remaining subtle. I think makeup shouldn’t be too obvious.

 

 

What sort of looks do French girls for in terms of makeup?

CP: French girls want people to believe that they have no makeup on, even when they actually have a lot. So, it’s all about the nude look…with a little mascara and a red lip now and then. You’ll never find us with a face full of makeup.

 

AS: It’s really just about a rather natural style. The complexion, i.e. fresh skin, must be the focus but just ever so lightly. We will also insist on highlighting just one feature of the face – so it’s either the lips or the eyes.

 

 

What beauty products we’ll find in a French girl’s bag?

CP: A lot of pharmacy products! I think French girls just love pharmacy products because they’re mostly natural and friendly to the skin. I love everything you can find at the pharmacy such as Avène, Bioderma, Nuxe and more.

 

AS: A lipstick, almost always. Personally, I like to carry a translucent powder around with me. But a must-have is Sisley’s Phytolip, which serves as both a lip balm and also a tint.

 

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What are your three must-have beauty products?

CP: I can’t live without my Chanel perfume—Chance Eau Tendre—which I have used for years and I’m completely addicted to. I also always carry my MAC blush – perfect to get rosy cheeks and a EUR€5 Bourgeois eyeliner – it is the best I’ve ever used.

 

AS: The three products you’ll always find with me are: La Mer’s The Renewal Oil that I can use any time of the day; I also like the dry oil body lotion Confort Suprême by Galénic, it makes my skin feel soft and moisturised; I also need a makeup remover for my eyes so I use Take the Day Off by Clinique, which is good for sensitive skin.

 

 

Who do you think is a beauty icon and why?

CP: I find beauty in women who are known for their natural good looks and not their makeup. Don’t get me wrong, I think makeup is great for enhancing your features but not to completely change the way you look. This is why I hate contouring and all the other trendy tricks. A true beauty icon would be Catherine Deneuve, who has managed to stay chic and “French” throughout the years.

 

AS: I love Christy Turlington, both then and now. I still find her beautiful and even more captivating in her natural beauty today.

 

 

Related stories:

Survival French: 10 phrases to learn before making your way to Paris 

Mindful beauty: 24 Minutes with Kelsey Schiavon 

 

 

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