Chic French women don't wear makeup

#46
That is a great article that manages to explain the french culture and politics as well : yes Segolene Royal is the most popular candidate for the future president elections.....but that s not for her "lack" of obvious make up ! :P
Also there is this saying that I have always heard "un maquillage réussi est un maquillage qui ne se voit pas" = "a well done make up is a make up that you don't see (invisible)".........
I agree on the simplicity of style; sensuality is more important that showing the obvious, BUT I also disagree on the image of the French woman always being "chic".....try to walk in the streets of Paris : not a big sense of style !
and also the society pressure on "not trying hard", which means that if you, for once, do something special with make up or trendy clothes you are immediately being critized.(being trendy falls quickly into the "fashion victim" category in France) . I find the english speaking cultures much more open on that side.
 
#47
Thats an interesting article!

however, I disagree strongly.

I'm pretty happy with how I look, but I simply adore make-up. I've been painting/drawing ever since it was physically possible for me to do so, and I took private lessons all throughout highschool-- and I've kept it up as much as possible in college. It's safe to say art is one of my biggest passions in life.

I view make-up as a way for me to express art in a way that is visible to everyone. It's just an extension of self-expression. To simply have bare skin and hardly anything on my face-- it would only seem unimaginative to me. I adore experimenting with different colors and textures, and whatnot.

The french may be tres chic and classy, but they've got no imagination if perfect pores are all they can come up with. :-P

Still, sometimes less is definitly more, and I get very sad when I see younger girls with the "mask" of cover up and tons of heavy shadow/liner. =/
 
#48
ParkAvenuePrincess said:
tha is a fabulous article.

I have long believed that the art of good make up is too look as though you are wearing very little, not matter how much you actually are.

I hate foundation, really, I hate anything that just sits on the skin, it feels awful. Unfortunately I have extremely bad dark marks beneath my eyes so I have to use a lot of cover up on that. Its the bane of my life recently. YSL Touche eclat is useless. it doesn't touch them. I tried the new 'clinique all about eyes' cream & it was just a powdery chalky mess! Am currently trialling Models Prefer hide & sculpt concealers but without much luck.

Anybody got any tips? or suggestions? I already drink a lot of water, I sleep 8-9 hours a night, I cleanse or exfoilate daily but no matter what happens , the marks are as dark as ever. My mother has them too so I fear they are hereditry :sad:

thanks for you help! am getting pretty desperate here!
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There is this product called Cernor, it's an eye cream for dark undereye circles (racoon eyes). I've also read about another product called Hylexin but I have not tried it yet though, I've tried Cernor. These are not concealers, these are treatment creams especifically targeted for dark undereye circles.
 
#49
I love this article, my grand mother was part French.
She had the same philosphy. Keep your skin beautiful!

I find the older I get the more I think the same.
I am 36 now I want to be able to go without makeup.
Natural beauty is great. I am working on my porse.
I hope in a few months my skin will be great.
 
#50
I so agree. French women are big on skin care, so that even traditional fragance houses like Annick Goutal have developed their exquisite skincare range using roses. It's the same with Asian women, who splurge on skincare (including oral) and not makeup. With good skin, you need very little makeup to look beautiful.
 
#52
Kaban & Sweetgirl, thanks very, very much for your suggestions! These circles are a nightmare aren't they!

I'm seeing if I can get some free samples of the products everyone has suggested so I can try them first, without blowing lots of money & finding out they don't work for me. Been down that route waaaaay to many times....


thanks girls!
 
#53
ParkAvenuePrincess said:
Kaban & Sweetgirl, thanks very, very much for your suggestions! These circles are a nightmare aren't they!

I'm seeing if I can get some free samples of the products everyone has suggested so I can try them first, without blowing lots of money & finding out they don't work for me. Been down that route waaaaay to many times....


thanks girls!
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Another thing about dark circles has to do with caffiene comsumption, tea, coffee, coke, ect. My friend and I tried the no more than two drinks a day and more water and vitamin C. It did make a big difference for us, I cut down the coffee, her, the diet cokes. Just a suggestion. One was to minimize dark circles with make-up, is to go around the whole eye with 1 to 2 shades lighter than your skin tone, if you use something with to much pink in it, it will not be as effective. Always blend to the top of your cheekbone and set with a translucent powder. I used to be a make up artist, there are a few ways to do really natural make-up, maybe I should post pics??
 
#54
wow! LV Addict! thats sooo helpful! thanks very much!! If it wouldn't be too much trouble, yes please! pics would be a great help! but only if its not a bother.

I used to drink a lot of caffine (coffee was a goooood friend of mine :biggrin:) but recently, in the last 2 months or so, I'd say if I have one cup a day, thats a lot! I'm probably having 1 cup every 2 days on average. I haven't really noticed a difference, but then, i haven't really been monitoring it either.

I will keep an eye out now & totally banish caffine & see what happens! thanks!
 
#56
I have held off from commenting on this thread, as I didn't want to start ranting! :blink:

However, although I agree that, ideally, a beautiful woman looks more beautiful with minimal make-up, particularly in terms of foundation and blusher/bronzer; I don't think anyone, or any country, should try to control what is basically a woman's personal choice, or taunt any woman who doesn't choose to comply.

I am from the UK and day-to-day (when going out), I wear what I consider to be light, fairly minimal, 'natural' make-up (which, as it turns out, is apparently quite 'French'):


Moisturiser - 'French'

Concealer stick and YSL Touche Eclat (only where necessary) - 'French'

Lancome Juicy Tubes Melon lip gloss (natural coloured, looks clear on my colouring) - 'French'/Not so 'French'?

Sometimes, a little natural-look mascara - 'French'


Sometimes added for evening:


Brown, green, or teal eyeshadow, with blended silver and gold highlights - 'French'/Not so 'French'?

Benefit highlighter (a little, on my cheekbones) - Not so 'French'! :lol:

My cheeks are naturally rosy, so I don't need blusher (if I did, I'd wear a little of it, in a natural shade!) - 'French'?


I fully 'respect my eyebrow line' (LOL! :lol: ) and never wear strongly made-up lips with a strong eye (both, apparently, 'French').

I also, for mainly practical reasons, wear no, or clear, fingernail polish and only use colour on my toenails (which alexandrainparis says is a 'French' thing to do).

From this, I deduce that I wear slightly more make-up than the contributors to this article are suggesting that French women (should) wear and less than American women are 'accused' of wearing. For this reason, I feel most British women are probably in a fairly central position to offer their opinions; both geographically and in terms of alleged makeup consumption! :biggrin:

I would say that both France and the US have at least one thing in common - they are both very variable countries, with very different views and customs, from region to region. So to generalise about 'the French' or 'the Americans' is a dangerously innacurate thing to do.

I feel that most of the views expressed in this article are rude, anti-American and anti-female and rudeness, prejudice and sexism should always be considered to be far greater 'crimes' and are far more ugly, than any alleged heavy-handedness with the make-up brush! :yes:
 
#57
Intresting article!:cool:
Im actly a freelance makeup artist, and I think theres nothing wrong by wearing some makeup in your face. Inst it makeup is to enhance your beauty.Dont miss that ladies! Its really disgusting to see a woman with no makeup espcly when they have a lot of pimples and acne that looks so red! At least cover it up with little concealer.U can not go natural when its like that:yucky:
I myself wear makeup ocasionally, its all depends! Makeup completes your look ladies,but just dont over do it! I wear little bronzer on my cheeks, little mascara,and lipbalm when I go out for shopping,thats enough.
Every woman should wear something in theyre face, at least lipgloss??Otherwise they will looks really boring, its the truth!!
Well, when u think u are pretty enough without any color on your face, then thats GREAT! But not everyone born perfect!
I always go to Paris, and yes, they wears little make up, very natural, nude looking and natural hair style too, like they just woke up fr bed,,hehhe maybe its too expensive and lazy to do theyre hair:lol: , BUT it does look good on them tho...
 
#58
Interesting article that said I love makeup! I love the colors and textures and drama of it all. I remember watching my mother putting on her blush and lipstick, it was one of my all time favorite things to do i would just lean on her dresser and watch her and talk about stuff. I think makeup should be used to enhance and not cover up. Its not the makeup I notice its the confidence of the woman wearing it that is sooooo sexy. IMO American women totally ROCK!
 
#59
boudoir said:
I have to say this is not always true, as especially older women like to wear strong lipstick.
But as for women my age, we wear mascara, maybe some invisible powder to prevent shininess, and lipstick/gloss/chapstick. Some wear eyeliner as well.
To be fully madeup looks (not vulgar in my opinion), but like you're going to an important place/meeting.
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I agree. Make-up; when done tasefully, can make a woman look elegant and very put together. This article sounded like the French are a bit jealous to me.
 
#60
I'd rather have a flawless looking skin than covering the spots and pimples up with thick huge make-up. Hmm.....does anyone here knows why Geishas are so attractive to men in the past when they are wearing such a thick make-up? Let's not go into their manners. Just the make-up!!
 
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