Natural French Girl Beauty
The Parisian makeup artist updates a classic look for the modern gar?onne.
Written By CHRISTINE WHITNEY
Photography By STEVEN PAN
Makeup By VIOLETTE
Hair By DENNIS GOTS
Nails By ELISA WISHAN
Styled By TURNER
Makeup artist Violette, a regular contributor to The Violet Files and our go-to for all things French beauty, offers her how-tos for attaining that elusive Parisian je ne sais quoi.
NATURAL BEAUTY: “For this look, I was very inspired by today’s icons, like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Léa Seydoux, and Caroline de Maigret,” Violette says. “We French girls love a smoky eye, but not too perfect. You want it to look real, like you did it yourself. We love accidents and imperfections. It can be rock-and-roll but still stay elegant.” Read on for the artist’s step-by-step guide to creating the look.
NATURAL BEAUTY TUTORIAL
BY VIOLETTE
1 / 5
A Light Base
“Here you just want a classic look. I applied MAC Studio Face & Body foundation like a cream—the French don’t use too heavy a base on their skin. Then I removed a little bit of makeup from the bridge of the nose and put MAC strobe cream on the T-zone. This trick makes everything look lighter, like you’re not wearing foundation.”
NARS RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER CUSTARD
2 / 5
Warmed Up
“To make the face look warmer, I used Laura Mercier Crème blush in Oleander. The tried-and-true technique of smiling and tapping it onto your cheekbones is always effective. If you have a rounder face, bring it in closer to the nose; if you have a thin face, nearer to the ears.”
LAURA MERCIER CRèME CHEEK COLOUR OLEANDER
3 / 5
An Intense Gaze
“I started with MAC matte shadow in Charcoal Brown, which I applied along the arch of the eyelids with a large, flat eye brush and blended through. Then I used a smaller brush (about half the size of my pinky nail) to layer two NARS shadows—Bali and All About Eve—between the lashes and around the contour of the eye to add intensity and open it up even more. It’s gives the impression of having more lashes than you do—without using kohl.”
NARS DUO EYESHADOW ALL ABOUT EVE
4 / 5
Battable Lashes
“I recommend putting as much mascara as you can on the roots of the eyelashes, then moving outward. The black intensity and heavier texture on roots will contrast with eyes and make their color pop more. It also looks more natural with natural shape of lashes. I started with Diorshow Overcurl because you can really reach the roots with it, then finished on the ends with Diorshow Iconic Mascara. Another bonus: If you add mascara after curling your lashes, the texture helps them keep their curl longer.”
DIOR DIORSHOW ICONIC MASCARA BLACK
5 / 5
The Lip
“I didn’t want the lips to be the focus, but I didn’t want them to be erased, either. So I chose a super simple beige nude lipstick—Charlotte Tilbury’s Penelope Pink. I used a brush to put it on, but you could also apply it directly to the lips.”
CHARLOTTE TILBURY K.I.S.S.I.N.G LIPSTICK PENELOPE PINK
Get step-by-step directions for achieving the Natural Beauty Look & more at VIOLETGREY.COM
