The French are renowned for their own personal style of unique and chic beauty. They have a way with certain qualities and potentials that cannot really be described. After all, they coined the phrase “Je ne sais quoi”, which literally means “I don’t know what.”

A phrase that was established by the French, interpreting as indescribable potential! That should give you some idea about how unique their approach to beauty is. (Incidentally, ‘unique’ is originally a French word. Coincidence? I think not.)

Chic is derived from the French term “Chique”, meaning when something is in “vogue”. The French own their beauty, and they are known for it, too.

We take a look into this glamorous world of beauty and “chique-ness” by sharing some of their top beauty secrets.

1. Beauty Regimes

The beauty regimen can be key.

The French are great believers in an impeccable skin care routine. They are known to invest in exceptional skincare and body treatments, putting the “Ooh!” in “Ooh La La!”.

They enjoy their time at the spas and salons, and it is common for them to work in a treatment or two into their weekly diary. By investing in a good beauty treatment in order to help achieve flawless-looking skin, they save themselves a fortune, since they don’t have to spend money on tons of makeup, nor hours applying layer upon layer daily.  And in the long-run, their beauty routines will help aid skin issues.

Some French women will meet at the salon and spas and share the “finesse” together. French women love to bathe in all kinds of special oils, salts, herbs and bath milk. These in turn make their face and body’s skin healthier, and help to create a more natural glow.

2. Go To The Root

Fresh lavender.

The French love to spend time in the kitchen cooking up a natural brew for the face or body. And by brew, I mean cream for the face, or an oil/herbal mixture for the body and hair.

They are noted for homemade solutions and have provided the world with several sacred recipes that have been passed down through the ages. Women from different regions of France favor different remedies, depending on where they are from. For example, the Parisians are obsessed with a facial mask made from cabbage. This leafy veg is packed with sulfur and potassium, along with Vitamins A, C and E, which makes it deeply cleansing and nourishing for the skin.

Those from the Brittany area say they love using seaweed. Then again, people from places in the south, like the Provence, turn to the likes of flowers such as lavender for remedies, as they are abundant in the region. The main focus is to stay connected and rooted to the earth for natural and “homey” resources, and each region interprets that in its own way.

3. Extenuate A Feature

When it comes to makeup, less can be more.

You will hardly ever see a French woman go out in full make-up. They will highlight their best feature, generally by focusing on either the lips, eyes or cheeks. This is because they treat rosy cheeks, red lips, or a set of smokey eyes like a perfectly picked accessory. Meaning, that it’s all you really need. By contrast, we feel temptation to highlight all of our features. But not the French! They understand the importance of focusing on just one of their features.

For example; the beauty of protruding lips will get no attention if you have over-masked your eye-lids with strong smokey eyes. Whereas if you focus on just red lips, for example, then all eyes can’t help but focus on them. The French tend to treat each individual part of their look as a personal statement. You won’t see a French woman’s final look without her having carefully thought out the artistic process. And that results in a work of art.

4. A Clean Base

Applying foundation.

French women do not tend to use a weighty amount of foundation or cover their face. They do, however, gravitate towards preparing their skin well, before adding a minute amount of foundation. They will cleanse and massage their skin until it has that natural illuminated glow, creating a smooth base for a very light foundation to be added.

It is the French women’s belief that natural is the way. Sometimes, even foundation is a no-show, and only a dab of concealer is needed. This attitude is perhaps a part of the large recognition they receive for being the natural beauties on the world stage. The French seem to be comfortable enough in their own skin to forego heavy make-up. They are the definition of #beauty itself.

5. Water

Drinking water.

France is home to some of the heaviest smokers (as commonly depicted in the movies), whose skin tends to turn dry from environmental damage and from of course, heavily smoking. You would never be able to tell this though, because French women treat their skin so well with quality products (water-based are favored) and treatments to combat this dryness and skin dehydration.

Don’t be surprised if you see French women touching up their skin throughout the day with hydrating water mists made with an inclusion of flowers or herbal combinations. Just plain old simple water will not do for the French. There will certainly be a touch of floral “envie” (desire) added to every spray!