Few looks are as instantly recognizable as Parisian-girl makeup. French lipstick tricks are the fast track to conjuring the fresh-faced, bold-lip makeup look that has become so iconic. “It’s definitely not news that French beauty is known for its effortlessness—and people ask me all the time how to achieve the look,” Violette_FR founder and French makeup artist Violette Serrat tells Vogue. “I always say—in order to look effortless, you truly have to be effortless.” Serrat describes the look as intentional yet undone and notes that French women take a less-is-more approach to beauty products and rarely spend more than 10 minutes getting ready—an idea that to me, as an American, feels both admirable and mildly shocking (though it certainly explains why my French best friend always tells me I take too long to leave the house).
Vogue’s Favorite French-Girl Lipsticks
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Where much of American makeup culture leans into transformation and emphasis (think: pore blurring, lip overlining, and lashes on lashes), the Parisians follow an au naturel mindset. “The goal isn’t to get perfect lips,” she adds. “It’s to feel confident, expressive, and like yourself.” As it turns out, the chicest trick of all is simply embracing your own features.
Serrat notes that when it comes to picking lipsticks, French women gravitate toward products that feel chic, elevated, and quietly luxurious, often favoring heritage brands (think Guerlain’s mirrored cases to top off Rouge G lipsticks or Hermès’s refillable lipstick tubes). You may also notice that many lipsticks there include the word rouge; it comes from the French term for lipstick, rouge à lèvres.
Below, discover the French lipstick tricks straight from two of France’s ultimate beauty It girls.
The Matte Red Lip
What distinguishes the French-girl lip beyond the shade selection? “A lip look in France is rarely super defined or overdrawn,” says Serrat. “We love matte textures that feel weightless and look lived-in. As for color, a classic red lipstick will always be part of our DNA, but it should feel wearable, not theatrical—a little diffused, a little blurred at the edges.” Chanel, Dior, Hermès, and Serrat’s Violette_FR all offer airy matte picks that blend with ease.
La Bouche Mordue
In addition to the classic red lip, there’s another beloved French technique—and it’s all about application. “Bouche mordue is a technique that creates a soft, smudgy effect on the lips, like you’ve just been kissed,” says Serrat, whose Bisou Balm achieves exactly that in a single swipe. “In France, we’ll dab on a touch of lip balm, blot with a tissue, then tap a bit of lipstick on top.”
Founder of Les Filles en Rouje and French style icon Jeanne Damas agrees. “I always dab with my fingers for a soft, undefined bouche mordue effect,” she tells Vogue. For this look, more satiny, balmy formulas help create that beautifully diffused, just-bitten finish. Guerlain’s Rouge G is a classic option; find more balmy options from Chanel’s Rouge Coco Flash, Violette_FR’s Bisou Balm, and Rouje’s Le Baume.
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The Technique for Nailing French-Girl Lipstick
First, skip the complicated lip combo. French It girls opt for as few steps—and as little overthinking—as possible, unless the mood is particularly playful. “Lipstick should feel like an extension of you, not some big production,” says Serrat. “That’s how we see lipstick—if the formula is right, it applies effortlessly.” Damas agrees, noting that she skips lip liner when applying a red lip, though she’ll experiment with no-liner lip liner when working with nudes or browns. “French women follow beauty trends too!” she says.
In short: The occasional liner is fine, but definitely no lip brush. Just your lipstick—and your fingertip—to blend and blur. Effortless, always.
How to Make Your French-Girl Lipstick Last
It starts with radical acceptance: “Lipstick fading is just part of life—and I think that’s okay,” Serrat says. “It’s important to use products that move with you.” That said, you can help your color fade gracefully. Serrat suggests starting with a touch of lip balm tapped into the lips to prevent cracking or dryness, then blotting. She recommends building color in thin layers, tapping it out after each application. “Adding a little extra pigment in the center of the lips can also bring dimension and help the color stay longer,” she adds.
Everything You Need to Know
Meet the Experts
- Jeanne Damas is a French model and actor. She is the creative director and founder of the fashion brand Rouje
- Violette Serrat is a Paris-born, New York–based makeup artist who has worked on shoots for Vogue, Teen Vogue, Dazed, W Magazine, and more. She is the creative director of makeup at Guerlain and founder of Violette_FR.
