Do you ever feel like you just wish you knew the French girls' secret to always looking sophisticated? They are the epitome of chic but it always feel hard to pin down their magic. Their secret? Simplicity! It's the ultimate element of sophistication, especially when it comes to beauty. You'll never seen a Parisian woman with coifed hair AND full make up. She always leaves something natural and understated. It's what gives the French woman a casual cool look while still remaining put together. Here are my favorite French-style beauty tips.

START FROM WITHIN 

You may be tempted to skip right to the make up and hair, but French style beauty starts from within. Drinking plenty of water, eating your dark greens, and a variety of fresh foods help your skin and hair glow and grow strong. Drinking more water is a the first key step to looking your best though!

SUNSCREEN AND SKINCARE

French women aren't as quick to get botox or fillers as we Americans when it comes to aging. They know the importance of aging gracefully! The best anti-aging method is preventative: sunscreen! Regularly wearing facial sunblock-particularly in the summer and winter-can help protect your skin from irreversible damage. Parisian women also swear by regular facials and exfoliating.* I like to do weekly or biweekly gentle scrubs and a spa or at home facial at least once or twice a month. Also be sure to give your face regular depuffing massages with ice or cool rollers. *Be especially sure to apply sunscreen after these treatments as it leaves your thin skin vulnerable.

AIR DRY

The French girl's signature hairdo is "upgraded air-dried." To prevent frizz be sure to deep condition in your hair beforehand. If the hair shaft has enough moisture it is less likely to be frizzy. Don't towel dry your hair like they show in the movies! I use Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel  for my wavy-curly hair and it reduces the frizz and drying time in half. This isn't just "another product" for you to buy. It really works for me. (Not an ad!) Finish your styling with the best product for your hair type. I like to braid my hair with a hair serum or natural oil at the tips if I have time to get extra smooth waves. 

LIGHT MAKE UP

I've read and seen this one everywhere: French women just don't really wear foundation. That, to me, has seemed like an American trademark. Full make up, manicure, and heat styled hair is how to spot an American girl. Our Parisian counterparts are much more partial to using coverup if they need it-but otherwise wear very light make up with their own signature daily look. Mine own is to typically* skip the foundation and concealer completely (at most I'll do a tinted moisturizer), groom and fill in the parts of my eyebrows that don't grow due to scars, put on mascara, and always wear lipstick. If I only have time for one thing I always choose lipstick as it looks like I put on make up and made a fun choice for myself. Try it out! It can take some getting used to but your skin (and morning routine) will thank you! *Typically refers to my usual day. For photoshoots, big meetings, or special events I do a full face of make up and feel quite glamorous! 

AU NATURAL

The French beauty industry has different regulations than we do in the states and you'll find their products typically are more "au natural" and promote organic beauty. I love using products that I can recognize and easily read the sourcing and ingredients list. Our skin is our largest organ and it seems to make sense to care about what it absorbs into our bodies. I love to stick to clean, minimal products and reduce my getting ready time. For instance: I use facial oil additionally for my frizzy hair, make up remover, night mask, and leg moisturizer if I need to. I love brands like Herbivore that are vegan, cruelty free, and clean. (Not an ad either!) Just like using it.

Here are some great clean, multitasking products you could consider in your daily French style routine: 

• I love Herbivore's Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist for everyday use but especially while I travel or during the winter to give my skin a quick hydrating spritz. Can also be used as a toner, make up setting spray, and refreshing mist.
• Facial Roller - Improves elasticity of the skin, reduces appearance of puffiness and fine lines, eases facial muscle tension, and helps product absorb better. 
• 2in1 Lip and Cheek Stain - A hydrating cream formula that gives a hint of color to lips and cheeks.
• Glossier Body Wash - Body wash with oil that moisturizes as you shower (no post shower dry off, lotion up, wait to dry before getting dressed situation!). Plus it can bonus as a shaving cream. 
• Coconut Oil - Buy it anywhere these days! It's a dry oil, so it gets absorbed quickly (aka: leaves behind a glow, not shine). Use it for facial or body moisturizer, shaving cream, lip balm, hair mask, hair frizz serum, and make up remover. Honestly, just google, Coconut Oil beauty and you'll have a list so long you'll run out of oil before you do things to do with it. 
• Vitamin E Oil E-Stick - moisturize your lips, use an under eye cream, and prevents scarring from burns and small cuts. 
• Orchid Facial Oil (pictured in this post) contains floral oils makes your skin all dewy and hydrated. Formulated for all skin types in need of hydration and protection against visible signs of aging (Hurray!).

"I'll stop wearing black when they invent a darker color..."

I love Wednesday Addams. Her dry humor, love of black, peter-pan collars, and lack of f*@%s given makes her my kind of girl. It also just so happened that my favorite Halloween movie is The Addams Family. Since I was in a pinch for time and my original costume plans fell through it was the perfect opportunity to DIY this maven of wit's look. See other quick costumes ideas here: The Lazy Girl's (Or Last Minute) Guide to DIY Halloween Costumes
Get the Look: 

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1. Get regular trims. Not only as a means of keeping you cool, but as hair grows faster in the warmer seasons and is put through more distress there are more split ends. Cut off the ends for healthy hair and making it easier to detangle. 
2. Leave in conditioner is your friend. Comb leave in conditioner through your hair before you head to the pool or beach if you won't have time to wash out the chlorine or salt right away. It will leave your hair silky soft and protect if from absorbing too much of these harsher elements. 
3. Protect it with UV serum. "What? Sunscreen for my hair???" you ask? Yes! This exists. It important for your hair's health in general but ESPECIALLY important if your hair is color or chemically treated in any way (suggested products listed below). If you're unable to get one of these I also suggest wearing a hat or scarf and/or running your hands through your hair after rubbing sunscreen on your body or spray it lightly on. 
4. Deep condition / hair mask. You don't have to do this every week (though it wouldn't hurt!) but it's good to try for at least once a month. While I love simple DIY hair masks that are 3 ingredients or fewer (THIS infographic is my jam) there are less messy, store bought options available as well. Some are even packaged for travel! 
5. Clarify! Clarifying shampoo is to daily shampoo as deep conditioning hair masks are to daily conditioner. Replace your regular shampoo routine with this every other week or once a month. A lot of chemicals, products, salt, minerals, etc can build up in your hair over the summer and create dullness or fade your color. A clarifying shampoo counters this by removing any unwanted residue and styling products that coat your hair. Buy one of the below products or DIY your own with ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and 2 cups water. Rinse and condition! 
6. Embrace your natural hair. This is practically a movement right now, so just jump on the bandwagon. Skip your blow dryers, curlers, straighteners, etc and get comfy with your God given texture. Try a messy bun, loose braid, air-dried wavy curls, etc. Get on Pinterest and get creative! (See 30 Summer Hairstyle Ideas to Copy When It’s Just Too Damn Hot). I personally have been living in braids or loose beach waves all summer (see #7). 
7. Fake the beach hair. Loose, salty beach waves just scream summer! Spritz some beach spray (like my favorite pictured above) into your hair and scrunch it for a tousled, "I totally could be a surfer girl" vibe. I also like to section off my lightly damp hair into 8-10 pieces and spritz this in before letting them air dry separated. Once dry just brush through with your fingers for a relaxed, California hairstyle. 
8. Fight frizz with moisture. Instead of straight-ironing the frizz away supplement your hair with a frizz oil or serum. 1-2 drops of this can add shine and help prevent or tame frizz and fly aways. Just don't use too much or you'll weigh your air dried hair down. PS: Keeping up with the trims, hair masks and regular conditioning will help prevent frizz in the first place! 
9. Switch to a wide tooth comb! When detangling wet hair don't use a brush. This can be too hard on your fragile strands when they're wet and cause them to break (creating frizz and split ends). A wide tooth comb gently separates your hair and is perfect for combing product through. 
10. Wash your hair, for the love of your scalp! With dry shampoo challenges becoming all the rage there are many people bragging about not washing their hair for 1-2 weeks (mmm...yummy). Like all things, skipping a wash is only good in moderation. It's important to wash your hair for the health of your scalp. This doesn't mean wash your hair every day, twice a day. But instead of washing once a week, try every other day. You can even do a cleansing conditioner. It's important to massage your scalp and make sure it doesn't dry out or build up bacteria. Don't believe me? Read 6 Reasons You Actually Do Need to Wash Your Damn Hair.