There are few looks as instantly recognizable as the Parisian girl makeup. French lipstick tricks are the fast track to conjuring the fresh-faced, bold lip makeup look that’s 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. I always say: in order to look effortless, you truly have to be effortless,” Violette_FR founder and French makeup artist Violette Serrat tells Vogue. Serrat describes the look as intentional yet undone, assuring that French women take a less-is-more approach to beauty products and rarely spend more than 10 minutes getting ready—an idea that, 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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The Customizable
Guerlain Rouge G Customizable Satin Lipstick Refill
Where much of American makeup culture leans into transformation and emphasis (think: pore-blurring, lip over-lining, and lashes on lashes) the Parisians follow an au naturel mindset. “The goal isn’t to get ‘perfect lips,’ it’s to feel confident, expressive, and like yourself,” she adds. As it turns out, the chicest trick of all is simply embracing your own features.
Surrat notes that when it comes to picking lipsticks, French women gravitate toward products that feel chic, elevated, and quietly luxurious, often favoring heritage house brands—think Guerlain’s mirrored cases to top off their 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
Before speaking with Violette, I too wondered what distinguishes the French girl lip beyond just the shade selection. She quickly set the record straight. “A lip look in France is rarely super defined or overdrawn—we love matte textures that feel weightless and look lived-in,” says Serrat. “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 Seratt’s Violette_FR all offer airy matte picks that blend with ease.
Hermès Beauty
Rouge Hermès matte lipstick
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 Rouge, 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.
Guerlain
Rouge G Customizable Satin Lipstick Refill
Chanel Rouge Coco Flash lipstick
The Technique to Nailing French Girl Lipstick
First things 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 muses.
