Chic, effortless and elegant: just a few of the words commonly used to describe French style and beauty. From Brigitte Bardot to Marion Cotillard, French girl beauty is a category all its own. While contouring, striking lip color and bronzer are staples of current American beauty routines, the simplicity of French beauty is something that never goes out of style. Here’s a quick guide to achieving French girl beauty without a passport.

1. la vie en colour
Enhance your natural lip and cheek color with Tata Harper Lip & Cheek Tint. Available in red, brown and pink tones, the tint goes on sheer for a look that is equal parts natural and sexy. Made on an organic Vermont farm, all Tata Harper products are free of synthetic material, artificial fragrances, fillers, GMO and gluten. It’s American-made, responsibly sourced makeup. Tres chic.
goop.com, $36

2. ‘no makeup’ makeup
Part of the French beauty allure is the absence of one key element found in most American beauty routines: foundation. While we may be taught that beautiful skin means perfect skin, the French approach is all about showing off your imperfections, making your look about you, not some industry standard. Swap out your concealer and foundation for a color-correcting stick. You can use The Everything Pencil Face & Body Concealer, a color-correcting pencil also used to cover tattoos. It’s effective without giving you a cakey, overdone look.
amazon.com, $16

3. start with serum
What’s a story on French beauty without mentioning Chanel? The French powerhouse boasts one of the best serums on the market, Sublimage Essential Revitalizing Concentrate. The potent anti-aging serum works to make your skin look its absolute best. How potent is this serum? Clinical tests found skin to be 33 percent softer and 25 percent more radiant, and tonicity was increased by 23 percent.
Neiman Marcus, $425

4. bye-bye bold brows 
You know those over-drawn brows ruling Instagram? Take a break from the heavy brow powder and pencil, and go for a more natural approach with brow gel. Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel works wonders at filling in brows while maintaining their natural shape. Think thick brows without being over-sculpted.
Sephora, $22