Isabel Marant’s French beauty rules

The L’Oréal Paris x Isabel Marant collection is a small beauty capsule collection of playful colour cosmetics. There’s perfect Parisian shades of lipsticks in warm berries and velvety nudes, a multi-purpose lip and cheek gloss, multi-purpose brow and lash mascara, a smokey eyeshadow duo and Shine, a peachy, creamy highlighter that blurs imperfections. It’s everything you need to imitate Gallic glamour and exactly what you might expect to find inside the make-up bag of a Parisian.

Want to bring some Parisian into your whole beauty life and not just your make-up bag? Isabel Marant spoke to Vogue about her six rules to make you a card-carrying, basket-bag-owning French beauty pro.

Rule 1: Eyes or lips – never both.

“When it comes to make-up, it’s all about the right balance,” Marant told Vogue. “I love lipstick, especially a bright red with a big smile—it’s the best way to lift your mood and brighten your entire face if your skin isn’t in the greatest condition. [Earthy] eyeshadows are amazing, too, especially in the summertime when you have a tan. Just smudge on a gypsy-ish chocolate on the lids. But for me, it’s either eyes or the lips—never both. [Otherwise,] it’s too much makeup.”

L’Oreal Paris X Isabel Marant Matte Lipstick, €13.99

Rule 2: French women don’t get blowdries.

“Let your hair down and embrace imperfection. When you go to do your hair, undo it a little bit so it doesn’t look too perfect. French women work a lot with the imperfection. And that’s the difference between us and American women. It’s a more easygoing way. I don’t even go to the hairdresser anymore; I just flip my head over, grab [the ends of] my hair, and cut it.”

READ MORE: French beauty rules we observed repeatedly in Paris 

Rule 3: Spend less on skincare and more on health.

“Beauty starts from the inside out. If you take good care of yourself, then all you need is a great lipstick or blush. You don’t need a lot of makeup when the base is good. For me, it starts with cooking—though not too much —and taking pleasure in what I eat. It’s the simple things, really, like a salad with fresh vegetables, good olive oil, a nice vinaigrette with lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. You don’t need to spend so much on skin care. Put your money toward eating the right food. I also love drinking carrot juice. The vitamins are excellent for your tan—you don’t even need to spend time in the sun.”

Rule 4: Have an at-home spa day every week.

“I never get facials or go to the spa—I don’t have time and I hate when people touch me. What I do is every Saturday morning, I have my own spa in my bath for a half an hour. I put on my son’s playlist with a lot of American trap music; I love the beat. Then, I put a drop of lavender in the bath and scrub my entire body with soap and a mitt. I also love to massage my feet and if I need more energy, I put sage oil on the soles. I also do my nails and eyebrows at the same time. I do it myself because I don’t trust anyone else.”

The Nature of Things Lavender Pure Essential Oil, €16

Rules 5: Meditation can be exercise.

“I’ve got a very stressful life, and for me, the best way to [decompress] is to swim. I’d been doing a lot of yoga, but I was tired of having someone always speaking to me. I love swimming because I can actually listen to my inner voice. I try to swim every morning for a half an hour. It’s completely meditative, this time I have for me alone, trying to forget all my stress and just concentrate on breathing and cleansing my cells.”

Rule 6: Age with grace.

“I don’t dye my hair. I’ve got gray hair. I mean, that’s life. You’ve got to know that you’re not going to be young forever. You have to embrace where you’re at. Smile, be happy, and take what life gives you. Concentrate on the good parts, and don’t think too much about the bad. Plastic surgery? I would never do that. But I have a position on it: Take away, but never add. When you plump things up, it’s very obvious.”

Featured image by L’Oréal Paris x Isabel Marant.