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The Natural Evolution of French Beauty

by Abbie Kozolchyk

Header photo: Elodie Carpentier, biotech engineer

A pouty red lip. The subtly flushed cheek. And oh là là, that impossibly glowy naked skin. The hallmarks of Gallic gorgeousness are not only cooler than ever—they’re also cleaner. Meet four of the innovators at the forefront of the new Belle Époque.

Famously subtle, seemingly effortless, and devastatingly chic, French Girl Beauty has long occupied a place of honor in the esthetic canon. But these last several months have been, well...extraordinaire. Somewhere between the Summer Olympics and Paris Fashion Week, the look traversed oceans and continents into the collective consciousness, with every outlet from the South China Morning Post to Harper’s Bazaar India asking—in the words of the latter—“Why French Girl Beauty is on All Our Minds.”

Of course, the Season 4 debut of one of the most loved hate-watches on earth may have a little something to do with the answer. In an analysis titled, “The Real Impact of French Girl Beauty and ‘Emily in Paris,’” the UK-based Cosmetics Business noted that, “searches for ‘French girl makeup’ increased by 100% within 24 hours of the airing of the Netflix show’s first half,” in August.

Unlocking the Secrets of French Girl Beauty

The look may also be enjoying a sentimental resurgence. When the iconic singer- songwriter Françoise Hardy died at the age of 80 this summer, commentators across the globe cited her windswept bangs, sun- kissed skin, and insouciant flicks of black liner as hallmarks of not only her own esthetic but also that of the French Girl writ large. As The New York Times noted on the occasion of her death, “Ms. Hardy has been cemented as the ur-French girl—naturally and nonchalantly chic.”

That “naturally” bit is where we come in. Sure, French Girl Beauty is inherently natural, but the elements used to create it haven’t always been. Now, however, you can have your gâteau and eat it, too. Thanks to a new generation of innovators, ultra-chic and natural are no longer mutually exclusive. Meet some of our favorite cases in point.

Le Rouge Français

Calling itself plant-based makeupology, this luxe label was born just a few years ago, right alongside the cofounder’s daughter. The births were not unrelated: “I created Le Rouge FranÇais when I was pregnant,” says Elodie Carpentier, a biotech engineer who’d been working in the upper echelons of the pharmaceutical world. Paying particular attention to what she was putting into—and on—her body while awaiting her first child, Carpentier discovered an unmet need: purely vegetal cosmetic colorants. Or “flowers on your skin,” as the brand prefers to say.

Thanks to Carpentier’s training, she was able to develop and patent a process for extracting said pigments from a series of traditional dye plants—damask rose for pink, chestnut bark for browns, indigo for blues and blacks, and so on. Then there were the botanicals she
sought for their skincare attributes and formulating possibilities. (Think carnauba wax, sunflower oil, and cocoa butter, for starters.) But perhaps no plant is more emblematic of the line’s French Girl vibe than the dyer’s madder that infuses the namesake lipstick, Le Rouge FranÇais. Harvested from organic fields in France’s famed Cosmetic Valley—where “people once lived from this economy,” notes Carpentier—the crop evokes generations of local beauty history. A more modern touch? The bio-based lipstick case, a nod to the line’s infinitely recyclable philosophy.

The whole collection has quickly become so beloved, it’s earned recognition from all quarters: various natural, organic, and cruelty-free certifying bodies; the governmental institute for French savoir- faire (really a thing!)—and perhaps even Frenchier, the world of haute couture, where designers have routinely collaborated with Le Rouge Français on runway shows.

Because of the line’s wellness-friendly formulations, which include tinted organic complexion fluids, the spa world has taken to it as well, with iconic French purveyors that include Le Couvent des Minimes in the Luberon and le Spa du Chateau de la Gaude in Aix-en-Provence. Spas in the U.S. such as The Spa Diane Barriere at Fouquets’s New York are following suit, and you’ll soon be able to find the line at several retail outlets stateside. Still, devotees would say that the official Parisian shop on rue Rouget de L’Isle makes for a worthy pilgrimage site.

“When French women are going to do microblading, they want to make sure you don’t see it.”

—Delphine Breyne, microblading artist

Delphine Eyebrow Couture

To borrow a headline from Vogue, “Meet the microblading artist bringing French Girl brows to New York.” A Lille-born model turned eyebrow expert with a Paris-style atelier in Manhattan, Delphine Breyne is not the woman to see for larger-than-life, algorithmically perfect Instagram arches. Though she does have an Instagram page, it’s filled with the opposite look: the most believable brows in the business.

“When French women are going to do microblading, they want to make sure you don’t see it,” she explains. “Even after I trained all over the world—I have 22 certificates—my concern was that the technique was never conservative enough, always too much.” Now, having refined her own super-subtle technique, she hears a common refrain from clients, some of whom travel to her atelier from Paris: “I came when I saw you were French.”

The resulting look is the product of a few factors: There’s that training and less-is- more approach, of course, but also a couture level of specificity, and a reliance on organic pigments. As someone who works with many clients who’ve faced cancer, among other health issues, Breyne says, “I need to make sure that the products I use are ultra-safe for everyone.” (The same will be true of her own organic brow-care in development, likely due out in early 2025.)

But whether someone visits her atelier for restorative pigmentation in the wake of a disease, or simply for gorgeous French Girl brows, her approach is the same: “I’m going to customize on you because you’re unique— it’s going to feel like you and not someone that you see in pictures on Instagram.”

Beau Domaine

This being 2024, the idea of restricting French Girl Beauty to just the girls can seem a bit regressive. Enter Beau Domaine, a modern, genderless skincare line born of organically farmed grapes, copious scientific research, and a partnership between a storied French winemaking clan and Brad Pitt.

Pitt got to know the Perrins, organic viticulturists in the Southern Rhône Valley, after enlisting their help with rosé production at the famed Château Miraval. In time, a mutual love of wine, nature, and conservation led the parties to collaborate on a skincare line that upcycled grape pomace: the pulpy, antioxidant-rich mix left over from winemaking.

The idea was to formulate artful, sustainable products at the confluence of nature and science—the latter requiring two more collaborations: one with a geneticist known for his skin aging-related work; the other with an enologist who’d spent years researching grape-derived compounds.

“Technological progress has allowed for the advancement of natural and clean formulations, with greener ingredients, eco- extraction, and upcycling.”

—Christelle Clarac-Boutot, general manager, Beau Domaine skincare

The scientific research and raw materials made for an ideal pairing, according to general manager Christelle Clarac-Boutot: “Technological progress has allowed for the advancement of natural and clean formulations, with greener ingredients, eco-extraction, and upcycling— all without compromising the sensory experience and performance.”

And why should only one gender be privy to that progress? “Professor Lévy’s team, with whom we developed one of our two exclusive patented active ingredients...has shown that aging develops in the same way in both men and women,” says Clarac-Boutot. “Our goal of aging well and achieving a radiant and glowing complexion is a shared desire.” So bestsellers such as The Serum are no longer the sole province of French girls. Everyone wants in on the smoothing and plumping effects. 

A Pioneer’s Perspective

Though plant-derived products are powering French Girl Beauty more and more, some local brands have been longtime botanical evangelists—perhaps most notably, Yon-Ka Paris. Here’s what CEO Antoine Lamarche has seen from within the industry over time: “For the past several decades, Yon-Ka Paris has embraced the Green Sciences...a field that focuses on developing environmen- tally friendly technologies and practices. It’s led to more sustainable ingredient sourcing, eco-friendly manufactur- ing processes, and products with minimal environmental impact.” But concern for the planet isn’t the only factor driving interest in this sector: “Plant-based skincare products often have simpler, more transparent, yet intuitive ingredient lists, and consumers appreciate being able to easily identify and understand what’s in their products,” explains Lamarche. Then, of course, there’s the products’ potency (see: Lotion Yon-Ka PS Phyto-Aromatic Treatment Mist, among other cult favorites). “Utilizing cell cultures in beauty product development allows us to study and har- ness the benefits of plant cells or other biological materials in a controlled environment," he says. "This can lead to the discovery of new, potent ingredients and better under- standing of how they interact with human skin.” And there- in lies the key to French Girl Beauty: a gorgeous, glowing complexion that needs little to no adornment.

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