Secrets of French-Girl Beauty From the Chicest French Makeup Artist We Know

In theory, classic "French girl" beauty should be one of the easier looks out there to re-create: a red lip, tousled hair, maybe a swipe of black eyeliner. But in practice, that next-level chicness, the general laid-back vibe, still eludes many of us. To demystify it, we asked our current French girl-crush, Paris-based Dior makeup artist Violette, to spill her hair and makeup secrets. Trained in classical painting at the École du Louvre (instead of conventionally, as a makeup-artist assistant), she creates some of the most incredible bold looks we’ve ever seen for her clients, but her own not-too-done approach is what we want to copy most. After speaking with her, we found that French beauty is much more of an attitude than a how-to. 

First, tell us about the differences between French and American women when it comes to beauty. 

“American women want to push their potential to the top—you have the hair, the eyelash extensions, the manicured nails. Think of Kim Kardashian—she has an amazing face and doesn’t need much makeup. But that done look is her thing, and I find that inspiring. It’s an amazing cultural difference! In France, we never push it. We don't like to change ourselves. So when putting on makeup, we just want to look fresher, but that's it. And we like to look the same when we take it all off. You brush your brows, you curl your lashes, you put on a little bit of mascara, a little bit of blush, maybe a little bit of concealer.”

How has the French icon changed? 

“She’s no longer the Brigitte Bardot archetype. We’ve changed. We’re much more rock ’n’ roll now…like Charlotte Gainsbourg, with an added twist of glamour.”

French hair always looks effortless and skin flawless. How do you do it? 

“It’s about a very chic attitude—the hair must be gorgeous but very natural, like relaxed, not trying too hard. Usually we treat our hair very well. In France, we need the men to touch our hair. We think about that a lot! Same with skin care; we try to really take care of our skin. I have the same skin care routine, no matter what. If it's 4 A.M. after a crazy night and I'm like, eh, I don't care, I still do it. It takes me five minutes, but I do it.”

How does your mood affect the makeup you wear? 

“I think there is a psychological part of your brain at work when you choose to wear makeup or not. I wear red lipstick when I feel happy and relaxed. It's liberating. When I’m feeling more focused and don't want to have any distractions, I stay with super-nude makeup. And when I know that it's going to be a hard day, I will dress like I just got off of a motorcycle—leather jeans, leather boots—and add black smoky eyes. It's about what you feel!”

We have to talk about the ultimate French beauty tip: red lipstick. 

“Lips are like the accessory, not necessarily another step. That's very French. But no lip liner, ever. We never do step-by-step—we don't have time.”

What are your makeup-kit must-haves? 

Black Diorshow mascara, Dior black kohl eyeliner pencil: “I love the texture. You can use it as liner or to smoke out your eyes.” MAC Russian Red lipstick: “It’s my signature.”

How to Rock Metallic Makeup: Your Day-by-Day Glow Guide

If you make one beauty move in 2014, let it be this: metallic makeup. So flattering, sexy, and, yes, wearable night or day! But trust us: What works on Saturday nightwon’t on Monday morning! A few metallic rules:

11 A.M. on Sunday:

The trick for casual days: Use metallics subtly—done right, they can actually make you look more awake. To hide a lack of sleep, dab peach liquid highlighter at the corners of your eyes (we swear by Smashbox Under Eye Brightener, $20, smashbox.com). Or fake an allover glow by sweeping an iridescent pressed powder like Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight ($44, beauty.com) across your hairline, brow bones, cheekbones, and chin.

9 A.M. on Monday:

There’s a time and place to channel Lady Gaga; the office is not it. But a small hit of sheen is a modern way to feel polished at work. How-to: Apply matte eyeshadow in any color, blend up from the crease, then layer a shimmering shadow in the same shade family only on the lids. You won’t see sparkle when your eyes are open, but a glimpse will flash when you blink. Add black liner and mascara, and keep the rest

of your face simple.

8 P.M. on Thursday:

Want a look that’s sexy but not full-on dance floor? Use metallics to shake up your go-to smoky eye, starting with liner: Trade black kohl for glittery burgundy or navy (try Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Ether and LSD, $19 each, sephora.com), line eyes, then add shimmery shadows in the same palette, saving the lightest hue for the brow bone. Don’t worry if the lighter shadow falls onto your cheekbones; it’ll act as a highlighter (but do wipe away dark crumbles with a Q-tip).

1 A.M. on Saturday

For a go-big-or-go-home metallic makeup look, some advice: Choose one area (eyes, cheekbones, hair...) so you can maximize the impact. We love the artistry of gold leaf (get it at a local art store); “it can look like liquid metal,” says makeup artist Justine Purdue, who created the looks here. To apply, use a small stiff brush to transfer a little bit of leafing to skin, and pat into place. Define eyes with dark liner, and enjoy! In the words of Paris Hilton, “Some girls are just born with glitter in their veins.”

Fear of Commitment? The Hairstyle for Swingers

Eight steps to mastering the faux bob

Every time I see a photo of a celeb with newly-chopped short hair, I immediately think, "I need to cut my hair NOW." Sadly, following through on that threat has never ended well for me. Anyone remember Ashley Olsen's angled bob? Yeah, I got that haircut. I loved it for, oh, about two weeks ... until I realized my long hair would take forever and three years to grow back. I vowed I would never get a short haircut again (Ditto: bangs. That was an even bigger disaster). But then Karlie Kloss had to go and get the cutest, chicest bob ever (Why, Karlie? Why are you tempting me to do something I know won't end well for me?). The last straw was Claire Danes' straight-up perfect bob at the Emmys. I was on the verge of heading to my hairstylist when I found out it was faux. 

Suddenly everything clicked. Why not just fake a bob? No commitment. And no agonizing two weeks later when I realize I hate my hair short. Full disclosure: I am severely challenged in the hairstyling department. I can create all kinds of makeup looks blindfolded (yep, I did this makeup), but hair? Not so much. I thought the faux bob would be too complicated, but I was surprised by how easy it was. Scroll to the bottom to see how to fake a short style in eight easy steps. 

Step 1: Create the Curls 

Mist a heat protecting spray onto dry hair, then curl 1- to 2-inch sections of your hair using a 1 ¼-inch barrel curling iron. Make sure to hold the iron vertically, curling away from your face as you go. You need these all-over curls to add body and texture to the look.

Step 2: Divide and Tease 

Once all of your hair is curled, horizontally divide the bottom 3-inch section of your hair at the nape of your neck. Clip the top portion out of the way, then tease the bottom section gently at the roots. 

Step 3: Secure the Base

Next, divide the bottom portion vertically into two even sections. Secure one of the sections at your roots with a clear elastic. Tease the ends using a fine-tooth comb, then wrap it loosely around the base of the elastic to form a bun. Secure with a mini bobby pin. Repeat with the opposite side. 

Step 4: Let Loose

Unclip the top portion of your hair, allowing it to fall loosely over the buns you've just created. 

Step 5: Tuck and Roll 

Wrap a section of the top portion of your hair around your finger to prep before pinning. Make sure to wrap loosely and evenly, creating a even fold before you pin it to the buns formed underneath. If your hair is really long, tease each piece before wrapping it around your finger.

Step 6: Pin It

Once your roll is formed, use a bobby pin to secure it at the base of the bun formed at the nape of your neck. Slide the bobby pin up and then reverse it down, twisting to ensure secureness. 

Step 7: Repeat 

Continue wrapping, tucking, and securing pieces of your hair with bobby pins at your roots to form the bob, leaving a few face-framing pieces loose. Use the buns as leverage for securing your bobby pins as you go. Then, tug on the bob loosely to create a tousled, slightly unkempt look. 

Step 8: Voila!

Re-curl any face-framing pieces as necessary to add volume and definition to the front of your style. Finally, finish by misting with a strong-hold hairspray.

The Fresh and Bold Way to Color-Block Like a Celeb This Season

There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to this spring, which officially starts this Thursday, March 20th—warmer weather, sunnier days, more green stuff. But one thing I find hard about leaving winter behind is shedding my dark wardrobe—wearing head-to-toe black, layer-upon-layer, is one of my favorite ways to cocoon myself when it's cold outside.

This year, I'll be taking a cue from celebs like Kylie Minogue, Fearne Cotton, and Scarlett Johansson—I'll wean myself off an all-black wardrobe with splashes of bold solids and metallics, all color-blocked in with my transitional black pieces. Like this.

Kylie Minogue looks dead-cool and like the consummate pop star wearing black and gold in London this morning:

Fearne Cotton wears her black to work with a kicky purple-and-red skirt:

And Scarlett Johansson lets her black take a backseat to her lipstick-red Michael Kors pantsuit:

What do you think of color-blocking black? I used to avoid it because wearing black with any color makes the color super-extra-bold—but I sort of like it this season!

Patterned Workout Tights So Cool, You're Going to Wear Them to Dinner. Maybe

The great shopping debate is one of our favorite conversations by women. Friends would have had basically one long conversation for the past nine months about clothes that they're going to buy, stuff that remains in their shopping carts for weeks on end, and, of course, the bags, shoes, and garb that they won't go near with a 10-foot pole. Well, some think they've found theirr next mutual purchase— and it comes in the form of uber-fashionable fitness gear: Nike's artist collaboration tights.

Check them out:

Aren't they awesome? It's part of an artist collaboration series from Nike where the active-wear giant teams up with artists around the world each month to create a limited-edition pair of tights (and all the accouterments to go with them—a sports bra, wraps and the like). This month's Tight of the Moment is dubbed Midnight Craftwork. Japanese artist Yuko Kanatani collaborated with Nike vice president of women's design Kelly Tweeden (one of the single coolest designers in the fashion industry. She designs clothes for millions of women across the globe for Nike. How. Cool. Is. That.). The artist was inspired by her "midnight world," midnight being a time of day that she can be alone with her art, without distraction.

The print is inspired by Kanatani's needlework and embroidery, as you can garner from the bright colors and intricate details in the print. The print itself echoes the muscles of the body, expanding, curving, and contracting to highlight the calf muscles, glutes, and quads.

These patterned tights would have the girls pretty much RUNNING to the gym tonight. But then, is it bad if you wear them to dinner afterward with a sweater, leather jacket, and booties? Too much? You tell me. Clearly, I'm obsessed.

Ever Wonder What Lupita Nyong'o Wears When She's NOT on a Red Carpet? Steal This Outfit Idea!

So we all know that Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o has killer red carpet style—as evidenced here:

and here:

and here:

We could go on.

But what does the Oscar winner wear in her downtime? That's been largely a mystery—until now! We spotted Lupita leaving Los Angeles the day after the Oscars. She was walking through LAX dressed down—but still (obv) super stylish:

She's wearing a comfy pair of black stretchy jeans, a simple white crew-neck T-shirt, and a smart pale gray piped schoolboy-inspired blazer accessorized with a Miu Miu shoulder bag and a gold Michael Kors "Channing" watch.

What do you think of Lupita's off-duty style? Still pretty fierce, right? Seriously, I'm pretty sure she could wear anything and make it look like a million bucks.

Oscars Red Carpet: The Best-Dressed Celebrities of 2014

The Oscars 2014 red carpet has come and gone so let's get right to it, friends! Who was the best-dressed celebrity of the night?

It was custom Prada for Lupita Nyong'o. "It's a blue that reminds me of Nairobi, so I wanted to have a little bit of home," said the actress. A gold and diamond Fred Leighton headband completed the goddess-like look.

As expected, Jennifer Lawrence worked the red carpet in Dior. Do you like the decidedly less voluminous peplum gown or prefer the actress in something more poufy?

"I put this on and I felt like I was one with the dress," said Amy Adams of her tuxedo-inspired sapphire blue Gucci gown. Blue is definitely her color!

Cate Blanchett stunned in a cap-sleeve embellished gown from Armani Privé. "It's heavy, but I love it," revealed the Best Lead Actress nominee.

Jessica Biel showed up to the ceremony in Chanel Haute Couture (do you recognize the gown from Sophia's Oscar dress picks post?) and jewels from the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book collection.

Charlize Theron went the opposite route of last year's dress, choosing a black gown for the evening's festivities. How regal does she look?

Naomi Watts showed up in a white short sleeve Calvin Klein Collection gown and Bulgari jewels. "It's sort of like a spiderweb," said the actress of her eye-catching neckless.

Anne Hathaway went the edgy route in Gucci. Word has it she's working with a new stylist. Are you liking this direction more or less?

Sandra Bullock looked beautiful in navy Alexander McQueen. Who would win in a fashion face-off: Amy Adams or Sandy B?

Finally, Angelina Jolie's form-fitting metallic gown was well worth the wait, wouldn't you agree?