As far as TikTok goes, there seems to be a new trending aesthetic every month. Soft girl, cottagecore, clean girl… the list goes on, but I’m not complaining. Although no doubt fuelled by Gen-Z, these trends tend to transcend age and location and there’s a way to tap into any trend and mould it into your own take. Plus, there are so many that really, you’re bound to come across one that suits your soul. One trend that I never thought I would be interested in though was the messy French-girl aesthetic. I’m not a fan of anything too contrived and the idea of emulating this felt a bit cringe to me. But then I got stuck on the messy French girl aesthetic algorithm and quickly realised that like with most Francophile trends, it’s more about the vibe then emulating a specific look itself.
If you think of the traditional French girl look what comes to mind? Fresh skin, flushed cheeks, a little liquid liner, natural groomed brows and perhaps a stunning red lip to cap it off? This is the basis of the messy French girl look but it’s essentially just a bit more undone. It’s a kissed-in lip and instead of a liquid liner you use a kohl to smudge it in a bit. It’s a multi-use balm that you can throw into your handbag and perk your skin up after an impromptu sleepover– you get the drift. These are the only beauty products you need to nail this trend.
Fresh Skin
The base for the look is fresh and bare-looking, always. But that doesn’t mean not wearing any base at all. It just means that you look naturally perked up instead of like you are wearing any kind of foundation. Opt for tinted SPFs or tinted moisturisers which lightly help to even out skin tone without actual coverage.
Lightly Conceal
Ok, let’s be real. It wouldn’t be realistic to assume you could live the messy French girl lifestyle and not have a smidge of dark circles. Again, though it’s not about masking any of your skin, picking a lightweight concealer will gently lift your under eyes for a more naturally awake look. Using a damp beauty sponge will blur and sheer out medium to full coverage concealers.
Velvety Blush
The flush of colour you get when you pinch your cheeks or feel overcome is the colour of blush your need for this aesthetic. It’s very natural-looking and in order for it to look lit-from-within textures like balms, liquids and creams are better to blend.
Kissed-In Lips
The perfect red lip might be a French aesthetic but for the messy vibe lips almost looks kissed in. Whether you choose a stain or a tinted balm the lip is thrown on and far from perfect which is what makes it even more irresistible.
Beautiful Brows
Neat but not perfect, bushy but groomed– this is the brow look for the messy French girl aesthetic. Nothing drawn in but you can build your brows with fibre-rich brow gels.
Multi-Use Balms
A balm that can be used as a lip balm, cheek colour, eye colour is the ultimate handbag pick for this trend. Whether it’s after an impromptu sleepover or ahead of an impromptu night out is an easy skin perk-me-up.
Smudgy Kohl
The perfect wing doesn’t existence in the messy French Girl aesthetic. Using a creamy kohl liner is key for softly lining the lashes for depth but it’s effortlessly blended in and not at all sharp.
A Fragrant Spritz
Lastly, scent is everything. Although messy, this aesthetic calls for a particularly chosen fragrance because everyone knows that scent is so highly linked to French beauty. Whatever you pick as your signature scent, carry it with you to spritz during the day.