As a beauty editor, it's tempting to associate different cities with their distinct (and admittedly stereotypical) beauty aesthetics. For example, after living in Los Angeles for four years, I feel like the beauty aesthetic is fresh and beachy (think of someone who's headed to a Pilates class followed by brunch), whereas it used to be full Hollywood glam (think black eyeliner and red lipstick). To me, New York is edgy and editorial. London is simple and sophisticated. Then, there's Paris.
There's not much I can say about Parisian beauty that hasn't already been said. All I have to do is drop two names to sum it up: Birkin and Bardot. Both icons excelled at the effortlessly undone beauty aesthetic that calls to so many people around the world, including me, an American beauty editor.
Whenever I feel like emulating the French beauty aesthetic, or more specifically, the Parisian beauty aesthetic, I turn to one specific brand: Yves Saint Laurent. While other design houses like Chanel, Dior, and Valentino get a lot of attention (and rightly so), I ask—nay, beg—that we give the same to YSL. After all, no brand does moody, edgy, and impossibly chic beauty better.
The Look
The Products
Let's start with the brand's foundation. There are 40 shades to choose from, and it offers medium-to-full coverage with a "luminous matte" finish. Translation? It doesn't look flat or one-dimensional. Instead, it looks radiant and lit-from-within, like the TikTok-viral cloud skin trend. With hyaluronic acid, jasmine petal, and vegetal taurine, it also hydrates, brightens, and nourishes the skin. In short, it's exactly what you'd expect from a luxury formula.
The brand's concealer is just as good as the foundation. It's similar in coverage and finish, and its creamy formula resists creasing. I like the unique pointed applicator sponge, which makes it easy to apply the concealer in detailed, precise areas. That's important because I'm only interested in having an effortless—not overdone—complexion.
To brighten up dark areas, like my under-eyes and some dark pigmentation I have on my nose and cheeks, I reached for this iconic product. It's a sheer, shimmer-free brightener that basically makes my skin look airbrushed. I can see why it's such a cult classic.
For blush, I used this cream formula. Unlike so many other cream blushes on the market, this one isn't so pigmented that it's difficult to blend or looks garish on the skin. (Those tend to look patchy because they lift my foundation off as I blend them out.) This one is quite subtle and natural-looking. It provides a slightly flushed and glowy effect that I love. Oh, and it can double as a tinted lip balm thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid, orange blossom, and shea butter.
This cream highlighter has subtle shimmer particles suspended throughout it. I was nervous it would look too obvious or glittery on my skin, but it was quite the opposite. Thanks to its subtle pigment and blendable formula, it made my skin look naturally radiant.
I'll just cut to the chase. I was surprised at how much I loved this little eye shadow palette. Not only does it look incredibly chic and feel heavy and luxurious in my hand, but the shades are expertly crafted and the powder is silky and blendable.
This eyeliner is super pigmented, blends without fading or going gray, and stays put for hours at a time. I used it on my waterline and along my lash line for bold, defined eyes, and it lasted all day. Enough said.
This YSL makeup product wasn't new to me. I've been using it since last year to supercharge my long, fine eyelashes with bold, black volume. Every time I apply it, I feel like my cool factor increases. Maybe that's because I know Zoë Kravitz has worn it as YSL's global makeup ambassador. Either way, I love the dense, defined look that it lends to my lashes.
The last step in my French girl–inspired makeup look was to apply a bold, red lip color. I chose to use this incredible product that's somwhere between a lipstick, gloss, and balm. Even though it provides bright, highly pigmented color, it has the shine of gloss and the moisture of a balm. It's the star of the show, and I've found myself reaching for it multiple times since.
5 More YSL Makeup Products I Love
Another YSL lipstick I love, this one is intensely pigmented and has a true matte finish. Plus, the shade range is nothing short of perfection.
If full-coverage foundations aren't your thing, I can't recommend this sheer, hydrating skin tint enough. The lightweight formula adds a veil of light coverage while good-for-skin ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and mallow benefit the complexion.
If you like rich, velvety color, this lip product is for you. The highly pigmented formula is soft and creamy and delivers long-lasting color saturation. I could just drool looking at the rich red shade called Rouge Rebel.
I know, I know, it's yet another lip product. But what can I say? YSL knows how to create a winning lip product. This one is similar to the previous product, except instead of being matte, it delivers a high-shine finish. And, yes, it actually stays put, nixing the need for constant reapplication.
Okay, so this isn't technically a makeup product, but it's one of my favorite fragrances, so I had to include it. With notes of lavender, orange blossom, and musk accord, it's just the kind of warm and alluring floral scent that I love. Every time I spritz this, I swear I get so many compliments.
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