The Quintessential French Girl Look
By: Nuri Piera Webb
I found the secret to winning at life—or just a lot of compliments from people. Lipstick. Specifically, Red Lipstick, a vibrant, ‘look at me’ shade coating the lips with the weight and fortitude of a strong piece of armor.
Picture the French girl aesthetic: tousled hair, natural make-up, simple and chic fashion, and a red lip! This bold, visual statement signifies a flirtatious seduction, a declaration of strength and individuality, or an indication of confidence for any woman who wears it.
Over and over, women have proved there is a ferocity in beauty and vice-versa. There is a certain symbol of the duality of femininity found in the use of red lipstick.
The colorful, bold, and tumultuous history of red lipstick dates back—according to many historians—to ancient Sumerians from Southern Mesopotamia who are said to have invented it by crushing red rocks into powder to tint their lips red.
Then, western societies (controlled by men!), took the red lipstick and called it ‘the devil's work.’ In 1770, the British government passed a law condemning lipstick on the basis that “women found guilty of seducing men into matrimony by cosmetic means could be tried for witchcraft.” Can’t women find pleasure in life without being accused of being a sorceress?
In 1912, when American women marched for equal rights, suffragettes armored themselves with this striking color as they fought for the right to vote. So red is more than just a color—it's a symbol of strength, independence, and defiance.
When I wish to make a bold statement; whether it's that I'm feeling sexy, confident, or liberated, I pair my outfit with a bit of red on my lips. I even carry it around in my little black purse I purchased in Paris this past fall. If you couldn’t already tell, I quite like the French girl aesthetic.
Red lipstick can signify so much, it eludes boldness and allure in equal measure. The women's movement was about women having choices, which included the way they looked. The choices in makeup available today enable people to express their preferences or emotions; it’s self-expression and I personally think red is a great way to do it; so do the French :)
Don’t know where to start your search? Here are some of my favorites.
