Be More French with John Paul Gaultier

AD – this is a collaborative post with Boots

There is something so incredibly appealing about French fashion and beauty. Ask any one where you can find the most chic women in the world, and the answer is likely to be fairly unanimous. The Parisian look is sophisticated, timeless, fearless and bold, and a look that I only wish I could replicate in my not so glamourous home town of Birmingham!

When it comes to that classic Parisian scent, Scandal by John Paul Gaultier is an obvious choice. This beautiful new John Paul Gaultier perfume has a signature honey note paired with intoxicating tuberose, sandalwood and Tonka bean for an even more addictive blend and is a fragrance that encourages women to embrace their inner Parisian femininity.

I was recently asked by the team at Boots what French fashion and beauty means to me… so I decided it would be fun to show you! Read on to learn how I embraced the idea of #BeMoreFrench and changed my look from everyday to French chic, and tell me how YOU would Frenchify YOUR look for your chance to WIN a bottle of Scandal perfume to help create that feminine Parisian vibe.

The Make Up 

Parisian make up is simple yet elegant, and presents itself as flawless and clean yet with the envious of skill of portraying no obvious signs of effort. A look that whilst it may take time to perfect behind the scenes, looks like you are lucky enough to have woken up looking that way! I wish I could say that I was blessed with completely clear and blemish free skin (but that would be an outright lie!) so instead I opted for hopefully natural looking skin with just a touch of moisturiser, tinted moisturiser or primer. Ever since my Boots Summer Lookbook challenge, I am LOVING the Botanics All Bright Radiance Balm which helps create a healthy and glowing look with very minimal effort!

Other than a traditional looking smokey eye and strong tidy eyebrows (Browcote and browpencil for the win!), the focal point of any Parisian woman’s make up and beauty look is a red statement lip.

I don’t generally tend to wear much lip colour, or when I do, I tend to opt for a more subtle matt and peachy shade, so applying such a strong statement red colour was a definite step out of my comfort zone! I applied the initial outline of Maybelline Colour Sensational Bold lipstick in Fiery Fushia with a lip brush to avoid bleeding or smudging, before covering the rest of the lip. It certainly took me a bit of getting used to looking in the mirror and seeing such a strong colour in my reflection, but it definitely felt like I’d officially added a touch of Francais to my look!

The Fashion

French fashion is embraced and adored across the globe, with many women aspiring to the likes of Birkin, Bardot, Huppert and Béart. When I think of French fashion, I immediately think of a classic colour palette of navy blue, black and white, with the odd touch of colour to compliment the statement lip and dark shades!

Not one to avoid a good old cliche, the striped top instantly sprung to mind, and there are so many varieties of this wardrobe staple on the market at the moment that you can’t really go wrong with these, whether teamed up with a skirt and heels, skinny jeans or a tailored trouser for the office.

I also love the full skirts look that the Parisian women seem to pull off so effortlessly, teaming them up with either a soft pump for casual weekends or a small heel or wedge for a look that will extend into the evenings.

I added my pop of colour to this outfit with my bright blue satchel and definitely felt like I had a touch of “Je ne sais quoi” and a boost of confidence when I went off to grab some shots with Mike, my official insta husband.

The Hair

Again when it comes to French inspired hair styles, less is most definitely more. Parisian women tend to always pull off the natural yet wonderfully thick and full locks, letting their hair dry naturally, or scrunch drying with a lightweight moose or leave in conditioner to create a loose curl.

Whilst I love wearing my hair down, my hair is at times incredibly hard to manage. With extremely thick hair (and lots of it!) I enjoy leaving it loose and helping avoid frizz by curling with my straighners, but it takes an incredibly long time even to dry it!

For me personally, the classic messy high bun is a much easier and practical way to Frenchify my look. Smart enough for work but also perfect for the Summer months, keeping your hair away from the nape of your neck to keep you cool, calm and collected!

The Scent

Parisian women not only look effortless and elegant, but they always smell amazing too. Scandal is a fresh and feminine scent with only a small spritz required on the wrist or behind the ears to make you feel confident and classy. I wore Scandal for the first time a few weeks ago, and not one, not two, but THREE people, including a total stranger commented on how my perfume and asked me what it was. I take that as a win!

Want the chance to win your own? 

For your chance to win a bottle of Scandal Perfume, use the Rafflecopter widget below to tell me how you’d Frenchify your look to take you from everyday to French chic? Please note, you MUST use the hashtag #BeMoreFrench with your answer or your entry will not be eligable. UK entrants only. Giveaway opens 19/6/19 and closes 03/07/19. Full Terms and conditions apply (see below)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eligibility:
• The Be More French contest is open to entrants aged 18 and over, who are resident in the UK (Mainland).
• Employees of the Promoter, its group companies or their family members, or anyone else connected with the Contest are not eligible to enter.
• Entrants into the Contest shall be deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions.
• Participation is permitted irrespective of purchase of a product/service. No purchase necessary.

How to Enter:
• Entries must be submitted between the dates stipulated by this post (“Entry Period”).
• To successfully enter, a person (“Entrant”) must:
• Comment on the blog post sharing how they would ‘Frenchify’ their look, using the hashtag #BeMoreFrench
• There is only one entry per person allowed.
• There is one prize available for the Contest in this post.
• The winner will be required to respond to the notification from the Promoter within 14 days, confirming where their prize should be sent. The winner will receive their prize within 28 days of providing such postal address (mainland UK only). The Promoter accepts no responsibility in the event that a winner does not respond to the Promoter’s notification or where a prize is not received by a winner as a result of that Entrant having provided inaccurate address details when requested.
• If the winner fails to provide verification or address information within 14 days of a request from the Promoter or should the Promoter establish that the qualifying criteria was not met, the Promoter reserves the right to award the prize to an alternative winner selected from the remaining entries, with the originally selected winner forfeiting their right to the prize.
• The Promoter reserves the right to modify, suspend or cancel the Contest without any prior notice.

Privacy and collection of personal data:
• The entrant’s email address and personal details will be used for no other reason than to notify a participant if they are a winner.
• By entering the prize draw, Participants grant the Promoter the right to contact them regarding their entry

General:
• The Promoter will not be liable if a winner is unable to receive their prize for any reason beyond the control of the Promoter. Prizes are not transferrable or exchangeable and no cash alternatives will be available.
• The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any loss suffered by an Entrant as a result of entering the Contest or accepting the prize. The Promoter further accepts no responsibility for any damage to an Entrant’s or any other person’s computer arising from their participation in the Contest.
• The Promoter accepts no responsibility for Entries that fail to meet the entry mechanics, are uploaded outside of the Entry Period or which do not qualify for as an entry for any reason (including where the Entrant does not include hashtag #BeMoreFrench).

This post is an advertised collaboration with Boots but all thoughts are my own.