Why French Girls Skip Concealer: The Surprising Silver Lining Behind Your Under-Eye Circles

At a time when YouTube makeup tutorials are promoting the art of obscuring your natural features with a mix of contouring and color-correcting wizardry, there’s something refreshing about looking a bit like you’ve just woken up from a nap. Or so any number of effortlessly disarming French girls would have us believe. Rumpled waves and roomy silk ensembles aside, the real appeal of their romantic nonchalance is all in their gaze, which tends to feature a touch of darkness around the eyes that is embraced instead of masked.

French actress and model Clémence Poésy learned her lesson in cosmetic restraint from her mother. “She didn’t understand concealer,” Poésy reveals. “Dark circles under the eyes can be one of the most moving things on a human face.” Chloé Perrin, creative director of Perrin Paris, seconds the idea of shadows that add depth and character. “I’ve always thought dark circles look quite romantic, is that strange? They make a fresh face look interesting.” Perrin admits to being more concerned with taking care of the delicate skin around her eyes than covering their shadows, and smooths on pure coconut oil after cleansing plus a few drops of Innoxa Hydrating Eye Solution, which she explains is “very popular in Paris and gives a little sparkle.”

French makeup artist Violette loves the attitude a natural haze is able to sustain, explaining that “shadows around the eye give a light smoky effect that enhances your look.” She applies Smith’s Rosebud balm on the eyelids instead and adds a coat of intense black mascara for a “simple, but wow” take on the more standard I-woke-up-like-this beauty routine. If you can’t handle the idea of skipping concealer completely, Violette suggests brightening under the eye with Dior’s Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen, which softens shadows rather than hiding them completely, and leaving the rest of the area bare. She also encourages massaging around the eyes to increase circulation—and embracing perceived flaws, rather than covering them up. “The biggest thing about French culture is to accept who you are, love you and the way you look, and play with it,” she insists. “Faults are so charming and make you unique.”

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