Brigitte Bardot: the secrets of iconic make-up

Stretched eyeliner, smoky eyelids, barely-there nude lips… Brigitte Bardot’s make-up is still one of the most copied in the world. Here’s how to replicate this very Saint-Tropez beauty with a Parisian twist.

In the 60s, while Paris was vibrating to the rhythm of the Nouvelle Vague, Brigitte Bardot was imposing a style that belonged to her alone: tousled platinum-blond hair, blurred bangs, black-rimmed eyes and nude lips. Her face became a kind of instruction manual for free-spirited femininity, at once heavily made-up… and surprisingly natural.

Almost naked skin, as if in the sun

The Bardot base has nothing to do with today’s ultra-structured complexions. It’s more like vacation skin, slightly golden, with no plaster effect. The skin is first moisturized with Estime & Sensto smooth the skin’s texture and add comfort. A few drops ofself-tanner mixed with day cream, followed by CC cream applied with fingertips, let freckles show through. The T-zone is lightly powdered, for a satin finish that catches the light.

On the cheeks, blush remains discreet. A soft pink or peach in the brand’s cream texture Mêmebrand, applied with a finger high on the cheekbones, is enough to give that “back from the beach at La Madrague” look. Originally designed for skin weakened by medical treatments, the brand offers ultra-respectful formulas, without compromising on sensoriality. The result: a face that’s alive, not set in stone, that can withstand a heavy eye without looking overdone.

The famous Bardot eye: eyeliner and smoky smoke

It’s all about the eyes.Black eyeliner is applied flush to the upper lashes, from the inner corner outwards, then stretched into a soft, sometimes quite thick, comma. The line is not perfectly graphic: it can remain a little blurred, almost “scribbled”, which gives it that slightly rocky charm.

On the mobile eyelid, a blush Lavera – Obsidian, Walnut or Golden Jade – is blended towards the crease, then recalled at the lower lash line. Brigitte Bardot often wore black kohl on the mucosa and around the eye; we recreate this smoky halo with Ecrinal Eye Pencil with ANP2+, developed for sensitive eyes, which can be applied without fear to the mucosa to immediately intensify the iris.

Lashes are generously curled and loaded with black mascara, especially on the outer corner to lengthen the almond-shaped look. You can add bangs of false lashes, like Ardell‘s Accent 305, placed only on the outer corner, to make the upper line even denser: a detail that changes everything, for photos or evenings out.

A nude mouth, sensual but in the background

Against this dramatic look, the mouth remains deliberately calm. The Bardot signature: slightly apricot nude lips, highlighted with Lavera pencil – in Nude Brown or Warm Brown – then filled in withWarm Wood matte lipstick for a warm-toned, peachy-orange mouth. For a rosier, less warm nude version, choose Mavala‘s Lip Combo in Boboli, which defines the mouth without weighing down make-up.

No shiny gloss, just a satin, almost matte finish that lets the lip’s natural texture shine through. Beforehand, we prepare the contour with Sentéales Eye & Lip Contour Cream: a fine texture that moisturizes, smoothes and helps smooth out these fragile areas, thanks to a cocktail of plant active ingredients, yeast and floral water. The contrast between the ultra-smooth eyes and the softened mouth gives an immediate 60’s look, perfect for daytime or dinner.

Hair and attitude: the finishing touch

It’s hard to talk about Bardot make-up without mentioning her hairstyle. Whether it’s a high, loose bun, “choucroute” volume, escaped strands around the face, or loose, lightly crimped lengths, hair frames the face like a blond cloud. Beforehand, we prepare the hair with Tout Nu Unbottled solid shampoo, which purifies roots without weighing down lengths, leaving hair light and delicately scented with mint and rosemary. To revive shine and soften ends, Tendre Passion Radiance Rinse and Activilong Passion Butter add softness and light. As a finishing touch, a few drops of Coslys Nourishing Serum with organic French Camelina tames frizz and nourishes the hair all the way to the ends, while keeping it dry to the touch. A simple headband placed on the forehead, as in Le Mépris, is then all that’s needed to structure the whole effortlessly.

Right up to the end, Brigitte Bardot shaped a certain idea of feminine style: a look hemmed in black, a muted mouth, fuzzy hair that always seems to come back from the beach. Her stretched eyeliner, smoky eyelids, nude lips and crepe-like volumes defined a grammar of free femininity, less wise, more instinctive. Now that she’s gone, what remains are those black-and-white images, that blond cloud and that singular make-up, which we continue to adapt, simplify and reinvent – as a final nod to the woman who left such an indelible mark on women’s faces.