This fall, I’m going to treat myself to a mini makeover, with a healthier diet, more face cleansing, upgraded products and regular facials. Or maybe instead I’ll just take the easy way out and buy a new lipstick, something from one of the French girl makeup brands to help me pass for a soignée Parisienne. It all starts with a blurred lip. That’s right, I’m all for a makeover that starts with the mouth, especially if it results in the sexy and kissable makeup looks I see on women outside fashion shows and cafes in Paris.

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Broadly, it’s a subtly or brightly hued kisser that looks like you have pretty makeup on, but doesn’t make you look like you have a goopy layer of sticky gloss or paint. There are no super-sharp edges to the lips, nor is there the kind of shine associated with heavy gloss. The effect is one of “I just dabbed on some color in the back of a taxi with no mirror on the way over” rather than “I can’t touch my puffed-up mouth pillow on anything, since I’d leave a gross stain. Plus, I’d smear my lipstick and need to re-apply!” While the blurred lip isn’t exclusively French, I daresay those gamines perfected the look; too, they’ve created the best products to get it.