How to Be a Little French Sexpot

I know there are two Roitfelds in the photograph. Two, fabulous, black-wearing, French je ne sais quoi possessing Roitfelds. But let’s forget the Carine, if possible, and her au revoir to her decade-long stint as editor at French Vogue. Just for a second—I promise you.

Look at Julia, s‘il vous plaît. Doesn’t she look like quite the French sexpot? In a candid shot?! I hardly look anything close to decent in those dreaded pap shots, nonetheless resemble a brunette resurrection of Brigitte Bardot. Le sigh. If only.

We’ll analyze this shot carefully. Moleskines and Filofaxes out, mes chéries.

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Julia wears black.

She is not wearing pink, or orange, or chartreuse. She is wearing black. It is the basic of any and all wardrobes, symbolizing the classic, the sophisticated, the mysterious, the seductive. Qualities possessed by every woman, however unbeknownst to her. I’ve read numerous articles citing that black and red are what attract the male species like bees to honey. One of which was from Cosmopolitan. And if you don’t believe the female’s Bible of all things sex-related, let me tell you from personal experience. Those. Colors. Do. Work.

Three-quarter length sleeves.

Note the length of her top. In my opinion, the chicest and most sophisticated of cuts a shirt can come in, and since Mademoiselle Roitfeld looks good wearing it, my theory has been validated. There’s something demure about the length; it’s modest, yet reveals just enough of the forearm for a hint of skin, and nothing too much.

Side bangs of which to peek seductively through.

A fringe not only adds style to your hair without having to much, but it also hides a larger forehead quite well (another reason why I’ve been loyal to this style for years!). Ooh, the mystery of the one-eyed gaze.

Brigitte Bardot hair.

The half-up half-down hair you wore as a little girl will do wonders for you as a woman! I’ve read (oui, I’m citing Cosmopolitan—again) that men like this style best. Mid-length to long, luscious locks are key; pulling a few pieces back emphasizes the angles of your jaw and cheekbones. But the key too looking less grade school and more Bardot, however, is…

Perfectly imperfect hair.

I despise perfectly done hair. Sure, Olivia Palermo looks lovely, but it’s not to my taste. We want je ne sais quoi. Effortless. Not prim and prissy and perfect. The secret? Tease the crown and sides of your hair, and comb through once to smooth it out (Amy Winehouse’s beehive is not the look, here). Spritz with hairspray. Pull 1-2 inch pieces from both sides of your face, poof it a bit, and bobby pin those babies down. Pull a few pieces out to frame your face, muss it up a bit. Et voilà! Brigitte Bardot you are.

Smoldering eyes and natural lips.

We want enough to bring out your features without being overwhelming. Or a cake face. Use a mineral foundation for that au naturel, dewy skin. Bronzer in the cheekbones and the tiniest bit of NARS Madly blusher on the cheeks – not the apples, but sweeping upwards! Black liner, smudged nonchalantly, and winged like Angelina Jolie’s for evenings out. Lip balm for everyday, and a mauve-nude lipstick for special occasions.

Coco Chanel had once said, “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.” It’s completely and total nonsense if you ask me, but alas, Chanel said it so it is God. Perfume helps though, I suppose, so she’s not entirely frivolity and tweed. Julia’s most likely wearing Tom Ford’s Black Orchid (as she’s the face of the perfume adverts)—the sexiest of sexy fragrances. (After all, anything Tom Ford is synonymous to sex.) But another fantastic fragrance is Versace’s Bright Crystal. I used to think I was a vanilla/musk/amber type, but somehow I can’t get enough of this feminine, floral scent. And neither can the boys, let me tell yah.

Simplicity is key, mademoiselles! We want minimalist, sophisticated. Edgy for a touch of modernity and youth.

Balance with modesty.

The true coquette understands that the key to being a little sexpot is leaving more to imagination. There’s no fun in revealing everything at once. Secrecy is what makes it mysterious, and thus, more fun. Case in point: Julia’s showing quite a bit of leg with a mini-something of sorts. To balance it, she pairs it with a much more modest top.

It also helps if Carine Roitfeld is your mother.

It also helps if you are of French blood.

And if the aforementioned are of little to no use to you, well, practice your very best pose should a photographer come your way. Think Parisian sex kitten! Arch your back. Smoldering eyes, pout-y lips.

“If you’re going to be sexy in a photo, you’d better be thinking about sex rather than about being sexy.”

—Carine Roitfeld

Take it from the woman who was once Tom Ford’s muse.

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