Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Beauty
    2. Hair

    French girls win when it comes to hair styling—here's 4 tips they swear by

    Trés chic, indeed

    Sofia Piza's avatar
    By Sofia Piza
    Published 14 April 2023 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Jeanne Damas with Les Filles En Rouje haircare
    (Image credit: Les Filles En Rouje)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    For years, I’ve been on a quest to try to emulate at least half of the cool girl aura French girls have. From their enviable glowy skin, to their classic taste in fragrance, and, of course, their perfectly imperfect hair. I want it all. 

    A key staple on my Pinterest board (as many others’ too, I assume) is model, designer and Founder and Creative Director of French label, Rouje, Jeanne Damas. Recently, the brand has ventured into skincare and make-up, with its most recent line of products including haircare. So, I figured it was only right to seize this opportunity, reach out to Damas to discuss all things hair and grill her for all of her best French-girl hair tips. And after speaking to Damas, I have learned the top four tips anyone can adopt to achieve that sort of effortlessly cool, French-girl hair with less than three steps. So here goes...

    1. Keep styling products lightweight

    If you’re a lazy girl like me that is not yet ready to pull off a ‘rob’ haircut, a recommended alternative would be to keep your products lightweight. “I have very thin hair so I always look for a spray which gives a nice texture but without looking too heavy," says Damas. 

    Multi-hyphenates like Rouje’s L'Huile Cheveux is a simple alternative that can be easily applied on the ends of dry hair or throughout the roots as a pre-wash hair mask. "I apply two to three drops of the hair oil on the ends of my hair to nourish them,” she says, “I really enjoy its subtle orange blossom smell which comes from its combination of macadamia nuts with apricot and camellia oils.” 

    2. Pull back on wash days

    In order to keep her perfectly slept-in texture, Damas reduces the amount of times she washes her hair a week. “I try not to wash my hair more than two or three times a week. The texture becomes much better like this,” she says, “You can win an extra day sometimes by using dry shampoo—it's my go-to product.” 

    You may like
    • The long hair trend and the post-bob era I’ve Spent Two Years Growing My Bob—Turns Out, There's a Reason Long Hair Is Trending
    • Best products for frizzy hair in the rain Autumn Rain Wreaks Havoc on My Frizz-Prone Hair—These Are the Products That Keep It Smooth Without Weighing It Down
    • What to ask for at the hair salon Here's What to Ask For at the Hair Salon to Get What You Actually Want

    Dry shampoo helps refresh your roots on those days where you choose to skip a wash. We recommend sticking to a dry shampoo that covers your hair’s specific needs in order to make sure this is as effective as possible. 

    3. Simplicity is key

    For Damas, a simple routine with quality products is key to achieving her adored French-girl look. “I can't speak for every French woman, but for me [French-girl hair] has something to do with simplicity—less is more” she says, “I use the La Brume Cheveux spray and scrunch my hair while I dry it with a diffuser.”

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    This spray carries just three ingredients and is as low maintenance as it is stunning. Containing glycerin, nori seaweed extract and sea salt, simply shake and apply directly to the hair for instant results. This can be applied at any point of the day as it works on wet or dry hair, as an air-dry cream alternative or as a midday texture pick me up. 

    4. Don't shy away from accessories

    With spring undoubtedly here and summer quickly approaching, we are always the biggest fans of unique ways to add some chic flare to your hair. After achieving her desired texture, Damas usually opts for a classic accessory. “I like adding big colourful flowers to my hair, it adds more detail to a simple outfit and reminds me of Almodovar movie heroines!”

    Prada headband

    Faux-raffia headband
    SHOP NOW

    Cos hair silk scarf

    Striped Silk Scarf
    SHOP NOW

    Arket scrunchie

    Crinkle Scrunchie
    SHOP NOW


    Hair clip Net a porter

    Faux pearl-embellished hair clip
    SHOP NOW

    Sofia Piza
    Sofia Piza
    Social Links Navigation
    Junior Fashion Editor

    Sofia Piza is the Junior Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. With extensive experience and a degree in Fashion Journalism, she covers runway trends, shopping picks, celebrity fashion, and industry news.

    Throughout her career, Sofia's work has ranged from in-depth interviews with industry experts and high-profile celebrities to creative production for editorial cover shoots and red-carpet coverage. Born in Mexico and raised in five countries, Sofia's multicultural upbringing has fed into her interest in international markets, leading her fashion week coverage across London, Milan, Paris, New York, and Copenhagen.

    Read more
    The long hair trend and the post-bob era
    Hair I’ve Spent Two Years Growing My Bob—Turns Out, There's a Reason Long Hair Is Trending
    Best products for frizzy hair in the rain
    Hair Autumn Rain Wreaks Havoc on My Frizz-Prone Hair—These Are the Products That Keep It Smooth Without Weighing It Down
     
     
    What to ask for at the hair salon
    Hair Here's What to Ask For at the Hair Salon to Get What You Actually Want
    selection of the best pre-shampoo treatments tested by Marie Claire UK
    Hair If Your Hair Still Feels Lacklustre No Matter What You Try, a Pre-Shampoo Treatment Could Be What’s Missing
     
     
    Latest in Hair
    3 Hair devices steaming
    Hair Thermal Brush, Hair Waver, or Flat Iron? Which Wavytalk Styler Is Right for You?
    Hair Loss & Gut Health
    Hair I Spent Years Trying to Fix My Hair Loss—Until I Started Investigating My Gut Health
     
     
    Dandruff vs Dry Scalp
    Hair Flaky Scalps—How to Decode Dandruff From Dryness and the Best Treatments For Both
    Hair loss, normal hair shedding
    Hair How Much Hair Loss is Normal—and is the Beauty Industry Capitalising on Our Fears?
     
     
    Latest in Features
    AI relationships: Woman lying in bed at night, looking at her smartphone while seeking relationship advice from a chatbot.
    Relationships AI Knows All Our Relationship Problems. Is That an Issue?
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
     
     
    What Lily Loves
    Shopping These Black Leggings Are My Secret to Easy Autumn Style Plus the Celine Loafers I’ll Never Regret Buying
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.