Marta Pozzan is an Italian in America but, like anybody who works in fashion, she finds herself frequently in Paris. While there this past Couture Week, she admired the dresses at Monique Lhuillier (who swapped NYFW for Couture this year)—“The clothes were beyond dreamy. The models looked like ethereal creatures or fairies floating inside the Hotel d’Evreux!”—and felt inspired by the blush and nude beauty looks at shows like Dior, Azzaro, and Valentino. She also found herself, like most of us do, awestruck by the Parisian streets and French glamour.

Even if we try to move past everyone’s obsession with French-girl beauty, we find ourselves right back at it, looking at an old photo of Brigitte Bardot or watching a scene from a Godard film, asking ourselves why we don’t have the metabolism for endless croissants, the perfect head shape for a beret (a very real concern), or a go-to hairstyle inspired by a banana (a very real look). For Marta’s summer in Paris, she drew on the nonchalance of the French and wore a simple and natural beauty look that we’re trying to recreate until fall. Even if we can’t be found strolling the streets of Paris anytime soon, who says we can’t do as the French do until then?

Click through to read about the quintessential French-girl look, the perfect mask for thick hair, and the best beauty touch-up products for the heat.