French women have a fabulous reputation for nonchalantly striding around with perfectly undone hair, gorgeous skin, and a complexion-boosting red lip. For these women, there is no translation for “mom jeans.” Somehow, they wield the power to get more captivating with age — and seemingly, without a care in the world.

While the allure of the French woman is as strong as ever, beneath the shell of effortless, natural beauty is an arsenal of time-honored traditions, religiously-followed beauty rituals, and unique attitudes that help keep these women gorgeous at every age and in every era.