Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
How to Create a Brigitte Bardot Inspired Hair and Makeup Look
Article Originally Published: 8/8/24
Article Updated: 3/21/25
Other than being a fashion and hair icon, Brigitte Bardot had quite a career. She started off as a dancer and over time, her features, including large eyes, ruffled hair and her ability to pull together an effortless look became known all over the world. As I grow into my own creative career path, I find myself and my style loosening up and I recently turned to images of Bardot to help me create my own style inspired by hers. Read on to learn how to create a Brigitte Bardot inspired hair and makeup look.
Sending my caterpillar years of perfection into flying free like a butterfly
Teacher Years: Wavering from the Road of Perfection
I used to want my look to be pulled together and be perfect all the time. I worked as a teacher for over 10 years and those kids noticed everything. When I came in looking put together and perfect, they took notice. If I wasn’t looking pulled together, they told me.
One even told me she thought I had too much lip gloss on one day. My student was right. I did. Their honesty was refreshing, but not cruel or hurtful and it helped me loosen up a bit. After teaching, I went into the corporate world and needing to “look perfect” came back around.
A messy bun is easy but does take some effort
Corporate Years: Diving Back into Perfection
At my corporate job, I wanted to be seen as a leader, so I turned to many of the women in leadership positions at various companies and tried my best to emulate it. If that’s what they looked like and they were successful, then I thought I should do it too. I wore a lot of dresses and pants, but always added a bit of my own creative style. I turned to Cabi (a co-worker introduced me to the brand) for many of my corporate fashion pieces as it had color and style, but still looked professional.
Unfortunately, the corporate company I was at did not see me as a leader, no matter what I did. I started thinking about what even makes a leader look like a leader. I had the talents, the ability, and the stamina. I looked like a leader (even when some people at the company said my look was “too creative”…whatever that means) and felt like a leader, but it apparently wasn’t enough.
Green in my color
When the company I worked for, and the 100’s of companies I applied for (when I knew it was time to move on), didn’t see me as one (I was interviewed by Meta, Amazon and more giant companies and none ended up being in need of my talents), I knew it was time to move on and do my own thing.
It was one of the hardest decisions I ever made, but my mental health was at risk (rejection at the level I was receiving was not something I wish on anyone) and I knew it was time to let go. I had to let go of my idea of a perfect life (goodbye stabile dual-income home for a while, goodbye “extras”, goodbye old life) and allow a new chapter to begin. My husband and I had saved, so we made it work.
I love this look
“I’m sending my caterpillar years of perfection into flying free like a butterfly.” —Carolyn J. Braden
Pursuing My Own Path
After leaving the corporate world, I threw myself into my creative abilities and started growing my side-hustle, carolynsbloomingcreations.com, into a brand. I had no idea what I was doing exactly, but I started educating myself, I worked a lot and I figured things out. I saw myself letting go of the need to be perfect and look perfect, as I worked from home, so I adapted a “uniform” of white tees and either leggings or shorts. I also was on a budget, so new fashion was not a part of that. I love fashion, but a daily “uniform” is so easy and costs so much less. Read more about my uniform concept in this article here.
A messy bun is great on next day or third day hair
Loosening Up Again
A couple years after quitting my job, we moved from Kentucky to Florida. I grew my hair long and started to see a big shift in my look. It’s very hot in Southwest Florida, so my style absolutely had to change. I couldn’t wear heavy fabrics or tight-fitting clothing, as it made me incredibly uncomfortable.
I started wearing loose dresses, lots of shorts outfits and the humidity made my hair frizz out a lot, so it started needing to be styled up. Between the island vibes (we moved to Sanibel Island) and the weather, my look definitely loosened, but stayed stylish.
My love of tiaras started when I was a kid
In looking at images of Brigitte Bardot, she embraced flowing dresses, long hair and to me, is very “boho-chic”. She seemed to dress the way she wanted to dress, and not do what everyone else was doing. That’s how you become a style icon. So whether you are wearing glamorous gowns for the perfect prom look or just going about your daily life, you can take inspiration from this too and look your best.As I learned in the corporate world, sometimes if you look like everyone else, you won’t stand out and be yourself. Over time, you can and should try to develop your own style, which will be a reflection of your true self, and that’s what the world needs to see.
My Bardot inspired hairstyle
Bardot Hair
For my most recent photo shoot, I borrowed a look from the cover of Brigitte’s book Brigitte Bardot: My Life in Fashion. The image (seen in the first image I posted at the top of this article), truly captures her effortless makeup, hair and fashion style. To recreate it, I first put my day three hair (I only usually wash my hair every three days) up into a messy bun. I first sprayed dry shampoo in it (I like Not Your Mother’s) and brushed it out with my UnBrush.
My version of the Brigitte Bardot messy bun
Next, I loosened up some pieces at the front of my face (I had short layer put in my hair recently and am considering adding some bangs), and pulled the rest of my hair up into a ponytail half way. I bent my half-ponytail into a messy bun and added my Magic Grip hair pins to secure it all day. I love these pins and talk about them in this article on my website. It should look “effortless” but it does take a bit of effort to make it look that way, but it is pretty simple.
See my Magic Grip hair pin tutorial on long hair in my 1-minute tutorial below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
See a video tutorial of my messy bun in my YouTube video below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden.
NYX makes a great liquid liner!
Bardot Makeup
For the makeup, I followed my daily routine and kept it all very simple like Bardot did, but I made sure to add a winged liquid liner and I LOVE NYX Epic Ink Liner. It lasts all day and is only around $7.50. I love my tried and true KVD Tattoo Liner, but the NYX is definitely on-par with the high-end KVD version and I’m making the switch permanently. I used a dark brown because it looks good with my skin tone.
See the Epic Ink winged liner tutorial in my 1-minute video below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
The Pale Pink NYX liner is simple but gorgeous
I added a pale pink lip using NYX Pale Pink Lip Liner, which is $3! It comes in many colors and lasts quite a long while. I over line my lips slightly with it and then fill in my lips with it a bit too. I patted on some nude NYX Lingerie matte liquid lipstick to make it a matte pale pink lip.
Grab the lip tutorial below or see the 1-minute video via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Brigitte Bardot image from 1965, via Bridgeman Images
Bardot Headband Hairstyle
For my Bardot inspired Headband Hairstyle, I borrowed her look from 1965 for a half up hairstyle. I used a large hair pin to pull my hair back into a half up style, but I pulled out some front layers of my hair to frame my face. See me create this style in my 1-minute YouTube video here, or see my full article on how to use hairpins here.
I found my velvet headband at a vintage shop, but you can get a very similar one on Amazon or at here at Walmart.
A nude-ish pale pink lip
Bardot Dress
The cover of her book shows her in an off-the-shoulder dress, so I grabbed my Temu dress to complete the look. My usual daily white tee uniform just wasn’t completing the look. If you order one off the shoulder dress like mine from Temu (just search “off the shoulder dress”) use my link or my discount code afe55197 for 30% off. Or, Amazon has a similar one here.
I love my vintage tiara, which adds some of my own style to the look
Off the shoulder dresses can be simple, but that peek of shoulder can add some “sexy”. Brigitte Bardot’s look was often referred to as “sex kitten”, and didn’t shy away from showing some skin. I think that’s pretty fab. You know you are feeling like yourself and confident if you can be bold and try new things. I don’t usually do off the shoulder styles, but I liked this dress.
Overall, I like my Bardot inspired look and I know my style will grow and change as I age, just as hers did. I look forward to trying new things and creating my own “leadership” style. While pantsuits may work for some in the corporate world, if I ever wear one again, it’s definitely going to be worn in my own style. And that makes me a leader of my own style and my own business world.
If you loved this article, we know you’ll love this one too: Modern Retro Hair and Fashion Looks + Roll & Go Tutorial
Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.