Mathilde Thomas tells us the secret to French beauty

We idolize French women: their effortlessly chic style, their I-woke-up-like-this bed head and, not to mention, their glowing, gorgeous skin.

So what are we doing wrong?

“American women put a lot of pressure on themselves. Especially in New York — they’re Type A women. They want to check off all the boxes,” says Mathilde Thomas, co-founder of natural skin-care brand Caudalie. “You can’t do it all; life is tough.”

Instead, the beauty expert encourages women to give up the idea of “perfect” and have fun with skin care — even sometimes skipping the luxe solution-in-a-jar for a homemade beauty remedy straight out of the fridge. “Skin care is not a chore,” she stresses. “You should enjoy it — use products that not only make you look good but that make you feel good, too.”

Thomas distills beauty secrets from her homeland in her new book, “The French Beauty Solution.”

Pro Tip:

Invest in serum

“If you can invest in one product, it’s a serum,” stresses Thomas. “The serum is the thing that penetrates deep in the skin. Everything you put on after is not going to penetrate as much as the first layer.”

Thomas’ summer tips

1. “Use a moisturizer with SPF, because unfortunately, it’s the UV that makes you age.”

2.“Every night, remove your makeup and clean your skin.

3.“Exfoliate every week.”