Ma cousine se coiffe devant le miroir, puis elle range son maquillage dans un petit sac.

Because se coiffer is a reflexive verb. It shows that the action comes back to the subject: she is doing her hair to herself.

• Elle se coiffe = she does/brushes/styles her hair
• Elle coiffe sa cousine = she does/styles her cousin’s hair

In French, reflexive pronouns go before the conjugated verb:

• je me coiffe
• tu te coiffes
• elle se coiffe

Here, coiffer means something like:

• to do one’s hair
• to brush one’s hair
• to style one’s hair

The exact English translation depends on context. In this sentence, it suggests she is fixing or arranging her hair while looking in the mirror.

Because cousine is a feminine singular noun, so the possessive adjective must be ma.

• ma cousine = my cousin (female)
• mon cousin = my cousin (male)

So the possessive adjective agrees with the noun’s gender and number.

Le miroir simply means the mirror. French often uses the definite article when the object is understood from the situation.

So devant le miroir means in front of the mirror.

If you said devant son miroir, that would stress that it is her mirror specifically. The original sentence does not need that extra emphasis.

No. In French, possessive adjectives agree with the thing possessed, not with the owner.

Here, maquillage is a masculine singular noun, so French uses son:

• son maquillage = her makeup

Compare:

• son livre = his/her book
• sa trousse = his/her pencil case
• ses affaires = his/her things

So son does not mean the owner is male; it just matches the noun maquillage.

Maquillage usually means makeup or cosmetics in a general sense.

It is often treated like a collective or mass noun, just like English makeup. So son maquillage can refer to all the makeup she has with her, not just one item.

Range comes from the verb ranger, which means:

• to put away
• to tidy up
• to put in order

So elle range son maquillage dans un petit sac means she is putting her makeup away into a small bag.

This is a useful verb to remember because it is a false friend: it does not mean English range.

Because French usually treats maquillage like English makeup: as a general substance/category rather than separate countable items.

So:

• son maquillage = her makeup

Even if she has several products, French can still use the singular noun to refer to the whole set.

Puis means then, next, or after that.

It shows the order of actions:

1. she does her hair
2. then she puts away her makeup

It is more specific than just and, because it emphasizes sequence.

Similar words include:

• ensuite = then/next
• après = afterward

French often repeats the subject in a new clause, even when English might leave it understood.

So:

• Ma cousine se coiffe..., puis elle range...

is very natural and clear.

You may sometimes see the subject omitted in coordinated structures, but repeating elle is common and standard, especially in straightforward written French.

Because sac is a masculine singular noun.

So both the article and the adjective must agree with sac:

• un petit sac

If the noun were feminine, you would use:

• une petite trousse

This is basic gender agreement in French:

• masculine singular: un petit
• feminine singular: une petite

Devant means in front of.

So:

• devant le miroir = in front of the mirror

Here it refers to physical position, not time. In other contexts, devant can also mean before in a more figurative sense, but in this sentence it is clearly about location.

They are in the present tense.

• se coiffe = is doing/does her hair
• range = is putting away/puts away

In French, the present tense can describe:

• something happening right now
• a habitual action
• a simple sequence in a description

So the sentence could describe what she is doing at the moment, or a usual routine.