4 PureWow Editors Try Cult French-Girl Makeup Brand Violette_FR

You’ve probably seen the “movie lips” trend going around, in which people seek that soft, natural look often found on heroines in romantic comedies. (Prime example: Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You.) Bisou Balm is your ticket to the French “bouche mordue,” AKA the bitten lip. After testing every shade, I can confirm this matte formula provides that alluring wash of color in eight versatile shades. Baksh made the interesting observation that it functions almost like a lip stain: Incredibly lightweight and with the darker shades, long-lasting with an almost powdery finish. I’m partial to Calisson, a neutral rose-brown, while Page and Dickey both opted for Sucette and Baksh for Bonbon Myrtille. Amour Fou is known to be the classic and is a neutral red.

Fast Facts

• Shade Range: 8
• Finish: matte

I’ve been switching between the Bisou Jelly and Bisou Balm for the last six months, and between them I’m more often choosing the jelly. Don’t get me wrong—I love the balm, but the matte finish means my perpetually dry lips need to be perfectly primed. (I recommend an overnight lip mask and then applying lip balm to let sit while you do your hair/other makeup. When you’re ready, pat off with a tissue before applying Bisou Balm.) If they’re not, Bisou Balm is definitely drying—Page also concurs. (Though Baksh did have the genius idea to layer the two products for more comfortable results.)

Meanwhile, the jelly component of said Bisou Jelly adds a burst of hydration and a hint of color at the same time. If you didn’t have time to prep your lips, this is by far the more comfortable formula. Baksh and I both loved the rose-brown Bonbon Caramel (sensing a theme here?), but I also love the deeper, dusty pink shade Aïssa, as does Page. Dickey chose Bonbon à la Rose, which renders as a soft nude pink.

Fast Facts

• Shade Range: 4
• Finish: glossy

For reasons previously stated, I tend not to love matte formulas, but Petal Bouche was a delightful surprise. While it is matte, it wasn’t as drying as other brands I’ve tried, and I also successfully paired it with lip gloss for a little moisture and shine. Both Baksh and I received TONS of compliments upon wearing the product—messages were flying in work video calls and group chats obsessing over our lipstick.

My favorite thing about it was probably the applicator. It allows for such precision that even a red lipstick neophyte could reasonably outline their lips with little trouble. I recommend lining and filling in your lips with lip liner to prevent bleeding, though upon initial application sans liner I found the lipstick stayed in place for most of the day. (Pro tip: Read the directions and trust when it says a little goes a long way.)

It was only upon re-application that it really started bleeding, but this was about 10 hours later, mind you. Throughout the day it stayed put, even after eating and drinking, and because the formula is matte, was less susceptible to catching on my teeth. There are three shades, of which I chose Cerise Désir, a red with blue undertones. It also comes in Amour Fou—a vibrant, more orange-red that Baksh said complemented her olive skin—and Coeur Infidèle (pink).

Fast Facts

• Shade Range: 3
• Finish: matte

Admittedly, I was skeptical about this musky, oil-based rollerball perfume. My signature scent is Diptyque’s Eau Rose—a light, fresh, fruity and green fragrance. When I see musk in an ingredient list, I tend to run the other direction. However, Avec Amour surprised me. The base notes of amber, sandalwood and vetiver create the powdery, musky base that reminds me of Chanel No. 5, while the bright, tropical ylang-ylang and citrusy bergamot provide a fresh, fruity note that keeps things fun and adventurous. Compared to other perfumes, the longevity isn’t great—Baksh also reported needing to reapply multiple times a day—but you can still get half a day’s worth of wear before needing to reapply. For $56, Baksh and I thought the longevity could have been a bit better. But overall, the compact rollerball is easy to travel with, and the glass blue bottle with Violette’s signature, artsy logo on the gold cap are sophisticated touches.

Fast Facts:

• Base Notes: amber, sandalwood, vetiver
• Heart Notes: ylang-ylang
• Top Notes: bergamot
• Delivery Mechanism: rollerball
• Size: 0.5 ounces

Makeup sticks are all the rage right now (see the wildly popular Merit Beauty for proof), and the creamy Bisou Blush has Baksh, Page and Dickey’s stamp of approval. The latter two reported that it had great longevity, with Dickey telling me, “This stick blush warms right into the apples of my cheeks, initially too bright then fading down to make me look healthy in a few minutes. I applied it twice a day and my face looked way more energetic—and my very finicky mom said she liked how it looked.” Page adds: “I was impressed by the blushes and their marble appearance that created an achievable ombré look.”

Baksh tells me it’s often difficult for her to find blush that goes with her skin tone, so she appreciated that Bisou Blush offered a natural, buildable rouge without looking heavy. The only downside is that the formula isn’t noncomedogenic—Page, who has acne-prone skin, reported a breakout the next day.

Fast Facts

• Shade Range: 6
• Formula: cream

Per Page, Baksh and Dickey, Yeux Paint is a hyper-pigmented eyeshadow that is essentially immovable. Great for a long day when you need some glam—but it can be difficult to wash off. (I had the most success using a cleansing balm, as water will roll right off.)

“This applies as a liquid, dries matte and feels weightless,” says Baksh, who got all-day wear poolside and on nights out during a recent vacation. “I layered it a few times since the first application looked a bit thin.  A little bit goes a long way and I didn't need to reapply at all.”

Dickey described the texture as more paint-like than a cream or powder. She and Page found it worked well as an eyeliner, applied with a small, thin brush. When it comes to applying on the eyelid, Page notes that because of the matte nature, it dries quickly, so if you don’t move fast, it’ll be difficult to blend. The doe-foot applicator is pretty hefty, so I recommend using your fingers or a brush to prevent excess product buildup. It comes in two finishes, matte and twinkling.

Fast Facts

• Shade Range:
• Formula: liquid matte

Baksh and Dickey tried the Boum Boum Milk and had nothing but good things to report.

“This is the first cream spray that I’ve tried and I’m obsessed,” Baksh says. “I love that you can spritz it on even over your makeup and it doesn’t look like you sprayed lotion all over. Instead it feels almost like a facial mist.” She and Dickey found that it helped calm inflammation and redness and was a great base for sunscreen (Dickey) and makeup (Baksh).

Dickey adds: “I have been depending on this to lessen my redness while simultaneously making my face look a bit glowier and less crepey. It’s got fermented birch sap, inspired by the birch water the French consume as a detoxifying drink. After using it for only a week, my skin felt softer and had a more even tone.”

Fast Facts

• Ingredients: fermented birch sap, squalane, olive leaf extract
• Texture: cream toner/serum/moisturizer formula