Violette may be the Internet’s resident French beauty expert, but don’t forget to add makeup artist, creative director, and brand founder to her list of titles. To say that she has played with hundreds of formulas throughout her career would be an understatement. Violette shares that when it comes to her personal routine, she looks for products that are packed with effective and credible ingredients, then sticks by them for years to come. “I am a very loyal person with products because I know exactly what I like. Once I find it, it’s love,” she says. “I think when you’re a professional and you find the products of your dreams, you are very loyal to it until you find [something] better.”
For Violette, using beauty as a moment for herself was ingrained in her from an early age. “My routine has always been a form of self-care,” she explains. “Before I had kids I was nerding out on skincare and hair care. Once a week, I would do my little treatments at home and a 10-step routine every night. Then I had a kid [laughs] so all of this went away.” Although inevitable, she notes this change was for the better as it led her to her current curated lineup.
Below, Violette shares the scent she keeps in every room, an exciting new skincare launch from VIOLETTE_FR, and much more.
Legendary Brows Tinted Eyebrow Gel
“I'm really into this tinted brow gel. The brush is so small and the formula is very pigmented. You can remove a bit of the excess [before swiping] then it really helps [get] the eyebrows the way you want them. I love that you can make the eyebrows more bushy. I want that effect with my bangs.”
The Intense Color Eye Pencil
“We do not give enough love to eye pencils. When you have a good eye pencil, you can do a smokey eye, you can do eyeliner, you can do so many things with it and you really change the look of your eyes. I helped develop this one for Guerlain. It’s really pigmented and it’s like butter when you apply it so it is easy to do whatever you want with it. But once it’s locked, it doesn’t move all day. I did a few shades that are almost black so it fits very well along the lash line which is where I love to put it. Then there are blues or burgundy, so depending on the eyeshadow you are wearing or what you are going for with your outfit, you have this little tint that’s so nice.”
From Green Cleansing Oil
“I have two jobs and two kids. I really have no time to take care of myself, but this moment when I am doing my skincare, I do it with the intention that I’m taking care of myself. I don’t do it mechanically.
“I’m currently having a weird obsession with this oil. I have tried so many face oils and have had a reaction to all of them. Either they did not remove my makeup quick enough or they weren’t gentle enough. There is something in this oil that just melts in two seconds. I put a bit of water, rinse it off, then I cleanse with the NueCo Gel Cleanser.”
Sérum Superlatif Set
“This is like a French pharmacy first-aid kit for your skin. The set has five serums for different skin concerns. There is one for the skin barrier, blemishes, reactive skin, UV damage, and dullness. I’m using the Dullness Rescue right now. You know how sometimes you don’t know what’s up with your skin but your complexion looks really dull and tired and not glowy? I used this guy for 48 hours and you really see it after two weeks. One day you’re like, ‘Woah I look so luminous.’ I don’t sleep because I have a newborn and I thought, ‘Wow I don’t feel dull this morning and I barely put any makeup on my skin.’ We call it ‘sleep in a bottle.’”
GRO Hair Serum for Thinning Hair
“I lost so much hair three times in the past two years that it kind of traumatized me. Like 50% of my hair. I had hair loss during pregnancy and after pregnancy then I had anemia from my first birth that I didn’t know about. So I started to lose a crazy amount of hair because of that. Now hair care is like a religion [to me]. Every night I put on this scalp serum. I even use an infrared helmet every other night to help restore [my scalp].”
Avec Amour Perfume
“I feel like perfume is the signature of the soul. I know some people change fragrances with their mood. I'm not like that; I have my one fragrance. I'm really obsessed with our scent. It’s been three years of wearing it and it is not wearing off [on me]. I even wear it at night because it's just oil and natural ingredients so there's nothing harsh. It’s just so sensual.”
8PM Incense
“I’m a huge incense fan. I love this brand, Cinnamon Project, because they do really high-quality incense and the 8 pm scent is just insane. I have it everywhere. Like it's right here [in my office], it’s in my house in Paris, in my house in New York. I love candles, but it's not the same. There's something that just grounds you.”
Cicalfate Lip Restore Lip Cream
“My lips are really dry [especially when I travel]. So I do this little lip mask where I put the Avene Lip Cream on then on top of it I put on any ointment; you can use Vaseline or anything that's going to lock the moisture in. That stays on basically the entire flight. If I go to New York or Paris, when I land, my lips are really moisturized. So that is a game changer.”
Emulsion Tube Cream
“There's nowhere I'm gonna go on the planet without Biafine. It is just the most miraculous product. You don't use it for anything other than sunburn or burns, but this product has never been copied, thank god. They deserve all the sales. This product is just gold. It’s my number one French pharmacy product.”