In my career as a beauty journalist, there’s one particular breed of women who seem to influence the rest of us. The French. French women just have it - that elusive je ne sais quoi. From that perfectly crumpled hair texture to the glow of their skin and the scent of their perfume, their effortless cool is something women the world over are forever trying to emulate.
Which is why, whenever I’m in Paris, I become something of a sleuth. I watch which lipsticks are being applied on the Eurostar and which skincare products women are queuing for in the city’s glossy department stores. Poring over every little detail? A beauty editor’s dream.
On my last trip to the capital, in the summer, I was waiting for my cab to take me to dinner from our hotel, Château Voltaire. For those who don’t know it, this is something of a Mecca for the 'it' crowd. The night before, I’d spotted Carine Roitfeld sipping wine with friends at the bar and Kelly Rutherford settling into its moody restaurant. Suffice to say, this is the gold-standard of people-watching. As I waited I spotted a beautiful dark-haired woman, her French fringe artfully disheveled. She was rifling through her handbag, and I watched, agog, in the hope of catching a glimpse of a beauty secret. Out she pulled a small white tube.
Bingo!
She twisted up what looked to me like a flat lipstick in a marbled berry hue and scribbled it across her lips. Not even a mirror! Then, using her fingertip, she blotted the colour, before pressing the excess onto her cheeks. I watched as she took the bullet and drew two haughty stripes across each cheek, blending them out with the palms of her hands.
The result was beautiful. A rich, plummy pigment that brought the most glorious warmth to her cheeks and lips. It looked polished yet as utterly effortless as the application itself.
No sooner had she finished applying it than she was gone, leaving me without the chance to ask what on earth she’d used to achieve such a glorious result so easily. But I had my suspicions. And it turned out I was right from the get-go.
The next day, during a break between appointments, I popped into Le Bon Marché and made a beeline for the Violette_FR counter. Just a few months earlier, I’d seen French women queuing for the brand’s cult Invisable Bandage, and I thought I recognised the minimalist packaging
Shop: Violette FR Bisou Blush
Violette FR Bisou Blush
**Rachael Martin beauty director says:** 'It leaves the kind of sheen that appears to come from within, rather than sitting on the surface of the skin. The finish isn’t exactly dewy or totally matte either - it seems to hit the sweet spot. I opted for Aissa, the same shade I’d spotted, and marvelled at the swirls of berry and candy pink, which come together to mimic the look of a natural flush.'
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I was right. My Château Voltaire dream girl had been applying Bisou Blush - a beautiful marbled bullet designed to breathe life into tired cheeks and lips. The Parisian behind the brand (and ‘it’ girl in her own right) Violette Serrat, knows a thing or two about creating beautiful products that women genuinely want to use. As it turns out, Bisou Blush was inspired by the masterful sfumato technique of Neoclassical painters. As Violette explains, ‘This elegant formula swirls together a sheer tint with a richer hue, which blend seamlessly into the skin to create a subtle, multidimensional flush.’
Having tried it myself, I’m inclined to agree. It leaves the kind of sheen that appears to come from within, rather than sitting on the surface of the skin. The finish isn’t exactly dewy or totally matte either - it seems to hit the sweet spot. I opted for Aissa, the same shade I’d spotted, and marvelled at the swirls of berry and candy pink, which come together to mimic the look of a natural flush.
Of course, I bought it. And while I’m not quite French enough to apply it without a mirror, I will say that it’s gloriously easy to use.
Until next time, Paris.
Rachael Martin is Grazia’s Beauty director. Originally from Northern Ireland, she studied English Literature at Queen’s University Belfast, before moving to London to pursue a career in magazine journalism.