"French girl beauty" has been here a long time, but I'd argue that where it really shines is in the summer months. Its "less is more" approach is perfectly tailored to warm weather, where looking "effortless" is the goal; as is highlighting the features you want to accentuate, and embracing so-called "imperfections". And who better to chat about this with than the French make-up artist, Violette Serrat, who founded her eponymous brand, VIOLETTE_FR, in 2021.
"It's funny because I was asked about 'French Girl beauty' decades ago, and I had no clue," the self-taught MUA tells me. "But when I moved to the US, I cracked the code—in France, it's all about being happy, and to be happy is to love yourself. Easy. The role of make-up, then, is just to sell yourself. It has nothing to do with 'fixing' anything, because we strive to accept ourselves the way we are. Plus, we spend very little time in the bathroom, because we'd rather go out and enjoy life. To look effortless, you have to be effortless; there's no other secret, and that's why I create products that require zero effort."
How to get French girl make-up this summer 2025
I'm speaking to Violette after a press breakfast she hosted in London to mark the release of her new Lip Nectars, a truly unique balm-stain hybrid, which could not have landed at my desk at a better time. And so, it's time to ask—how will French women be adorning their faces this summer?
"We love a bit of tan, bronzy skin," Violette replies. "And depending on your skin tone, a hot flush type of blush, like a sunburn across the nose and cheeks. We also like glass skin and a wet eyelid—I use our Baume Shine Highlighter, which is so gorgeous for that. And then we have to have a super strong red lip in the summer, like MAC Cosmetics' Ruby Woo, or our Bisou Balm if you don't want to go full on."
But, she adds, you really want your skin to do the talking. "I have contact dermatitis, which means I'm allergic to everything. So, thank god I developed Boum-Boum Milk—it's been life-changing for my skin, and my daughter's. She was born with eczema, and I would take her out of the shower when she was two and a half and completely spray her all over with it. I decided to develop it after two decades of doing make-up, when I realised that models had damaged skin barriers because of travel and product overuse. This is like a refreshing SOS kit for the skin, and it works in 10 seconds thanks to the inculsion of prebiotics and glacial water—not normal water—which truly hydrate the skin."
French girl summer essentials 2025
As Violette explains, French women tend to leave behind their handbags, especially in the warmer months, so they normally keep just one lipstick on them at all times. "That's why I created the Bisou Balm to replicate what I call 'bouche mordue' [just bitten lips], which are zero effort—you don't even need a mirror, and it barely looks like you've applied anything."
"But for summer," she continues, "the one thing I'm taking out right now is Lip Nectar. It's amazing as it's so hydrating, and adds colour that lasts like a stain. There's nothing like it on the market. My products are always very selfish—they're what I want for myself. And you can play with these shades and contour your lips, or layer them, which makes the colour unique to you."
After trying out Lip Nectar over the past three weeks, I can confirm that they're now a staple in my handbag. I've always loved a stain, but as someone with incredibly dry skin, and even drier lips, I've had to pair them with a balm—this product takes the guesswork out of that with its hybrid formula. It's five stars from me.
