I’ve Always Been Nervous to Wear Red Lipstick—But This Soft-Focus Matte Balm Is a Failsafe Way to Get The Look

It feels like a safe bet to say that the vast majority of make-up wearers have at least one lipstick in their beauty bag, likely a few. But if it’s not something you wear on the regular, you may be apprehensive about slathering on even the best red lipstick. So, let me put you onto a product that I reckon will nip that apprehension in the bud: Violette_FR Bisou Balm.

Launched in 2021, Violette_FR is a chic brand founded by make-up artist Violette Serrat, which marries that understated “French girl make-up” look with a slice of bold self expression. Think a capsule of lovely lip products, blushers and vibrant eyeshadow paints; all wrapped up in minimalistic-yet-unique packaging.

Because I test lipsticks so frequently as a beauty editor, my collection is pretty extensive. So it says a lot that one day, when I’d misplaced it, I was crawling around on my hands and knees desperately trying to find my Bisou Balm. The thought of losing it had me bereft and I turned my house upside down until I found it; I truly don’t know the last time I felt like that about a lipstick. And voila, here's what makes it so brilliant…

Though the most important aspect of any beauty product will always be the formula itself, first impressions count for a lot. Bisou Balm’s packaging is undeniably cool, nailing that chic element from the off. White and gold with black lettering, the top of the lid is embossed with the brand’s single outline style emblem.

Application-wise, it’s very difficult to get it wrong here, as it really is as easy as just swiping it on. Because it has this matte (but not mega dry) consistency, it creates this fantastic wash of blurry colour. No crisp edges here, unless you pair it with lip pencil, just a soft focus finish—it's designed to create that "bouche mordue", AKA just bitten lip look, which I can attest fo.

Shade wise, there are nine that cover everything from coral to brighter red and muted pinks. My go-to, Mon Chéri, is a muted shade of red that's inspired by chocolate cherry candy, but definitely a red all the same; here I’m wearing just a wash of it for a barely-there lipstick look, but you can build it for slightly denser and more obvious colour.

Wear-wise, Bisou Balm is so comfortable, both when it goes on and with time; it doesn’t gradually dry out like some “traditional” matte lipsticks can. I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as a long-lasting lipstick; instead, it fades slowly with wear but really evenly, retaining that all-over soft focus look. In my opinion, though, it’s always nice to top up your lip colour, particularly with this kind of formula—and I think with Bisou Balm you’ll really want to. I’m hooked.