(Trial Run)
Violette_FR’s Cream Blush Helps Me Live My “French Girl Beauty” Fantasy
It’s *almost* too pretty to use.
In our series Trial Run, TZR editors and writers put the buzziest new beauty products to the test and share their honest reviews. This week, beauty editor Erin Lukas is testing the Violette_FR Bisou Blush.
As someone who spends so much time online (it’s an occupational hazard of being a digital beauty editor), I’m fully aware that social media is often a highlight reel, but even I can’t help but buy into the effortless “French girl beauty” aesthetic that dominates Instagram and TikTok.
All of the French women I follow on Instagram look naturally cool, from their tousled waves and their stained-red lips to the snakeskin boots peeking out from underneath their vintage Levis 501 jeans. So, naturally, whenever Paris-born New York-based makeup artist Violette launches a new product under her namesake beauty brand, which pulls inspiration from the French, I simply must get my hands on it — ASAP.
Violette’s latest creation is the Bisou Blush, a creamy blush stick that leaves skin with a soft, natural flush. Available in three shades, the buildable color promises a seamless finish that doesn’t settle into fine lines or melt off mid-day. Since I’m always after an effortless everyday makeup look, I tend to prefer cream-based products because they deliver the most natural finish. However, it’s tough to find a cream blush that stays fresh for the entirety of wearing it.
With all of the aforementioned factors in mind, I started incorporating Violette_FR’s Bisou Blush into my regular makeup routine. Ahead, my full thoughts on the cream blush, including its inspiration, formula details, and how to apply it.
Fast Facts:
- Price: $35
- Size: 7g
- Clean/cruelty free: Yes
- Best for: A buildable, natural flush
- Ingredients: Ginger root extract, synthetic beeswax
- What we like: Lightweight, buildable color
- What we don’t like: The blush stick is almost too pretty to use
- Rating: 5/5
My Everyday Makeup Routine
“No makeup-makeup” is an oxymoron, but there’s truly no way to better describe my everyday look. I like to define and highlight my features without my makeup feeling like wearing a too-heavy jacket on a balmy spring day. So I tend to stick to cream complexion products like Armani Beauty Neo Nude Foundation, Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick, and Victoria Beckham Beauty Reflect Highlighter Stick because they’re all lightweight and go on seamlessly. I finish things off with a few coats of Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Volumizing Mascara and a swipe of Dior Lip Glow Oil in Cherry or Victoria Beckham Beauty Posh Lipstick in Sway.
The Violette_FR Bisou Blush
Violette_FR’s Bisou Blush is a dual-ended stick – one side is the marbleized blush while the other is a built-in fluffy application brush. It comes in three shades inspired by Violette’s real-life muses. Inès (soft baby pink) is named after the makeup artist’s daughter, Louise (muted pink-beige) is named after her best friend and French actor Louise Monot, and Aïssa (warm berry) is named after French actor Aïssa Maïga. All three were designed with a range of skin tones in mind, and will deliver different color payoffs depending on the depth of your complexion.
The formula is also a nod to Violette’s art school days; a reference to the Neoclassic paintings she loves and the techniques the artists used to create radiant skin on the subjects in their works. As such, the colors blend easily and can be layered for an extra flushed look.
My Experience & Results
Aside from the natural finish, one of the major reasons why I prefer cream makeup products is their ease of application — and Bisou Blush is no different. I add a swipe of Aïssa straight from the stick to the apples of my cheeks and then blend it out with a Beautyblender. While the swipe itself looks super pigmented, it softens to a beautiful wash of berry with a hint of my skin showing through. This produces that elusive lit-from-within glow that both the French (and Violette’s favorite artists) are known for.
If I’m in the mood for a bit more color, I’ll add another layer of blush with my fingertip, tapping it in for a seamless finish. While the blush’s built-in brush is a handy addition, I don’t typically use it purely based on personal preference — I find a makeup sponge or my fingertips create the most even application for cream blush.
While cream blush is as effortless as it gets in terms of application, many formulas don’t go on evenly and/or fade away after a few hours. Violette’s is an exception — the berry hue looks just as fresh and radiant at 9 a.m. as it does at 7 p.m. after I’ve commuted to and from work and beauty events.
Is Bisou Blush Worth It?
The short answer? Yes. Violette_FR’s Bisou Blush has been a welcome addition to my low-key everyday makeup routine because it complements the other cream complexion products I use, and is just as easy to apply. The lit-from-within flush wakes up my skin and feels weightless while doing so. After wearing the blush almost daily for the last month or so, I don’t have the desire to reach for any other blush in my makeup collection. Thankfully, a little bit goes a lot way.
Bisou Blush just has one downfall — the marbleized stick is so ridiculously pretty, I was hesitant to start testing it at first. But for the sake of my makeup routine, I’m so glad I did.
