{"id":80516,"date":"2023-09-14T10:57:39","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T00:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=239013"},"modified":"2023-09-14T05:48:22","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T05:48:22","slug":"violette-fr-interview","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate French Girl Shares Her Ultimate French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"violette-fr\"
Violette, founder and CEO of VIOLETTE_FR. Credit: Supplied by Mecca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Award-winning makeup artist and founder\/CEO of VIOLETTE_FR, Violette, launched her cult brand exclusively at Mecca<\/a> this month. But just minutes into meeting the French beauty, I realized it\u2019s not just Violette\u2019s line of balms, cream blushes and three-in-one cream sprays that will sell themselves, it\u2019s the woman herself.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re enamored by the French girl beauty<\/a> aesthetic: undone, unfussy, blas\u00e9. But as Violette<\/a> explains, the French do<\/em> care about the way they look\u2014nothing is effortless, she says. They just simply spend more time taking care of their skin and hair at a cellular level, and have grown up armed with the attitude that if someone doesn\u2019t like you, it doesn\u2019t matter: They don\u2019t sweat the small things. Nothing is a big deal. They don\u2019t get caught up in the sh*t.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always have this attitude of, \u2018This is it. Take it or leave it,\u2019\u201d Violette tells GRAZIA, her Petal Bouche Matte lip (in shade amour fou<\/a>) velvety and dramatic. \u201cTake care of what mother nature gave you. Healthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare\u2014hydrated and moisturized. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Violette, one\u2019s differences, when embraced, can indeed lead them to experience la joie de vivre<\/em> (the joy of living). Ahead, we meet the woman behind VIOLETTE_FR and discuss her early years (she began her career at Dior and Est\u00e9e Lauder), correct the French girl beauty ideal, and talk about the French mentality as the key to a life well-lived. Get ready to be inspired.<\/p>\n

\"violette-fr\"
Credit: Supplied by Mecca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

GRAZIA: When did you decide you wanted to start your own brand? And where did you begin in making this a reality?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: It started 20 years ago. I was making my own product on sets. I would wonder, \u2018Why don\u2019t we have liquid eye shadows on the market?\u2019 I focused first on building my career and my experiences\u2014that was my priority\u2014and along the line, the brand kind of built itself up in my head. And then, eight years ago, I was at the peak of my career in France, but I was going through something quite difficult in my personal life, and I needed to change everything somehow. I needed to do something I\u2019d been dreaming of. I wanted to move to New York and push my brand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted my company to be a French car with American gas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew I had to rebuild my career in the States before launching my brand. It took me four years until I was ready. Then, I decided what products I wanted to release and pitched it to labs to see if they could make the formula. I wanted it at an extremely accessible price point. I feel like luxury is too elitist.<\/p>\n

GRAZIA: You moved to New York at 19. What was the best part about that period in your life? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: It was like a book chapter, an older chapter. I have so much tenderness for the past because, you know, you do your things without knowing where it’s going to end up.<\/p>\n

GRAZIA: I love that you have corrected the perception that your brand is about effortlessness.<\/em> To you, it\u2019s actually about irreverence.<\/em> Can you explain this idea a little more? What is French irreverence?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: In a way, I understand. If you want to look effortless, you have to be effortless. I did my makeup in the car this morning, and that\u2019s how I think the French do it, nothing is a big deal. It\u2019s for you to enjoy yourself. You can go out without any makeup on, it\u2019s fine, it\u2019s the way you look. But I think the French put lots of effort into taking care of ourselves: doing research into the best skincare, food is a big thing for us, lifestyle. I don\u2019t think we can, therefore, be completely effortless.<\/p>\n

To be happy, you have to love yourself. But how do you do that exactly? I have found that a helpful way to look at it is, \u201cWell, this is the way that I am. If you don\u2019t like it, you can just leave it and go somewhere else.\u201d And that irreverence, or way of thinking, is good because it filters the right people for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe French don\u2019t go on dates. They meet people. We don\u2019t seduce. We show up to dates in the most natural way possible. Just to be like, \u2018This is the deal, take it or leave it.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

GRAZIA: You speak about the concept of \u201cwaking up in the morning and just doing you\u201d, being you, being yourself. What age were you when you felt really comfortable and content in the woman that you are?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: I was 15 years old. My only focus at the time was to enjoy myself. [My friends and I] were sneaking out of the house, putting pillows under the blankets, and going out to gay disco clubs on a Monday night. I would steal my mum’s Jean Paul Gaultier outfit, the one that was transparent with the fake tattoos [editor\u2019s note: this was from JPG\u2019s Spring 1994 ready-to-wear collection], put on leather pants and heels. I would wear Ruby Roo [lipstick] from MAC. I really wasn\u2019t giving a sh*t. I had the same clique of friends since forever and we felt fabulous.<\/p>\n

GRAZIA: I love this!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: We would save up money to get a bottle by doing babysitting. We were friends with the owners of the club so we\u2019d get a nice table without spending too much. We were like, \u201cWe don\u2019t need no man!\u201d [Laughs] I remember, though, we all looked so different. One night, one of my friends said, \u201cI don\u2019t think you can ever rate us.\u201d Each of us were so different, we connected, we clicked. At 15, it was such a good way of thinking about it. It wasn\u2019t, \u201cWho is the most beautiful?\u201d We were equals. We all cheered ourselves on, and all we cared about was music, dancing and having fun.<\/p>\n

\"violette-fr\"Violette_FR Petal Bouche Matte, in shade amour fou SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

GRAZIA: Tell me more about your concept of makeup as a mood lifter.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: I\u2019m sure you can relate. One day you wake up and it\u2019s not your day. You think, \u201cGosh, I have this meeting where I cannot look or feel horrible. I need a support system.\u201d For me, it\u2019s my red lips. As soon as I put it on, I feel myself again. You have to find your superpower colour, you know? And then, what\u2019s the outfit that makes you feel the best? Go find that. Let it get you. When I gave birth, my friends were like, \u201cHow was it?\u201d I said, \u201cYou need to challenge your warrior.\u201d I have so much respect for women\u2014I always did\u2014but now, it’s next level! It\u2019s just you and your baby and you\u2019re going to get through it. That\u2019s why I think you have to connect back to this warrior mindset. If women can create human beings, they can get through this day.<\/p>\n

GRAZIA: In the US, a beauty ideal for us is French Girl Beauty. The French, to me, are less \u201cdone,\u201d more cool, they seem really nonchalant. You have to tell me three French beauty secrets!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: The nonchalance is actually irreverence, I think. Secrets? I would say it lies in how you feel. You cannot look like this if you do not feel it. We always have this attitude like, \u201cThis is it. Take it or leave it.\u201d Another secret: take care of what mother nature gave you.<\/p>\n

\u201cHealthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare\u2014hydrated and moisturized. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then you need to get dressed. What are you in the mood for and what\u2019s your makeup statement? Don\u2019t be scared of imperfections. For example, today as I was doing my makeup in the car, and I had black bits from my lashes on my eyelids. I took some highlighter and rubbed into my eye to create a smoky eye. From an accident, I made something\u2014and that is super French. We like when the makeup looks super worn. You wear the makeup, the makeup doesn\u2019t wear you.<\/p>\n

\"violette-fr\"Violette_FR Boum-Boum Milk SHOP NOW<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

GRAZIA: Do you have a favorite product from your range?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: The Boum-Boum Milk. When people buy a toner, serum, and a moisturizer, none of them have been designed to work together, and it can be counterproductive. So, I said to my chemist, \u201cCan we do a product that does everything, and is highly anti-inflammatory?\u201d In 20 years of doing makeup, everyone has some sort of inflammation. I wanted something that will focus on your skin health overtime. What does your skin need to be at its best? After three days of usage, we\u2019re seeing incredible results, and after four weeks of testing, the skin is thriving.<\/p>\n

\"violette-fr\"
Credit: Supplied by Mecca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"violette-fr\"Violette_FR bisou blush, in shade Aissa SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

GRAZIA: Do you have a pro tip for applying the matte cr\u00e8me blushes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: It comes will a little brush, so you just swipe onto the apple of your cheeks, and blend at the end. That\u2019s it. Honestly, it\u2019s so easy. You could also apply it on the nose for a sun-kissed look. We did the job so you don\u2019t have to make it too complicated.<\/p>\n

GRAZIA: When it comes to beauty perceptions, what hopes do you have for your young daughters? What lessons are you instilling in them as they grow?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: My eldest daughter is very into Elsa from Frozen<\/em>. My husband is Chinese so my kids are bi-racial and my eldest has long dark hair and dark eyes. For Halloween, she wants to be Elsa and I asked her why. She said, \u201cBecause she\u2019s so beautiful\u201d. She wants to be blonde with blue eyes. I try to teach her that the version she is is absolutely perfect. And she should embrace it. It\u2019s definitely a challenge.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

GRAZIA: Finally, can you share with us a life secret of the French?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Violette: What we care about is being happy. We cherish authenticity which helps you also cherish how you are. For example, if you said, \u201cHey, how are you?\u201d a French person will never just be good, they will actually tell you how they are. Because if you\u2019re asking them, you want to know. If you don\u2019t want to know, don\u2019t ask. And if you don\u2019t ask, it\u2019s OK! Sometimes, I find myself still in American-mode where I have to make the atmosphere happy and uplifted. The French don\u2019t care, we don\u2019t need that. And I think that effects how we experience life.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":80517,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[30,16],"yoast_head":"\nViolette_FR Shares Her French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Healthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured,\u201d says VIOLETTE_FR's Violette.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Ultimate French Girl Shares Her Ultimate French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Healthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured,\u201d says VIOLETTE_FR's Violette.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grazia USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-09-14T05:48:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/09\/violette-fr-33.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1121\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/\",\"name\":\"Violette_FR Shares Her French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-14T00:57:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-14T05:48:22+00:00\",\"description\":\"Healthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured,\u201d says VIOLETTE_FR's Violette.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Ultimate French Girl Shares Her Ultimate French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\",\"name\":\"Grazia USA\",\"description\":\"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Violette_FR Shares Her French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets","description":"Healthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured,\u201d says VIOLETTE_FR's Violette.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Ultimate French Girl Shares Her Ultimate French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets","og_description":"Healthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured,\u201d says VIOLETTE_FR's Violette.","og_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/","og_site_name":"Grazia USA","article_modified_time":"2023-09-14T05:48:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1121,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/09\/violette-fr-33.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/","name":"Violette_FR Shares Her French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-09-14T00:57:39+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-14T05:48:22+00:00","description":"Healthy hair washed, but not done. No foundation, but good skincare. Eyebrows brushed, but not manicured,\u201d says VIOLETTE_FR's Violette.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/violette-fr-interview\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Ultimate French Girl Shares Her Ultimate French Girl Beauty And Lifestyle Secrets"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/","name":"Grazia USA","description":"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Grazia USA","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/80516"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}