“Normally, people go to school, assist a great makeup artist for years, and then strike out on their own. I skipped all that. I was already a painter, and so I used my art background to teach myself makeup and went straight to an agency with my portfolio. I built that portfolio by organizing shoots with young photographers who needed to build their portfolios, and models who were just starting out. It was all very creative—but maybe not always in a good way. [Laughs] Once, I used cocoa powder to create a look. I was always experimenting with ingredients because the products I wanted didn’t exist yet. One agent found that intriguing and decided to give me a chance. Slowly, I started getting very small jobs for American Vogue and it snowballed from there.
I knew from the very beginning that I would eventually start my own brand. With Violette_FR I wanted to create something mistake-proof—products infused with technique, so even beginners could get beautiful results. Beyond that, I want people to have fun. In France, the number one goal is to be happy. When you go to Paris, you’ll notice that no one takes their drinks to go—they sit and enjoy them. Staying in the bathroom for a very long time is not for us. People ask, ‘How do you look so effortless?’ And I say, ‘To look effortless, you have to be effortless.’ That’s the philosophy behind my brand.
SKINCARE
I have to be really careful with what I put on my skin because I have contact dermatitis. Gentle is the name of the game, which is why I love Dieux’s Baptism cleanser, and what’s great is that it actually cleans my face in one step. But, if I have time for a real double cleanse, I start off with my cleansing oil from Purito. It has an insane bouncy texture.
Boum-Boum Milk is my lifesaver. Before creating it, I knew that I wanted a product that could immediately restore the skin barrier. It had to be a liquid to penetrate deeply, highly anti-inflammatory to repair the skin, and it had to lock in moisture. We spent three intense years developing it, and honestly, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to launch it. The formula is 38-percent fermented birch sap, which is incredibly hard to source. I had to find a farmer willing to harvest it specifically for us, and since it’s only available once a year, the timing had to be exact. It’s a very nerdy product—the results are worth every bit of the effort. You can wear it on its own if you want. That’s actually why I called it Boum-Boum Milk: you just go boom, boom [sprays twice in the air], and you’re done.
After Boum-Boum I put on sunscreen from Le Rub, which was recommended to me by my chemist, Luc. I trust him—he’s extremely dedicated to formula cleanliness and sustainability. Of course, no product is ever perfect, but sunscreens can be particularly damaging to the environment if you’re not careful. I can’t lie, though—since it’s mineral-based it leaves a white cast. But I can fix that with makeup which, to me, is a compromise worth making.
I lost my lashes when I was pregnant. I tried a growth formula that’s quite strong but people had weird stories about it, so I switched to Nuorganic. It’s amazing—I put it on as if it’s eyeliner every night. For eye creams, I rotate. The Augustinus Bader Rich eye cream is my everyday. The K-Secret Seoul 1988 cream has retinal, so I use it at night. And then I have one that sort of vibrates as you apply it, so I think it helps with blood flow in that area. Sometimes my Boum-Boum Milk is my eye cream, too. I’ll put on a layer of it and then seal it in with my Violette_Fr and Dieux Forever eye masks. The combo leaves your eyes so hydrated and smooth—the perfect canvas for concealer. I also used to put Boum-Boum Milk under a layer of Vaseline on my lips to lock in the moisture. I’ve never really understood lip balms as a standalone product because they don’t really do anything. I mean, they’re meant to help your lips retain water, but what if your lips don’t have any water to retain? I feel like Dr. Idriss’ Barrier Baste Lip Basting Duo solves for this. First, you apply the Lip Peel to gently exfoliate and hydrate, and then you follow it up with the Lip Baste. I use it every night.
Every other night, I use A313. It’s made with retinoids, and it gives me the retinol effect, minus any peeling. I also have an LED face mask from The Light Salon, but if I’m being honest, I don’t use it every single night. I get super enthusiastic about devices when I do my research, but I’ll use it for three days and realize how much work it is. [Laughs]
BODY AND WELLNESS
I wish more people in the US knew about Holidermie. It’s this incredible brand from France that’s made by my best friend, Melanie Huynh. She’s so knowledgeable about wellness, and she partnered with Dr. Jérôme Paris, an incredible French surgeon, to formulate the brand. I’m especially obsessed with the Collagen Cocoa Cubes and the exfoliating hand soap. After I’ve been in the sun, I like to put on a layer of the Absolute face and body balm to soothe my skin. Together, we also created Rêve Bath, a calming and hydrating bath milk. I told Melanie, ‘I want to bathe like Cleopatra,’ and I think this is a good start. Honestly, I rarely take a bath, but when I do, I want to make it matter. I make this concoction that also includes epsom salts and magnesium. And right now, I’m testing Osea’s Vagus Nerve bath oil. It’s supposed to help you relax. We’ll see…
In France, feminine hygiene is a big topic, and so I was surprised it wasn’t really talked about when I moved to America. For example, in France, we have tampons that have probiotics for your flora. I had a really hard time finding a good-for-you feminine wash until I discovered Rael’s. I get my pads from them, too.
As far as oral hygiene, I’m obsessed with Email Diamant toothpaste. It's this old-school red toothpaste that tastes like anise. All of the French TV people use it because it makes your teeth really white. Everyone should own a tube—and a copper tongue scraper. The copper is key because it’s antimicrobial.
MAKEUP
French people think it’s important to get comfortable in your skin, so not wearing makeup is a sort of exposure therapy. [Laughs] That’s generally how I move through the world, but I love to have a little spice somewhere, maybe on my eyes or my lips, to serve a mood. If I do have to wear makeup, maybe for a shoot, I like Victoria Beckham’s concealer pen. I was surprised by how good it was because I am very picky with concealers. Meanwhile, Uoma makes the best powder. Powder generally looks great on camera, but kind of textured in real life. However, it’s good for setting products like concealer. I also love that you have to twist the Uoma container to release the powder. It’s perfect for a clumsy person like me.
I will always trust a brand created by a makeup artist, especially one like Gucci Westman. The packaging on the Westman Atelier mascara is also amazing, and I’m sorry, but I think that matters. It helps you with this feeling of ritual. I like to brush up my brows with KS + Co brow gel. I just wanted something that just holds my brows in place without being sticky, and that’s exactly what it does.
My favorite shade of Bisou Blush is Inès, which was inspired by the little flush on my daughter’s cheeks when she was teething. She literally looked like an emoji with her little round mouth and big baby eyes and sweet pink cheeks. Lately, I’ve been blending two shades for what I like to call The Ombré Flush. I start with Marnie, which is warm and bronzy, along my outer cheekbones and blend inward and upward. Then, I swipe across my forehead and temples and finish on the nose for that sun-kissed effect. Next, I go in with a brighter red, like Maryam, and apply it on the apples of the cheeks, where blood naturally flows. A little extra in the center adds depth, and I finish with a dab on the nose for that extra touch. Together, these shades create a beautiful, multidimensional glow.
HAIR
I cut my own hair, and Alissa Frum from The Blackstones Collective is the only other person who touches my head. I originally started seeing her for highlights, and then she started coloring it when some grays popped up a few years ago. My natural color is brown with sort of gold tones that are hard to replicate, but Alissa is brilliant.
I’m really picky with my shampoo and conditioner because a lot of them make my hair matte and lifeless, but I fell in love with Rōz’s Foundation shampoo and conditioner when the founder, Mara Roszak, sent them to me. The shampoo cleans my hair without stripping it, and the conditioner hydrates without weighing it down. Before I shampoo, I like to use the Epres Bond Repair Treatment—you only have to leave it on for ten minutes before washing and it’s helped my hair so much. After shampooing, I towel-dry my hair, put a bit of K18’s Molecular Repair Hair Mask in along with conditioner, wait, and then rinse. Once out of the shower, I smooth on IGK’s Cash In Instant Repair Serum.
When I got pregnant with my first daughter, I had terrible anemia and lost half of my hair. Then I lost more postpartum. It was traumatic. Nioxin’s Night Density Rescue Serum has been the best regrowth treatment I’ve found. I never go a night without it: I come home, put it on, brush my scalp, and sometimes finish with K18’s Molecular Repair Oil on the ends.
By the way, the only brushes worth using are Mason Pearson. That’s just how I was raised. Friends, family members—they all have one. I now use one on my daughters’ hair. And I know they’re expensive, but I’ve had mine for maybe 20 years. Tools-wise, I love my Dyson dryer. My hair is naturally wavy, and it’s great at smoothing it while still keeping texture.
FRAGRANCE
I always say I want discreet and sensual skin perfumes. I have tons of them on my desk because I love the packaging, but I mostly use my own, Avec Amour. It’s an oil-based roll-on that doesn’t have any alcohol in it, so it completely fuses with your skin to create a unique scent. It has amber, santal, vetiver, ylang-ylang and bergamot—warm but not sweet. A friend told me that she puts it on whenever she needs a hug—the best compliment. It’s really great to layer with other perfumes. I wear mine with Matiere Premiere’s Neroli Oranger. I love neroli, but I have this very precise idea of how I want to smell it and this is the closest I’ve come to it. I love Trudon’s Absolu, too. The bottle is beautiful. It has orange blossom absolute as a tribute to Louis the XIV, who loved the flower.
D.S. & Durga sent me a few perfumes and I love how original they are—a true modern fragrance house. I keep their Amber Kiso around for the days when I want to feel a bit more fab and mysterious. And I think that The Nue Co. is the future of beauty. Every night I put on their Functional Fragrance, which is meant to help you de-stress. I have Forest Lungs, too, which is more for mood-balancing. Is it just a placebo? I don’t know. But placebos have power, so if it works, it works, right?”
—As told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Shana Trajanoska in New York on April 2, 2025