Inside Violette's Travel Makeup Bag
June 18 | 2 minute read
Words by Genevieve Phelan
We caught up with renowned makeup artist Violette – founder of VIOLETTE_FR – to prepare our travel bags for a hot and heavenly summer abroad. Her eponymous collection is filed in MECCA’s ‘impossibly chic’ folder, and is all about nailing sleek rituals (without looking like you tried at all). Forget je ne sais quoi – this is precisely what goes into effortless travel beauty.
First on the agenda is pinpointing a special place to stay, and while Violette is based in New York, her holiday recommendation is spoken like a true Française: ‘St Barth’ (that’s the Caribbean island of St Barthelémy).
”It’s close to New York – like six hours away door-to-door to the house we rent each time,” Violette tells The MECCA Memo. “And it’s like France on an island, a home away from home. Everything is wild and gorgeous and nature is intact there. I feel completely elsewhere, but also at home.”
With location on lock, we shift attention toward Violette’s tried-and-tested beauty principles. She laughs and reminds us that her chemist, Luke, will “yell” at her if she doesn’t pack the right SPF.
Sunscreen’s constant reapplication “all day long” is paramount, completed almost reflexively (alongside a cute hat); “I really don’t want my face to get tanned,” is a refreshing sentiment that we wish we heard more often!
While Violette tells us she doesn’t tend to shop on vacation, it’s clear packing light is her biggest priority. It’s achieved with ease thanks to some travel routine mainstays: “I always have skincare, and my SPF comes with me to protect me from sun damage. Then, Boum-Boum for sure!”
That’s in reference to her cutely named Boum-Boum Milk a three-in-one spray formulated to rebalance, hydrate and renew. And we concur! Face mists and foreign holidays are a match made in heaven.
For her warm-weather makeup, it’s about small swipes of colour for big impact, oscillating between the eyes and lips as focal points for pigment: “I’ll use a bit of Yeux Paint to add sparkle and magic to the eyes at night, or Petal Bouche as a statement – I love warm-toned skin with this lipstick, or Bisou Balm for a quick colour to apply on a beach day,” she says.
On a general rule of maquillage, Violette opts for “just one statement” and keeps “the rest super natural.”
Now, how about in-flight essentials? On her final parting words of skincare wisdom, Violette flies with Boum-Boum Milk for seamless rehydration while up in the air. Oh, and “Baume Shine, always.”
”I don’t touch skin with my hands [while flying], I'm very careful. My little one also has very dry skin, like me, and is eczema-prone, so I’m constantly spraying her with Boum-Boum. I just love that you can spray and not touch your face – there are no germs like with hand application.”
This wonder mist will have you soothed from plane to plage (read: beach), supporting the skin barrier’s function.
While Violette no longer has “the luxury of overpacking” with her two children in tow, you won’t catch her going anywhere far without a fragrance. Top of the list is Avec Amour, VIOLETTE_FR’s signature musky, vetiver-laced roll-on perfume.
“It’s made without alcohol, so you can apply it on the beach and you don’t have to worry about your skin reacting.” she explains. “I love the scent of this when you put it on during beach time and it blends into your warm skin and the salt of the sea – it’s amazing!”
Finally, a heroic haircare tip is Violette’s go-to Frange Puff dry shampoo – when your hair is “full of oils and messed up”, this quick fixer-upper is a very impactful travel companion.
C’est tout! Consider this your sign to make ‘French girl beauty’ your holiday alter ego, and get that Call Me By Your Name summer loading.
