I Thought I Couldn't Pull Off Hot Pink Lipstick — and Then I Tried This One

FRENCH TWISTI Didn't Think I Could Pull Off Hot Pink Lipstick — and Then I Tried Violette_Fr's Cœur InfidèleIt took a year and a half for the French beauty brand to nail the new shade. 

By Taylore Glynn

April 26, 2022

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Historically, hot pink looks like shit on me. No, listen: I'm the first person to preach that anyone can pull off anything, and that they just have to go for it. But when it comes to wearing magenta and fuchsia tones on my skin, they usually just don't work. They make my redness-prone skin appear redder, my teeth look yellow, and it's glaringly obvious when it starts to bleed over my lip lines. In photos, it also washes me out, making my fair skin look a little jaundiced. That's why I typically stick to cool-toned reds and purples when I decide to go bold. 

Then this tiny pink tube showed up in the mail: Violette_Fr Petal Matte Bouche in Cœur Infidèle.

I'm already a fan of this product's original shade — a rose petal-red that I get a zillion compliments on whenever I wear it — so either way, I was going to give this formula a shot. Like I typically do with its incarnadine sister, I applied it by dabbing some formula in the center of my lips with the flat side of the applicator, then smudged it out to my vermillion lines with my finger for a softer, more diffused finish. 

I was shocked by the amount of color payoff in that small amount of liquid, and what's more, the shade just… worked. It created a flattering contrast with my pale complexion rather than fighting it, and my teeth looked much whiter than usual. And whereas I'll usually reach for a peachy-pink or mauve to achieve a pretty everyday look, this shade felt as edgy as the more vampy scarlet and Bordeux shades in my arsenal — Barbie, but in her 30s. 

Am I a pink person now?

Taylore Glynn

This nuanced hue can be attributed to the formula's balance of blue and yellow pigments, something French makeup artist and brand founder Violette considers a signature aspect of her products. "You'll see that balance in every lipstick I [formulate] because I feel like you need both. You need yellow for the brightness and vibrancy, and you need blue for depth, and to master the amount of each is really complicated," she explains. (Another example: the brand's sheer Bisou Balms, which are going viral on Tiktok at the moment.) That's why it took the brand's chemists a year and a half of tweaking and reformulation to nail the liquid lipstick's final shade. The bigger challenge, though, would be subverting the typical definition of "French girl beauty."

"The first shade [in the line] was named Amour Fou, which [translates to] 'crazy love,' because that's the relationship we have in Paris with red lipstick. I know it sounds cliché, but it's true," Violette admits. "Women in Paris wear red lipstick a lot. We all own one; we all wear one at some point during the week. It's normal, like mascara. Because in France, we're always obsessed with looking chic. You're going to wear gold hoops and a beautiful red lipstick to elevate your look.

"That's really the problem with the French aesthetic. We get stuck in this aesthetic we really own, but then we don't get out of it and we don't try new things. We never take risks," Violette explains, revealing the inspiration behind the new shade's name: Cœur Infidèle, which translates to "unfaithful heart."

Petal Matte Bouche Amour Fou (left) and new shade Couer Infidèle (right) 

Courtesy of brand

"I never see a Parisian or French woman wearing that type of pink because it's very strong and vibrant, so this is really a challenge I'm giving French people," she says. "Are they finally going to be unfaithful to their red and try this pink? It's really like a challenge with my own culture."

It may take some convincing to help people add magenta and fuchsia tones to their makeup bags — French or not — but those hues are far more wearable than they seem. New York City-based makeup artist Kento Utsubo previously told Allure that magenta will match any other shade you're using on your face, particularly light blue, black, and white. 

Application can help you experiment, too. While I like to buff this formula out with my finger, Violette recommends using the applicator to slightly over-line the lips for a "plumper look," or building up three layers of the formula to increase its vibrancy and depth of color.

The formula's longevity is another reason this lip color impressed me; it's long-lasting but still comfy. After I build up the pigment to my desired finish — I've been playing with this product all week, clearly — it dries down to a velvety, almost powder finish, and it doesn't budge or transfer. And at $25, it's an affordable day-to-night option for anyone looking to dip their toe in the hot pink pool. 

Courtesy of brand

Petal Bouche Matte in Cœur Infidèle$25

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Taylore Glynn is the beauty and wellness editor at Allure. Previously, she served as beauty and health editor at Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar, and her work has appeared in Refinery29, Town & Country, Compound Butter, and RealSelf. She holds a master's degree in English and Creative Writing from... Read moreBeauty and Wellness Editor, Allure.com

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