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Violette Serrat fell into the world of make-up by chance.
“My actual background is artwork and style design, which is what I studied,” Serrat stated. “By chance, I fell into the make-up world by doing make-up on one in all my pals—however not like basic make-up. [It was] a full face of glitter.” Whereas Serrat did not attend magnificence faculty or work as an assistant to different make-up artists, she did incorporate her love of artwork to create her personal merchandise on set. “I used my studying in create my very own work utilizing pigments [and] uncooked supplies to create my very own product on set, which allowed me to develop seems to be that have been completely different from what was taking place within the style sphere on the time,” Serrat stated. Serrat went on to work within the magnificence house at legendary manufacturers akin to Dior and Estée Lauder.
In 2021, Serrat launched Violette_FR, a multicategory magnificence model, which has gained a cult-like following. Earlier this yr, the model launched in Sephora. For the newest episode of The Who What Put on Podcast, Serrat shares how she bought her begin, what the method for making a few of Violette_FR’s best-selling merchandise was like, and extra.
For excerpts from the dialog, scroll beneath.
Earlier than we get into the model’s progress and enlargement, are you able to give listeners somewhat little bit of background in your journey from make-up artist to magnificence entrepreneur?
My actual background is artwork and style design, which is what I studied. By chance, I fell into the make-up world by doing make-up on one in all my pals—however not like basic make-up. [It was] a full face of glitter. I believed, “Oh, it is like dressing up a face and portray your face. That is actually each of my research, and I like [it] a lot. I could not choose one course collectively, so perhaps I ought to do make-up this manner.”
Then when that occurred, I simply targeted on being a make-up artist. I by no means assisted. I by no means went to make-up faculty. I used my studying in create my very own work utilizing pigments [and] uncooked supplies to create my very own product on set, which allowed me to develop seems to be that have been completely different from what was taking place within the style sphere on the time.
I targeted on being a make-up artist for the style trade for 15 or … 17 years earlier than doing my model. Parallel to that, I’ve been working with Dior as a make-up designer [since] I used to be 26, after which I did Estée Lauder as a worldwide magnificence director, after which I did Guerlain. Mainly, for many who do not know what this implies, you will be like the style designer of a home, the place you design the make-up merchandise. You assist with the artistic course and talk on seems to be and packaging, and so forth.
VIOLETTE_FR
Bisou Blush in Maryam
Are you able to stroll us via a few of your greatest sellers? How did you develop them, and the way did they actually “full versus compete” with different issues that different folks would possibly suppose are comparable available on the market?
I do not consider that I must verify all of the containers and be the model that has all of the merchandise that exist available on the market. As a make-up artist, I exploit completely different manufacturers, and I am so completely satisfied to assist different manufacturers, particularly in the event that they did an incredible product. I do not suppose that is going to remove something from me or my firm. It helps us be higher for the setting but in addition rather more intentional for product improvement, and it pushes me very laborious to be very modern, which is a really enjoyable, typically painful problem.
Boum-Boum Milk was an enormous innovation as a result of a twig that may be virtually your complete routine for folks like me which have contact dermatitis and very dry pores and skin… No toner, no milk often available on the market can do this for me, and that one does, and we’ve unbelievable outcomes.
VIOLETTE_FR
Boum-Boum Milk Rebalancing 3-in-1 Barrier Spray With Squalane
After we see outcomes on folks’s pores and skin, it is simply probably the most rewarding factor. We now have the seal that you should use you probably have eczema or psoriasis as a result of we have seen additionally unbelievable outcomes right here. That was a giant victory for me. Then we’ve Bisou Balm, which is one thing that I have been dreaming about for years.
In France, we do that factor that is known as bouche mordue, the place we put a lip balm, faucet a little bit of lipstick, therapeutic massage it, then kiss a tissue to take away the surplus of the oil so it seems to be extra matte. All that’s as a result of we would like this little bit of a lip flush. It seems to be such as you’ve been kissed. I used to be questioning why nothing like this exists. I do not perceive. Additionally, I’ve a really textured lip, so I needed one thing that can blur a bit to offer it a little bit of this sensual pout.
It sounds okay—sheer, matte, blurring, nonetheless hydrating lipstick ought to be straightforward to make. It was so painful. We labored with so many labs. No person might do it. It is really rather more straightforward to do a basic bullet. When it launched and now after we see the response, it is nuts for me. I can not consider the response on this product. It is so rewarding as a result of I had this imaginative and prescient that solely [I] understood as a result of it was in my head. I fought so laborious to make it occur. Now, folks hook up with it.
VIOLETTE_FR
Bisou Balm Sheer Matte Lipstick
The final one I might say is Bisou Jelly, which is the sister of Bisou Balm. It is a jelly model. It is a jelly with a middle core with pigment, which is hand-filled. It is a very modern product that delivers precisely what I needed. … You are gonna apply the jelly above the lip line, which supplies this little pout, tremendous sensual. Then the middle core is simply gonna ship the pigment all over the place, and it is extremely hydrating. That is additionally a giant reward.
VIOLETTE_FR
Bisou Jelly in Pomme d’Amour
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
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