Seated on the iconic patio at Girafe, we had the most spectacular view of Esplanade du Trocadéro and le tour Eiffel as our backdrop. After an indulgent lunch that ended with beignets and chocolate sauce, my companion (a Canadian installé à Paris) pulled out her lipstick and applied it perfectly, sans mirror. It was a flush that looked natural but too pretty to be so. It didn’t need to be perfect, as the colour blurred around the natural lines of the mouth, including the cupid’s bow (the curve right under the nose). My other lunch (and travel) companion decided it was her trip mission to find this Paris lipstick as a souvenir.
How to keep that summer feeling.
Why beauty products as souvenirs?
Other than the fact that France is a legacy leader in global beauty (you can find stuff there that our fair country Canada doesn’t have on shelves), it also gives you that Madeleine de Proust feeling from your trip. Our senses trigger the memory inducer. In 2019, I bought a YSL lipstick that is so smooth it looks like pink sheer lip gloss. So neat, it also didn’t require a mirror. The best part of the rouge à lèvres was its heart-shaped core. But a whiff of that just-rained street scent or baked bread aroma took me back to the newly finished Les Halles shopping centre, where I picked up this lipstick. It was cool, but the air was moist, and there was a faint scent of bread backing as I walked down the street with my small purchase in hand. And whenever I would apply that lightly fruity lipstick, it took me back, too.
Turns out being a tourist makes scent even more powerful. Researchers from the University of Bath wrote in 2022: “Tourists are more susceptible to sensory influences as they experience unfamiliar environments that bring new sensations or draw attention to existing ones in a different way.” So my inclination for a lightly perfumed lipstick over a Paris-emblazoned T or tote isn’t just about taste – it’s my nature.
How to look like a Parisian with a red lip
I hadn’t always been a lipstick girl, but in 2024, I declared it my red lip year. I suddenly didn’t cringe when I saw photos of myself. So, on my latest trip to Paris (my soul city), red lipstick was certainly on the menu.
What I noticed most about the chicest women in the world is how their lips looked as effortlessly beautiful as their hair. The colour looked blurred and imperfect and confident. So confident that the wearer doesn’t need a mirror to confirm how damn good she looks.
Red lipsticks to buy in Paris
Here are the three lipsticks I was on the hunt for.
La Bouche Rouge in Anja
This is quite a shopping experience, choosing from a long lineup of red-hued lipsticks of different formulas, textures and finishes.
The French Brand: French luxury beauty veteran Nicolas Gerlier, who lists Lancôme, Giorgio Armani perfumes and Phyto hair care on his CV, launched his own beauty brand in 2016. It’s said to be France’s first-ever luxury green beauty line.
The French lipstick: Vegan and made free of allergens, this lipstick is a treat to apply. It’s smooth and hydrating and feels like a slippery lip balm. You buy it as a refill in paper packaging, which you insert into the leather, magnetic-closure case you buy with your first lipstick purchase. And, you can get it embossed.
The French red: Anja is a cool red hue with a blue undertone that leaves your lips with a satin finish.
Do-gooder Josie Maran on body butter scents and superpowers.
Les Filles en Rouje Le Rouge in Camille
How pretty is this Parisian pout?
The French Brand: Former model Jeanne Damas launched her Rouje fashion line at Paris landmark Galeries Lafayette in 2018 and opened her first boutique a year later. But it wasn’t until 2022 that she entered the beauty game with Les Filles en Rouje, including lipsticks and most recently skincare.
The French lipstick: The mostly natural (86%) but completely vegan formula wears light on the lips, but the colour is intense. It comes in a gold ribbed bullet case.
The French red: Each lippy has a female name, and Camille (pronounced kah-mee-yh) is one of a handful of beauties from Rouje. The burgundy wine-stained red leaves a creamy, matte finish.
No liquids on board: How to zip through airport security with a makeup bag.
Violette_FR Bisou Balm in Bètise
That lipstick we spotted on our lunch companion at Girafe? This is it.
The French Brand: French makeup artist Violette Serrat launched her self-named beauty brand in 2021. She describes it as “bridging the gap between the minimalist and beauty-obsessed.”
The French lipstick: This just-kissed balm (hence the name Bisou Balm) applies colour like a very buildable lipstick, which is why you don’t need a mirror to apply. It’s also hydrating. It comes in a plastic and gold bullet.
The French red: Bètise (pronounced beh-tease) is a warm, matte berry shade inspired by French candies. The faint scent is slightly sweet, like faint chocolate or caramelized sugar.
It was sold out when I was in France, so I tried to get another red called Amour Fou. But it was sold out, too! So I grabbed the last tube of another red, Sucette, at the beauty boutique Oh My Cream!. When I got home, however, Bètise came back in stock. Violette_FR delivers to Canada, so I ordered it for me and my travel partner.