The French do things very well. Whether it is French hair, fragrance or wine, the French have it down to a T. In fact, at Who What Wear, we’re a little bit obsessed with French beauty. Taking care of your appearance, and the skin in particular, is ingrained in French culture. That’s why you can walk into a pharmacy in France and the pharmacist will be able to help you address skincare needs more so than here in the UK.
Then of course, there is French makeup. French women have nailed that effortless look, while still looking pulled together. Think minimal foundation—more likely a dab of concealer here and there—paired with a bright red lipstick. It is this pairing of minimalist and maximalist that compliments the entire makeup mood.
Speaking of lipsticks, I noticed that some of my favourite lipstick brands and formulas just so happen to be French. After all, so many great makeup brands have been born in France, such as the classic beauty houses like Chanel and Dior, nicher brands like La Bouche Rouge and Yolaine, and the more affordable drugstore favourites like Bourjois and L’Oréal Paris. Ahead, I’ve rounded up the best French lipsticks new and old which I continually reach for in my makeup bag.
Wearing La Bouche Rouge Lipstick in Le Baume Kelly. La Bouche Rouge (which translate as ‘the red lips’) is one of my favourite French lipstick brands which I have been loving recently. The brand focuses on environmentally conscious yet stylish packaging to help cut down on plastic waste. You can choose a refillable leather (or vegan leather) bound lipstick case to house your lipstick colour of choice. They look and feel luxurious to use, and you can even customise your case with your initials. It feels like an extension of a luxury purse or bag as something you’ll definitely want to show off. I’ve recently been testing its lip balms, and above I’m wearing the shade Le Baume Kelly, which was designed in collaboration with Gossip Girl actress Kelly Rutherford. It’s the ideal tinted lip colour that feels bolder than most tinted lip balms, but without the high maintenance and upkeep associated with most red lipstick shades. This one looks dark in the bullet, but is much softer on application, almost a muted fuchsia on my lips. I also love that it is moisturising and also leaves a delicate stain on my lips that wears well as the day goes on—it’s the perfect low maintenance yet nourishing lipstick.
You can choose from various case colours, but I particularly love this luxe tan hue with contrast white stitching.
Le Baume Kelly is the perfect sheer colour for when you want something bold on your lips, but without the commitment of a full on lipstick. It leaves a subtle stain as the day goes on, which feels very French.
The refillable case can be used with any of La Bouche Rouge’s lipsticks, including this matte red lipstick, which was designed in collaboration with none other than Rosie Huntington-Whitely.
Wearing Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in the shade Illusion. It would not be a round up of the best French lipsticks without Chanel, non? Chanel have so many great lipsticks, but one of my favourites is its Rouge Allure formulas. These have a satin formula akin to a silky slip dress. They have an almost luminous finish and come in every shade from neutrals through to the deepest of reds—so there is something for every mood and personality. The French makeup brands are certainly onto something with their clever yet stylish packaging. These lipsticks are opened via a push-locking system (the gold button features the iconic double Cs) which opens and closes with a satisfying click. Fun fact—this was inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s love of the clicking sound made upon closing car doors.
The perfect nude for deeper skin tones, or as a bolder lip hue for fair skin.
The peachy neutral has become my everyday go-to lipstick.
The ideal suits-all red lipstick.
Wearing Dior Rouge Forever Lipstick in Forever Dior. Dior also offers some of the French lipsticks around. Its latest lipstick launch, Rouge Forever, is the best if you want a matte and long-lasting lipstick. When this first launched, I was doubtful if any lipstick could live up to a 16-hour wear and non-transfer claim, but Dior have done it. I put this to the test over on Who What Wear’s TikTok where you can see it in action, but it really is totally transfer-proof when eating and drinking. These glide on with a matte finish and, as someone who finds matte lipsticks very drying, I found this to be comfortable to wear throughout the day. Upon application, you’ll want to allow the lipstick to fully dry onto your lips ad avoid smacking your top and bottom lips together so that the colour can stay put all day long. It’s ideal if you want to wear a bold hue without the fear of it transferring onto your teeth or smudging.
My favourite shade is Dior Forever, which is a bold red.
This neutral pink is another of y favourite shades from the collection.
This lipstick clutch has every lipstick shade from the range that you could ever need.
Wearing Yolaine La Mousse De Rouge in Daphné. Yolaine is relatively new to me, but it has fast become one of my favourite French lipsticks. Its lipsticks come in the prettiest tube that resemble watercolour paints, and inside is a mousse-like consistency that gives the most amazing blurred lipstick effect.
You can easily dab a small amount on with your fingertips, or you can use Yolaine’s clever lip brush brush is dual-ended, which is what I prefer to use. On one end is a classic lip brush to create a defined shape, and on the other is a sponge, which helps to diffuse the lipstick into a just-kissed blur.
The perfect misted-rose hue.
This plummy shade is so chic.
Create a precise line with the lip-lining brush, and diffuse the colour with the song tip for a modern taken lipstick. You could double this up for blusher application for a subtle flush.
