French Women Swear By This Lip Balm for Just-Bitten Lips in One Swipe

As a beauty editor who doesn't love wearing lipstick, I'm always in search of creating the perfect blurred lip. You see, sometimes an opaque lipstick just feels too much on my lips, and it doesn't matter whether it's matte or satiny, most leave my lips irritated and dry. The same goes for lip stains.

Instead, I crave the kind of soft-diffused sheerness you see on the lips of French women. It's that near-invisible layer that looks like you have naturally flushed lips. And as someone who loves the subtlety of "no-makeup" makeup and French makeup, I've long been trying to emulate this invisible makeup look. Ordinarily, you can create it by patting a matte lipstick onto the lips to create the diffused look, or by blotting your lipstick off with a tissue. But, since coming across Violette_FR Bisou Balm (£30), I've never looked back. Scroll on for my honest review and swatches of the shades.

Violette_FR Bisou Balm

Created by Violette_FR founder and French makeup artist, Violette Serrat, Bisou Balm was inspired by the "'bouche mordue" look, which in French translates as "just-bitten lips". With its sheer finish and matte texture, it adds a blurred tint to the lips in one swipe. You don't need to have the skill and artistry of a makeup artist to create a blurred lip. Bisou Balm creates it in seconds.

The Finish

As you can see, Bisou Balm applies sheer yet matte. It feels similar to a lip balm on—it's actually quite moisturising—but has a velvety texture that mimics the natural texture of your lips. One swipe gives a subtle flush, but it can be layered up for a bolder intensity with another layer.

I'm wearing the shade Mon Chéri above, a warm brown-red inspired by chocolate-coated cherries, but all the shades are equally stunning, and there's something for everyone. What's great is that because they're all so sheer, even the brighter red and pink tones instantly become wearable and add such a pretty flush to the lips.

The Shades

I've tried a handful of the shades, and they all share that same sheer yet blurred effect and are all inspired by traditional French confectionery (they all have a delicious sweet scent).

I'm wearing Mon Chéri in the above photo, which is a great warm brown that's perfect for winter. However, during the warmer months, I find myself reaching more for Bonbon Myrtille, a jammy berry tone that allows me to wear a brighter colour without it feeling quite so full on as an opaque lipstick.

The Verdict

As you can probably guess, I'm absolutely smitten with Bisou Balm. It's one of my most-worn lip products, and you'll always find one in my bag. Not only does it give me a French-girl-inspired pout with just one swipe of the bullet, but I adore the balm texture that hydrates my lips and never leaves them feeling dry. I'm now planning to add a couple more shades to my makeup bag. Scroll on below to shop the full shade edit.

Shop Bisou Balm Shades: