Becoming the Artist and the Muse with Violette_FR's Violette Surrat

Summary

Podcast Summary: Gloss Angeles – "Becoming the Artist and the Muse with Violette_FR's Violette Surrat"

Introduction

In this compelling episode of Gloss Angeles, co-hosts Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan engage in an enriching conversation with Violette Surrat, the visionary behind the acclaimed beauty brand Violette_FR. Released on April 11, 2025, this episode delves deep into Violette's journey from art and fashion to creating a unique makeup line that seamlessly blends creativity with functionality. Skipping over the commercial interruptions, the hosts and guest focus solely on the inspiring narrative and valuable insights Violette shares about her brand and the beauty industry.

Violette's Artistic Journey and Transition into Beauty (00:31 – 03:47)

Violette begins by recounting her unconventional entry into the beauty industry. Unlike the traditional path of attending makeup school and working as an assistant, Violette's foundation is deeply rooted in art and fashion. She narrates a pivotal moment at a costume party where she transformed a friend’s face with glitter, likening makeup application to painting:

“I really felt like it was dressing up a face and painting a face at the same time.” – Violette [01:16]

Her early education in art, particularly her summers spent in a French vineyard studio creating custom pigments, equipped her with the skills to innovate in makeup product development. This artistic background not only fueled her passion but also provided the technical know-how to experiment with colors and textures in her products.

Building Violette_FR: Philosophy and Product Innovation (04:21 – 08:53)

Transitioning from high-profile roles at Estee Lauder, Guerlain, and Dior, Violette founded Violette_FR with a clear vision: to infuse her artistic techniques into accessible beauty products. She emphasizes storytelling as the core of her brand:

“I wanted to use my way of celebrating colors… to make the models feel like they were muses and never models.” – Violette [04:21]

Violette discusses how her products, such as the Bisu Balm and the innovative jelly, are designed for ease of use without compromising on vibrant color and texture. She underscores the importance of creating products that allow users to express themselves effortlessly, blending her artistic expertise with consumer needs.

Launching in Sephora: Challenges and Successes (16:13 – 19:23)

The conversation shifts to the monumental achievement of launching Violette_FR in Sephora. Violette candidly shares the strategic decisions and hurdles faced during this phase:

“I have to build a team to be ready… it's a huge investment for brands.” – Violette [16:13]

She highlights the necessity of maintaining brand integrity while adapting to retailer demands. Violette recounts how initial feedback from a pop-up at Le Beaumarchais influenced her brand’s aesthetic adjustments, particularly the shift from green to blue hues, ensuring the brand resonated well with Sephora’s clientele.

Brand Identity and Authentic Marketing Strategies (36:01 – 43:30)

Violette elaborates on the meticulous process of establishing a strong, authentic brand identity. After moving to the U.S. and gaining invaluable experience, her decisive moment came when she realized the importance of being her own brand's CEO, despite lacking a formal business background. She attributes her success to following her instincts and creating a comprehensive brand book:

“I decided to never touch that brand book ever… that's how I get all my essence to stay relevant.” – Violette [36:01]

Her approach to marketing is deeply rooted in storytelling and emotional connection rather than traditional sales tactics. Violette explains how elements like the “Cabin of Curiosity” at pop-up events foster genuine engagement, allowing customers to connect emotionally with the brand’s narrative.

Signature Looks and Makeup Techniques (19:23 – 24:37)

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around Violette’s signature red lip look, which epitomizes effortless glamour. She explains her philosophy of balancing bold makeup with simplicity:

“Beauty is yours. If you want to wear tons of makeup, you do… feel like you're the artist and the muse at the same time.” – Violette [23:40]

Violette shares practical tips on achieving balanced makeup looks, emphasizing that makeup should enhance rather than overpower one’s natural beauty. Her techniques encourage confidence and self-expression, aligning with her brand’s ethos of making users feel both creative and comfortable.

Personal Care and Favorite French Pharmacy Finds (24:37 – 28:34)

Violette transitions into a more personal segment, discussing her hair care routine and favorite French pharmacy products. She candidly talks about her struggles with hair loss during pregnancy and the meticulous care regimen she follows to maintain healthy hair:

“I use serum at night… and the night before washing my hair, tons of bumble milk on the scalp.” – Violette [25:34]

Additionally, she highlights beloved French skincare staples like Biafine and A313, emphasizing their effectiveness and her preference for products that support overall skin and women’s health.

Audience Q&A: Building and Marketing a Beauty Brand (29:38 – 43:30)

The episode features an engaging Q&A session where Violette addresses questions from aspiring beauty entrepreneurs and students. Key takeaways include:

1. Embracing the Unknown in Business: Violette reassures that not having a business background is manageable through passion, adaptability, and listening to one’s instincts.

   “It was okay to not know anything about business… focus on building a healthy business.” – Violette [30:55]

2. Connecting Art with Commerce: She discusses her product Objet de Reflection, a mirror designed to inspire users to see themselves as art pieces rather than chasing perfection.

   “How can I help you look at yourself like a gorgeous creature, like a muse like art piece?” – Violette [33:00]

3. Maintaining Brand Identity: Violette emphasizes the importance of a detailed brand book and staying true to one’s roots while evolving.

   “Stay consistent in your roots. Who are you? Who is your brand?” – Violette [36:01]

4. Authentic Marketing: She shares strategies for maintaining authentic marketing narratives that align with the brand’s philosophy, even during high-pressure retail events like Black Friday.

   “Focus on telling the story, connecting emotionally with people.” – Violette [39:19]

Conclusion: Inspiring Future Beauty Leaders

As the episode concludes, Violette imparts invaluable advice to budding beauty professionals:

“Be passionate… be flexible to change your mind and learn something… believe in yourself, at the same time, open yourself to change your mind.” – Violette [29:46]

Her emphasis on passion, adaptability, and emotional connection serves as a guiding beacon for aspiring makeup artists, brand founders, and industry executives.

Where to Find Violette_FR

Violette directs listeners to her brand’s online presence and physical stores:

“First online on our website, VioletteFR.com… now in the US and soon Canada at Sephora, in store and also online. And if you come to France, you can see us in Beaumarche and Oh My Cream.” – Violette [43:30]

Final Thoughts

This episode of Gloss Angeles offers a rich, insightful exploration of Violette Surrat’s journey and the philosophy behind Violette_FR. From her artistic beginnings to navigating the complexities of launching a brand in major retail spaces, Violette’s story is a testament to creativity, resilience, and authenticity in the beauty industry. Listeners are left inspired by her dedication to blending art with makeup, her strategic approach to brand building, and her heartfelt advice for future beauty leaders.

Transcript

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[Violette]

G L A M. Los Angeles.

[Kirby]

Hi, Kirby.

[Sarah]

Hi, Sarah. Welcome to Los Angeles. Hi, everyone. How's it going?

[Kirby]

Thank you guys for having us. This is a dream come true. We love coming here. We love scat.

[Sarah]

We love scat.

[Kirby]

We would actually like to be in your seat. We want to be students here at Scott. Yeah, take us back, please.

[Sarah]

We are so thrilled to be speaking with Violette. She is just so. I mean, chic. Hello.

[Kirby]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

And her beauty philosophy is something that Sarah and I both really want to elevate. We want people to hear more about her. She's so fascinating. Three weeks ago, entered Sephora.

[Violette]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

So we're very.

[Kirby]

But good luck getting your hands on it, because it's sold out.

[Sarah]

It's sold out everywhere. Trust me. I went to the biggest sephoras in Los Angeles. I looked here in Savannah tomorrow. Completely sold out. So she's doing something right.

[Violette]

Yeah. It's unbelievable. Very grateful.

[Kirby]

Let's talk about how you got started. Obviously, they mentioned that you didn't get into beauty at first. You didn't follow this traditional path. You studied fashion. You studied art. So how did that lead to you? Falling in love with makeup was a.

[Violette]

Kind of a Bridget Jones moment, because I so was starting painting, really, like, to become a painter and fashion design. And one night we had a costume party, and my friend was like, just put glitter on my face or did that. She's like, it's like painting. It's fine. And I did it, and I really felt like it was dressing up a face and painting a face at the same time. But I knew the industry from my parents, the fashion industry. And I knew the classic route was to go to school, makeup school, and then assist, and then it will take forever. And I really wanted to keep that fashion and art background into the mix, so I decided to do it on my own. But the bridge at just moments, because we went to the party and nobody else was wearing.

[Kirby]

Now, what were you dressed up as?

[Violette]

Wonder Woman.

[Kirby]

So everyone was, like, in normal clothing.

[Violette]

Yeah. They had a bar. It was fine.

[Sarah]

Yeah, that'll help you.

[Kirby]

So you were. You were Self taught. You taught yourself how to wear makeup?

[Violette]

Yes. But my luck is that I studied art from a very young age, which I'm trying to do with my daughter Ines. So every summer I went to this paint training that was this studio in the middle of the vineyards in the south of France, and it was hosted by this incredible couple and they taught me how to create my own medium. So they had this wall full of pigments, and I will pick the pigments and make my own paint and learn how to paint on every type of based like woods or linen, et cetera. And so that taught me how to create mixtures and colors. And so when I decided to become a makeup artist, I went to Sephora to buy makeup and I realized, actually, I cannot afford a full kit. No way. So I saw that Mac was selling cosmetic raw materials, so pigments. So I bought these and I had this tiny kit that I still have in my office where you had all the pigments and the mixing base. And I will do my products on set. So in the end, art helped me become a makeup artist for product development, but also for creating looks.

[Sarah]

So you were with Estee Lauder as the director of global beauty, the creative director of makeup at Guerlain, and the youngest international makeup designer at Dior prior to launching Violette fr. So you have this in house experience, which I'm sure was huge major for you, deciding to launch your own brand. But you also probably learned how difficult it can be to sustain a brand and to come up with innovation and come up with new ideas that not only make you happy as an artist, but then also fulfill the consumer need as well. What makes a product a Violette FR product versus anything else that you've worked on.

[Violette]

I think I'm like, you can see these looks that are on the screen. That's makeup looks I created for editorials. That was my main focus back then. These are complex. Look, even the lipstick that looks like it's floating, there's no retouch on this at all. I just used glass in front of her lips and I used pigments and different mixture to create this almost like fake. It looks like cg, basically. So, yeah, I can do this type of very complex makeup, but I was never interested in that side of my work. I was more interested in how I tell stories. So when magazine come to pitch me that, like you have the June issue, what do you want to do? I will think of the readers. And so for my brand, I wanted to use my way of celebrating colors to. I love when the models felt like they were muses and never models. Canvas, in a way. And so how can I translate light for people? So I said that now I infuse my technique into the product. So you have a bit of me with you, you have a makeup artist with you, so you don't need all that effort, and you don't need to know any of this. Like most. I mean, you were telling me, like, you. Did you apply my eyeshadow with your finger? It's a very pigmented eyeshadow, and that's kind of where my head is at. It's like, how can I give you these incredible colors and textures? But the technique itself will be extremely easy because I thought of all of these things, and how can I infuse in the packaging and the formula for you?

[Sarah]

I also was looking at the Sephora, the photography that was done, because I was trying to get inspiration for my eye. And I was really excited that you could use it almost as a liner where you could, like, turn it on its side and kind of draw on the eye, maybe use a brush with it if you wanted to, or use your finger. I do think it speaks to the fact that you're infusing your technique and how you would wear things into your products, like the blush. One of my favorite videos of hers is she puts it on and she, you know, kind of pats it on her face, and she's like, I don't contour, but I'll just go like this. And it's kind of like an instant contour without a product. I really think that the educational part of what you do is so important to making a brand successful.

[Violette]

Yes. The idea is, first of all, thank you for all that. The idea is how can I provide very simple, simple, simple educational tips. Because I don't need to show off any technique, the goals. That's why, like, I basically, yeah, remove the blush with my finger, and it gives me natural contour. I remember hearing makeup artists saying, like, you can never use your fingers. But that was a long time ago. I'm like, no, no. But when I moved to the us, Everybody was asking me, how do you French people look? So effortless. First of all, it took me so long to understand what they meant by that. Then I understood, okay, we're not looking for perfection. We're looking for what we call an allure. Allure with the American accent. And that's what matter the most, because it's a way of expressing and signing your look almost. And so all that to say that, like, to Achieve this effortless look. You need to be effortless. Like, if you want to look effortless, you have to be effortless. So giving you this gesture and this technique that are so easy and without any, like, brushes or whatever, we don't require you to have a base on your idea before. Like, no, you don't need to wear foundation, for example. It will help you achieve that look naturally.

[Kirby]

It's a vibe.

[Violette]

It's a vibe.

[Kirby]

It's a vibe. So when you are doing your own makeup, do you often just use your fingers or do you have.

[Violette]

Okay, yes, it has to be very quick. Especially with, like a startup and two kids. It has to be quick.

[Kirby]

Exactly. On top of all that, you're juggling not just, you know, product development, you are the CEO, but you're also, you know, the creative force. So you're thinking both artistically but. But on the business side, which, you know, is obviously very difficult because sometimes it doesn't agree. Right. Like, sometimes you can be way ahead of the time. Like, I think when you launched the Milk, the Boom Boom Milk, like, it was definitely very innovative and unique and some would even say ahead of its time. But, I mean, it's a bestseller, so you made the right decision. But are there times like that when you're like, oh, my gosh, this, you know, product doesn't exist yet. It's so innovative. Is this the right time to launch it? You know, thinking both in your creative side but also on the business side?

[Violette]

Yeah, I think I'm lucky because I found business very inspiring and I never looked at any. I never tried to get coached or. Because I have zero business background beside my experience working with these big brands. And I use my. Basically my best ally for business is my instinct. Because as a woman, myself and a mom and busy working, I want. And also, you know, time is like I'm aging, so I want to be faster, less efforts, but more support for my products as I'm going there, wherever I'm going. So it's zero compromise. And so that will inspire me for everything I do. So I try to be very connected to my instincts, but then I'm very pragmatical at the same time. So it's really using both sides of my brains and trying to put myself in the shoes of other people with different lifestyle and how can I help them as well. Yeah, I found business fascinating too, but I tried. The key thing is to build a healthy business. I always say I want to build a modern maison, so I'm here to stay. I'm Hoping and so having a profitable business, we're working on creating something that has value, value. So working towards a big corporation at some point, like all these things are rooting the business. It's something solid that will allow me to be creative. So I know that they work together.

[Sarah]

The jelly is a newer product, right?

[Violette]

Yes.

[Sarah]

I was curious how that came about because I think a lot about the Bisu Balm. If you guys, I hope you run out to go get this product if you can find it, because it's now my obsession. But it's matte, it's not glossy, it's not a lip oil. It's not going to leave your lips looking shiny, which is very much the trend right now. And entering a place like Sephora, you know, they're looking for things that maybe brands can bring to the table that align with certain trends. Was the jelly something you always had on your list of products to make or was that something a directive from Sephora when you guys started talking?

[Violette]

Yes. No. So I always, when I created Bizu Bomb in my head because it took me as, you know, years to actually make it possible with the lab. I always knew that I wanted a sister to it. And it will be the jelly. So once you in the mood for something more shiny, you have that version too. The thing is, I couldn't launch it right then, a. Because I think it's very important, visible me so innovative. Like, it's important that I also had a lot of education to do. So I didn't want to create any distraction. But anyway, I had to wait because jelly is hand filled. I had to build a machine to pour it because it's basically like a jelly with a center core with pigment. So it's two different formulas, which is a nightmare for chemists for the supply chain. It's very complicated and I work with probably like five different labs to make this happen. So on the timing, usually I believe a bit the magic of the universe, that when the product is commercialized. How do you say commercializable? Yeah, right. That means it's ready.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Violette]

You know, I'm like, okay, let's do it. So jelly had to wait a bit. It was so. So it's still. Every production is still like, like halfway through a heart attack.

[Kirby]

Although it, you know, is in line more with like the lip tints and tinted lip balms that are trending right now, it still is very different than anything I've ever seen.

[Violette]

Yeah. The idea was to. Why is there a reason why it looks this way was to have the Jelly part on the outside. Because most people when they apply lipstick, they applied on the pigmented part of the lip. So you have the volume and then you have the pigments of your lips. Most of us have the pigments a bit like smaller. So that's why people sometimes they wear lipstick and they're like, oh, it makes my lips so thin. It's because most of the time they actually just following the pigments area. So by creating the jelly, I'm of forcing people to use the jelly on the outer part without the color. I mean, it has a slight tint and then the pigment on the pigmented part. So them that help them understand that the lip shape is a bit different than what they think. And then it creates this little pout that la mo we say in French.

[Sarah]

I tried it last night for the first time and I did the same thing. I started in the middle of my lips and I was like, I. Oh, I have to actually move around the perimeter of my lips. I love that. Okay, so you said your makeup influences range from Italian Renaissance to pop art to surrealism to David Lynch. David Bowie, Japan have you discovered a through line with those inspirations? Like, is there one commonality there?

[Violette]

So it's funny because I remember the day I decided to do my brand. I mean, I always knew I wanted to do my brand, but the day I was like, okay, let's start. I decided to print every pictures of art. Everything could be like a picture of a car, food, whatever, and then stick it on the wall in my office. And it took me months. I didn't time myself. I had work to do. Like I just, every time I saw something, I would just put it on the wall. And I remember by it was six months after I looked at the whole wall that was covered and I was like, actually I see something, I see art. I see this balance between some a statement that's creative, but the rest is actually quite natural. It's colorful and celebratory, but it's not a heavy makeup. Look into it. And that's so French. Actually that's very close to my aesthetic in my culture. And so through there I start, I started to do the branding of the brand by observing all this. So sometimes it's good to kind of dump everything without thinking too much and then it will come to you.

[Sarah]

How have your influences changed since launching the brand?

[Violette]

That's the thing. Not so much. I'm still constantly inspired by like Italian Renaissance and neoclassic art. I'm very obsessed with antiques, so I do these Live auctions. I'm like super nerdy about this and I constantly inspired by it. And then art. You have new artists that I discover all the time or older that I didn't know. So I'm quite close to some art galleries or ad buyers that we can connect with and. And then I create what's called my little Cabinet of Curiosity. So I have that in my office to be cabinets with all the items that I've collected throughout the years and they will give me an inspiration for my work and that's how I infuse everything I do, basically.

[Kirby]

You must be very inspired here at scad.

[Violette]

Yes, I was. When I went visiting some classes, I felt like they were, you know, the 3D version of the Cabin of Curiosity and live mood boards. Like, it felt incredible.

[Kirby]

As we mentioned, you just launched an Sephora three weeks ago, which is so major. And I think that, you know, from the outside, everyone thinks that, you know, well, one, it's difficult to do, so that's true. But that once you're in Sephora, it's like, that's it, you're a success, you know, and the rest is easy. But actually it's not. We've learned from talking to a lot of founders. That's actually when I feel like it can get even more difficult because there's a lot of different challenges, obviously. So what don't people realize about launching into a huge retailer like Sephora?

[Violette]

I would say, at least for me, the key thing, first of all was to know who my brand was. Because you can have your ideas on what your brand is inside your heart, in your head, on your brand book, but people will make it something. When it's out in the world, the brand is going to become something. And so I remember that Sefara reached out to me the first week of launch and I was really humbled by this, but I told them, let me see where this goes. I'm not ready yet. And I think that's the key when you're an entrepreneur, is to have your head very cold, which is something that for some people, that may be not natural because we're so passionate, but I always say, I'm ready to take the stairs, not the elevator. And because I want to build a maison. It's all about craftsmanship and intention and the reason why you're doing this. So I was like, okay, I have this idea, which is what you're seeing here, and how is it going to turn out? Like, what is going to be my way of expressing myself in retail? Like, I Didn't know. And so I did Le Beaumarchais, which is like this iconic department store in Paris, extremely luxurious and gorgeous. And we did a pop up there where I built my own cabinet of curiosity in an antique furniture piece. And the rest was quite modern, et cetera. And then we saw how people responded to it. So all these things gave me indication on what people connected with the most about the brand. And then I learned, I grew, I saw my brand, I was like, okay, I want to inject more of the blue. That's a big color for me. So I started to inject more of that. So I'm so glad that I didn't go to Sephora before because the brand was too green. Now it's blue. And it was important. Like, even though you own your brand, it will become something else. And as a parent, like when you have children, you're not making them for yourself. They are their own person. So that's the same for a brand. So that's on that side, but then also on the business side, it takes your time to build a cost of goods that is healthy for retailers. I mean, you should build that in. If you want to go to retail. You have to beat that in, in your business model and financial model, like right away so you can have a route to a healthy cost of goods. So I knew that I had to make some negotiations first. Like, my cost of goods was quite high, but it was important for me to invest in excellent product. And I knew that at some point I could lower this cost if I had bigger, bigger productions, you know, so we worked towards that. And also you need to build a team. And the first year I had one person that was supposed to be marketing, but not really. I was more focusing on the D2C, building the D2C. But I had creative team, but I had no marketing team, basically because I never liked marketing. I think sometime they connected, at least the people I met, like a bit too much on what they think works, but not what they will feel will work. And so it took me a long time to build the team to be ready because it's a huge investment for brands. Like, you have to pay and invest yourself for so many things of it that people don't think about when, when they start. So here, here we are now.

[Sarah]

I mean, we're looking at these images and I can see inspiration for not only bisu balm and the jelly, but also the. You paint where like the Beatles. Yeah, we actually had a listener say, I love the gold you paint, but what about A silver. We need a silver. And I was like, there's a gold. I see like a green. But now that I'm seeing this other beetle, I'm like, oh, she. And then the name of it, I.

[Violette]

Believe it's like a garbage, which means golden beetle. Yeah. But it has green in it.

[Sarah]

Yeah, it does.

[Violette]

Yes, absolutely.

[Sarah]

Which is amazing. Before Sephora, what was your best selling product?

[Violette]

Visible.

[Sarah]

Okay. Is it still visible at Sephora?

[Violette]

Yeah, killing it.

[Sarah]

Clearly. Clearly. When I went to Sephora and was asking, why are these sold out everywhere? I can't get my hands on it. The cast member there was like, whether they're 8 or 80, they're coming in, they're buying this bisu Balm, like, within the hour, and then we don't see it again until it's restocked. And I'm like, that's a really great testimonial to the brand. 8 to 80.

[Kirby]

Is there a specific shade that is a favorite among most. Most customer?

[Violette]

So that's. That's what I love about our customers is that they. I mean, we try hard to tell the story about each shade because each shade is. It's like a labor of so much years. Like, it takes me a year and a half for each shade to be developed. And you wearing the newest one that's coming out tomorrow. And this one has its own story from a childhood candy that tastes terrible but looks amazing. So. So everything has a story. And. And I think people love to connect on an emotional level, even for beauty. And because we take the time to tell the story and we're not launching, like, 10 lipstick at once, there is a connection that's just beyond aesthetic. And so we see it in the results. Betis, which was inspired by my own lip color, but more saturated, is number one. But it's always fighting with rose, latte, bonbon, Mirti, amourfour. So there's always a fight of four shades, which is quite surprising. But it shows that people need stories more than just, like, aesthetic.

[Kirby]

In the green room, we were talking about your signature red lip and how it still looks so effortless, but obviously, like, it's very much a statement. I feel like we still get asked this a lot by our listeners. Like, how do you pull off a red lip? Like, there's a lot of people that just don't feel confident enough to step out of the house wearing something so bold. What's the secret? Violette?

[Violette]

Friendship in my country is like, you know, it's, like, very important. So we wear it in a way, maybe kind of how I'm wearing today, which is like jeans, like, I'm not wearing. We don't like glam. Anything glamorous is not so much of our thing. And if you observe the red carpet in France, sometimes I really laugh because I'm like, come on, you could have made an effort.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Violette]

Like, these super huge celebrities in my country, they will shop with, like, they wash their hair, they clean, but they just, like, don't care that much about. And. And that's. It's not cool. You know, for them, it's like, don't. Don't show.

[Kirby]

I was telling you, like, try too hard.

[Violette]

Don't try too hard. No, it's too much effort. So it's more about you. Allure again. So they have this couture dress, but then no makeup or, like a quick bun or whatever. So it's always like, pick one statement. And we do love to hide luxury things. For example, the very fancy bra that you sometimes see through, like a fancy earring under your hair. But it's never show off. And so red lip is your statement. So everything else has to be extremely simple. Like, I will probably not have a red lip with, like, something super, super chic. That's my element.

[Sarah]

That's why last night when I was telling you I was going to be wearing this shade of the. You paint that, you were like, okay, you have to go with this more neutral lip. Yeah. And balance it out. That was one of our questions from our listener, Emily, who is asking about using a more vivid color on your face. Like, how do you balance it out without looking overdone or like, you tried too hard.

[Violette]

But I think that's the key. It's like, first of all, I always want to say, beauty is yours. So if you want to wear tons of makeup, you do. It's a way of expressing who you are. I always tell people, the goal of my brand is to make yourself feel like you're the artist and the muse at the same time. So for me, there's no rules. It's just, if you like the brand aesthetic, these are the tips. But that's the beauty of makeup is like, you do. You. If you ask me, I'll be like, okay, I love, like, a strong, smoky blue, but then the rest is super fresh and natural. Because my. My preference is when you wear the makeup, but the makeup is not wearing you. Yeah.

[Kirby]

People want to know about your hair. It's so cute. What products do you like to use? What's your routine? And do you have a hair stylist? That does your hair?

[Violette]

No, I don't have a hair stylist. They're probably going to be like, what's the deal with her hair? Because I didn't expect Savannah to be humid.

[Sarah]

Welcome to Georgia.

[Violette]

Yeah. I was like, oh, I should have left my hair natural. I kind of, like, try to make it more straight. That's good.

[Kirby]

Again, undone. You're not trying too hard.

[Sarah]

Yeah, exactly.

[Kirby]

But it's.

[Violette]

That looks cool. But I cut my bangs myself, so it looks a bit wrong.

[Kirby]

You cut your own bangs?

[Violette]

Yes, because when I try with a professional, it looks too done. Done. And I like when it looks not totally perfect.

[Sarah]

Have you done a tutorial on Instagram? And if not, I did, like, on.

[Violette]

Valley Gr a million years ago, and I had, like, a pocket knife type of scissors situation. And people like, buy yourself real scissors. I'm like, no, I have this. He cuts my packages. He cut my hair. It's fine.

[Sarah]

What?

[Kirby]

Definitely lose an eyeball. If I tried to do that myself.

[Sarah]

You should see my bangs. When I tried cutting them myself, we had to get a professional in the studio to actually fix them on camera.

[Violette]

So.

[Kirby]

And what else do you do? Are there any products you like to use?

[Violette]

Yes, very much. Not effortless when it comes to hair care. So I. When I got pregnant of my first baby, I lost all my hair because I had a very strong anemia during my pregnancy. But I tell you, like, chunks. I used to have so much hair, and I lost half of it. And to grow it back, I still don't have all the growth, but it took me years. Of course, I had a second baby in the mix. I was like, I'm never going to go through, like, the hair loss again. So I do serum at night. I put hair oil. I have very thin hair, so if it's too heavy, it looks terrible. So I have to pick, like, the right one. Also, like, the night before washing my hair, tons of bumble milk on the scalp. And the length because it's fermented and it's full of amazing ingredients for hydration and also your microbiome. So I do that. And also the shampoo I use, like, everything is very specific.

[Sarah]

What shampoo?

[Violette]

I love the brand Rose.

[Sarah]

Oh, yeah. Big fan of hers, too.

[Violette]

K also is great abida. Some of the things are great, too.

[Sarah]

Before we go to the audience, we want to know some of your favorite French pharmacy finds when you're back in France. What can't you live without or leave without?

[Violette]

First of all, Biafine. Good luck for spelling. It if you don't speak French. But biafine is an obsession in France because if you have any type of burn, sunburn, whatever it's. Or if you do laser, it is a life savior. So it's like every household has several baffin at home. And the A313, the one yesterday where you're like A113.

[Sarah]

No, no.

[Violette]

Instead of retinol, I use this at night because it's much more gentle on my skin. But at the same time I have the same results. And also it's not costing 400 bucks and you don't need prescription. Then I discovered that the US was not very great. Sorry. On women hygiene. And that was a big surprise for me. In my country we are much more educated on, you know, your flora and how to take care of it. So I buy all my feminine products in French pharmacy. Even like tampons are not ideal for you. But sometimes you do have to have one. We have one with probiotic. Like it's much more supportive of women's health. So I love to talk about it because we should talk about it more. And then sunscreen, of course.

[Kirby]

What's your favorite now I have a.

[Violette]

New one that's actually not sold in pharmacies and I already forgot the name. I have to find it for you. I mean the rest of like very obscure thing like oxidio topic, which is a cream, a gel that's super high. Antioxidant. How do you say that in antioxidant Meal cleanser in France with bercoulin. With. With being with milk cleanser. But I think if you have the A300. I don't know how you say this in English like whatever.

[Sarah]

A 313.

[Violette]

Yes. Thank you. And then the BFF and some women hygiene thing, I think.

[Kirby]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Is great. It really is like the ultimate.

[Violette]

Yes.

[Sarah]

We love it.

[Violette]

A lot of people talk about all the things I'm not going to name that are famous in French pharmacy. But I'm like, well, even La Roche.

[Sarah]

Posay the Cecoplast there. See, you're shrugging. Everyone is usually losing their minds when we go over there to get it. Because it's made differently than the ones.

[Violette]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Here in the US So we always end up picking it up.

[Violette]

Yes. But it's like this is a special needs like omoplasmine. People use it on their lips. It's not supposed to hydrate your lips, so you should stop doing this. But if you have like more like dry patches with a little wound, you can do that. Or these Other cream are great for a special thing. So that's why it's we have this like skincare that we see it as more like a rescue little kit, not so much something you use every day. And now I can say we have Boom Boom Milk also in French pharmacies. I love the Boom milk.

[Kirby]

I love that full circle. I'd love to just end with any advice you have for these budding beauty loving students who want to break into the industry. Maybe they want to be a makeup artist, maybe they want to start their.

[Sarah]

Own brand, be a marketing executive, publicist.

[Kirby]

Yeah, just any advice for working in the industry?

[Violette]

I would say it's very important to be passionate. I think in this, this field is still a creative job. And so you need passion in order to give your best. And it's always a balance between being ready to, to listen and to open yourself up to learning new things. So I would say like almost like a bamboo. Like be flexible to change your mind and learn something and adapt, but at the same time have very strong roots. Believe in your instinct, your inner voice. I think that's completely underrated that can have such a big impact on your whole career. So yeah, really believe in yourself. At the same time, open yourself to change your mind.

[Sarah]

Okay. Do we have questions? Oh, yes, we have some hands raised.

[Abigail]

Hi, my name's Abigail. It's nice to have you guys here. I'm a beauty major and my end goal, like the whole reason why I'm here is because I do want to open my own brand and have my own company one day. So I just kind of want to get from you what's something that you didn't know going into it that turned out to be one of like the most valuable things when starting your brand.

[Violette]

That it was okay to not know anything about business. I remember when I wanted to do my brand and I started to press play on it. I talked to a few other founders, CEO and I was like, oh, I need to find a CEO. And they were like, no, you have to be your CEO. I was like, I know nothing about business. They're like, no, you do. And it's not so much about everything you learn at school and sorry for that, but it's really about you. Your needs to always like be a sponge and digest it and make it into your brand. I also really stick to kind of how I, you know, the beauty of making your own brand is like you the creator of it. So you can make your own rules and you can do marketing your own way. That's also Something I discovered, and I think that's also why the brand is successful, is that we don't talk the same language that other brands. I follow more of a normal marketing guidelines. We. We think like humans, not marketers, I think. So what matters is that you focus on building a healthy business. I think there's. That's the key, making sure your brand is very clear on its, like, the philosophy and the root of it. But then it's surprisingly possible to do it without. Yeah, all this background and all this luggage with you. So that's the beauty of it.

[Kai Cameron]

My name is Kai Cameron. We're working on our senior capstones right now, and I also am merging surrealism, fine art and beauty in my brand. And I wanted to specifically ask you about your product, Objet de Reflection, and ask how you were able to connect the dots in the mind of the consumer between surrealism and fine art and beauty. Because right now I feel like as an artist, these are things that I can do, but I'm trying to do that to someone who's not so invested in those worlds. So how are you able to do that through your product education and your marketing and your packaging design?

[Violette]

Thank you for that question and for knowing about this product because it's a very niche product from the brand and it's one that I love the most. So when people know about it, I'm like, really happy. Object. Object de reflection is. It's a mirror without a mirror. So I took two circle plaque. How do you say plaque, say, of brass? And they slide together. So it's like one plaque, like this, quite thin. And we brushed it so well that you can see yourself in the mirror, even though there's no mirror. The idea was, if I want you to be the artist and the muse, you have to stop looking at yourself with an aesthetical point of view. Have you noticed? And I think that would be such an interesting study to do. How many times you said to yourself, negative stuff about yourself, oh, my gosh, I look tired on my hair. Like, even I said that when I came here. There's always something negative we say to ourselves. And I think it's because we are chasing this perfection that beauty, industry and society have imposed on us. But there is this quote that I'm obsessed with that is the core of my brand and my philosophy. It's from Rainbow Powell and it says, she didn't look nice. She looked like art. And art isn't supposed to look nice. It's supposed to make you feel something. And for me, I was like this is it. And so how can I help you look at yourself like a gorgeous creature, like a muse like art piece instead of this, you know, self chasing perfection. So doing a mirror that looks like an art piece where you cannot totally see yourself perfectly, just enough for you to do your makeup, check if you have something on your face and a very luxurious object maybe will inspire you to feel like an art piece and a muse. So it's a very interesting question you had is like, how can you bring this surrealism and this art inspiration you have into something that is commercializable is like, I think that everything needs a reason why and that the reason why kind of anchors your product into reality and a need. I want people to be amused and be the artist. How can I take them there? And that's where I was the idea of the mirror. How can I think differently? How can the mirror looks like an art piece? How can it help look at yourself like an art piece? So it's one way of thinking with the art inspiration and the other way is like the need. And how do I anchor into people's reality? Thank you.

[Sarah]

Great question.

[Chelisa]

I'm Chelisa. I did my bachelor's in the business of UZ and now doing my master's in the creative business leadership. So I think Violet FR has a very beautiful, strong and distinct brand identity. And probably beginning from, from your launch videos, you could see the brand identity identity since then and that brand identity has carried through since to now. So how do you build a strong brand identity and how do you stick to it?

[Violette]

Oh, thank you. So I moved to the US ten years ago thinking I would do my brand. And I was very successful in France working with the biggest magazine, the Beauty, the biggest brand. And one day I woke up, I was like, I need to do my brand and I want to do it in the US and people thought I was crazy to leave everything behind and start over because nobody knew me in the us I had to start over. It's hard to get known in industry. Like you have to be known by magazine, by photographers. It takes years. And I decided to start over. I moved to the U.S. start over. And I was lucky, quickly picked up. And then Estee Lauder came to get me and I started to work for them as a creative director. And after three years with them, I knew I wanted to do my brand. But I had to learn all these things and it was incredible to be able to work for such a big company as a lawyer. So I absolutely had to take this opportunity. I was on set in Colombia. Columbia? Yeah, I think so. I can't remember where I traveled back then. I traveled so much. Anyway, I arrived to set. It was for a beauty campaign. And this brand had all their image of my work everywhere. And they hired this model that looked like model version of me. And they were making jokes about it like, we can. We can't have you, so we make everything looks like you. And I thought it was so such a weird thing to say to someone. And that kind of gave me the kick in the butt to be like, let I have to do my brand. So I went to the bathroom, called my friend. I had built a brand years ago. It's like, okay, where do I start? She said, okay, when you come back, let's sit down and I explain you the first thing you need to trend marketing this. I have I trademark my names. Like, okay, good. So let's talk. I came back home and for five days, I did not get out of my desk. I gave birth to the brand book. And it's 84 pages. And it goes from the philosophy, the packaging, like, everything that defines a brand. When I was done after five days, I decided to never touch that brand book ever. And so we call it the OG OG Brand Book. It's in my office printed, and nobody can touch it. We can look at it, but not change it, because that was the essence of everything I had in me. And of course you're going to mature, you're going to evolve, but the best way, I think, is to stay consistent in your roots. Who are you? Who is your brand? And by doing this brand book that goes in so much details. And that's why I always said to students or a future entrepreneur, make this brand as detailed as you can and as authentic as you can, because you cannot be copied if it's based on who you are, because it's impossible to copy a person. Everybody's unique, everybody. So it's the easiest way to kind of remove competition. So this brand book is so personal to me that that's how I get all my essence to stay relevant, at least as much as I can.

[Sarah]

Anybody else?

[Violette]

One more.

[Ashton]

Hi, I'm Ashton. I'm a fashion marketing student. And I know you initially mentioned kind of being opposed to, like, marketing your brand and kind of just like wanting to sell it. Obviously, as it's grown, you've kind of found ways to market it. So I'm just curious, how do you feel like you found a way to do that that still is, like, integral to the brand narrative and doesn't feel like just not obviously what you wanted initially with the marketing.

[Violette]

Yeah, absolutely. So I would say it's meeting the right people and hiring the team. Team that will understand that. And the only way I can make that kind of hire is to give an assignment. And it's not to judge the person, just to get to know that person. And the best way was also for me to launch the brand so people know about it. And then the person that came to me for that role will know the brand already, will hopefully be a customer, and will love the brand so much and be inspired by it. Because I think if that person feel this way, then everything is going to come out. The strategy is going to come out in an authentic way that will talk to other customers. And so that's how it worked for me, was to meet the person that was exactly that. And then the challenge was, okay, we're in a very competitive environment. How can we. I never did Black Friday until last year, for example. I never wanted to be part of it. But then it's a hard time for brands if you don't participate. So how can we do it in a way that feels elevated, more. More intentional? Then I told that person, like, I refuse to do anything. Like Valentine's, for example, that I think is highly. Like, I don't understand the meaning of it in France, not very big Valentine's, I guess. So I try to share all these pillars of marketing. For me, that important. But at the same time, how can we talk to and grow and build brand awareness? So it's all about making sure that again, like, you're flexible, you hear, okay, it's important we do Black Friday, for example. Okay, fine, but we're not going to call it this way. We're going to call it this way and we're going to create a story around it. And this is how we're going to communicate around it. And everything becomes more of a storytelling that's something like super marketed and heavy on the numbers. And then sometimes I see, you know, in my team, they will say, well, this is a cool idea, but it's not going, oh, we did that. It was such a good idea. But we had great engagement, but we didn't see any direct impact on sales. Like, no, you don't, because it's brand building. Not everything is connected to numbers. Not everything is about sales. You cannot see it. We look at the growth year over year. This is your impact. So sometimes focusing on building your brand, telling the story, connecting emotionally with people will be your biggest marketing asset. And I'll tell you quickly one, one thing is when we did the Pop up at the Beaumarchais, I wanted to do my Cabin of Curiosity and my team was like, nobody has time to do. It's cute, but nobody has time. It's like, I know, I know, it's fine, I'll do that myself. And then worked on the Cabin of Curiosity. So it's like a big piece of furniture with all these trays that shows the inspiration behind the product. Like you can see a picture of my daughter when she was teething. That's why they gave me the inspiration for the pink blush. Things like this. What we notice is that people will stop first to the Cabin of Curiosity, emotionally connect on the brand without. And I said, nobody talks to them. If clients come to you, you can talk to them, but let them get inspired on their own. And. And then they came to the products. Get a beauty makeup artist and be guided and then buy the product. So this thing that doesn't create a direct sale actually did because people connected on emotional level to the product and then they can buy the product. And so now we have Cabin of Curiosity in Sephora because even though it's taking space of products you can sell, it has an impact on helping people connecting emotionally with a brand. So that's why marketing is great. But you have to not always connect it to a direct impact on themselves.

[Kirby]

Is that the candy that was inspired? That inspired this?

[Violette]

Yeah. So the candy you see, yeah, here is Betis, which is the color I told you about for balm. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Oh my gosh.

[Violette]

So BTIs in French is something cute and bad you do as a kid. So it's a little.

[Kirby]

Oh, I like it.

[Sarah]

You are cute and bad. Love that. Thank you everyone. Violette. Where can everybody find, find you find your products? Where can they follow you? Online?

[Violette]

Yes. So I would always say first online on our website, GilletteFair.com we ship worldwide now, which is a big thing for us. And now in the US and soon Canada at Sephora, in store and also online. And if you come to France, you can see us in Beaumarche and oh my cream.

[Sarah]

Amazing. Thank you so much.

[Violette]

Thank you.

[Sarah]

Thank you guys.

[Violette]

Thank you, Scott.

[Josie Santee]

I'm Josie Santee, health coach, wellness editor and host of the Every Girl podcast where we cut through the noise with realistic, expert backed advice to help you thrive in every category of life while still loving the person that you already are. And part of loving yourself is being really authentic to you, including the clothes you wear. In partnership with Nordstrom we're helping you update your spring wardrobe so your style is fit for your best self. Nordstrom brings you the season's most wanted brands like Skims, Mango Free People and Princess polly, all under $100. From trending sneakers to beauty must haves, we've curated the styles that you'll wear on repeat this spring. Free shipping, free returns and in store pick up make it easier than ever. Shop now in stores and at Nordstrom.

[Ashton]

Com.