When you think of French girl beauty, typically, an immaculate red lip comes to mind. “We French love red lipstick, and no, it’s not a cliché,” makeup artist and Violette founder, Violette Serrat has said on TikTok. “There is, however, another style that we appreciate even more,” she continued. “It’s called ‘bouche mordue’, which means ‘bitten lips’ in French.”
Bouche mordue lips means creating a soft, smudged effect, designed to enhance the shape of the mouth and mimic how lips look when blood rushes to the surface. Unlike other lipstick techniques ( like overlining), the goal here is a soft, romantic stain—as though you’ve just taken a sip of red wine or dabbed your mouth with a napkin.
TikTok content
How to create bouche mordue lips
The trick here is to not try and make anything look too perfect—imperfection is all part of the magic. Here’s how Serrat suggests you get the look:
- Apply a hydrating lip balm.
- Apply lipstick by lightly tapping the tip of the bullet against your lips—starting in the center and concentrating it around the middle of the mouth, then growing lighter as you move towards the edges.
- Take a tissue or napkin and dab gently against the lips to remove any excess pigment.
Have a beauty or wellness trend you re curious about? We want to know! Send Vogue s senior beauty wellness editor an email at beauty@vogue.com.