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.”
Matteo Scarpellini
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.
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:
