THE BEST IN BEAUTY
FROM THOSE WHO KNOW BEST

VIOLET GREY began with our search for the best eyelash curler. To find the answer, we formed a band of inside-Hollywood experts and editors — from makeup artists to movie stars — to test every eyelash curler against our rigorous set of standards (the VIOLET CODE). We tested on film sets, on red carpets, and in the back of Jack Nicholson’s limousine — and once we learned which curler would make our lashes curve and not crimp (Utowa, it’s from Japan), we moved on to mascara, lip stain, dry shampoo, and everything else a girl needs in her cosmetic wardrobe. On any given day, we are discovering, testing, and approving best-in-class beauty. The result is a discerning curation of products, tips, and inspiration deemed essential — the Industry’s Beauty Edit.

6 Questions for...

JEANNE
DAMAS

Parisian It Girl and Rouje designer Jeanne Damas shares her Fashion Month rituals.

Written By JACK SUNNUCKS

JEANNE DAMAS IN ROUJE / PHOTOGRAHY BY SOPHIE ARANCIO

Jeanne Damas epitomizes the French beauty aesthetic we love to obsess over. Fresh-faced, bronzed, and with an occasional smudge of red lipstick, she’s a fixture on the front-row and party circuits as chronicled by the diary pages of Parisian fashion bible Purple Magazine. By day, she has her own clothing brand: the aptly named R ouje, which launched last spring.

“I wanted to have my own project and to work in a team,” she says of the perfectly curated capsule of very Jeanne essentials. “Only with friends, creative ones. The idea is to imagine my perfect way of dressing for the season. That’s why it’s a little collection—I want to be able to love and wear every piece.” Straight-legged cropped jeans, silk blouses, and floral dresses come together in a highly wearable vision of femininity, often inspired by people-watching with her stylist, Nathalie Dumeix. “Sometimes my ideas come from seeing a movie, or simply from a desire in my head. It’s very instinctive,” Damas muses.

Below, the designer answers The Violet Files’ mini questionnaire.

JEANNE DAMAS IN ROUJE / PHOTOGRAHY BY SOPHIE ARANCIO

1. WAKE-UP TIME

I wake up early because I love the morning and I like to take my time. It’s a good moment for reading a book in bed. The first thing I see is my cat, Charlie, who is asleep next to me.

2. BEAUTY ICON

I love Brigitte Bardot in the ’70s.

3. BEAUTY ROUTINE

I don’t have a beauty routine. I wash my hair every day and I put some Nuxe cream on my body. I don’t put any makeup on my skin or my eyes, just some MAC lipstick—red or plum, depending on the season. When I’m tan I like plum and during winter, red. Everything is easier in the summer when you are tanned—even tired you look good.

4. BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

An espresso and some fruit.

5. MORNING SOUNDTRACK

Sebastien Tellier.

6. OUTFIT ESSENTIALS

Slip dresses—simple, comfortable, and sexy.