Regular makeup users will have already experienced this situation: wearing your favorite lipstick every day for years until the brand decides to stop producing the color you love so much. Another frustrating scenario is having a clear idea of what you're looking for in terms of color and texture, and tirelessly scouring beauty stores and websites in the hope that a brand offers exactly the cosmetic product that until now only existed in your imagination. Or perhaps you want to know exactly which color suits you best and find it in your makeup collection.
In fact, there is a cosmetics lab-boutique in Paris where it would be very difficult not to find what you're looking for. And with good reason, as it offers you the chance to create your own custom lipstick or blush, while providing a 100% eco-friendly product, right down to the packaging! It's located in the Haut-Marais, the trendy district. At 35 Rue de Poitou, Bâton Rouge is waiting to make your dreams come true.
The concept here is simple: a makeup artist will assist you in creating your lipstick orblush. You can benefit from their advice throughout the creation process. It all starts with the color. Anything is possible: let the makeup artist guide you, reproduce the color of your old lipstick, take inspiration from an accessory, recreate the fruit of your imagination... and try again and again until you finally find your favorite.
The spot welcomes us with a cozy atmosphere, and the friendly team quickly makes us feel at home. We sit down at one of the two counters to spend some one-on-one time with our dedicated makeup artist. If you have a specific idea of what you want, we highly recommend bringing a few photos of the desired shade to help you better explain your idea.
For our part, we tried a first, rather nebulous brief: a golden brown without supporting photos. But this didn't stop the make-up artist from getting very close to the desired color very quickly: with disconcerting speed, here she is, mixing a few pigments and blending them with a spatula in an expert, satisfying gesture. It all happens in a flash with the force of habit: a few corrections are made, a little less pink, a little more brown, to achieve the desired result. Then, with the help of a brush, we proceed to the first test, because yes, the color won't necessarily render in the same way once applied to our lips.
Here again, we can see the attention to detail that has gone into the experiment: the result can be admired on a magnifying mirror, as well as on a second, standard mirror, so that the result can be contemplated from both near and far. The lighting is close to natural light, so you can properly appreciate the shade of this customized lipstick. In just four tries, you'll have the exact color you want.
If you're more the type to give carte blanche, then we recommend opting for a custom-made makeup look based on your colorimetry. This time, the workshop begins by defining your profile by placing several fabrics of different colors on you. Our guide for the day, Virginie, will then demonstrate the shades that suit us best, giving us a few tips to help us recognize them, especially when shopping. It should be noted that the color analysis workshop is tailored to makeup design and focuses more on the shades that can be used to create cosmetics, although you will pick up a few tips to help you add more color to your wardrobe. You will then know which season suits you best, which will be enough to create a lipstick or blush that will enhance your features.
Lipstick isn't just about color; there's also the choice of texture: matte, satin, natural, glossy, or liquid matte. Everything is available so you can create the lipstick that suits you, right down to the choice of scent from a range of natural fragrances. For blush, there is only one texture available, in cream form, which you can apply with a brush or your finger. The texture blends very well even without a base and offers a more natural finish than powder blush.
The colorimetry workshop is particularly suited to people who are ready to be guided and open to the idea of trying colors that take them off the beaten track. This is precisely the surprise effect we experienced at the end of this session: while we were used to opting for tone-on-tone makeup, Virginie took us out of our comfort zone and suggested a shade closer to burgundy, which is much more suited to our complexion and gives us a healthy glow while maintaining a natural look.
Then, head to the glass-walled lab, where you can watch the final stages of production before receiving your makeup. For our lipstick, we opted for a matte liquid formula that can be applied immediately. If you choose a blush or lipstick stick, please note that you will need to wait 48 hours before applying it, as it needs time to solidify. The natural composition of these cosmetics includes castor oil, which also moisturizes your lips and skin.
The cost of designing your custom lipstick is €50, while the cost of designing your blush is €60. Once the formula has been established, you can reorder it for €40 for liquid lipstick and €35 for stick lipstick, part of the packaging for which is reusable. The colorimetry workshop and custom makeup creation combo costs €90. Finally, you can also purchase ready-made lipsticks and blushes in-store at more affordable prices (€30 for lipstick, €40 for blush).
This way, you can create your own signature smile that will be hard to imitate... unless you share your crea!
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Location
Baton Rouge
35 Rue de Poitou
75003 Paris 3
Access
Saint-Paul metro station (line 1)
Prices
La recharge: €35 - €40
L'atelier: €50
Official website
batonrougeparis.com
