2/2 - Last part of our interview with Elodie Carpentier, in which the co-founder of Le Rouge Français tells Le Boudoir Numérique how she used technological innovations to create and develop her makeup brand, respectful of the environment and of sentient beings.

By Ludmilla Intravaia

Le Boudoir Numérique: In the first part of your interview (read here), we talked, among other things, about the tinctorial plants used by Le Rouge Français, about eco-responsibility and the respect for sentient beings… How did you become aware of these issues that gave birth to your brand?

Elodie Carpentier, co-founder of Le Rouge Français: The idea of creating my own makeup brand came from my background in biotechnology, since I am an engineer in this field. Biotechnology encompasses techniques used by humans since the dawn of time, such as fermentation to produce bread, wine, etc. Incredible innovations that make it possible to be eco-responsible, to protect the environment and to avoid using chemical synthesis and petroleum, an unsustainable resource. In addition, I have worked for more than ten years in the pharmaceutical industry, on the fight for health and especially women's health, which is particularly close to my heart. While expecting my first child, I realized that I had a responsibility to her, to no longer compromise on my health and especially hers. As I wanted to continue wearing makeup and lipstick during my pregnancy, I had this idea: like what we eat, shouldn't everything we put on our skin be edible, harmless to health? This is how I started to study the formulas of makeup products.

Lipstick Le Rouge Français (© Le Boudoir Numérique)

What did you find?

I realized that the conventional makeup formulations were unhealthy and contained pigments 99% from petrochemicals, the rest from mineral. Passionate about botany, I decided to create my own formulas, using organic plant sources and excluding certain ingredients such as mica (a mineral used in makeup for its scintillating properties, AN) obtained through opaque supply chains, especially in regard to child slavery. You will also not find titanium dioxide in our products. This potentially carcinogenic coverage ingredient is used as an anti-corrosion agent in aircraft cabins. Banned in the food industry since last year, it is still authorized in cosmetics. When you know that a woman ingests more than four kilograms of lipstick in her lifetime, it's easy to understand that titanium dioxide is not good for your health.

Cheek and lip blushes, lipstick refills and products from the Indigo Céleste collection by Le Rouge Français (© Le Boudoir Numérique)

So you launched your brand, starting with lipstick ...

Indeed, we started with the most technical makeup product, lipstick. Our Rouge Tinctorial collection, launched in September 2019, includes sixteen shades, more exactly fifteen shades and a lip balm that also stems from technological innovation. In fact, we are the first to have thought of integrating probiotics in a balm for their ability to rebalance the skin microbiome (microorganisms living inside the epidermis and on its surface, AN) to better protect the skin. Mid-June, we unveiled a new collection, this time focused on the eye. Called Indigo Céleste, it gives pride of place to mascara, eyeliner and kohl pencil. Next October, we will launch the Garance Royale collection, whose cheek and lip blushes are already available, in three shades, in a Beauty to Go round format, for the cheekbones and lips. In a few weeks, we will release them in square format, cream and powder.

Cheek and lip blushes by Le Rouge Français (© Le Boudoir Numérique)

How do you see the development of your activities, from the innovation point of view?

Le Rouge Français is all about the innovation of plant-based coloring that we will continue to apply in the development of our makeup collections. Thus, we would like to integrate more and more bio-based ingredients, in particular in a completely unique range of varnishes and endowed with a standard of innovation higher than that of the current market, by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. We are also working on a micro-encapsulation process that will deliver very beautiful plant-based pigmentation for fondation products. In our very long-term deployment, we are thinking of other areas of application. Because, while the future of makeup will be plant-based and technological, our innovation in coloring is not limited to cosmetics but can be integrated into perfumes, skincare, fashion, eyewear, automobiles and even aeronautics. And of course, we are very attentive to the evolution of digital and immersive technologies.

What do you mean?

Already, our computer engineers have developed, for our Instagram account, an augmented reality filter to virtually try on our lipsticks and, later, our other makeup products. This kind of tool is also useful to allow the client to coordinate her makeup with her look, for example. Beyond the product itself, we want to move towards service, towards supporting our customers on how to put on makeup, on possible color associations, according to their wardrobe but also their mood or their character traits. Color is our job and we want to share an immersive experience around it, by immersing our clients in our plant-based color universe, not only in the morning, when they are putting on makeup but also at other times in their daily activities. The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the digital transformation of the world and immersive technologies will be part, for us, of this service 4.0., the service of the future.

* Le Rouge Français flagship store is located at Espace Chamberlan, 5 rue Rouget de L’Isle, 75001 Paris. More info on the brand's website here.

* Read the first part of Elodie Carpentier's interview, in this Boudoir Numérique article : "Our plant-based coloring innovation offers incredible shades for makeup".