VIOLETTE_FR’s Invisible Bandage Will Replace Pimple Patches Forever

There are certain names that pique the interest of beauty editors everywhere: Mario Dedivanovic, Chris Appleton, Danessa Myricks, Amy Liu, and of course, Violette. It seems as though the acclaimed celebrity makeup artist and founder of beauty brand VIOLETTE_FR always has something new and genre-bending up her sleeve. From her immaculate Bisou Blush, — a marbled cream that moisturizes skin as it imparts a rosy sheen — to one of the last great liquid lipsticks, Petal Bouche Matte, Violette’s beauty brand creates serious hype. So when we received news about the latest innovation, Invisible Bandage, we knew we had to get our hands on it.

Invisible Bandage is almost impossible to describe. According to the brand, it’s a protecting and priming solution, and combines the same treatment actives you would find in traditional skincare (like niacinamide to even out skin tone and counteract inflammation, and CM glucan to protect the skin’s barrier) with the same properties found in makeup primers to create a smoother canvas. Invisible Bandage is said to dry quickly over skin abrasions and blemishes, and as it does so, and protects affected areas against infection. Think of this unassuming tube as a clear topcoat for blemishes and wounds. It can be worn underneath makeup or without it.

Violette told Refinery29 that the idea for Invisible Bandage began seven years ago, when Violette found herself with a mild burn on her face after undergoing a laser treatment at the dermatologist — a huge issue, considering she was about to undergo a press tour, and her face would be everywhere. Violette was concerned that the makeup she applied to hide the burns would exacerbate the issue and make the inflammation worse. There was nothing on the market that could help her, so she teamed up with world-renowned French beauty chemist Luc Jugla to create a product that bridges the gap between pharmacy and cosmetics: you want your makeup to look its best and help to heal and soothe skin simultaneously.

When it comes to ingredients, Invisible Bandage boasts a list of heavy hitters but the one that gets Violette and I revving is CM Glucan, the new, funkier sister to beta glucan — also touted as the new hyaluronic acid. “That's kind of my favorite ingredient,” says Violette. Beta glucan is all about promoting hydration and locking in the moisture on your skin, while CM Glucan is really about soothing and protecting. What Violette loves about it is that it is known to protect against bacterial infection. “ It's a little bit like a superpower agent for this product,” she says. “I was so amazed by how [CM Glucan] is really doing the job we wanted to do.” 

In fact, Invisible Bandage encapsulates the French girl skincare philosophy: simplicity, acceptance and happiness. “When I moved to the US, everybody was talking to me about ‘the French philosophy’. I was like, ‘What? The French beauty philosophy? I don't know, I have no idea what you guys are talking about’.” 

That’s when Violette realized that the rest of the world romanticizes French beauty. “It's not to be successful, it's not to perform — it's just to be happy,” she explains. It also means acceptance. “You have to accept yourself in the most natural, vulnerable way.” That’s why, says Violette, the brand never pushes the ‘best version of yourself’ narrative on people. “But let's love this version, even if it's unperfect.” 

Refinery29 was offered the chance to try out Invisible Bandage before its launch on September 19. Here’s our honest review. 

Name: Megan Decker

Title: Beauty Editor

Your thoughts: I love the idea of a liquid bandage. It feels medicinal and like something I’d get from an apothecary. I wasn’t sure how this particular product would serve its purpose in my life (did I need to require a bandage?) but then, as if on command, I got a pimple on the left side of my forehead, just next to my eyebrow. As one does, I started picking at it and I brushed on this liquid bandage stuff in an effort to stop myself. It worked kind of like a pimple patch, but more incognito (you can’t see it on the skin even a little bit) and less wasteful (you don’t throw it away). I squeezed the translucent gel onto the brush and brushed over the slightly scabbed pimple and it dried right on top. It’s kind of like a drying lotion, but unlike toothpaste or the Mario Badescu pink Pepto Bismol stuff, it doesn’t actually dry out my skin and cause it to burn and flake off. The next morning, after washing my face, I noticed that the angry spot was a lot less irritated and I followed the same steps for two nights in a row until it was gone. Now I’m fully team Liquid Bandage over the Pimple Patch.

Name: Amanda Mitchell

Title: Senior Beauty Writer / Stories Creator

Your thoughts: When I first heard the term “invisible bandage”, it brought back memories of the liquid Band-Aid from my childhood, which basically felt like combining kerosene and hot candle wax and pouring it into an open wound. We only had to go up from there! I will say this: I fully applied this wrong the first time, brushing the entire product over my face because I assumed it was like a traditional primer, and was like “This tiny tube must be a sample, what is this, a primer for ants?”. No, while my makeup did look great, that wasn’t the way it was meant to be used. (Reading directions is good, people.) I have been plagued with a persistent pimple right on the center of my forehead, making me look like a unicorn, and I’m convinced this product is not only healing the pimple itself, but undoing all the damage I did by using a pimple patch with microneedles. I rarely get a big skin blemish worth intense attention, but I’m glad I have this product on hand going forward. 

Name: Jacqueline Kilikita

Title: Deputy Beauty Director

Your thoughts: Contrary to the name, this is not an all-over makeup primer. (The 8ml tube is much too small.) Instead, it is meant to be swiped onto spots, burns and the like to even out the surface and to make foundation or concealer application more seamless. I have dermatillomania (a skin picking disorder) which leaves me with small wounds and rough patches of skin for makeup to collect around, so I was excited to try this. Once it dries down, it leaves behind a slight silicone feel: soft and smooth but not at all heavy or pore clogging. Sure enough, my makeup looked a lot more polished on the areas that I had applied Invisible Bandage! So much so, I didn’t have to touch up throughout the day. The effect is relatively similar to The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer, but the addition of the anti-inflammatory ingredient niacinamide as well as hydrating CM glucan makes it stand out. That said, I’m not too keen on the brush applicator, which you can’t clean very easily. If you’re using this on a pimple, especially one with a whitehead, I’d recommend dabbing a little onto your finger and applying it that way instead to avoid contaminating the brush.