By Chloe Pek February 10, 2020
It has been a long time in the making, but Hermès Beauty will finally launch on March 4 with its very first lip collection, Rouge Hermès.
Best known for its covetable Birkin and Kelly bags and exquisite silk scarves, the French maison’s artisanal spirit now extends to a new métier, translating Hermès’ vision of beauty into a line that encompasses make-up to skincare.
“I believe beauty at Hermès is not about appearance but about well-being. Beauty is a fundamental part of a natural quest for well-being,” said Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès in a release.
“We approach beauty in these terms: to show what is there, revealing it to its best advantage… I like the idea of Hermès as an intimate companion, revealing one’s deepest self. I associate Hermès’ beauty products with self-fulfilment, with the colour of an individual’s personality.”
Devoted to the beauty of lips, Rouge Hermès taps into Hermès’ existing archives of 75,000 shades that colour its silks, encompassing an emblematic collection of refillable lipstick in 24 shades and two finishes, as well as a totem collection of three lipstick shades, limited for spring/summer 2020.
Soft, powdery Doblis leather and the smooth luminosity of box calfskin inspire the lipstick’s textures—a pigmented and velvety matte finish and a bright, light-filled satin finish. Formulated with white mulberry extract, the lipstick leaves a weightless film on the lips that is comfortable and sensual.
Hermès’ nose Christine Nagel—who developed the house’s icons like Twilly d’Hermès and Eau des Merveilles Bleue—has also dreamed up a signature scent for Hermès Beauty, featuring captivating notes of sandalwood, arnica and angelica.
Accompanying objects complete the collection, with lip care balm, Poppy lip shine, universal lip pencil and a hand-lacquered wooden lip brush.
Accessories include a lipstick case with integrated mirror, a pop-up lipstick case, and a moon mirror—objets d’art crafted from Madame calfskin.
“With Hermès Beauty, as for our other métiers, we are engaged in a creative production process with the same insistence on quality as for all our objects,” Dumas shared.
“A beautiful object must not betray its primary function; it must do what it was designed to do. But beyond its use, it should be an object that gives incredible pleasure. It should give satisfaction that is not due to its function, but rather to its aesthetic. An Hermès object is experienced through the senses. Without this, beauty would be but a construct.”
Hermès Beauty will be available from March 4 at Hermès’ Liat Towers, Marina Bay Sands, and Takashimaya boutiques.
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