The new Balmain-L’Oréal lipstick collection lets you pucker up in deep lilac, navy and green
There’s been a lot of excited anticipation ever since French luxury fashion house, Balmain, announced its debut into the world of cosmetics in May in collaboration with L’Oréal Paris. Come September 20, it will be ready with its first offering—lipsticks.
The brand’s creative director Olivier Rousteing will debut his first-ever capsule collection of lipsticks in 12 shades. While the chic packaging is everything you would expect from Balmain, and the soft, non-drying texture is everything you would expect from L’Oréal, what makes this collection unique is its interesting shade range. From muddy green to pale nude to deep purple and midnight blue, the collection is certainly diverse.
That adventurous palette has been created to suit “every kind of skin colour, continent and culture,” the French designer told a fashion blog. After a quiet, toned-down streak in fashion and beauty, Rousteing explained, “Now we realise that we need a moment of flamboyance and maximalism, and to take risks.”
That maximalist mantra carries through to the packaging as well: a decadent riff on precious materials, such as emerald-green malachite, blue lapis lazuli and onyx.
These cases are called “lipstick pendants” as they’re attached to a chain with a gold tassel. All the better for reapplying at a moment’s notice.
Describing the collection, Rousteing added, “To me, creating lipstick is like creating clothes, and this collection is a way to invite people to have a piece of Balmain.” Reflecting on the transformative power of a chosen colour, he said: “It can be an armour, it can be a communication tool, it can be an invitation.”