It’s official: Hermès is launching its first-ever beauty collection in March. Rouge Hermès, a range of 24 refillable-format lipsticks and a small accessories collection, is the first step for Beauté Hermès, a nascent product family for the French luxury maison.
The collection is comprised of 14 glossy formulas and 10 matte: for the glossy variant the bullet was designed to have a rounded tip, while the matte lipstick is more angular in a bid to offer a precise application gesture. Rouge Hermès also includes a brush featuring a lacquered wooden handle, a lip balm and “universal” lip pencil.
The metal lipstick tubes (only the mechanism is made of plastic) feature a lacquered matte and brushed gold finishing effect in black, white or permabrass—a brasslike hardware the brand uses on its luggage and accessories. (Limited-edition lipsticks come in a selection of lacquered colors.) The metal tube is topped with a curved plaque that is engraved with the brand’s logo. The lipsticks come nestled in small boxes made entirely of recycled board in the brand’s signature orange. The refills are available only at Hermès boutiques or counters.
The collection was the brainchild of Bali Barret, head of women’s fashion for the house, artistic director footwear and jewelry, Pierre Hardy and artistic director of the new Hermès Beauté division, Jérôme Touron. To dream up its color palette, the team sampled more than 75,000 hues from its silk library in Lyon. House perfumer Christine Nagel composed the collection’s olfactory signature.
Rouge Hermès also comprises a range of goods made of calf leather: a lipstick case with integrated mirror, a “pop-up” lipstick case and a mirror suspended from a leather strap.
Hermès aims to build its makeup offer over time and confirms it is also developing a skincare line.
