Business of beauty: First look at Hermès make-up
First look at Hermès make-up – and it’s very covetable.
Back in March 2019, Hermès announced it would be launching beauty this year. By some sort of spooky telepathy, I happened to email the PR yesterday to check in on the launch date. It’s launching in March, she said. And that was it. Today, WSJ has a bit more news. Hermès is launching Rouge Hermès, a line of 24 refillable lipsticks, in two finishes, a satin and a matte. They will be lightly fragranced with a custom blended scent created by Hermès perfumer, Christine Nagel.
I’m loving the traditional-meets-modern vibe. On the one hand it’s a classic bullet lipstick, not an ‘ink’, oil, or liquid. On the other, it’s an eco-conscious refillable concept in the vein of La Bouche Rouge and Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain.
And the design of said bullets – courtesy of the fabulous Pierre Hardy – is as graphic and uber-chic as I’d hoped. Because at this level (the lipsticks are $67, with refills at $42), these are not just cosmetics, they’re lifestyle objets! And as such, they’re accompanied by sibling accessories – a lip brush, a lip pencil, a leather case and a mirror-slash-necklace-pendant.
WSJ reports that there will be a new Hermès make-up category launched every six months (what a tease), with foundation, eye and cheek colours to be followed by skincare. As Hermès chief executive officer Axel Dumas said in March, “we are trying to do it humbly and cautiously, because it’s a big market that’s already full of strong players, and therefore we have to find our place in it.”
Thus, in line with this slowly-slowly approach, the products will launch with limited availability. Mostly in Hermès’ own boutiques, on hermes.com and at third-party retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Hermès make-up by David Abrahams/WSJ
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