It’s not every day you get to meet the Creative and Image Director for Christian Dior Makeup, so when I got the opportunity earlier this year to meet Peter Philips, the brains behind many cult-worthy Dior Beauty makeup launches, you better believe I took the opportunity to ask him a question or two.
The meeting took place in the Hotel Majestic, in Cannes in the South of France. It’s an iconic hotel which plays host to the Dior Beauty Suite each year during Cannes Film Festival.
We’re in the dreamy sitting room within the Beauty Suite to witness the release of Rouge Dior On Stage, an ultra-long-wearing lipstick which packs the same glossy punch as a liquid lipstick but (excitingly) with the manoeuvrability of a bullet applicator.
“It’s a small range of 20 shades,” says Peter Philips as we sit down. “It’s a new formula, with new packaging and we have taken the benefits of what you find in a liquid lipstick and put them into a stick lipstick.”
The idea is you get wildly good makeup results with application ease.
“With a liquid formulation you have many possibilities for making exciting makeup results,” says Philips. “Things like finishes: a matt finish or non-transfer finish or high shine. With a bullet lipstick, you’re a bit more limited [with makeup artistry] because you need to add waxes to make it into a solid formula.”
In The Formula
A bullet lipstick formulation though does pack plenty of lip-care. This new recruit from Rouge Dior has ticked the care box as well, thanks to the addition of peony extract and pomegranate flower extract, both of which help to soften and nourish lips.
“The pros of a lipstick formulation is you can include extremely caring ingredients,” explains Philips. “So we aimed to merge the best of both worlds into this Rouge Dior On Stage lipstick formula.”
The result is a buttery solid lipstick in a very chic slimline stick that makes precision application more achievable than a liquid lipstick’s wand can sometimes be.
Application Tips
Philips of course has plenty of pro application tips for this next gen formulation.
“The formula is a very soft texture, so when you apply it, don’t push it out too much,” he says. “We have also designed a beautiful upside-down raindrop or tear shape, which is useful for a controlled application, but the shape also works very well for a blur lip. It’s a very handy shape, which matches all lip shape, all the lip sizes.”
Aside from the texture and finish, Peter’s inspiration for the range was deeply flattering shades that make us feel confident without looking overly made-up.
“I want women to really discover the benefits of the formula and not be intimidated and say, “oh no, this is not for me”,” he says. “This range has nudes so you can play and discover the great finish, the comfort of the formulation and the caring [feel].”
The Rouge Dior Contour lip liners, which now come in a new palette of nude shades which pair up perfectly with the new On Stage collection, are a great adjunct to help plump up lips and adding symmetry to lip shape. They can also create the ombre effect that is so on-trend right now – a technique that Philips says is a must-try if you have not yet jumped onboard.
“Use a dark lip line with a lighter shade of lipstick for a contoured look,” he suggests. “I have been using lipliner for a very long time but this is a look that is really being embraced right now.”
Play With Colour & Texture
Philips is one of the most well-known makeup artists on the planet so when we asked him some ways to play with colour, he wasn’t short on ideas. “Work with colour and texture,” he says, suggesting we start with matt “all over the lips with a blurry edge” then add just a bit of shine in the centre of the lips. “It gives a beautiful hint of moisture on your lips in a very blurred [relaxed and chic] way,” Philips explains.
Girl of the moment Jenna Ortega is the campaign’s face. She wears Redwood Star (shade 390) in the shine finish. It’s a deep burnished red which Philips says is both iconic and very flattering. “That shade is really beautiful,” he says. “Shade 390 is an iconic rose shade, and it has amazing shine. It’s going to be very popular.”
Rouge Dior On Stage Shine Finish lipsticks, $72 and Rouge Dior Contour lip liners, $51, are available at Dior.com
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