Wearing Hermès’ new lipstick feels like the gentle caress of a silk scarf

It’s been five years since Hermès debuted its beauty métier. The first ever collection, Rouge Hermès, is a range of matte and satin lipsticks in colours extracted from the house’s archive. Textures are inspired by suede and calfskin leather, with the lipstick bullets (scented by Christine Nagel) contained in Pierre Hardy’s ergonomic and aesthetically striking cases.

‘It’s first of all sensual; about revealing, as opposed to masking. It’s about enhancing what is naturally there, and creating elegance and comfort and pleasure in being the best version of yourself,’ Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, told Wallpaper* upon the launch.

Now, marking this milestone, creative director of Hermès Beauty Gregoris Pyrpylis has expanded its lipstick offering with a new compilation: Rouge Brilliant Silky. As the name suggests, instead of leather, this time around Pypylis looked to Hermès silks when devising the collection’s diaphanous – yet buildable, pigmented and longwearing – formulas.

Here, he takes Wallpaper* further behind the making of Rouge Brillant Silky.

Hermès Beauty: the making of Rouge Brillant Silky lipstick

Wallpaper*: What was the starting point – and inspiration behind – the Rouge Brillant Silky collection?

Gregoris Pyrpylis: After five years of Hermès Beauty, I wanted to celebrate this moment. So it made sense to introduce a new lipstick – a new signature, a new expression – for Hermès Beauty, which is complimentary to the Rouge Hermès collection that we began with, back in 2020. The finish of Rouge Brillant Silky is more of a delicately coloured yet intensely glossy finish. It’s intuitive and playful. It’s not about precision.

The collection draws inspiration from a memory from my childhood; the first time I felt silk against my skin. My mom used to wear a lot of long, ethereal silk scarves, either around her neck or attached to her handbag. I was only small – around six or seven years old – and when she would come and pick me up from school I would walk alongside her at knee-height and the silk would brush against my face.

W*: How did you capture this sensation in the Rouge Brillant Silky formulation?

GP: We worked closely with the Hermès silk métier, which provided different samples from the archive. I then borrowed elements from these samples for the lipstick formula and texture. There’s the transparency of silk chiffon; the suppleness of silk twill; the luminosity of silk lamé.

The ingredients were key to achieving this. There’s Abyssinian oil, which is incredibly hydrating and nourishing. We also infused the lipsticks with sesame seed extract, to soften and smooth the lips, and raspberry leaf extract, which has a subtle plumping effect. Then there’s the Morus Alba, or white mulberry, a core ingredient running throughout Hermès Beauty, which has antioxidant properties.

W*: How did you translate the intense colours of Rouge Hermès into more of a sheer finish?

GP: The shades in the Rouge Brillant Silky collection are emblematic of Hermès, such as Rouge Casaque, Rouge H and Rose Épicé. I stayed as close as possible to the true colour payoff, in this sheer formula. The lipsticks elevate the natural shade of the lips, rather than covering entirely.

There are also new shades that I developed. One of my favorites is called Brun d’Ambre, which is a beautiful beige, infused with golden, pink and copper-toned pearls. So, when you apply it, it just warms up the skin in a very subtle way. And it works on every skin tone. Another of my favourites is Rouge Brique, another signature Hermès colour, that we hadn’t used in the beauty métier before now. It’s a dark terracotta red. It’s a lipstick that elevates and reveals the natural colour of the lips, rather than covering.

W*: What is the ‘gesture’ – or application technique – for Rouge Brillant Silky?

GP: A Rouge Brillant Silky lipstick doesn’t follow the rules. There are so many ways to apply it. Of course, you can start with one swipe on your lips and stop there, which will provide a very lightweight veil of colour. Then, you can build up the intensity if you continue with a second or even a third layer. By pairing it with one of the Trait d’Hermès pencils, you could create a shade sur mesure.

When used alongside a corresponding lipstick from the Rouge Hermès collection – for example, Rouge Casaque paired with Rouge Casaque from Rouge Brillant Silky – you can achieve a lacquered finish. For an ‘almost there’ tint, try applying one of the lipsticks to the back of your hand and dabbing it onto the lips with your fingertip. I think the gesture has an addictive power. Those who have worn the product so far have told me that ‘they cannot stop applying it’.

W*: The refillable lipstick cases and protective canvas pouches for Rouge Brillant Silky are new. Also, the bullets are slanted. Why is this?

GP: Pierre Hardy has made Hermès Beauty so unique that the moment you touch the object in your hands, you instinctively know it’s Hermès. So when it comes to this new chapter, I explained to him that Rouge Brillant Silky is a melting and enveloping texture that needs to be guided by the shape of the bullet and the case. The slanted bullet will facilitate the gesture when you apply it; it’s not flat, so you won’t hold the lipstick in a way that feels unnatural. The slender shape of the case also aids in this gesture.

This year we are also celebrating the 100th anniversary of Rouge H – a distinctive colour for Hermès. It’s a Bordeaux red with a hint of brown and a slightly blue undertone, which dictated the design of the new canvas pouch.

W*: And what about the metallic-finish limited edition cases?

GP: At Hermès, we’re always trying to create objects that have long lasting life. To me, the limited edition cases are like treasures you want to keep forever. Rouge Brillant Silky is about how colour interacts with light. So here, I looked at artists who have explored this approach, such as James Turrell. And Pierre Hardy worked his magic yet again.

W*: What’s next for Hermès Beauty?

GP: The Hermès A/W 2025 show was on Saturday last week (8 March 2025), in which Hermès Beauty had a very significant presence with a bold make-up expression. As for what’s next, the beauty métier feels almost complete in terms of its core offering. So the aim is to enrich our existing collections, going a bit deeper into each segment but always sticking to the foundation of Hermès Beauty. The next launch is coming in September this year. I think it’s going to be one of my favourites and may be surprising to some as it’s quite unexpected for Hermès.

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