[slideshow_deploy id=’4708′]
Most of us are on a quest in search of that secular holy grail – the perfect lipstick. Lipstick Queen founder Poppy King was too – so decided to create them herself, starting her business at the tender age of 19. Up until now her branding has been luxury with added quirkiness (last year she created Liptropolis, a lipstick trio set based around the 1927 Fritz Lang film Metropolis).
Her latest launch is her most premium collection to date, and seems like somewhat of a departure from her earlier, slightly cheekier endeavours. First there’s the packaging: a hefty, heavy-duty chunk of ridged gold resembling a mini New York sky-scraper that would make a charming addition to any handbag or clutch, with a magnetic lid that clicks into place with a satisfying snap. Then we move on to the lipstick itself, with a matte, velvety texture that feels like heaven (thanks to the combination of natural beeswax, nourishing apricot oil and protective Vitamin E).
And then there’s the scent – a world away from the granny-ish florals of yesteryear, the added peppermint oil delivers a fresh fragrance and a cooling sensation that makes applying this lipstick surprisingly moreish. But thanks to its unique ingredient silicone elastomer, you only need to apply the smallest amount of pressure to deliver a smooth, even film of colour.
Velvet Rope is available in five shades – as one would expect, there’s an iconic blue-toned red Brat Pack (to paraphrase Poppy herself: “Many people don’t have the confidence to wear red lipstick, I don’t have the confidence not to wear it!”); Black Tie – a more vampish rouge; Entourage – a demure claret shade; Private Party a fun girly pink and (my favourite) Star System – a light peachy pink.
In my view, there’s a lot to be said for a decent fleshy pink shade of lipstick, which often gets overshadowed in favour of the more outspoken reds. It adds a perfect finishing touch to a daytime look, and provides a pretty contrast to a dark, smokey eye. In short – Star System hasn’t left my handbag since I got my greedy paws on it.
by Viola Levy
Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope lipsticks are £35 each, available in September from SpaceNK.
Follow Lipstick Queen on Twitter @lpstkqueen and on Facebook here