There’s nothing like the vampish streak of a red lip - or so a host of celebrities and designers seem to believe. Cashing in on the insatiable demand for a smudge of colour and an instant confidence boost, designer makeup ranges are mushrooming – and most begin with a foray into lipsticks.
Celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe, has just announced that she is to unveil a standalone lipstick range, while fashion designer Kate Spade is to launch a lippy line in the autumn.
Elsa McAlonan, Daily Mail Beauty Columnist, told MailOnline: 'Over the past few years we have seen an increase in the number of designers launching their own lipsticks,' and, she says, the trend looks set to continue, predicting that we will see more launches in the next twelve months.
Designs, shades and feel of Rachel Zoe's brand, called Exude, are still under wraps but Ms Zoe, 39, promises the lipsticks will ‘forever revolutionise the way a woman applies her lipstick.’
Fashion designer Kate Spade, has also tapped into the trend. Collaborating with Fifties-inspired Poppy King, whose red lipsticks have attracted an almost cult-like following, the New York-based handbag designer will launch a lip colour range in Autumn.
Named Supercalifragilipstick, the lipsticks may be a mouthful to mention but promise to deliver a full mouth in sheer, long-lasting shades.
It follows the success of Kate Spade’s capsule collection featuring just one shade of red, called Twirl, which hit the beauty stands last year.
Kate Spade and Ms Zoe's lipsticks take a leaf from Tom Ford’s sleek collection of lipsticks, which became an instant success upon launching in 2010. Part art, part makeup, the range appeals to the discerning - and perhaps more fashion-driven - among us.
Attracting plaudits for design even before the first smear of lippy had hit a pout, the glamorous lipsticks soon became an accessible way to tap into the Ford school of chic.
It certainly makes the search for the ideal Julianne Moore-inspired nude shade - in the manner of Ford’s directing debut, A Single Man - a lot easier. Not that, at $45 a pop, the lipsticks come cheap.
Still, they are more of a bargain than an investment in the designer's outfits.
‘It's easy to see the appeal of a designer lipstick - you may not be able to afford a Tom Ford dress, but you can buy the style by wearing his hot new lip colour,’ says Ms McAlonan.
So, what is it about lipsticks that make them a safe launching pad from which to dive into the notoriously fickle beauty industry?
Edward Bess, a former model who counted the late Farrah Fawcett as one of his fans, launched his range of makeups in 2006 with a set of lipsticks, ‘the be all and end all of lip colour,’ called the ‘lip wardrobe’.
His lipstick range was all that was needed to garner support before soon expanding to include eye colours, mascara and blushers, and his first skincare line will be unveiled in August.
While Edward Bess quipped to MailOnline that he ‘personally chose to first start with the pout because it's the sexiest part of a woman's face,’ there may, according to Ms McAlonan, be more pragmatic answers.
‘It is hardly surprising that lipstick is the first item so many designers and celebrities choose when launching a make-up range. Lip colour is the fastest way to update your look, whether you are 18 or 80.
‘There is great scope to play with different colours and textures and for a designer, there's the opportunity to put your own exclusive stamp on the case,’ said Ms McAlonan.
There has long been rather more masculine credibility given to the sales of lipsticks, which, experts say, function as an economic index, signalling recession.
'Lipstick is very much in fashion again,' said Ms McAlonan. 'For some women, picking the right lipstick shade is as crucial as buying the must-have bag of the season - especially if it's a designer lipstick.'
Lipstick sales in U.S. department stores rose by 7 per cent this year and the cosmetic category is now worth $185.2 million according to market research firm, NPD Group Inc.
Given that the lipstick effect looks set to linger as austerity measures continue to grip the UK, USA and Europe, Tom Ford, Kate Spade and now Rachel Zoe may have judged the market wisely.
We like to think, though, that Bess has it about right: A beautiful pout will always stand out, no matter how full wallets may, or may not, be.
Celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe, has just announced that she is to unveil a standalone lipstick range, while fashion designer Kate Spade is to launch a lippy line in the autumn.
Fashion and beauty: Stylist Rachel Zoe, left, will unveil her new range, Exude, this week, while fashion designer Kate Spade's lipsticks go on sale later this year
Designs, shades and feel of Rachel Zoe's brand, called Exude, are still under wraps but Ms Zoe, 39, promises the lipsticks will ‘forever revolutionise the way a woman applies her lipstick.’
Fashion designer Kate Spade, has also tapped into the trend. Collaborating with Fifties-inspired Poppy King, whose red lipsticks have attracted an almost cult-like following, the New York-based handbag designer will launch a lip colour range in Autumn.
Named Supercalifragilipstick, the lipsticks may be a mouthful to mention but promise to deliver a full mouth in sheer, long-lasting shades.
It follows the success of Kate Spade’s capsule collection featuring just one shade of red, called Twirl, which hit the beauty stands last year.
Pretty in pink: Kate Spade's Supercalifragilipstick, left, was designed with Poppy King, while Tom Ford's lip collection was a huge hit when it launched last year
Attracting plaudits for design even before the first smear of lippy had hit a pout, the glamorous lipsticks soon became an accessible way to tap into the Ford school of chic.
It certainly makes the search for the ideal Julianne Moore-inspired nude shade - in the manner of Ford’s directing debut, A Single Man - a lot easier. Not that, at $45 a pop, the lipsticks come cheap.
Nude pout: Julianne Moore looks indomitable in a pale shade of lipstick in Tom Ford's A Single Man
‘It's easy to see the appeal of a designer lipstick - you may not be able to afford a Tom Ford dress, but you can buy the style by wearing his hot new lip colour,’ says Ms McAlonan.
The lips have it: Edward Bess' makeup range started with a set of lipsticks that attracted praise from Farrah Fawcett
Edward Bess, a former model who counted the late Farrah Fawcett as one of his fans, launched his range of makeups in 2006 with a set of lipsticks, ‘the be all and end all of lip colour,’ called the ‘lip wardrobe’.
His lipstick range was all that was needed to garner support before soon expanding to include eye colours, mascara and blushers, and his first skincare line will be unveiled in August.
While Edward Bess quipped to MailOnline that he ‘personally chose to first start with the pout because it's the sexiest part of a woman's face,’ there may, according to Ms McAlonan, be more pragmatic answers.
‘It is hardly surprising that lipstick is the first item so many designers and celebrities choose when launching a make-up range. Lip colour is the fastest way to update your look, whether you are 18 or 80.
There has long been rather more masculine credibility given to the sales of lipsticks, which, experts say, function as an economic index, signalling recession.
'Lip colour is the fastest way to update your look, whether you are 18 or 80. There is great scope to play with different colours and textures'
A relatively low-cost way to dip into cosmetic indulgences, lipstick sales - and, similarly, those of nail polish - tend to rise during times of economic uncertainty. 'Lipstick is very much in fashion again,' said Ms McAlonan. 'For some women, picking the right lipstick shade is as crucial as buying the must-have bag of the season - especially if it's a designer lipstick.'
Lipstick sales in U.S. department stores rose by 7 per cent this year and the cosmetic category is now worth $185.2 million according to market research firm, NPD Group Inc.
Given that the lipstick effect looks set to linger as austerity measures continue to grip the UK, USA and Europe, Tom Ford, Kate Spade and now Rachel Zoe may have judged the market wisely.
We like to think, though, that Bess has it about right: A beautiful pout will always stand out, no matter how full wallets may, or may not, be.
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