Hermès Launched Rouge Brillant Silky and Celebrated the Fifth Anniversary of La Beauté Hermès

Five years ago, Hermès began its beauty journey with a lipstick, or as they refer to it, with objects and accessories dedicated to the beauty of the lips. The introduction of new departments—or, as Hermès calls them, new métiers—is a rare occurrence for the company, as Hermès only engages in areas where it has historical experience and expertise. This launch was rooted in their extensive experience within color shades and color combinations, gained by Hermès over a hundred years of working with leather and silk. Hermès even has a special library containing 75,000 silk swatches.

Five years ago, Hermès ventured into a new craft by entering the highly competitive beauty market with lipstick, the most classic product, which they wanted to transform into one of its classical objects. The lipstick case was designed by Pierre Hardy, the artistic director of jewellery and shoes, while the colors were chosen at the silk department. The entire process was overseen by Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the artistic director of maison Hermès. Their efforts paid off, as Hermès lipstick became an iconic item. Agnès de Villers, the head of La Beauté Hermès, explained to me at the time: “With each of our métiers, we strive for the highest possible product quality. I believe quality is something that never disappoints our clients; there is a kind of trust contract between us. At this house, lipstick is crafted with the same care as saddles, scarves, furniture, and everything else, imbuing it with strength, a certain nobility, and even poetry.” This approach proved successful, as Hermès lipstick is renowned for its unique quality and has become an essential part of many women’s daily lives.

Over the past five years, Hermès has introduced new colours, released limited-edition shades each season, and crafted matte or satin textures, yet the essence of lipstick remained the same. Today, a new chapter begins with Rouge Brillant Silky—a fundamentally lighter finish, where the color appears as a tint with a lot of shine. However, the same iconic lipstick colours are available, but in a lighter form—Rouge Casaque, Rouge H, Rouge Amazone, Rose Boisé, and Rose Épicé have all been reimagined in this new finish. Gregoris Pyrpylis, the artistic director of La Beauté Hermès, shares his thoughts on the new possibilities: “Rouge Brillant Silky elevates and reveals without ever imposing a line. It invites the wearer to play with it, to layer it endlessly. It is freedom itself.”

The Hermès Rouge Brillant Silky collection was unveiled at the historic Parisian Mint, La Monnaie. That evening, it was transformed into an immersive space where practicality blended with art to evoke emotions and enhance perception. In the first room, guests were welcomed by fortune tellers whose cards predicted not destiny, but the shade of Rouge Brillant Silky, and they received a card with its name. In the second room, three giant tubes of Rouge Brillant Silky limited edition opened at a certain point, revealing ballerinas who began their performance. In the third room, makeup artists greeted everyone, took the prediction card, and decided whether it was a good match or if another shade was worth trying.

This joyful, light, and nonchalant world is deeply connected to the very essence of everything the maison Hermès does. As Agnès de Villers stated: “Our approach to creating Hermès objects is to make life a little easier and a little more beautiful, because if you have beautiful objects with you, you feel a bit better. Plus, there is a lot of play and joy in makeup. Ce n'est pas grave!”

Courtesy: Hermès 

Text: Elena Stafyeva