The definition of luxury and what it is can be quite different depending on who and where you are and even if you started with one conception of it, the rapid pace at which technology as changed – is changing – expands what all can be included in our idea of it. Most of us would find it difficult (maybe even preposterous) to spend thousands of dollars on a Gucci dress, a Chanel jacket, or an Hermès bag. But at its heart, luxury is about pleasure and some of us are happy to get a taste of it in some measure – small as it may be. The wonderful thing about high-end brands launching makeup lines, is that while I may not be able to own an Hermes bag, I can enjoy a little bit of that luxury in the form of a perfectly molded tube of lipstick at a price tag that I can better stomach, feeling something that is the true essence of luxury – pleasure.

After a lot of anticipation, Hermès launched its first-ever makeup line last year centered around a range of – you guessed it - lipsticks. These weighty bullets are designed as bands of black, white, and burnished gold, with the Hermes logo intricately carved in pale gold on top. In addition to this permanent range, Hermès has also been launching limited edition lip shades every season in bullets that have the same banded design, but these bullets come in a range of different colors. Instead of black and gold as in Hermes’ permanent range, these bullets are impressionist-inspired pastel pinks and peacock blues; Mondrian-esque punchy yellows and chocolate browns; all stacked together like little sculptures that Rothko himself would have approved of if not created – and these color stories keep changing every season. Each of these limited-edition lipsticks is a work of art and true to the promise of luxury that Hermès offers, owning one of these is like owning a little bit of Hermès’ je-ne-sais-quoi – without setting your life’s savings on fire.

Rouge Casaque, Orange Boite, and Rouge Orange are three shades from the permanent line and come in both matte and satin finishes. Rouge Casaque is a bright red with pink and blue undertones. Rouge Orange is a classic, fiery orange-red. Orange Boite is the unique one – inspired by Hermès’ signature orange shade, this is the kind of orange that you don’t see very often in lipsticks. I would describe it as a lighter,muted, pastel orange with undertones that are almost the sienna from old drawings (or raw sienna for those who know their oil paints). On my lips, I could even characterize it as a particular kind of nude – the pastel orange kind, if that makes sense. These lipsticks do not go full-on opaque in the first swipe – at least on my lips. Their matte formula is less dense and a little silky on the lips.

While the limited edition lipsticks come in beautiful lipstick shades, I almost always choose which ones I want based on the color stories of their limited edition bullets – it’s hard not to, they are so well done. If I could, I would build a little glass case for these and put them all on display like tiny sculptures. Rose Inoui, Corail Fou, and Rose Nuit are all limited edition shades from previous seasons (some are still available!). Rose Inoui is a rosy, peachy pink matte; Corail Fou is a satin-finish bright pink-y coral with a bit of orange in it. The satin formula of this lipstick is creamy and pigmented but in general, these lipsticks vary in the level of pigmentation and opacity. Rose Nuit is a cool-toned pink matte with a hint of pale rosewood in it. Beige Ebloui and Corail Aqua (both satin finishes) are brand new shades from Hermes’ Spring 2021 launch. Corail Aqua is a very bright, very orange coral that takes a few swipes to show up in its full glory on my lips. Beige Ebloui is my perfect nude – a warm-toned pale peach with just the right amount of pink in it. Corail Aqua comes in a bullet that stacks bands of robin-blue and pale latte, and Beige Ebloui is orange-red and tawny.

These lipsticks are not cheap – in fact, I think they are probably one of the most expensive lipsticks out there so I don’t blame you if you havn’t made the leap yet (or won’t ever). I only have three of the lipsticks in Hermès’ permanent line and I don’t think I’ll be getting any more. However, as a painter, I can tell you that very few bullet designs have brought me as much aesthetic satisfaction (and dare I say, pleasure) as their limited edition counterparts and sadly for my wallet, I am already looking forward to the next seasonal launch of these little beauties. While the luxury of Hermès bags is something I can’t easily acquire, the luxury of Hermès itself has been made just that little bit more accessible by this sculptural line of lipsticks.

Swatches

Under a lamp (LtoR): Orange Boite, Rouge Casaque, Rouge Orange, Rose Inoui, Corail Fou, Rose Nuit