Dior Is Launching The Most Luxurious Lip Balm Ever

They say less is more, and Dior Beauty’s key makeup artist, Peter Philips, gave us all a lesson in minimalist chic by paring back the makeup to focus on beautiful skin and healthy, hydrated lips at Dior Men Fall 2021 digital show on Dec. 8. And as an extra-special treat, the brand launched a new lip product, Dior Rouge Balm, that would appeal to all genders.

“It’s important to edit for a catwalk look. There has to be one moment of calm,” Philips explained via Zoom after the collection debuted online. Models sported luminous and flawless skin and groomed brows with subtle highlights, juxtaposing the vivid prints created by legendary downtown street artist Kenny Schraf who collaborated with the brand this season. Models walked out to the pulsating soundtrack by Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite whose mega-famous tune “What is Love” was reimagined under the Dior lens, asking “How do you say Dior?” The backdrop was equally impressive, featuring a video projection of light flashes and explosions of glitter that accentuated the highlight on the models’ cheeks.

“We had great music, hair and fantastic fashion. There was an amazing set, complex choreography, and if I’d done crazy make-up on top of that, it becomes almost less credible,” Philips says. “That’s why we went for beautiful, luminous skin.”

The hero product was the newly launched Rouge Dior Satin Balm in 000 Diornatural, which made its debut at the digital catwalk show. Philips used the balm, which is a first for Rouge Dior, for a hydrated pout and on cheeks and temples to “give an extra glow without pearlescence or lacquer because it’s pure hydration,” he notes.

The balm was created as a response to dehydrated lips people were experiencing due to prolonged periods of mask wearing. Since the global pandemic hit earlier this year, face masks have been encouraged as a preventative measure against the spread of COVID-19. But with that came a new slew of skin care issues, including maskne and cracked lips. This versatile lip balm is made with 95 percent natural ingredients and offers 24 hours of hydration to help combat the latter. It’s encased in the same sleek bullet as the rest of the range, and the extendable tip is refillable, keeping in line with the brand’s dedication to sustainability.

“It’s a little gesture that helps a lot,” Philips says. “We calculated that if every woman or man who buys Rouge Dior does this recycling routine, we have one third less waste and one quarter less use of plastic, which is a lot if you look at the amount of lipsticks we sell around the world.”

Currently, it’s only available in one universal shade and when asked if there would be further shade development, Philips was coy, “We are working on plenty of great stuff, not only in the lip balm but also in our Rouge Dior line.”

Lips aside, a flawless complexion was a major component here. Philips prepped the models’ skin with Capture Totale Potent Serum, which was layered under Capture Totale Firming and Wrinkle-Correcting Creme to ensure the skin was nicely hydrated to act as a base for the foundation. Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation helped blur out any further imperfections. Once the foundation was applied, it was left to set without the aid of a powder to keep the complexion as natural as possible. A quick swipe of lip balm on the high points of the cheeks and atop the lips finished the look. Brows were groomed and defined with Diorshow Brow Styler and Diorshow Pump ‘n’ Brow to frame the eyes.

For those just beginning to experiment with makeup, Philips suggested finding the right shade in a lightweight formula, such as Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation which comes in 40 shades, and dabbing it in gently with your fingers for a seamless finish. “You can hardly make any mistakes this way,” he notes.

Rouge Balm doesn’t officially launch until January 15, 2021, but for those who can’t wait, Dior.com is offering presales on the product from now until December 11.

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