CO-LAB BALMAIN x L'OREAL

 

Olivier Rousteing is embarking on his first foray into make-up with Balmain's Colour Riche Lipstick line for L'Oreal. The designer – whose success with the luxury French fashion house knows no bounds – presumably has had his pick of offers from within the world of beauty, so why choose L'Oreal? 

"The Balmain girl and the L'Oreal girl are very similar," he tells us. "We believe in the same things. We believe in strong women, in diversity and in the next generation, but at the same time, we both also believe in couture and luxury. I also think of L'Oreal as a brand that is all about personality and confidence and that very much aligns with our message too." 

 "It is all to do with expression. Lipstick is all about the lips; expression is all about the mouth. This is a woman who is not afraid to say what she thinks." 

In the beginning I thought it would be really difficult, but by the end, I didn't find that to be true," he says. "When you are a designer, you are looking at proportion and shape, it is all about getting the perfect balance – and with lipstick, it's the same, it is about balancing everything to get the perfect shade. Sometimes it takes ages to get a dress right and sometimes it takes ages to get a lipstick right, but at the end of the day, it's the same goal – we are attempting to create perfection to the highest level." 

Glamazone

Of course there were challenges in the process, namely that he wanted to make sure his message of diversity and inclusivity was delivered. He says he wants every woman in the world to be able to find something they love in the 12-piece collection: "No matter your age or your colour, I wanted you to be represented in this line".

Confidence

"Balmain is an incredible luxury brand, but it is not affordable for everybody. Having said this, so many people love the brand – particularly millennials – and this will give them an opportunity to be a part of it. Buying a Balmain for L'Oreal lipstick is buying a piece of Balmain." 

Liberation

Aside from being able to reach more of his following and spread his positive message of diversity further, this collaboration is also very personal to Rousteing and he is quick to emphasise how much working with such an iconic brand like L'Oreal really means to him: "I grew up watching their campaigns in the '80s and '90s, some of which I will never forget. To be part of this story makes me feel really proud of my country, of my work and of the person that I am today".

 

The L'Oreal Paris x Balmain Paris Colour Riche Lipsticks will be available from Harvey Nichols in-store and online from the 1 September and available nationwide from the 25 September. Each lipstick is priced at £12.99.