Flower Power

Dior Beauty is entering a new era of lip care with its new collection of Rouge Dior Natural Balms, reports Crystal Lee

There’s no denying that lip balms have overtaken lipsticks on our work desks and vanity counters, considering we’re mostly at home or donning a mask these days. That said, a swipe of colour on the lips can make you look and feel put together, which makes tinted salves, balm and lipstick hybrids all the more appealing in the new normal.

In response to this growing demand for nourishing, lip brightening formulas, Dior Makeup is expanding its already massive Rouge Dior range with Rouge Dior Natural Balms, an 18-strong collection of semi-pigmented hydrating (refillable, too) sticks with a revolutionary 95 percent natural-origin floral formula.

Creative and image director Peter Philips elaborates over a Zoom interview: “The pandemic has impacted the way we create products. We’re now forced to wear masks. Our research showed that customers wanted products that are a little bit cosmetic, but mainly caring. The Rouge Dior Natural Balms range is an answer to the desires of those who want to care for their lips, but still want colour and the feeling of wearing lipstick.”

Each part of the formula is infused with a good-for-you floral ingredient. The base contains ethically produced pomegranate flower extract, along with shea butter, natural waxes and oils to smooth and plump lips. Pigments are blended with an extract of red hibiscus flowers to soothe and protect. Finally, red peony and fig blossom seal the formula with their moisturising and colourenhancing properties.

These beauty staples come in not one, but three finishes – Satin, Velvet and Matte, as per the main Rouge Dior Couture wardrobe – which are almost unheard of in the world of balms. Satin imparts a pretty, glossy sheen, while Velvet delivers a blurry effect with just a subtle hint of shine. “The all-new matte version required a texture with a blurry effect, with no satiny shimmer or shine, but one that simply leaves a velvety finish and a soft veil of colour on the lips,” says Philips.

With a palette of nude tones from milk tea hues to darker rosewoods, alongside a softer, matte version of the iconic Rouge Dior Couture 999, the Natural Balms can be worn alone or with lipstick. “If you combine (the balm) with our Rouge Dior lipsticks, make sure that the finish is the same,” Philips advises. “You don’t want to combine a satin finish balm with a velvet lipstick because you will lose that velvety look. You can also use the balm as a lipstick reviver, say, two to three hours after application. But if you want to correct the colour, like after lunch, for example, I’d suggest using lipstick because you need the pigment, which is not so much in the balm.”