Haute Pink

A Vogue 1955 image featuring a coat by Christian Dior, who loved the colour pink and saw it as the colour of happiness and femininity that every woman should own in her wardrobe. 

Photo Getty Images

The unexpected play on pink lipstick in Dior Addict Stellar Shine will make one rethink the colour, say both Dior Beauty’s creative director Peter Philips (up) and Cara Delevingne (down), who fronts the campaign. 

The collection offers 24 shades of pink in three high shine finishes: Glazed, Sparkle and Mirror. 

THERE’S MORE TO PINK THAN MOST THINK

PP: “It was one of Christian Dior’s favourite and lucky colours, and has such a great range of shades… It has nuances, and this was how I came up with Dior Addict Stellar Shine: to showcase its many sides. The different textures in the collection add an extra dimension to it: There’s Glazed (the biggest sub-range with 16 shades, all with a luminous sheen), Sparkle (with a glittery finish), and Mirror (bold and metallic). The line is meant to take pink out of its cute or pretty box, and make it more mature and exciting.”

CD: “(The collection) has changed my perception of pink as a colour. I didn’t appreciate it much before and associated it with a cute princess type of person, but now I’ve realised that it can also be masculine. It’s really a strong colour that’s so diverse. I don’t necessarily love wearing big pink dresses, but to wear a black suit with a white shirt and hot pink lipstick is incredible. It’ll get you noticed and you won’t be easily forgotten.”

PINK = POWER

PP: “I was doing the collection around the time of the #MeToo women’s marches and the images of streets full of women in the movement’s pink knitted pussyhats on the news really struck me. Pink is a cute colour, but it became used as a strong weapon, and that was what I wanted to say with Dior Addict Stellar Shine. The colour is for a confident, strong woman.” 

PINK & SHINY: A NEW EVERYDAY STATEMENT

PP: “There’s been a whole wave of gorgeous matte lipsticks and I love them, but you know, girls like to change. After matte, it’s logical that shine comes back, and I wanted to offer a range of shades and formulas that lets women try out something new. (Besides playing with various pink hues) Dior Addict Stellar Shine offers a beautiful shine effect (toneon-tone micro-pearls reflect light in multiple dimensions) that’s also nourishing and sensorial (aloe vera, beeswax and five lightweight oils ensure comfort and 24-hour hydration that’s said to make lips softer with time).”

CD: “For a woman who works every day or is a mother, it’s not feasible to spend time putting on a matte lipstick daily and reapplying it, because it can take a long time… Dior Addict Stellar Shine is something you can wear every single day. You can literally do so with one hand while you’re holding your baby and trying to get out of the door.”

PINK IS FOR EVERYONE

CD: “My favourite shade from Dior Addict Stellar Shine is Be Dior, a fuchsia with a glazed finish that’s meant to be universal. It’s the perfect balance of punk and pretty, and is sexy to me, and because the formula is so moisturising, I want to keep putting it on.”

PP: “(We also have more neutral-toned pinks like) Hypnotique (a rosewood pink) and the limited edition Mirage (a nudish rosy pink). Both sport a glazed finish and are very flattering.”

PINK LIPPIE – A FUN COUNTERPART TO RED

PP: “I don’t think red lipstick will ever go away. It’s good to have a strong red section in your beauty case, but you should also have a gorgeous and strong pink selection. That’s the great thing about makeup. It’s not permanent and you can play with it. One day, if you feel like a red woman, go for Rouge Dior and just apply it.”

CD: “Red lipstick is a lot more of an investment. I feel like with pink, you can decide last minute whether you want to wear it or not, whereas you kind of have to commit to red – you are invested once you apply it.”