A lipstick that feels like an Hermès silk scarf

Can a lipstick feel like an angel’s caress? Hermès thinks so. It’s the global launch day of Rouge Brillant Silky, the new line of sheer and buildable lipsticks from Hermès, and we are sitting in a room that Gregoris Pyrpylis, creative director of Hermès Beauty, calls the most important room at the French fashion house’s HQ. It’s where artistic directors across all of Hermès métiers meet with the executives to make crucial decisions about future collections. “We could have met at my studio, but it’s a mess!” he quips. 

It is also the room where Pyrpylis comes from time to time to feel inspired, and thus the perfect place for us to discuss a collection that has been three years in the works. He lifts books from the bookshelves behind us and takes me through some of his favourite artists and their joyous works. “Colour is always perceived in context to something else. In the case of lipsticks and makeup, it is skin,” says Pyrpylis, who is a colourist when it comes to makeup.

As we sit down for a chat on all things beauty, I ask the most pertinent question on my mind: How does a brand like Hermès launch a new line of lipsticks? There’s a knowing smile and no other information offered, other than the words “You will see!”. And soon enough, I find out that the Hermès way is one that has a lot of thought, intention, and pure magic. 

Arriving at the launch venue in the evening is like entering a secret world. Smoke and mirrors, and magicians dealing cards for each colour in the collection. To enter, you have to pick a card that unlocks your entry into the inner labyrinths of the party. A door opens and a secret passageway takes you deeper into another room, where you are greeted by giant installations inspired by the case of the lipstick designed by creative director of Hermès Jewellery, Pierre Hardy. Metallic and bold, these lipsticks open up to unveil disco ballerinas that dance to iconic ’80s ballads like ‘Xanadu’. Meander further, and you can sit down with an Hermès makeup artist as they expertly apply the perfect colour pout from the collection that suits you. My choice: the Rouge Brique, perfectly named for its muddy marsala shade reminiscent of a brick slab.

Below, excerpts from the interview with Gregoris Pyrpylis:

What’s the first thing you did this morning?

Gregoris Pyrpylis: I took my acidity pill. It started in October—too much stress, too much fatigue, and now it’s a ritual. Then, I washed my face, applied my moisturiser, and I was ready to go. Simple as that!

Most of the time, I think I should go work out in the morning, but I wait for the weather to be right. When it’s dark and rainy, I’d rather have five more minutes in bed. Always.

How long does it take to develop a beauty product at Hermès?

GP: The process is long, especially when you uphold the standards of Hermès. And if you add to this how impatient I am, that’s not a great combination. This collection took almost three years. From the moment we develop a formula, we go through countless tests, ensuring that the product meets our expectations and regulatory standards across the world.

And if anything changes in the formula?

GP: Then everything changes! A single shift—a pigment swap, a texture adjustment—can alter how the lipstick feels, how it applies, how long it lasts. That’s why this stage is the most stressful. But in the end, it’s all worth it.

Why was Rouge Brillant Silky the next chapter in Hermès Beauty?

GP: Well, I don’t see this as replacing our satin or matte finishes—it’s a new expression. At Hermès, we embrace different textures as part of our storytelling. I’m sure that there’s a woman who is going to appreciate all three of them. But they can address three different types of people as well. The mattes and satins were inspired by the suppleness of our leathers—soft, buttery, velvety. Rouge Brillant Silky, on the other hand, is about silk.

Silk?

GP: Yes! Think of how an Hermès silk scarf feels against your skin. The comfort, that lightness, that softness. That’s what I wanted to bring to this lipstick. It’s like... How do I put this... It’s almost like an angel is caressing you with her long, blonde hair.

I always see you with a silk scarf around your neck. Tell me truly, how many scarves do you own?

GP: For the collection, I wanted to pay homage to my first rencontre, my first meeting with silk back in the days. I was around five or six, growing up in western Greece. My mother would come to pick me up from school, and back in the ’90s silk chiffon scarves were such a thing. She would either tie them around her neck or onto her handbag. And because I was so little, I would be holding her hand, walking beside her, and the scarf would brush against my face. I remember the feeling so vividly. Chiffon is so transparent, so airy, that I would play with it, using it like a veil, seeing the world through different colours—pink, blue, green. It was such a magical, tactile experience, and I knew I wanted to bring that sensation to a beauty product one day.

Silk is one of the dearest materials for Hermès. It has been a textile that has been celebrated and reinvented so many times. We have more than 75,000 references in colour. And I think this is quite phenomenal. You know, when you go to Lyon and you see the beautiful library with all these colours...

The lipstick names are interesting too. There is Rose Himalaya and Corail Jaipur—they make me dream of India…

GP: India is always present in my colour research. I’ve been there three times, and I’m constantly in awe of its vibrancy. Jaipur, in particular, fascinates me—the intensity of its hues, the warmth, the way colours come alive under the sun.

And Rose Himalaya?

GP: That one comes from another travel memory. Years ago, I did a trek in Nepal’s Annapurna range. At sunset, the peaks turned this incredible, fiery pink. It was such a surreal, almost dreamlike moment that it stayed with me. That’s the thing—I work a lot with memory. Some places, some colours, they just imprint themselves on your mind forever.

This lipstick also has a skincare element to it. Full disclosure: I had to look up some of the names of the herbs used. Tell me more.

GP: Beauty is evolving, and today it’s not just about colour—it’s about what a product does for you. The formula is infused with Abyssinian oil, which is unique because its molecular composition is the closest to the natural oils our skin produces. That means it melts into the lips instead of sitting on top of them. We also have sesame seed extract to smooth, raspberry leaf extract for hydration, and mulberry tree extract, which has antioxidant properties.

Beauty is evolving, and today it’s not just about colour—it’s about what a product does for you.”

I heard women in-store are buying multiple shades because they’re layering them.

GP: Yes! And I love that. That’s what makeup is about—playing, layering, making it your own. This buildable formula is intentional. I’ve worked as a makeup artist for years, and the secret has always been layering—never going in with one thick, heavy coat. This lipstick is designed to be intuitive: you can swipe it on without a mirror, blend with your fingers for a blurred effect, or layer multiple shades to create something new. It is makeup that adapts to real life.

Why does Hermès always create limited editions?

GP: We wanted to celebrate how colour depends on light. This collection was inspired by artists like James Turrell and Dan Flavin, who explore light and perception through their work. It’s all about how light interacts with colour, how it shifts and transforms. I’ve always found it very fascinating how white light, when it goes through a prism, translates into a colourful spectrum. It’s pure physics, but I find it so poetic and very artistic, in a way.

The packaging is so unique—almost like a gel filter.

GP: Yes! In fact, it’s inspired by film gels, those translucent colour filters used in photography (which I love) and cinema. Pierre Hardy designed them, and I love how they look like disco lights. They’re fun, playful, and completely different from anything else.

Ultimately, how do you want people to feel when they wear Rouge Brillant Silky?

GP: I want them to feel good. To feel free. To swipe it on effortlessly, whether they’re sitting at their vanity or in the back of a rickshaw. It’s beauty that fits into real life. That, to me, is true luxury.