If fall fashion is any indication, five-alarm lips–blazing shades of crimson at Donna Karan, Dior and Givenchy; grape Kool-Aid lacquers at Missoni and Proenza Schouler–are having a Renaissance. But while opaque, patent-like shine and dull-as-sandpaper finishes make for stunning statements on the runway, the bold look isn’t so easy to pull off everyday. That’s precisely why Tyen, Dior’s creative makeup director, dreamed up a whipped, creamy formula for his new Rouge Dior lipstick collection ($30 each, Sephora): “We didn’t want to cover the lips entirely; we wanted the color to be just a veil.” Fashion was still in sight though. To choose the 32 shades, Tyen referenced as many dresses from the designer archives, from Christian Dior’s 1940s classics to John Galliano’s impeccable current looks. So why no just go for gloss? “Lipstick is more modern,” he insists, suggesting that at a certain age, gloss is best saved for highlighting. But loyalists to glassy stains or good ol’ gloss have nothing to fear: The makeup world, still has plenty of bright ideas.
