The Cult Favorite Brand Is On a Mission To Save The Planet, One Red Lip At A Time.
Image by Jenny Tarbell
words by JESSICA FIELDS • Beauty
The Cult Favorite Brand Is On a Mission To Save The Planet, One Red Lip At A Time.
The words sustainable, lipstick and elegance are not often used in the same sentence. However, in 2017 La Bouche Rouge changed that with their lipstick launch, that is both sustainable and elegantly French. The brand was founded by seasoned makeup and fragrance developer Nicolas Gerlier, who set out to change the way we think of and purchase lipstick. Nicolas, formerly of L’Oréal, Armani and Lancôme Beauty wanted to create a line of beautiful wearing lipsticks that are sustainable from the formula to the packaging. The lipsticks similar to the brand would serve as a stylish social voice of change, and so the name La Bouche Rouge (translated to “The Red Mouth”) came about.
La Bouche Rouge is completely customizable with a formula that is free of micro plastics, preservatives, parabens, paraffin and animal fats. Creating that kind of sustainable formula while maintaining a creamy consistency and lasting color effect was not an easy task, but Nicolas worked with some of the best chemists to develop something that ensured all his needs, wants and desires were met. The brand was even the first startup backed by the LVMH beauty research division. Still his desire to save the planet does not stop there. Most lipstick brands use single use molds and tubes made of silicone and plastic to shape the product. Yet, in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of non-recyclable packaging, Le Bouche Rouge utilizes reusable molds and tubes made of metal and stainless steel. What began as an idea to make totally plastic free packaging resulted in an innovative lipstick container that won the sustainable prize at the French 2018 packaging awards.
When it came to the brands image Nicolas and Creative Director, Ezra Petronio knew they wanted something that stood out. So, they chose to package the custom tubes in a stark white box with the company name and key defining points of a “bouche rouge girl”. The text is written in bold bright red and stands out on the otherwise plain box. The look is sleek,modern and minimal, yet classic. Together the pair recruited their “bouche rouge girls”, a group of women whom they felt embodied true Parisian style and activism. Cool girls like Anja Rubik and Chloë Sevigny become the brands face and set the tone for the perfectly undone lip that speaks for change.
Aside from the cool girl and eco-friendly attitude of La Bouche Rouge, the thing that really sets them apart is their groundbreaking color customization. Through the in-store app you can create a lipstick in any color of your choosing. All it requires is a swatch or picture of a color and the app can replicate and create a one of a kind lipstick in the desired shade. If a custom color isn’t for you, you can opt for one of the brands ever popular red lippies in a custom leather case right from their website. Each case is crafted of high quality leather made from a family tannery. Last but certainly not least La Bouche Rouge recently transitioned to a beeswax free formula and is now completely vegan. Now the words sustainable, lipstick and elegance can be joined by vegan, and isn’t that exactly what this clean beauty space really needs.
