Your kiss is on my list: review of Lancôme Rouge Absolu Lipstick in Chris & Tell

By Jessica M and Angie W

Back in September, we were invited (as Blogdorf representatives!) to attend the backstage preparations for Chris Benz’s Spring 2010 ready-to-wear show during New York Fashion Week. We were able to watch makeup artist Daniel Martin at work, and we even met the designer himself. Since Lancôme will be releasing its newest “Pout-a-Porter” lipstick in February, and 2010’s shade is a collaboration with Chris Benz, this seemed like a good time to recap our visit to the Benz show.

Chris Benz’s spring collection was inspired by Cheryl Tiegs in the 1970s and by the Memphis architectural design group of the 1980s, and these influences were translated into exuberant colors and playful patterns of dots and stripes in a line of youthful, uptown-goes-downtown designs.

The makeup for the show was also lively but easygoing; Daniel Martin said that he always tries to achieve a “do-it-yourself” effect in his work with Chris Benz. He used Lancôme’s Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate on the models' skin, Color Design eye shadow in Honeymoon crushed and pressed onto the eyelid, Hypnôse Drama mascara in Black, and the new Pop‘N Cheeks blush mosaic in Coral Flirt. (We also spied a row of Shu Uemura Nobara stick foundations!)

However, the overall makeup look revolved around the lipstick: all the models wore the new Pout-a-Porter Rouge Absolu lippie, whose name – Chris & Tell – had just been chosen through a contest on Chris Benz’s Facebook page. The color was developed by Chris and Daniel, with input from their friend Elettra Wiedemann, who is also a model and a Lancôme muse. Chris recalled that they kept gravitating towards orange-y shades, and they ended up with a pinkish coral that looks slightly different on everybody who wears it.

Daniel applied Chris & Tell directly from the tube or dabbed it on with a fingertip for this show; no lip brushes were used. As he said, "What makes it modern is keeping the face fresh.” The result was a soft and effortless style, a natural look that did remind us a little bit of Cheryl Tiegs in her heyday, with the lipstick as the finishing touch.

Coral lipsticks were definitely popular in the 70s, but Chris & Tell doesn’t have that outdated frosty or chalky look: it’s matte, but just creamy enough to look clean and young. And, as Daniel suggested, if you want to give the color more dimension, just add a balm underneath or a clear gloss over it.

Annie has a sample of Chris & Tell, and she’ll be reviewing it here in the near future. In the meantime, if you’re hoping to own a Chris & Tell lipstick of your own, contact your local Saks Fifth Avenue or Lancôme boutique to put your name on the waiting list!

Photos credit: Jessica M and Angie W
Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by Lancome.