To what length will an aspiring cosmetics entrepreneur go to find the perfect red lipstick? Poppy King tested more than 300 batches of reds before settling on the first lipstick in her line, which she named, aptly enough, Ambition.
King’s persistence has paid off. Although she launched her line only two years ago, her lipsticks now are sold in more than 300 stores in her native Australia. And they are fast becoming a hit in the United States with their recent introduction at Barneys New York stores. In one day, Barneys’ Madison Avenue store sold more than 800 Poppy lipsticks. Poppy also is one of the top-selling lines at the Barneys store in Chicago.
King, who is just 21, first started getting into “serious” lipstick when she was 16. “My mother had some beautiful, richly colored lipstick, some of which she’d had since the ’60s,”‘ she says. “But I couldn’t find similar lipsticks in stores. They were all very glossy or very frosted, whereas I wanted a real 1940s glamor red.”
It wasn’t until she was 18 that her vision of the perfect red lipstick became a reality. King was studying at a Melbourne art school when she applied for an award for young Australian entrepreneurs.
The prize was seed money to start a business. Although King didn’t win, putting together the application gave her the acumen she needed to launch her line.
First, she spent a year working with a chemist. “I don’t have any chemical training, but I had a very strong idea of what I wanted-a long-lasting, matte lipstick that was also moisturizing. And I wanted there to be a lot of pigment in the lipsticks, so the color was really intense.”
The lipsticks in King’s first collection were named after the Seven Virtues and ranged from a brown-based red (Ambition) to a deep wine (Inspiration) to a dark chocolate tone (Unity). She has since added two new lines of lipsticks, which she has christened The Seven Deadly Sins (including Anger, Envy and Vaniety) and Innocence (including Faith, Hope and Trust).
It may be the monikers, as much as the rich hues, that are attracting buyers. “Customers will buy a color as much for the name as for the color,” says Hollis Hillhouse, senior buyer of cosmetics at Barneys. “They’ll say, `I’m feeling a little lustful today, I think I`d like to wear `Lust.”‘
Poppy fans include model Linda Evangelista, who discovered the products on a trip to Australia. Cher recently snapped up nine colors, and Madonna.
Why does red, and in particular King’s vivid versions, have such perennial appeal? “(It’s) so glamorous and it really enhances a woman’s face,” says King. “I think everyone has a red that suits them. And it’s really a classic look.”
Where to buy
Poppy King lipsticks, $16 each, available at Barneys New York stores. In Chicago call 312-587-1700. For other locations call 212-929-9000. Maquillage lip colors, $10.50 each; lip pencils, $7.50 each, available by calling 312-342-4743. Alexandra de Markoff Undercolor for Lips, $25, available at Marshall Field’s. Other products available at department stores.
