Feel Like A Beauty VIP With New Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope Collection

It takes gumption and serious confidence to anoint yourself the “Lipstick Queen,” but that’s precisely what beauty entrepreneur Poppy King did — and she’s more than proven herself worthy of the title. Born in Australia, King initially launched her lipstick line in her home town after sensing a vacuum in the local cosmetics market, a need for vintage-looking, full-bodied, intensely pigmented red land burgundy lipsticks with sophisticated matte finishes. Soon enough, her line made it to the United States, where it soon became a hit with both professional and neophyte makeup aficionados, expanding as its following grew. Up until now, my favorite products in her line were the Sinner lipsticks, which have this extraordinary matte finish, offer full coverage, and are super saturated with color (pigments account for 90% of the formula).  But it seems like the Sinners have some competition with the new Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope collection, a five-color assortment of glamorous shades packaged in black tie-ready golden tubes.

When creating the line, Poppy King was inspired by Hollywood’s golden years, that period of time between the 1920s and the 1960s when women epitomized elegance, sophistication, and strength on the big screen, when femme fatales captivated audiences. To that end, then, she set out to develop a range of intensely pigmented lipsticks that would deliver the desired dramatic effect and yet would feel incredibly comfortable on lips, their velvety textures feeling indulgent and even decadent. Most importantly, she wanted the lipsticks to glide onto the pout, making the application process easier. To accomplish this last feat, the Velvet Rope lipsticks feature silicone elastomer (yes, that same substance found in rubber products), and it’s this ingredient that is responsive for the products’ feathery, silky feel, and the ease of the application process. Other ingredients include: candelilla wax, carnauba wax, and beeswax, which together give each lipstick its solid yet creamy form; Vitamin E to protect lips from free radical damage and keep color looking lustrous; apricot oil to soften and moisturize lips; and peppermint oil, a natural antibacterial and the source of each lipstick’s fresh scent.

The Velvet Rope collection currently consists of five shades: Private Party, a hot pink; Brat Pack, a retro red; Entourage, a deep wine; Black Tie, a blackened red; and Star System, a full-coverage nude. Each lipstick retails for $50 at LipstickQueen.com

The packaging, meanwhile, conveys the range’s emphasis on glamour — and its nostalgic, vintage Hollywood inspiration. Each tube is topped by a rectangular golden cap, with each of the cap’s sides featuring vertical etchings reminiscent of those found on the tubes of Estée Lauder’s Signature Lipsticks. The rectangular caps extend almost all the way down to the base of each lipstick so that, once removed, you’ll see a slim golden tube with a square base. Because of the rectangular shape of the packaging, the etching details, and the mirror-like finish of the yellow gold hue, each lipstick has a bit of an Art Deco feel, a Great Gatsby-ian extravagance.

Now, I had the pleasure of trying out one of the new Velvet Rope collection shades: Entourage. As soon as I swatched the color, I was transfixed by its beauty. The hue is a wine-tinged red, a Merlot color that made me think of Spanish sangria and that brought to mind some of the most iconic photographs of Marlene Dietrich.

Here’s a look at Entourage:

As you can see, the color pay-off is nothing short of phenomenal and, while it does have a matte finish, it’s not dull or one-dimensional but has a very subtle luster to it. In terms of the texture, this lipstick is an absolute home-run. While I’ve long been a fan of Lipstick Queen’s Red Sinner lipstick, even I must admit that the application process isn’t always delightful since sometimes the actual stick can feel a bit abrasive against the lips and it can require some tugging and dragging to smooth it over lips. With this Velvet Rope lipstick, you can get the same degree of coverage with a single, smooth swipe. Genius!

Here are a few shots of what the Entourage lipstick looks like when applied onto my lips:

As you can see, this lip color isn’t the member of any entourage — it’s a star and, as such, merits its own legion of avid fans!