What is the ideal nude? That’s the question Peter Philips set out to answer when reimagining the Rouge Dior lipstick range. “I wanted to go in deep into what is a nude lip for women because still, for a lot of people, the idea of a nude is a beige, which is not correct worldwide,” says the creative and image director of Dior makeup. “You need to be more diverse.”

That’s why the brand conducted a study across three continents, analyzing the natural lip colour of over 500 women in France, China and the United States. “Specifically in the United States, measurement across three different ethnic groups–Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic–helped us identify a comprehensive range of lip colours worldwide, each with distinct characteristics by ethnicity: darker tones for African Americans, a wide spectrum of colours among Hispanics and lighter, more rosy hues among Caucasians,” says Philips.

 

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But skin tone is only one part of it. There’s also the matter of what people culturally consider to be a nude. Philips cites an example of a show he did in Korea where most of the models were Asian. “The look was nude makeup, but the girls were miserable and they felt miserable,” he says. “Their [idea of] nude was actually kind of colourful and by applying a bit of extra colour on the lips and on the cheeks, they looked and felt beautiful, and didn’t look made-up.”

So on top of studying women’s lip hue au naturel, researchers also asked them what they considered to be a nude. Once all the data collected, it was mapped out and compared against the brand’s existing colour range. “We were really good in some regions and [for some] tones, but there were still a few gaps and that really helped us to fill those in,” says Philips.

Some of the shades were fine-tuned a bit, while others were created from scratch. For example, there was already 100, a rosy beige, 200, a peachy nude, 300, a browny taupe, and 400, a rich brown. Now there’s also 500, a deep ebony.

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“This is a great nude for dark skin tones,” says Philips, noting that what might represent a natural shade to someone, can make a stronger statement on someone else, and vice-versa.

The nudes aren’t the only hues to have gotten a refresh. In total, 43 shades of the new Rouge Dior will be available, some in a velvet finish and others in a satin. “Our focus was to do a range of shades which is not intimidating, and which blends in with almost any type of woman,” says Philips. That also applies to the many gorgeous reds on offer, a Dior specialty. Of course, 999, the famously flattering crimson is included—in both the velvet and satin finishes—but so is a plethora of other options, some rosier, others more orange-tinged.

One newcomer Philips is particularly excited about is 777, a beautiful brick hue. “In some Asian countries, it’s seen almost as a nude, especially when dabbed on with your finger,” says the pro. “It’s also magnificent applied full-on straight from the bullet.”

The Rouge Dior formula got an upgrade, too. It’s now infused with natural-origin extracts of red peony, hibiscus, pomegranate and prickly pear as well as shea butter. Lips are nourished and hydrated, with benefits lasting for up to 24 hours. “Your lips, in time, will also look better,” adds Philips.

There’s also what he calls a “secret ingredient” developed in a lab, a sort of gel-like substance that provides a smoothing, blurring action. It renders the product virtually weightless on the lips. “It’s like a second skin,” says Philips.

The new case is wrapped with a silver ring stamped with the CD monogram and the house’s signature silver cannage motif. The most emblematic shades—25, to be exact—are refillable.

“Renovating Rouge Dior is always an exciting challenge,” says Philips. “Because how can you top an already excellent product?” We say, mission accomplished.

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