Ties That Bind

One year after an assured debut in the world of makeup, Hermes is now revealing its second offering: the Rose Hermes range of blushers. Gordon Ng reports on the art, science and community behind it.

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The French house of Hermes works on its own schedule – taking the time to thoroughly research and develop products that meet its exactingly high standards. Its Rouge Hermes line of lipsticks – its first foray into the world of colour cosmetics revealed last April – took two whole years to develop. So it’s only fair now to get excited about its new extension: blushers, or more correctly, its Rose Hermes Silky Blush line of powder blushers.

While the brand’s lippies are inspired by leather, Rose Hermes takes its cue from the brand’s silks. After leather goods, silks are probably what Hermes is best known for. It’s a long history that started in 1937 when Robert Dumas, the fourth-generation leader of the brand, released the house’s first silk scarf. In the years since, the number and variety of silk designs and products that Hermes has made is dizzying. To date, the brand has made use of around 75,000 colours in its silk scarves.