The return of lipstick

With the end of compulsory mask wearing, lipstick is making a comeback. Whether bright red, soft pink, matte or shiny, all shades are sought after!

Olivia Levy
The Press

“It’s impressive, there is a major comeback of lipstick, all categories combined, whether it’s glosses, pencils or lipsticks”, immediately launches Marie-Krystine Morin, director, marketing, at Watier. “Since the beginning of the year, for lip products, we have seen almost 60% growth in sales compared to last year. »

Lipstick suffered a lot during the pandemic: women no longer wore it, or almost, because of the mask, but also because of social life put on hold and teleworking. “Lip oils and balms are the exceptions, they resisted during the pandemic while lipstick sales fell,” says Marie-Krystine Morin.

Amélie Fortier-Cyr, General Manager of Lancôme in Canada, agrees. “Lipstick sales volumes in luxury were twice as high in 2019 [de janvier à mars 2019] that in 2022 [de janvier à mars 2022]. We see that there has been a clear growth in recent months, we feel that women want to wear make-up, to go out, because wearing lipstick changes a face. It is a bias, a statement. »

The vagaries of wearing a mask depending on the location still dictate certain product choices, however.

She then advises to wear a long-lasting lipstick without transfer.

Take care of yourself

For YouTuber and makeup artist Cynthia Dulude, lipstick is synonymous with fun. “It’s joyful, it’s feminine. It is associated with the joy of living, with sensuality and at this moment, with the return to life, it is a real rebirth. She likes oils and glosses with summer flavours. “There are Clarins lip oils in tangerine or raspberry, with a hint of color. It’s very pleasant for the summer in addition to being moisturizing, just like Nyx’s This Is Everything oil. »

Our three specialists point out that while women wore less makeup during the pandemic, they nevertheless took care of their skin. A habit that is now reflected in the choice of their beauty products, be it mascara, foundation and lipstick. “The demand is very strong for moisturizing lipsticks that will contribute to the health of the lips, with hyaluronic acid in particular [L’Absolu Rouge de Lancôme] and glosses [L’Absolu Gloss] which will give a plumping effect to the lips,” explains Amélie Fortier-Cyr.

“At the top of our sales are the oils [Love my lips chez Lise Watier] for lips and lipsticks [Rouge Fondant Suprême et Rouge Intense Suprême] which have skincare ingredients that moisturize the lips with vitamin E or Labrador tea extracts,” notes Marie-Krystine Morin, from Watier.

” Everything is allowed ! »

Lise Watier makeup artist David Vincent believes people have rediscovered the virtues of beauty rituals, and lipstick is one of them. “The desire for comfort is very present. Women opt for glosses that bring shine. »

” Everything is allowed ! Satin textures are making a strong comeback, as are vibrant colors with matte finishes as well as nourishing, shimmering formulas,” notes Jodi Urichuk, makeup artist for L’Oréal Paris. She thinks it’s time to dare to use color. “Bold red, orange, purple or, more sober, shiny nude and rosy lips. »

In these times of inflation, Marie-Krystine Morin recalls “the lipstick effect”. “When there is an economic crisis, lipstick is the small affordable luxury that we allow ourselves and which is good for morale. »