All Hail the Lipstick Queen

At last count, there are at least 600 ka-zillion lipsticks known to man (or shall I say, wo-man). Given the countless number of shades, textures, formulas, and coverages available, is it possible for one woman to call herself Lipstick Queen?

Well if you’re Poppy King the answer is YES!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the most delightful Poppy King.

From the moment we met, I was instantly intrigued by Poppy’s effortless vintage glamour. Dare I admit to a girl crush? And from the moment I sampled her lipstick collection, I was sold! Now mind you, I play with new lipstick daily, but Poppy’s collection is truly unique and totally deserving of the label “Lipstick Queen“.

While Poppy’s core lipstick line spans a

mere ten shades, it manages to expertly deliver the classic shades that every woman needs for her makeup wardrobe. Of the ten shades in the core line, I found at least six that were extremely flattering on my complexion. While I sampled the collection, I noticed women of all complexions trying out the line and experiencing great success. I was impressed! How does a line of ten lipsticks manage to flatter so many?

So I said to myself,

Self: ThisThatBeauty readers need the inside scoop on the enchanting Poppy King.

So, ThisThatBeauty, without further ado, Poppy King:

ThisThatBeauty: Poppy, from the moment I met you I was intrigued. Instant girl crush! And from the moment I sampled your line, I was sold! Your core collection hits the nail on the head. What inspired you to create Lipstick Queen?

Poppy King: Firstly…thank you and thank you! Secondly what inspired me to create Lipstick Queen is exactly what you said…the classic shades done perfectly according to me and my obsession to find chic, wearable shades that have a real oomph to them and style.

TTB: What’s behind the name? What is a Lipstick Queen?

PK: Lipstick Queen is the nick name that many people have given me over the years as I am so often wearing red lipstick. A lipstick queen is anyone who feels transformed by the experience of wearing a great shade on your lips…could be a great nude or a great red. It is about the surge of confidence that lip color gives you.

TTB: Do you feel Lipstick Queen fills a void in the beauty industry?

PK: Absolutely! There is a lot of lip product out there and most of it seems to be the same formula repeated 100’s of time. Lipstick Queen is specialized in the lip category and therefore can create many formuals with a real point of difference.

TTB: I am absolutely smitten with Black Shine!!! Please explain what Black Shine is and what led to its creation?

PK: I wanted to create the equivalent of sheer sexy black stockings but for the lips. Black Shine is a very, very sheer black gloss that gives the lips the look that sheer stockings gives the legs…sexy and seductive.

TTB: I love the “Saint” versus “Sinner” lipstick concept. Can you please explain this for my readers?

PK: From a product perspective…the Saints are the sheer lipstick with a 10% pigment, the Sinners are the opaque lipstick with 90% color. Like Coke and Diet Coke! Every one of my shades comes in a Saint or Sinner version. From a concept perspective I love the fact that all human beings are complex and have many different sides.

TTB: Why did you decide to go with exact matching lip pencils instead of a few universally flattering shades?

PK: Because so many customers (and me too) find matching a lip color from just a few shades very hard. The ideal is to have the exact match done for you.

TTB: Oxy Moron is my favorite Lipstick Queen product (with Black Shine at a close second…but I honestly love it all!!!). Do you have a favorite Lipstick Queen product?

PK: I love them all too because I create them! Red Sinner is the shade that I tend to wear the most because red is my signature.

TTB: What’s your current top selling product?

PK: Medieval. The blood red tint based on the medieval era.

TTB: Poppy, tell us about your book, “Lessons of a Lipstick Queen“.

PK: It is a combination of guide and memoir. I use my story of how I started my first lipstick brand at 18 years of age to explain to the reader step by step how they can recognize a good idea and make it happen too.

TTB: You’ve recently launched BIG BANG Illusion Gloss. What sets BIG BANG apart from the plethora of glosses already in existence?

PK: I have designed them to give the illusion of fuller looking lips by using small particle shimmer to create that effect. Your lips look soooo luscious and the formula is so silky with no absolutely no stickiness. The shades are much more chic than your average lip gloss. You have to try it to believe it!