Ask Hermès Beauty’s creative director, Gregoris Pyrpylis, what his earliest memory of beauty is, and he’ll tell you that it’s of his home country, Greece. “One of my earliest memories [of something beautiful] isn’t related to make‐up but rather, my first visit to the Aegean Sea with my parents,” he recalls. “I saw the sun reflecting on the vast Mediterranean, sparkling across the small waves. Even today, I can spend hours simply looking and taking it all in. It captures my mind and curiosity about how beautiful the world and everything around us is.”
Despite initially dreaming of becoming an English teacher, the Greek creative has devoted his career to the art of beauty since he started as a make‐up artist more than 18 years ago. Since then, Pyrpylis has worked on the visages of Alexa Chung and Carla Bruni (among others), and served as a global brand ambassador for Bioderma as well as the European ambassador for Shiseido.
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It’s no surprise, then, that Pyrpylis was picked for the role of Hermès Beauty’s creative director—a position he has held since 2022. “I think what I bring to the table is my experience and expertise, which make me the toughest client,” he opines. “I can tell you that I’ve seen pretty much everything out there—all the brands and all the textures. So I have a strong opinion about what works and what doesn’t. What’s nice about Hermès Beauty is that there’s a constant dialogue between Hermès as a house and how I can transcribe it into Hermès Beauty. There’s a lot of inspiration that comes from within. But when it comes to make‐up, in terms of formulations, finishes, and textures, that’s something new.”
The House’s latest make‐up creation, a soft‐tint bullet lipstick with a luminous, high‐shine finish called Rouge Brillant Silky, is a case in point. It’s available in 14 colours along with three limited‐edition hues, and has been designed to deliver a weightless, buildable tint. It has also been formulated with 85 per cent naturally derived ingredients that include raspberry leaf extract, sesame seed extract, Abyssinian oil, and white mulberry. Boasting a refillable case designed by Pierre Hardy, creative director for shoes, fine jewellery, and beauty objects at Hermès, the lipstick carries a delicate fragrance—a blend of arnica, sandalwood, and candied angelica flower—crafted by Christine Nagel, creative director of Hermès perfumes.
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The essence of Rouge Brillant Silky is rooted in one of Hermès’s most iconic symbols: Its silk scarves. “When it comes to Hermès, people refer to it as a language, but for me, I like to think of it as a whole different world,” Pyrpylis says. “I looked around at the materials within Hermès, in the archives, and saw the silk (scarf): the softness of the silk; how it feels almost imperceptible; the translucency of the silk chiffon; the sensoriality of it on the skin; the way it sparkles under natural or artificial light… I tried to create a collage of the different elements that I appreciate a lot.”
He further shares: “I know that for many people, [the scarf] is their first introduction to Hermès—it was how I discovered Hermès, and I still cherish my scarf today. I wanted Rouge Brillant Silky to have the same softness and subtlety that illuminates the face with beautiful colours, much like the silk scarf, and to be a way for new clients to discover the House.”
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Having had the privilege to try it before anyone else, I have to say that Pyrpylis has succeeded in turning his inspirations into something tangible. Rouge Brillant Silky glides onto the lips like a dream, hugging them with a feather‐light, luminous tint.
When I ask him about his favourite ways to use it, Pyrpylis offers multiple suggestions. “What I love about it is that you can apply it in so many ways. You can simply tap it on lightly for a hint of colour, or swipe it on for a beautifully diffused high‐shine colour, and then add a second and third layer for more intensity,” he shares. “My favourite way to use it is to match it with one of our Trait d’Hermès lip pencils because it allows you to create so many pairings and new colours.”
Using the back of his hand as a swatch palette, Pyrpylis blends the lip pencil in Rouge H and Rouge Brillant Silky in Brun D’Ambre to create a gradient lip. “You can alter the colour the way you want, and adapt it based on your mood and occasion—that’s the beauty [of it]. It’s so versatile, creative, and free,” he says.
Speaking of colour, Pyrpylis shares that while the Rouge Brillant Silky is available in some of Hermès Beauty’s emblematic shades, the lipstick was also a way for him to introduce new hues into the Hermès Beauty universe. “Colour is such a strong cornerstone within Hermès, and this year is going to be full of it—as well as new entries never seen before in Hermès Beauty…maybe you’ll see them soon,” he teases.
Rouge Brillant Silky ($118 each) is available at Hermès stores at Liat Towers, Marina Bay Sands and Ngee Ann City; escentials ION Orchard, Takashimaya D.S., and Tangs; and its website.