The beauty brand La bouche rouge is debuting in the Middle East. To know more about the world of this unique label, OHLALA spoke to Nicolas Gerlier, CEO and founder.
La bouche rouge is a French beauty brand that was created after its founder became convinced that our generation could not continue to think, produce and consume like previous ones. With this concern in mind, he launched a new beauty model with a manifesto object – a lipstick. La bouche rouge stands for ‘red lips’ in French but also for having a voice to strike a strong message. Nicolas tells us how he is changing his approach to the beauty industry’s harmful effects on nature by creating conscious products. La bouche rouge believes sustainably designed, well-crafted, and refillable objects will outlive plastic alternatives.
OHLALA – Changing the world for the better is something most people want but find challenging to apply in their lives. What made you take this step forward in creating a brand that cares for the environment? How did you overcome the challenges?
Nicolas Gerlier – La bouche rouge’s vision is to conceive a new form of luxury – one that creates the desire to consume more sustainably, thanks to beautifully designed objects that endure. All our products are refillable and in our packaging, the materials we use are infinitely recyclable or compostable. Of course, this requires continuous innovation to create ever-more sustainable solutions. But we are dedicated to crafting products that preserve the earth’s resources. By drawing on traditional French craftsmanship, clean formulas with up to 91% active skincare ingredients and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, we are helping others find a simple, pleasurable way to tend to their beauty while caring for the environment.
OHLALA – Was creating La bouche rouge a wow moment, or did it take a long time to conceive?
Nicolas – I had been working in the beauty industry for over 10 years and, in this period, I saw it evolve, transform and fluctuate. It came to a point where I felt there was an overwhelming number of fake claims and promises regarding plastic use by brands. As a result, I decided to create my own model, adhering to a single conviction: to merge luxury and sustainability.
OHLALA – What do you think are the most significant changes in the traditional way of producing beauty products that you made when conceptualising La bouche rouge?
Nicolas – The beauty industry is the third most pollutant in terms of plastic, and we must tackle this before it’s too late for our planet – 83% of the earth’s water is polluted with microplastics. It is incredibly harmful to the environment and toxic for the body yet remains present in most beauty products. There has been greater awareness around this these last few years, but not enough is being done. That’s why La bouche rouge is committed to avoiding the usage of microplastics in everything from our products to our packaging.
OHLALA – Will you keep looking for ways of creating new products focusing on more sustainable production? Any new projects on the horizon that you can share with us?
Nicolas – All our formulas are conceived in our proprietary labs in France to provide the highest quality and attention to detail. What’s more, we consistently advance in our research to further improve upon them. For instance, our lipstick formula is now in its third generation, integrating a powerful, anti-ageing seaweed that is harvested by hand in St. Suliac, France. We also chose to replace beeswax with vegetable wax, which is vegan and ensures higher traceability when sourced. Our goal is to guarantee the highest level of sustainability, from our sourcing to cultivation, formulation, packaging and beyond.
OHLALA – Beauty is taken very seriously in the Middle East, and women here love to try new products. Are you planning on creating special collections to cater to the region’s needs? The heat during the warm months can ruin makeup pretty quickly, and comfort and lasting products are everyone’s favourites.
Nicolas – We appreciate these women’s desire to uncover new products. We are committed to ensuring our clean make-up creations are innovative and entirely suitable for their skin. Each of La bouche rouge’s formulas provides the perfect balance of naturality, high-intensity colour and skincare performance. In addition, their cases are crafted to be true objets de beauté – fine leather pieces that are to be used daily and cherished for life thanks to their refillable, recyclable format. By merging these two aspects, we are developing a new beauty ritual, which is revolutionary in itself – this is how we are pioneering the beauty of tomorrow.