Natalie Portman and Yara Shahidi Front New Rouge Dior Forever Campaign AOC Fashion

Peter Philips, the Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup [IG], never met a red lipstick he didn’t love. Speaking in late December 2020 about his modern reboot of Dior’s iconic Rouge Dior lipstick, Philips said it was his fascination with the “crimson pout” that initially seduced him to become a makeup artist.

Asked about his favorite Dior shade then, Philips cited Rouge 999, Dior’s iconic red and the only shade available in velvet, matte, satin, and metallic. Next up was Dior 720, a rich brick red velvet finish shade called Icon.

Today, Peter Philips is obessed with Rouge Dior Forever, three words that the beauty director agrees sound like a manifesto. “This new generation of Dior lipsticks is loud when it has to be loud, and discreet when wanted and for sure, always beautiful.”

Dior Beauty brand ambassadors Natalie Portman and Yara Shahidi poses in the new Rouge Dior Forever campaign, launched to support an additional 22 new shades of lipstick.

Christian Dior loved red peonies and the lipstick is made using red peony extract to help maintain the lips’ natural hydration. Many call the formulation “couture lipstick” and Monsieur Dior saw his Rouge Dior 1953 lipstick launch as fulfilling his ambition to dress the smile of women to make them "not only more beautiful, but also happier".

Rouge Dior is the bestselling lipstick in the world, according the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned brand and reported by Vogue France in December 2020. A lipstick is sold every two seconds.

For more Natalie Portman, read her July 10 Sunday Times Style interview: Natalie Portman by Sebastian Kim on Body Positivity for Sunday Times Style July 10 AOC Fashion.