Innovative lips with M.A.C's new Tendertalk Lip Balm
New M.A.C Tendertalk Lip Balm is so advanced that it changes colour according to the wearer’s chemistry, creating a unique result for every individual customer. To find out more about M.A.C Tendertalk Lip Balm, Remix writer Isabelle Truman spoke to Nick Gavrelis and Nicole Masson, vice presidents of product development at M.A.C, then had M.A.C senior artist Kiekie Stanners demonstrate the lip balm first-hand.
This issue of Remix is all about innovation, and the M.A.C Tendertalk Lip Balm is certainly innovative. Can you tell me a bit about the creation of the lip balm range?
Nick: Our Asia Pacific team, led by the Korean marketing team, specifically asked for Tendertalk - something that would be a balm, that could be used under products or used alone. Something that would have the ability to create a little bit of stain and a wonderful comfy feel. After developing two shades for them, we decided to take it even further and we’re launching five shades. While Tendertalk can be used as pre-makeup or a treatment, it can also be used as a beautiful lip colour or that casual, comfortable thing that someone who’s really not a lipstick wearer could wear.
The technology in makeup these days is really impressive, How does Tendertalk actually create the personalised tint on each person?
Nick: What’s cool is, based on the acidity or alkalinity of one’s mouth, the pH adjusting pigments will blossom or develop along with a little touch of stain. So each person that applies, let’s say the same colour, has a completely different experience. Very rarely will you see two lips side by side wearing the exact same Tendertalk balm looking like they’re wearing the same product. I think that’s pretty unique when it comes to celebrating one’s individuality.
Asian markets, in particular Korea, are driving global innovation and beauty trends. How does a market such as Korea impact on global companies such as M.A.C?
Nicole: I love Korean innovation because I think it’s part of a movement towards having more fun and putting play back in cosmetics! Korea has really taken that fun and the emotions you have around cosmetics and made it so overt and friendly and open - and I think that’s the impact it has on us. M.A.C was founded on experimentation and play and I love the movement that’s going on right now around it. It’s not about being basic and boring, it’s just about having fun and being okay stepping outside what you used to think was a boundary.
Lips in general are having a moment in the beauty world and social media. What can we expect to see with future lip trends and product releases?
Nicole: Matte has been major. Matte lip looks and lipsticks have been sucking the air out of the room for the last five years. I expect it to stay for quite a while longer but it’s not going to stay in quite the same way, the trend has to evolve slightly. Texture-wise, formulas are going to get more moist, formulas are going to sheer out, there will be metallic. Everything you could possibly imagine for matte lipsticks is going to change but it will still be a matte.
If you could invent one technology or innovation that revolutionised the beauty industry, what would it be?
Nicole: Well, we can’t really give away all of our secrets! We work up to five years out, so we do work on things for a while and we like to pretend we can tell the future. What I would love to work on is sunscreen - I’m the worst at sunscreen and I’d love a sunscreen I could just shower on. I don’t know how it would work! But somehow it could be applied in my shower.
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