This week: Lipstick! Featuring an interview with lipstick queen Poppy King.

This week I am bringing you a special feature on the comeback of lipstick, starting with an interview with the color comeback Queen herself - Poppy King!

You know you probably have more lipglosses in your handbag right now than lipstick. Color creator and renowned beauty expert Poppy King is bringing it back in a big way with her sensational new line of lipsticks aptly called “Lipstick Queen”. There are twenty perfect shades so far which are split between “Saint” (sheer) and “Sinner” (opaque). Her line has just launched at Barney’s on Madison Ave in New York City, but if you can’t make it there to try them on, you can purchase them online at Barneys.com. Poppy is practically Australian royalty, and she first started her original lipstick company, called “Poppy” of course, at the age of 18. She has won numerous awards for her entrepreneurial skills, and is the foremost expert on everything and anything to do with lipstick. Now the only thing left to do is figure out for yourself if you are more of a Saint or a Sinner? Poppy herself tackles that question here plus a few more…

Kelly: I am sure everyone asks you this, but do you consider yourself more of a Saint or a Sinner?

Poppy: No one asks me actually… perhaps they have already made up their minds about me! In life I am a little of both… in lipstick I am a RED SINNER.

K: Who in the cosmetics industry inspires you?

Poppy: The customers… I love the women I meet in the stores who buy my lipsticks as they all seem to have amazing spirit.

K: What is the one thing to keep in mind when trying to find that perfect lipstick?

Poppy: Trust your own judgment… when a lipstick looks good on you can tell. Forget what is happening on the catwalk and just go with what you love. Your own confidence is your best beauty tool.

K: Was it daunting to start your own business?

Poppy: In fact it was more daunting not to… when I feel passionate about something I find it very hard to contain it and not give it a go.

K: You were the original “cult cosmetics company” with Poppy. Many others soon followed in your footsteps. Let us in on what cult brands you currently use today other than your own Lipstick Queen.

Poppy: Well thank you! Not a day goes by that I don’t use NARS blush in Orgasm. I think NARS is a great brand.

K: Speaking of Lipstick Queen, your new company, how did you come up with the concept and inspiration for the gorgeous packaging? I love that it's not in a traditional boring lipstick box!

Poppy: Well thank you again! I wanted the lipsticks to look as though they were sitting on a page out of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale… colorful and beautiful but slightly dark and decadent. I have always loved the illustrations that were in these old story books and a box just couldn’t do it quite like a card.

K: Why did you choose to leave out the shimmer in your lipsticks?

Poppy: Because when I do shimmer… I will really do shimmer! I like doing pure stories and pure textures that are the best of each category and not just a mish mash with a little bit of shimmer, a little bit of color, etc. I like each lipstick texture to make its own statement.

K: You have a book coming out about your experiences in business called Lessons of Lipstick Queen, and some of the proceeds benefit K.I.D.S. organization. Can you tell us a little about that?

Poppy: Sure. Lessons of a Lipstick Queen is a guide to how to turn an idea into a reality and all the steps involved. So many women ask me how I did what I have done and so I decided to write a book that explains how I did it but also how they could do their own thing too. K.I.D.S is a charity helping underprivileged kids to get new clothing and shoes that are donated from the big retailers and manufacturers. It is about lifting kids' self esteem and that is an issue very close to my heart. Being entrepreneurial has so much to do with confidence and the more confident the kid the more chance that kid has to realize their dreams just as I have.

K: Any advice for busy moms or women in the workforce who want to add a little glamour to their lives?

Poppy: Whether you are a mom or a woman in the workforce, please know that true glamour comes from the inside, from how you feel about yourself. If you appreciate yourself and your gifts to the world, be they work and/or children… the rest of the world is more likely to appreciate you!

Poppy King is a true original. I know that I channel a little bit of her glamour every time I pull out my tube of her lipstick in Rouge Sinner, even if I am just headed to the preschool pickup line. Thanks, Poppy!

Reader Email:

I got this weird email warning me that some of the lipsticks I have been using from big name companies contain lead. They said you could test them by rubbing the lipstick with a gold ring and the lipstick will turn black. Is this true? Should I be worried about my lipstick?

I don’t know how this awful hoax got started, but I did a little research on this email that has been going around scaring lipstick-loving women. Bottom line is that it’s not true. So feel free to apply your favorite lipstick without a care.

How do I know what shade of lipstick is right for my complexion and hair color? I keep spending a ton of money on lipstick, only to get it home and be disappointed. The color that worked well ten years ago is no longer in style, how do I stay trendy with lipstick, yet have it be complimentary to my skin tone?

The general rule with lipstick is that warm colors look natural on warm skin tones, and cool colors look most natural on cool skin tones. That said, you can venture outside of your color family. Let’s say that you are a brunette with a warm skin tone but want to wear a cool plum shade. It’s just going to be more vibrant on you because it’s a contrast with your skin tone. Contrast equals bolder, more dramatic color, while complimentary is going to look more natural. Hair color doesn’t play a big role in what lipstick you choose. Unless you are a redhead, which you probably aren’t considering that it’s estimated that only 2% of the population of the U.S. are redheaded.

For a great everyday color, pick a color that is only a shade or two deeper then your natural lip color. Here are my favorite no-fail lip colors, they work on practically everyone. Laura Mercier’s Sheer Lipcolour in “Just Lips” or “Healthy Lips”. She says that she created this “special formula that gives you the look you wish your lips had without lip colour.” Also Prescriptives’ new Colorscope Lipcolor in “Rosette” is the perfect rosy brown with a hint of gold shimmer. I could go on and on about easy-to-wear shades! There is just something about a great lipstick. Although the best part about lipstick is that it’s not a handbag or expensive coat, so if you pick the wrong color, you can’t feel too bad. In my opinion you can never have too many lipsticks!