Earlier this month, the U.K. celebrated the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, who reached the grand age of 90, but this year the country's also celebrating the anniversary of two other British icons, namely Rimmel, the global beauty brand founded in London, and Croydon-born reigning supermodel Kate Moss.
To mark the milestone of an ongoing partnership that's lasted 15 years (Kate featured in her first Rimmel campaign back in 2001, shot by Terry Richardson, and has since starred in 40 shoots with the brand for both TV and print), Rimmel and Ms. Moss have introduced a special-edition lip and Super Gel nail polish collection in Kate's favorite reds and nudes, launching July 6.
As Rimmel's muse since 2001, Kate has continuously embodied the experimental style and dynamism of the capital and, despite passing on the Rimmel beauty baton to fellow campaign stars Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora, and Georgia May Jagger, she's the original (and the best) spokesperson for the London Look. The new anniversary collection, revamped in rose-gold packaging, celebrates the different facets of Kate's chameleonic dress sense, from red carpet glamour to grungy goddess.
What better way to kick off the launch than with a personal invitation from Kate and Rimmel to an intimate preview of the collection? Yesterday, a small group of international beauty editors and bloggers were invited to take a look inside Kate's coveted wardrobe with stylist Zoe Bedeaux. Kate explained how some of her most imitated and iconic fashion moments have inspired each lipstick color.
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Consisting of six shades (three red and three nude) of high-intensity formulas infused with light-reflecting Black Diamonds, Kate began with Muse Red, a rich crimson that evokes her effortless elegance. The glamorous Retro Red, a Veronica Lake-esque hue, was inspired by a floor-length red dress that Kate wore to Mario Testino’s 60th birthday party at Chiltern Firehouse in London in 2014. The dress was a remake of a vintage wedding gown that Kate found and had made in five colors, although she giggled that after wearing it repeatedly to lots of parties, “only the red and yellow one exist now, the rest are shredded!” God, we love this good-time gal.
Next, Mossy moved on to Idol Red, a vibrant lipstick with an orangey hue that's "'80s rock chick, when they went all out with the red. It’s glossy and hard, harder than now." The supermodel added that she'd pair the shade "with dark eyes and blond-y hair. More peroxide, more bleach!"
Retro Red, completing the scarlet trio, is a sumptuous, deep berry that reflects the revamped '40s and '50s retro style that Kate adores. “It’s that kind of Loulou de la Falaise iconic look. A classic red for a classic dress,” in Kate's case, her beloved emerald-green Saint Laurent gown, a trusty item she referred to as her “if in doubt dress.”
Next up, Kate introduced us to the nudes. Boho Nude is a warm, caramel color and Kate advised wearing it “with lots of jewelry and maybe a bit of eyeliner, with wild hair you haven’t washed for a while and dry shampoo.” This is for the girl who doesn’t care, Kate asserted. Alternatively, My Nude, Kate's signature beige lip, is the shade for “when you want to lighten and brighten your look." The everyday color is best worn with her go-to uniform of a tailored blazer, skinny jeans, flats, a blouse, and, of course, a “brown smoky eye.”
Lastly, Rock N Roll Nude is a peach-tinted neutral, which Kate said was perfect for a gig for which she "piles on the mascara, with a bit of cheek and a diamond earring off one ear." She joked that she wouldn’t wear a strong lip to a gig as she’d be backstage kissing everyone. We mean, duh.
The enigmatic supermodel also revealed that her ultimate fashion icon is Italian-born actress and model Anita Pallenberg, explaining that "she’s like a never-ending archive of inspiration. I love the way she looked in the '60s." And surprisingly, Joan Collins is Moss' beauty muse: “I took a selfie with her and she looked younger than me!" Kate also shared that the biggest makeup lesson she's learned over the years is to use a brush rather than hands, and also advocated the importance of sunscreen, using La Roche-Posay religiously. “I'm 50 now — not my age, my SPF!”
When discussing her more casual looks, Kate told us: “I do wear Adidas Sambas occasionally that Noel Gallagher gave me in 1992! He has the same size shoe as me!” So there you have it: Kate Moss, the archetypal Brit style icon, is as unaffected, effortless, and carefree in her approach to fashion and beauty as we all might have hoped. A fan of dry shampoo, smudgy eyeliner, the occasional athletic shoe, and a $5.79 lipstick — all hail our style queen. Get the London Look, indeed.