A girl's best friend

WHAT do all working-class women have in common? They all have at least one lipstick. This is why Kelvin Tan, founder of Lip & Co. decided to create his own range of lippies as he loved to call them.
Lip & Co., a newly launched home-grown brand has garnered attention for its Velvet Pout lipstick collection. Besides trying to be every girl's best friend, Tan said one of his company's aims is to disrupt the booming market for counterfeit make-up products.
What is the inspiration behind Lip & Co. and the Velvet Pout collection?
We started with lips because it's universal and lipstick is the first common make-up product. The inspiration for the brand is to create a product that is of premium quality from packaging to the ingredients, but doesn't break the bank. To me, nothing enhances a pouty lip more than colours that pop – hence, you just have to try Velvet Pout.
Why a semi-matte formulation?
There was a lot of hype with matte lipsticks. So, we opted for a semi-matte formulation instead.
This formulation is a hybrid version of lipstick that provides nourishment to the lips while creating a long-lasting effect. Velvet Pout lippies are highly infused with moisturising and hydrating benefits.

How do Velvet Pout lippies work as a blusher?
When working with the chemist, we wanted an easy glide and blendable formulation for all skin tones. Back then, many couldn't afford different kinds of make-up products. Hence, they used lipstick as a blusher. These lippies are good for the skin without clogging the pores. By combining colour and skincare benefits, we encourage our consumers to be bold and playful when applying our products.
For make-up newbies, can you explain more about pigmentation?
Basically, there are two kinds of pigmentation. High pigmentation in make-up means the colour is saturated and will last longer. For pigmentation on the skin, discolouration happens, turning our original skin tone darker. This wouldn't be great for our skin.
How do we know which lippy shade suits our complexion?
Rules shouldn't be set as make-up boundaries are endless. One should always use something they like. Make-up is like a journey of self-discovery. Only through applying will we know what colour suits us best. However, Lip & Co. edited all the colours universally and it is suitable for all skin tones.
How are these lippies so affordable?
Trade secrets aside, we wanted to cultivate an organic following for the brand mainly from our social media sites. It is also why we rely on the press to support local brands.
The main thing is our online business model allows us to spend wisely. Velvet Pout (RM49) is also made affordable because every
working-class woman needs a pop of colour when attending different events.
Is there a way users can actually verify the cruelty-free status?
Our products are ready for the European and United States market. With that, we adhered to the rules and regulations set by the EU authorities which doesn't allow animal testing. Furthermore, the facilities we used manufacture many European products as well.
What other Lip & Co. products can we look forward to?
"Just Wing It" is our new pre-launch eyeliner. It is a vegan formulation and doesn't require an oil-based cleanser for removal. It is also water resistant and suitable for long wear. With this eyeliner, we also don't have to tug and pull our eyelids to have that perfect shimmering look.
A limited edition brow filler is also in the works.
For our Spring/Summer 2018 collection, there will be a soft matte lip crayon available in six floral shades.