As far as collaborations go, serendipitous is perhaps the best way to describe this one. The word comes to mind as I look upon the assemblage seated before me on a cloudy Thursday morning in Tokyo—three legends within their respective fields, and a meeting of giants, if you will. Directly across from me is renowned American film director, Sofia Coppola, flanked by stem cell expert, Prof Augustinus Bader, and Augustinus Bader CEO, Charles Rosier.
“A few years ago, I was having a manicure and there was this man in his 60s talking about this cream he loved,” Coppola remarks. “I looked over and his skin was just glowing,” she states, punctuating the statement with a twinkling laugh. “It was the Augustinus Bader cream. I remember thinking to myself, it must be really good.”
A match made in heaven
Coppola is not the first to think so. It’s safe to say that Augustinus Bader’s The Cream—an intensely hydrating and anti-ageing powerhouse adulated by skincare savants and beauty novices alike—has garnered a cult following since its inception. Its efficacy is undeniable and is a testament to Bader’s tireless work in developing the brand’s patented TFC8: a potent fusion of natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins and peptides that bolsters cellular renewal and skin nourishment. With this foundation to the brand’s comprehensive line-up of products, Coppola soon found herself drawn to Augustinus Bader’s other offerings, such as The Lip Balm.
View this post on Instagram
“I am a big fan of the balm because I like the natural look. I appreciate when people look unique and individualistic,” Coppola muses. “Bearing that in mind, though, I find it’s always fun to use a little colour to enhance what you already have.”
It is precisely this train of thought that brings us to this moment in time, celebrating the release of Augustinus Bader’s latest product, The Tinted Lip Balm. Born from a partnership between Coppola, Bader and Rosier, this project marks the brand’s first foray into skincare make-up hybrids—and, hopefully, not the last. “I wrote to them to get everything off the ground,” Coppola elaborates. The three of them exchange warm smiles, their camaraderie clear to see. “In my letter, I said: ‘Would you ever consider doing a tinted version of my favourite lip balm?’ It just came out of something I wanted purely for myself. I did think, though, that if it’s something I want, hopefully there’s someone else who would want and like it too.”
Not just lip service
To call this venture a gamble feels like a stretch considering Coppola’s gargantuan fanbase and the brand’s established reputation. And yet, both parties had qualms about getting The Tinted Lip Balm off the ground.
View this post on Instagram
“A non-negotiable was to retain the texture of The Augustinus Bader Lip Balm because that’s what Sofia liked,” Rosier states. “The original formula is not necessarily made for colour, so there was a lot of brainstorming involved. We started with one colour.”
Shade 1 is a sheer, deep pink and is a homage to Coppola’s beloved discontinued lipstick from Monoprix in Paris. “Then I had an idea, which was to come up with more shades to suit different skin tones and different times of the year,” Coppola says. Shade 2 is a vibrant, punchy coral while Shade 3 is a decadent plum. “I knew when we were working on this that I wanted something easy—a colour that you can put on when you’re running out the door or in a lift.”
Swipe and go
The balm possesses highly moisturising properties. A quick swipe is enough to get a sheer wash of colour, with the inclusion of shea butter, vitamin E and candelilla wax ensuring that lips stay sufficiently moisturised throughout the day.
“It was important that it had to be easy to use because this was all happening when Sofia was busy editing Priscilla and preparing it for the Venice Film Festival,” Bader reminisces. “We were lucky because she had a precise idea of what she wanted. We have a lot of respect for Sofia’s vision and work, so we were really on the receiving end when it came to the choice of colours and packaging. It was not necessarily the idea that Sofia would put her name on it, in the beginning, but it came together organically.”
View this post on Instagram
The Tinted Lip Balm is encased within a 100 percent aluminium shell, awash in shades of rose gold and blue characteristic of the brand. The key difference: a bold ‘with SC’ scrawled down the length of the tube in vivid pink. Clear as day and unmissable. The message behind it is clear: Coppola has made her mark.
