Poppy King

When Kate Spade, known for its love of color, links up with lipstick maven Poppy King, you know it's going to be good. Following last year's launch of the cleverly named lipstick/lip gloss hybrid, Supercalifragilipstick, and now there's something new. Available next month is a limited-edition mini nail polish travel set ($28) developed by King.

Inspired by the bold works of designer Florence Broadhurst, each shade is named after a pattern created by the Australian artist: Watermelon Fingers, Sea Foam Swirls, Solar Orange, and Yellow Cockatoo. "I have long been waiting for the right reason to turn my eye from lipstick to nail polish," King said in a statement, adding, "Florence Broadhurst was the perfect inspiration to have me design nail shades that spoke to the same female fun as lipstick." Look for the perfect-for-warm-weather polishes in Kate Spade New York stores and on katespade.com.

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure:

With a successful lipstick line under her belt, as well as collaborations with Kate Spade and J.Crew, Poppy King is reminding us why she calls herself the Lipstick Queen. This month, Boots No7 will release a collection — The Magic of Lipstick — which King created for the company. Almost a year in the making, it consists of seven lipsticks and seven matching glosses. "The texture is moisturizing, yet has traction," King explains.

King, who has been a fan of Boots No7 for years, says she discovered the brand during her travels to London. While designing the line, King went through the company's archives, drawing much of her inspiration from the 1930s. "I wanted to use the silver that was on the Boots packaging then, and the shape and styling of the number '7' reminiscent of the '30s," she said. She also hoped to capture the era's enthusiasm for lip color. "I wanted to ease women back into lipstick — the Boots' customer needs something that works, something that is elegant, and something that is low maintenance." The colors are inspired by the seven reasons why lipstick is "magical." To see those reasons and more, just keep reading.

Kate Spade and Poppy King teamed up for new Supercalifragilipstick ($24), a capsule collection of vividly hued, shiny lipstick/lip gloss hybrids. "The formula holds various polymers that have a high reflective index and allow for maximum shine with hours of wear," King explains, adding "[we] wanted to do something hyper-maximum rather than minimal."

Lots of lipstick formulations made to resemble lip gloss have arrived in stores lately, but it's always worth checking out when Poppy King throws her hat in the ring. There aren't any plans to launch Kate Spade makeup, though; so far this is just a one-off collaboration. Supercalifragilipstick will be available in Fall 2011, and when it arrives on the Kate Spade website and in their boutiques, will you be interested in picking one up?

Red lips are one of those things that will never go out of style, and they're universally flattering. Problem is, many women don't wear them because they can't find a shade that's flattering or worry that it will be too bright to be pretty. Well, worry no more, fair ladies. Lipstick impresario Poppy King is answering the eternal question: how do you choose a red lipstick? To find out how to get your red right, just keep reading

If anyone knows lipstick, it's Poppy King, queen of vibrant shades and full finishes. And since its inception in 2007, Lipstick Queen, her line of glosses, lipsticks, and lipliners, has been a success. So, who better to give tips, tricks, and quips on wearing lipstick — particularly in the red category — than King herself? The cosmetics guru recently spoke to the Independent, and here are some of my favorite takeaways:

• For a contemporary look: Wear bright lipstick with simple jewelry, subdued makeup, and loose, tousled hair. Think Chloë Sevigny, who, according to King, has the ability to rock lipstick with "strength and power, but not in a threatening '80s way."
• For all skin tones: Try Red Sinner ($20), which has the perfect balance of yellow and blue tones.
• Pucker up: In order to develop the "entry level of reds" you'll find in Medieval Lipstick ($20), King actually used a medieval technique to create the perfect shade. Back then, it was considered inappropriate for women to add color to their lips, so they used lemon juice to create the perfect rush-of-blood-to-the-lips pucker. That's exactly what King and a chemist did to create their desired shade.
• For a fresh look: Apply foundation to even out the skin. Next, apply mascara, a touch of liner or shadow, and some blush on the cheeks.
• Use the tube: The best way to apply lipstick? From the tube. After blotting and applying once more, add a little on your cheeks and blend to create a cohesive look.
• Can't pick?: If you're not sure which shade looks right on you, don't fear. "You can tell immediately if a lipstick suits you because it lights up your eyes, your hair, your skin," said King, "as if the sun has come out from behind a cloud."