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Hermès’ Investment-worthy Lip and Eye Pencils Are Key to Achieving Beauty’s Biggest Trends for 2025

Here's why one editor is splurging on these luxury makeup products.

By Claire Sullivan Plus Icon

Claire Sullivan

Softly-defined eyes, subtly juicy lips, slicked-back hair that, in many instances, read undone rather than headache-inducing — Hermès’ spring 2025 runway was a masterclass in deconstructing the passé “clean girl” beauty trend. By focusing pigments on the eyes and lips, Hermès Beauty’s creative director Gregoris Pyrpylis created balance in the model’s beauty looks in a fresh, wearable way. Hermès’ recently-released Trait d’Hermès eye and lip pencils are your fast lane to emulating the look — and apropos for hitting reset on your beauty routine in the New Year.

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Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images; Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Rather than quietly expanding an existing range of lip and eyeliners, the Hermès Trait d’Hermès collection launched at once in Oct. 2024 with an arresting amount of shades to browse: There are 24 (the house’s lucky number) for the eyes and 16 for the lips. The range offers a concoction of classic and playful options to choose from.

For the eyes, emerald green, shimmery ochre, and violet mix with essentials like ink black and, notably, a rich chocolate brown that’s an exact match to the shade used on Hermès’ iconic orange boxes. The lip pencils span from burgundy red to vibrant pink and earthy rose. Each color is created with near-perfect undertones, so even the options that you may deem as “out there” read elevated — and require little more than a skin tint and a swipe of mascara to create a pulled-together beauty look.

WWD senior beauty and lifestyle commerce editor Claire Sullivan plucks one of Hermès’ eye and lip pencils to test and review in our New York City office. Captured with the Leica Q2 camera. WWD/ Adam Mansuroglu

Our editors put the lot of these new eye and lip pencils to the test through the busy holiday season and beyond — read on for an unbiased review.

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How We Tested Hermès Trait d’Hermès Eye and Lip Pencils

Products tested: Hermès Trait d’Hermès Eye and Lip Pencils
Testing time period: 3 months
Shade range: 24 eye pencils; 16 lip pencils
Price: $50 each
Retailer availability: Hermès, Nordstrom, Moda Operandi, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue
Pros:
- Firm texture allows for sharp lines and precision on the eyes and lips
- Vast amount of classic to playful shades to choose from
Cons:
- Difficult to get the pencil’s pigments to transfer to the waterline of the eye
- Sharpeners are sold separately
Editor testing and review notes: “What impresses me most about these luxury lip liners and eyeliners is the shade range, hands down. Each tone feels carefully calibrated to read flattering — even ones like emerald or ochre that I wouldn’t usually reach for. During testing, I found that these eye and lip pencils create a super simple formula for a sophisticated makeup look: Choose a subtle lip color and a bolder tone for your eyes (or vice versa), dab on a touch of skin tint, and apply a swipe of mascara, and you’re golden. Although they ring in at $50 each, the pencils stay fresh and provide enough pigment for well over a year of wear.” — WWD senior beauty and lifestyle commerce editor Claire Sullivan

Hermès Beauty Trait d’Hermès Lip Pencil

$50

Buy Now at nordstrom

$50

Buy Now at moda operandi

Price upon publish date of this article: $50

Hermès Beauty Trait d’Hermès Eye Pencil

$50

Buy Now at nordstrom

$50

Buy Now at moda operandi

Price upon publish date of this article: $50

Hermès Eye and Lip Pencils Review — Editor Testing Notes

Makeup pencils always evoke a sort of back-to-the-basics mentality in my routine, but not in a rudimentary way. They’re uncomplicated to use, take up less space than compacts and makeup brushes, stay fresh far longer than bullets or pots of pigment, and practically implore you to use them creatively.

What strikes me most about the Hermès eyeliner and lip liner are their respective shade ranges, which, in my eyes, are created in meticulous fashion. There are very few misses here: While Hermès’ orange box is iconic, I’m not sure how many folks are seeking out the shade in a lip liner. Beyond this, though, you really can’t go wrong. The undertones of each pencil work with the predominant color to make it read elevated and rich, so even shades you wouldn’t typically reach for, like cerulean for the eyes or bright pink for the lips, are flattering.

WWD Shop editors review the Hermès Trait d’Hermès collection of eye and lip pencils in our New York City office. Captured with the Leica Q2 camera. WWD/ Adam Mansuroglu

Since 1910, WWD — often referred to as “the fashion bible” — has been the leading industry voice of authority for senior executives in the global women’s and men’s fashion, retail and beauty communities, while also informing the consumer media that cover the market. Today, WWD’s breaking news and trend coverage continues to be a trustworthy resource for both fashion insiders and consumers alike. Our shopping editors continue to uphold WWD’s editorial standards and values with quality, expert-backed product selections. Learn more about us here.

Meet the Author

Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands. Sullivan personally tested the Hermès eye and lip pencils for three months to write this honest review.

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