A 3-foot-long mirror in the shape of lips catches shoppers’ attention inside NorthPark Center’s newest store, Lip Lab. The mirror, surrounded by vibrant shades of red, blue and purple, sits adjacent to the store’s center attraction: a winding white bar, where four experts work with clients to create a personalized lipstick from scratch.
The Lip Lab boutique opened on the first floor of NorthPark Center Oct. 29, offering customers the opportunity to create customizable lipsticks down to color, flavor, finish and engraving.
“The idea is that lipstick is sensorial,” said Diana Pinato, vice president of Lip Labs. “We think that people spend a lot of time hunting for the perfect color. We believe if we can help you find something tailor-made for you, you’re going to love it, you’re probably going to buy a lot less, and you’ll really enjoy what you have.”
Customers pick their package: one custom lipstick for $60 and each additional lipstick for $40. They then work with an in-store color expert to mix a shade from a range of over 30 pigments, four flavors and four finishes.
“Lip Lab is creativity,” store manager Jennifer Tolbert said. “It allows you, as an individual, to have an experience and create something very unique that’s personalized to you.”
Lip Lab’s opening in Dallas marks the brand’s first southern location in the United States. The boutique’s other locations include New York, Toronto, Nevada, California and Minnesota.
“I feel like our store is such a good fit with the NorthPark Center,” said GiGi Ronemus, marketing manager for Lib Labs. “It’s sort of upper-scale and has something for everyone. Our store presence came alive here.”
Store designs across the continent vary based on location; the wall in the Dallas store has this writing that reads, “you’re fixin’ to make a lipstick,” Pinato said.
“People love to wear bright colors, and that feels like the Texas client,” Pinato said. “They want to have fun, be social, and try something new and interesting. Every time we’ve opened a store, we’ve heard people say, ‘open one in Texas, come to Texas,’ so it feels like a no brainer.”
Part of Lip Lab’s mission centers on world-consciousness, ranging from providing a vegan formula to implementing recyclable bags and refillable lipstick components.
“What we do here is timeless; we’re not waiting for the new launch or product,” Pinato said. “Young, old, deep-toned, light hair, starting your makeup journey, ending your makeup journey, we can be for any moment.”
Instructions on how to book an in-store reservation, at-home virtual appointment, and more information about Lip Lab can be found on Bite Beauty’s website.
“I have been in cosmetics for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Pinato said. “I come from an Indian background, and I’ve always been one of the few people of color in cosmetics, especially when I rose up the ranks. I would sit in rooms and often hear people talk about things catered towards one or two types of people, and I just love the idea that we can be for anybody at Lip Lab.”
