There were countless makeup collaborations in 2018—Kris Jenner for Kylie Cosmetics, Wu-Tang Clan for Milk Makeup, Aaliyah for MAC—but the last one of the year is perhaps the most surprising...and important. On the Basis of Sex, a film the details the early life and career of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, doesn't hit theaters nationwide until Christmas Day, but a beauty product inspired by the film just went on sale.
The film's star, actress Felicity Jones, happens to also be the face of luxury beauty brand Cle de Peau, and the two joined forces to release a Justice Ginsburg-inspired lipstick shade called Legend. As if an RBG red lipstick wasn't already the best news ever, there's this: One hundred percent of the sales goes toward the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which Ginsburg helped co-found back in 1972.
The classic crimson shade Legend was already in Cle de Peau's arsenal of Cashmere Lipsticks, a formula that is as soft, silky, and decadent as the name suggests. The finish is matte but non-drying, with a slight sheen that still makes lips appear plump and full. Not only was the name Legend ideal for the partnership with the film, but the red shade is nearly identical to the one Jones wears throughout the film in her portrayal of the iconic Justice Ginsburg.
We caught up with Jones ahead of the film's premiere to chat about her transformation into RBG, and the role that beauty plays in today's political climate:
HB: What role did the hair and makeup play in helping your transform into character?
FJ: "Hair and makeup was a huge part of the transformation process and helped me to get into the headspace of the character. I found that the physical changes in hairstyles throughout Justice Ginsburg’s early years were an integral piece in bringing her to life and inhabiting her spirit."
HB: What beauty look or makeup product makes you feel most empowered? Why?
FJ: "I find it empowering to be authentic to what feels right in the moment. Right now for me it’s a simple look with a bit of light foundation and a lipstick. Cle de Peau makes a wonderful foundation called Radiant Cushion that is just effortless."
HB: RBG is a feminist icon. What did you find was the hardest challenge in playing her character, and what came naturally to you?
FJ: "I felt great privilege to be able to play this living legend. I think the challenge came in in the sense of how do I become a better human being? She sets the bar so high. How do I hold out hope for the world in the way RBG does? She’s eternally optimistic about making the world just, and I’m in forever awe of what she’s accomplished."
HB: It can feel trivial to discuss hair and makeup in today’s political climate and in the context of a powerful woman, but beauty has always been—and will always be—political. Do you think beauty has a place in discussion of political power? How do you find that balance between the glamour of celebrity and the seriousness of being an activist in your personal life?
FJ: "Celebrating beauty can be wonderful when coming from the right place. It’s when women are pitted against one another or judged on the basis of how they look that it becomes unfortunate."
HB: "We think Legend is the perfect name for the RBG-inspired lipstick. If you could name your own lipstick shade, what would you choose? What color would it be?"
FJ: “Hope, in a summer-rose shade."
Jenna Rosenstein is the Beauty Director at Harper's BAZAAR across both print and digital. While attending NYU, she held internships at Women’s Wear Daily, Bloomingdale’s, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Allure, the latter of which she parlayed into her first job as the Beauty Assistant. She left Allure three years later as the Senior Beauty Editor. She spent a few months at Refinery29 overseeing branded content in the same title, before finally landing back at BAZAAR to manage all beauty content. When she's not testing every lipstick known to mankind, getting zapped by new lasers, or interviewing experts and celebrities, you can find Rosenstein at home in New Jersey with her son, husband, and black cat named Maddie.
