The feather-light luxury matte. Hollywood's golden age, bottled.
The Velvet Rope line has been discontinued and is no longer manufactured. Remaining stock circulates on eBay and Amazon third-party sellers, often at a premium. The shades most frequently found are Private Party (hot pink) and Star System (peachy nude). We recommend the alternatives below as your best ongoing options.
Velvet Rope redefined what a matte lipstick could be. Created by Poppy King and inspired by Hollywood's golden age of glamour, it answered a long-standing question: can a matte lipstick be both intensely pigmented and genuinely comfortable to wear? The answer was yes.
Housed in a weighty square gold case with vertical etchings reminiscent of vintage Estée Lauder tubes, Velvet Rope delivered full-coverage colour in a single swipe — yet felt feather-light on the lips, thanks to a silicone elastomer base that made the formula almost float on application. A subtle peppermint oil added freshness and a gentle plumping sensation. It was $50 well spent — and fans bought backups when discontinuation was announced.
When Poppy King launched the Velvet Rope collection in 2013, she set out with a singular ambition: to bottle the glamour of Hollywood's golden age in lipstick form. Not a sanitised version of that era, but the raw, magnetic elegance of the femme fatales who captivated audiences from the 1920s through the 1960s — women who wore colour with conviction, without apology.
The result was a five-shade collection packaged in a heavy square gold case with vertical etchings inspired by vintage cosmetic tubes of the period. The velvet-textured midnight-blue box it arrived in had lettering that turned metallic cobalt in the light. The entire ritual of using Velvet Rope — from unboxing to the first swipe — was unlike anything else at that price point, and reviewers at Barneys, Space NK, and Sephora said so consistently.
The line launched exclusively at Barneys New York before rolling out to Space NK, Revolve, and select department stores globally. Positioned directly against Tom Ford Beauty at $50 per tube — just $1 below Tom Ford at the time — it held its own. Makeup artists adopted it. Fashion editors cited it. And when discontinuation was announced, devoted fans were vocal about the loss, stockpiling tubes from secondary markets to stave off the inevitable.
The defining innovation in Velvet Rope was its use of silicone elastomer — the same family of silicones found in high-performance skincare — as the primary delivery vehicle for the pigment. Most matte lipsticks of the era relied on wax-heavy bases that produced flatness but also dryness, dragging, and visible texture. Silicone elastomer changed the physics of the formula entirely.
Rather than pigment sitting on the surface of the lips, it appeared to sink in. The texture was described by reviewers as cloud-like, almost mousse-adjacent — rich but weightless. One coat gave full-coverage matte colour. Two coats produced a denser, velvet-suede finish that lasted well beyond what testers had come to expect from the category.
The supporting ingredients added nourishment the silicone base alone could not supply: Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil softened the lips and prevented moisture loss during wear; Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) acted as an antioxidant and kept colour looking fresh; and Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil contributed a mild plumping sensation alongside its distinctive clean scent. The wax blend — candelilla, carnauba, and beeswax — gave each bullet its solid yet creamy form without compromising on the silky application.
Exfoliate lips gently and remove excess balm or oils before application. Silicone-based formulas perform best on clean, dry lips — oils can affect adherence and reduce wear time. A light blot with a tissue is all you need after any moisturising step.
Apply directly from the bullet in smooth, even strokes. The self-levelling formula gives you full-coverage matte colour in a single pass. For bolder shades — Brat Pack, Entourage — use a lip brush to define the cupid's bow before filling in.
One coat delivers complete pigment. A second coat, applied after a 30-second wait, deepens the colour toward a velvet-suede stain that holds beautifully through the day. For Star System and lighter nudes, one coat is the perfect everyday finish that stains lips all day long.
As listed on the 0.12 oz formulation (Entourage shade):
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Octyldodecanol, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (Candelilla Cera), Silica, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Perfluorononylethyl Stearyl Dimethicone, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Polyethylene, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Red 7 Lake (CI 15850).
Highlighted ingredients are key actives. Dimethicone and Dimethicone Crosspolymer are the silicone elastomers responsible for the formula's signature weightless, velvet application — the technological heart of what made Velvet Rope feel unlike any other matte. Free from parabens and phthalates.
Three products that deliver the spirit of Velvet Rope — the same full-coverage matte comfort and luxury finish — at a range of price points and for different use cases.
The closest spiritual successor to Velvet Rope at the luxury end. Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution uses a conditioning formula enriched with Vitamin E, safflower seed oil, and a botanical extract blend that keeps lips soft throughout wear. The soft-blurring matte finish is flattering rather than flat — a remarkably similar experience to Velvet Rope. Available in a wide shade range spanning bold reds to peachy nudes that mirror the full Velvet Rope palette.
The direct rival that Velvet Rope was originally pitched against — and for good reason. Tom Ford's matte formula is nourished with Vitamins C and E and delivers long-lasting, non-smudging colour with a genuinely soft velvet finish very close in character to what Velvet Rope achieved. The shade range skews warm and editorial, making it ideal for fans of Entourage and Brat Pack. For those who loved the gold case — Tom Ford's packaging is equally opulent.
For those who loved Velvet Rope above all for its pigmentation and lasting power, NARS Powermatte is the answer. A highly pigmented liquid matte that delivers full-coverage colour in a single application, with a comfortable non-drying finish. Formulated with conditioning peptides to prevent moisture loss during wear. Available in 25 shades across the spectrum — from Brat Pack-adjacent Dragon Girl red to a Star System-adjacent peachy nude in Easy Lover.
"I did not believe a matte could feel like this. It floats onto your lips."
I bought Private Party on a whim at Barneys and wore it straight out of the store. By the time I got home I was already calculating how many backups I could justify. The colour is perfect — this hot pink that manages to look modern and old Hollywood at once. And the feel is unlike any matte I have ever tried. It genuinely feels like nothing.
"I miss Star System so much. I have been looking for its dupe ever since — unsuccessfully."
Star System was the perfect peachy nude — it made lips look like themselves but completely perfected. Not too pale, not too pink. It stained lips through the day so even when it wore off in the middle, the outer rim kept the shape. No other nude has done that for me. The peppermint scent was also weirdly addictive. A genuine loss to my makeup bag.
"Entourage is the most perfectly sophisticated dark red I have ever owned."
I wore Entourage to every winter event for three years. It's that deep, blackened wine that somehow avoids going gothic or costume-y — it just looks expensive and intentional. The formula means it never settles into lip lines the way dark mattes usually do. I bought four backups when I heard it was being discontinued. Down to my last one. Not ready.