More than make-up: Unlock meaningful moments with this phygital lipstick

Lipstick is simply lipstick, right? Well, at Chinese beauty brand Totemist, lipstick is not merely an utilitarian object. Thanks to an NFC chip that is embedded in its luxurious ovoid-shaped lacquered case, a touch of the lip product to your smartphone triggers a personalised curation of images as well as a video, text message and voice recording—transforming an everyday beauty ritual into a meaningful moment.

The formula of the lipstick is not to be overlooked. Laurent Taisne, the founder of Totemist, was a former executive at L’Oréal where he pioneered the China Make-up Research & Innovation centre in Shanghai. During his tenure, the beauty giant birthed industry trailblazing products such as its first BB cream and the cushion foundation. When it comes to his flagship lip product at Totemist, it was all about making a “real impact” on the lips. Expect an all-day hydrating formula packed with olive oil and squalene that isn’t sticky, clumpy or skimping on the colour pay-off. Among the usual suspect of shades and a lip balm offering, there is surprise—a bright green hue which encourages users to blend and come up with their own colour of choice.

Since its founding in 2021, Totemist hasn’t just made waves with its blend of beauty and technology. The brand has also joined forces with outré like-minds such as Uma Wang, the first Chinese designer to snag an official spot on Milan Fashion Week calendar. To celebrate the independent fashion brand’s first store opening in Shangahi, the Uma Wang x Totemist collaboration introduces a limited-edition matte black version of the pioneering refillable lipstick case.

On May 10, 2025, the world’s first ‘phygital’ beauty label hit another milestone: its debut in Hong Kong at the Joyce Pacific Place store. Along with its full shade range, Totemist’s team-up with Uma Wang was also displayed across from the brand’s garments.

With Joyce Hong Kong, Tatler sat down with beauty innovator Taisne to chat about the ethos and future of Totemist and his foresight on the beauty industry at large.

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Totemist founder Laurent Taisne (Photo: Joyce Hong Kong)

Congratulations on launching Totemist at Joyce. What sparked this collaboration?It’s a collaboration based on value alignment—we value serving people. It’s a perfect partnership.

What is your goal with Totemist? I used to say that there are two things you cannot buy with money: one is time and the other is love. I don’t know what to do with time, but for love, why not give people a tool to be able to express this? We are all shy to express love to ourselves and others.

I was at a big beauty company but after volunteering at an association that uses science to help handicapped people recover movement in their limbs, I subconsciously started to want to serve people more. With my added love for science and technology, I started this journey [with Totemist] to discover how I can make cosmetics more meaningful.

Why make a refillable lipstick Totemist’s flagship product? Lipstick is something that you always carry with you. You don’t always have your day cream or eyeliners on hand. This serves the purpose of always being in contact with the intention that is embedded in the object. More than anything, because you put it on your lips, it’s linked to emotions. It can be quite emotional to apply. It’s not the same when you are doing your eyebrows.

Totemist refillable lipstick case in biege (Photo: Totemist)

Totemist refillable lipstick case in white (Photo: Totemist)

Totemist bridges French and Chinese approaches to beauty. How did you merge these two worlds? I strongly believe that there are a lot of commonalities between China and France. Firstly, there is a shared desire for craftsmanship. When you look at the fine arts from both cultures, there is a rich history there. Both cultures also have deep philosophies on how to live.

Why blend beauty and digital technology? I have a PhD in physical chemistry. I love hard science and am always curious about what’s happening in terms of emerging technologies.

When we started this adventure [with Totemist], the NFC chip was absolutely unknown. People thought I was crazy but then they realised how this technology makes life so simple. At the end of the day, we wanted to make a magical object where you know that there is intention inside. It’s the same thought process as if rolling up a piece of paper with a message [in the lipstick]. Instead, we used technology to achieve the same effect.

How do you see these emerging technologies changing the landscape of beauty? I think that one of the emerging effects of these new technologies is the drive to greater personalisation. Before, cosmetic brands were brand-centric by promoting aspiration and the idea that “you should want to be like me”. I believe by promoting personalisation, you shift the centre from the brand to the the people.

I met one very pragmatic guy. He asked: Why should I buy your lipstick for my wife and not one from a big brand? I responded: You can buy the big brand lipstick to your wife and she will be very happy but with Totemist you can also have the voice of your daughter in it. Which has more value?

Totemist lipstick shade Sepal (Photo: Totemist)

Totemist lipstick shade Renaissance Balm Zero (Photo: Totemist)

Totemist lipstick shade Cramoisi (Photo: Totemist)

Totemist lipstick shade Hibiscus (Photo: Totemist)

Totemist lipstick shade Acid Heart Pop (Photo: Totemist)

Tell us about the shade range. It features some colours, like the bright green, that can blend with other hues. Did you already have this idea in mind at the start of the line’s development? Actually no, I should be very honest with you. We created a matrix of shades with minimum pigments to keep it simple. We developed 200 shades. Little by little, we started to play with shades. Slowly, we realised that by combining the black with the reds, you can make a deep and very sexy red. The green desaturates any pink or saturated colour to make a very interesting shade on the lips.

Tell us about the sustainability measures at Totemist.At Totemist, it’s about trying our best to do less bad and the idea that throwing out less means that you keep more. We cannot kill the consumerism right away. People want lipstick…so why not create a lipstick that you can keep forever? And, why would you keep it? You keep it because you have personal connection with it—an attachment and a meaningfulness.

At the end of the day, we don’t communicate too much on sustainability because for me it’s a given for luxury brand. You care about people, so of course you would consider sustainability. Apart from the refillable aspect of our lipsticks, we upcycle. For example, we used [the brand’s] leftover fabrics in the Uma Wang collaboration. We’re also not perfect at all. We’re constantly looking at how else we can improve.

Uma Wang x Totemist collaboration (Photo: Totemist)

Totemist has birthed some interesting collaborations like the one with Uma Wang that is displayed here at Joyce Hong Kong. Why position yourself with other niche brands?We share the same values, so why not collaborate? With Uma Wang, once you enter the store, it’s a temple from the Italian baroque music that is played to the architecture with very simple lines. She’s creating a space to reconnect with oneself. And for us, we believe that when you slow down and get in a good mental state, you can create a beautiful message for either oneself or someone else.

It was a fantastic experience to work with Uma. Does it have to be with a big or small company? I don’t really care so much. We want to be true to ourselves and build partnerships that make sense. We want to introduce a significant and meaningful product—not just one more lipstick.

What are your hopes for the beauty industry at large? Consume less, consume higher quality and consume meaningfully.

What’s next for Totemist? We’re working on a new metallic case to complement this range of the white, beige and the Uma Wang collaboration. We also have an interesting new shade releasing very soon. That’s for the the very short term, I would say. For the long term, there’s a lot more coming and it’s not only related to cosmetics.

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