Inspired by the eight trigrams of the ancient Chinese philosophical text, the I Ching, the shades range from a glittery rose gold to a high-shine dark brown. The lipstick names — Sacred, Fire, Chi, Flow, Frequency, Source, Cypher, and Ruckus — will make you feel like the modern warrior you are.
Fittingly, Teyana Taylor was tapped to be the face of the collection, and you can watch the dope samurai-inspired promo video here:
The striking, ornate packaging channels Wu-Tang’s love of Shaolin kung fu, one of the oldest and most well-known styles of Chinese martial arts. The gold-plated lipstick container features a dragon winding around the barrel, emphasizing the collection’s “coat of armor” vibe. Each 100% vegan MILK x Wu-Tang color sells individually for $55 or as an eight-piece collection for $440.
If you really want to go all out, you can also purchase the collection’s limited-edition 24K gold-plated mirror in the shape of Wu-Tang’s logo for $75. So how did this somewhat unlikely collab come about? According to a press release, it started at a 2012 New York Fashion Week party at Milk Studios, when the legendary New York rap group gave a performance.
“Milk Makeup has been bold in creating beauty products with unique ingredients,” says Wu-Tang’s RZA. “This collab dives deeper into that realm and I’m sure will inspire the Wisdom Beauty and Strength of today’s Modern Warriors.”
Shop the collection here.