I Named Your Lipstick

Some people want to be astronauts when they grow up. Others want to work on Wall Street. Still others dream of becoming kindergarten teachers. For the beauty-obsessed among us, none of these gigs hold much appeal: There are no bubble baths in outer space, our idea of a good investment is a large tub of Crème de la Mer, and we prefer our finger-painting done by manicurists.

But, the fantasy job for any girl with a weekly manicure habit or more than three lipsticks in her purse is Executive Makeup Namer. Turns out, there are actually people out there with this very occupation (can I send in my resume, now, please?) And, the geniuses we can thank for gems like Teal the Cows Come Home nail polish, Sun on the Run bronzer, and F-Bomb lipstick are deeply entrenched in the business — often, they’re the head honchos. “It’s my favorite part of the job,” says Lipstick Queen founder Poppy King.

We asked eight top beauty-world creatives to spill their behind-the-scenes secrets. As you might expect, alcohol is often involved. Read on to learn the stories behind some of your favorite makeup.