MYSTICAL MAKE UP AND BEAUTY

Nars limited-edition Bento Box, a kabuki-inspired lip set launching this holiday season.  (It's on sale starting November 1st and there are only 2,000 pieces available worldwide!)

Limited-edition Bento Box lipstick set takes the concept literally. Inspired by a porcelain pot of lip stain used for kabuki actors that Nars found in Japan 10 years ago, the set of two cups of hand-poured color comes in a handsome wooden box with a wisteria-handled lip brush. “I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of kabuki makeup,” Nars says. “It’s about symbolism and using color to create drama.” The lipstick application is as seductive as its presentation. “You dip the brush into the cup, around the perimeter, to pick up product, and simply paint,” he says. “It’s a beautiful process.” Unless you want to look like a Japanese theater character, however, Nars recommends using a little restraint: “It’s highly pigmented, so I suggest starting out light and building for desired intensity. It seems intimidating, but the texture is creamy and light and will move easily.