DIY LIPPIES

High-end custom lipstick store takes a bite of South Congress

Visitors to the Lip Lab store can mix their own color and reorder online when they run out.

Retail space Lip Lab, formerly Bite Beauty, has set up shop on South Congress Avenue to offer its custom lipstick-making experiences to fashion-forward Austinites starting Tuesday, August 20.

The South Austin location (1221 South Congress Ave. Suite 100) is now listed as an official store on Lip Lab’s website, with a recent Facebook post revealing the August 20 opening date.

Dallas-based real estate company Rue Realty first announced Lip Lab would be leasing the space in November 2023, and the brand reaffirmed its commitment to the space in a July 30 Instagram post. Austin Business Journal also reported on the brand's arrival last November.

Lip Lab currently operates 11 other brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S., including one in Dallas.

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How it works

Lip Lab experiences involve four “stages'' for individuals or parties to create their own custom lipstick, lip gloss, or lip balm at various price points. Individual sessions last an hour, with sessions lasting one to two hours for parties of two to six people.

All experiences begin with a consultation led by a “color expert” that will guide guests through picking their perfect shade to wear, mixing pigments measured on laminated sheets to ensure accuracy when creating the final product. Then guests can choose between a matte, satin, sheer, or balm finish for their lipstick, then they can optionally choose to add a fragrance.

The full-size custom product is then made separately by the color expert, and the guest can name their shade and have it engraved on the packaging. Guests can reorder their custom lipstick online by using their shade name in the future.

The overall experience may make the hefty price tag worth it; Shoppers can walk away with their custom lipstick for $65, a high-shine lipgloss for $55, or a butter balm for $45. Lip Lab also offers bundle pricing for those who want to have more than one custom product made.

The Austin Lip Lab location is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm, and on Sundays from 10 am to 7 pm. Experiences can be booked online at liplabboutique.com.

This article was originally published July 31, 2024, and has been updated August 5 to reflect the newly announced opening date.

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Brunchy Business

Mimosa Walk returns to Austin's South 1st Street for sips and shopping

Blue Suede/Instagram

Businesses along South 1st Street are welcoming shoppers with mimosas on Saturday, November 16.

Perhaps no other drink has the mimosa's power to draw people out on the weekend, and one Austin neighborhood is harnessing it for a leisurely tour of local businesses. The Austin Mimosa Walk: South 1st Fall Festival is scheduled for November 16, and will stop at local businesses, each with complimentary drinks.

The tour will include some shopping, some casual snack spots, and even some wellness stops. Although not every business mimosa walkers will pass is participating, the tour will pass lots of local eateries, making it easy to tack on a lunch when the Champagne starts making itself known.

The following eight businesses are participating as stops on the self-guided tour:

Austin Salt Room — a spa-like environment for salt therapy, essentially hanging out near tons of salt while breathing in microscopic salt particles, which are said to improve respiratory health
Blue Suede Austin — a cool women's shoe boutique (with a wine bar!) that specializes in semi-casual styles at mid-range prices, featuring brands like Sam Edelman, Jeffrey Campbell, and Cecelia
Devil’s Details Boutique — formerly Bloomers and Frocks, this vintage shop has rebranded and shifted its focus to jewelry, often in bold and unique styles
Glint Dental — a dental office specializing in aesthetic procedures like veneers and whitening, but also offering general and preventative care
Golden Mean — early holiday shoppers should keep friends and family in mind at this gift shop, which carries unique goods ranging from soaps and blankets to kitchen goods and avant-garde decor.
Once Over Coffee— an unassuming-on-the-outside, artsy-on-the-inside coffee shop serving Wild Gift Coffee and less common coffee shop finds like kombucha and Italian soda
Package Austin — a queer menswear store for harnesses, underwear, accessories, toys, and community events
Sugar Mamas Bakeshop — a colorful bakery specializing in fantastically decorated cakes, often with a sarcastic or funny twist

The listing on Eventbrite promises a hydration station by Topo Chico, a collector's glass, and that the event will sell out. It requires that tickets ($32) be purchased in advance online. [Update: An event organizer says the ninth business on the Eventbrite list is still under construction, and will not be participating.]

The walk will take place from noon to 3:30 pm. Guests will receive a "passport" to help navigate between tour stops. A check-in tent will get guests started at 1628 S. 1st St.

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