With The Crayon Café, Lakmé transforms the launch of its new 9to5 Forever Matte Lip Crayon into an immersive celebration of colour, creativity and the increasingly important art of switching off.

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about picking up a crayon without having to create anything “perfect.” No deadlines, no notifications, no expectation—just colour, imagination and the freedom to play.

Lakmé recently brought that uncomplicated joy into the world of beauty with The Crayon Café, an immersive experience in Mumbai created to celebrate the launch of its new Lakmé 9to5 Forever Matte Lip Crayon. Held at Carter Road on September 5 and 6, the pop-up invited guests to step away from the pace of the workday and rediscover creativity on their own terms.

The concept was rooted in a simple idea: while the 9-to-5 is often associated with ambition and achievement, the hours that follow can belong entirely to oneself.

When Beauty Meets Play

Rather than building the launch around a conventional product showcase, Lakmé created an environment where the product’s central idea—“Playtime for Your Pout”—could be experienced beyond makeup.

Guests arrived in chic denim-on-denim looks and moved through a series of playful, interactive experiences. From personalising keepsakes and creating lip-crayon charms to getting caricatures drawn and capturing photographs, the café was designed as a space for creative expression.

Vibrant food and beverage offerings added to the mood, while the experience eventually led guests to the Lakmé 9to5 Forever Matte Lip Crayon zone, where they could discover the new collection and take home a specially curated kit.

The result was a beauty launch that felt less like a product demonstration and more like an invitation to pause.

Reimagining the 5-to-9

The idea of the “5-to-9” has increasingly entered conversations around modern work culture—not as another productivity window, but as time reserved for personal interests, relationships, creativity and rest.

Lakmé’s latest campaign taps into that cultural shift, particularly through the lens of women whose days often extend well beyond the traditional working hours.

“At Lakmé, we’ve always believed that beauty must evolve alongside the dynamic lives women lead. The Lakmé 9to5 Forever Matte Lip Crayon reflects exactly that philosophy – bringing together bold, long-lasting color, creativity, and self-expression with the comfort and care today’s woman expects from her everyday essentials. But beyond the product, this campaign celebrates something equally meaningful: the importance of the 5-to-9 window. In a world where women are constantly balancing responsibilities, we wanted to champion the moments they carve out for themselves to unwind, create, and reconnect with what brings them joy. The Crayon Café is our way of bringing this vision to life – inviting everyone to step into a nostalgic space where picking up a crayon becomes a rewarding act of self-care,” said Ashwini Rao, Vice President, Lakmé.

The New Matte, With More Comfort

At the heart of the experience is the Lakmé 9to5 Forever Matte Lip Crayon, designed to combine the intensity associated with a matte lip with a more comfortable, moisture-rich formula.

Infused with Vitamin C and a moisture-rich crème base, the retractable lip crayon offers one-stroke pigment and up to eight hours of hydrated, weightless wear. The collection is available in 20 shades designed for Indian skin tones, spanning everyday neutrals such as Edgy Nude to bolder choices including Ambition Red.

Its twist-up format also reinforces the product’s easy transition from the precision of the working day to the more expressive hours that follow.

Beyond the Beauty Counter

For a brand that has long been associated with the working Indian woman, the campaign marks an interesting evolution in how Lakmé speaks to its consumer.

The woman at the centre of the 9to5 narrative is no longer defined solely by the boardroom. Her identity extends into the hours afterwards—when she creates, socialises, explores interests, spends time with friends or simply allows herself to do nothing at all.

Created for women who move between ambition and self-expression, the Forever Matte Lip Crayon positions beauty as something that can accompany both sides of that identity.

The sentiment is echoed by Lakmé’s Ashwini Rao, who describes the campaign as an effort to make room for the moments women create for themselves.

The Crayon Café, in that sense, becomes more than a launch activation. It is a physical interpretation of a broader beauty philosophy: that self-expression does not have to be serious, and that self-care can sometimes look as simple as picking up a crayon and making something just because you want to.

The Lakmé 9to5 Forever Matte Lip Crayon is now available through Lakmé’s website, leading marketplaces and retail stores nationwide.