A delicate lilac shot through with sugary rose gold sparkles — paying homage to Marie Antoinette's lavish taste and her total rejection of the ordinary. The most opulent single shade Lipstick Queen ever released. Rebellion and decadence in gunmetal.
Let Them Eat Cake was a limited edition that periodically restocked at Space NK, Barneys NY, and Ulta, generating devoted repeat buyers — one Influenster reviewer bought eight tubes. It now surfaces on eBay and Poshmark, where it commands above-retail prices. The gunmetal tube with the lilac-and-sparkle bullet is unmistakable. We recommend the alternatives below as your best ongoing options.
Let Them Eat Cake first appeared around 2014–2015 and became one of the most discussed and coveted single shades in the Lipstick Queen range. At $45–$50 for 0.12 oz — the highest retail price of any individual LQ product in this series — it was a deliberate luxury statement. The shade itself was unprecedented in the range: a cool lilac pink base with rose gold Synthetic Fluorphlogopite and Mica sparkle dispersed throughout. The cool and warm were simultaneously present, which was the technical point — Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: "the cool tones of lilac are cleverly countered with rose gold sparkles that add enough warmth that the shade can be worn by people with warm or cool complexions." It was positioned as universally flattering despite being a lilac — a difficult claim the formula made good through the warm-cool counterbalance.
The gunmetal tube was the brand's most luxurious — a cold, sleek, heavy metal case with a magnetic closure and a velvet-feel outer box in pinkish purple, described by The Shades of U as screaming "luxury from the velvet feel of the box to the cold, sleek metallic tube." It could be worn alone for an ethereal, soft lilac shimmer, or as a topcoat over any other lipstick to add a metallic pearl dimension — the LQ formula's equivalent of a Midas touch in lilac.
The full title of the Lipstick Queen collection Let Them Eat Cake was a direct quotation — or more precisely, a direct invocation of history's most famous misquotation. "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" — commonly translated as "Let them eat cake" and attributed to Marie Antoinette — was almost certainly never said by the queen of France, as historians have noted. Poppy King knew this: "While historians have long contended that there is no evidence to suggest that Marie Antoinette ever actually uttered the words 'Qu'ils mangent de la brioche' — I absolutely love the inspiration for this gorgeous, royal gem of a lipstick!" (Lola's Secret Beauty Blog, quoting the reviewer's own commentary on the product).
The point was the mythology, not the fact. Marie Antoinette's court at Versailles represented peak opulence — powdered wigs, elaborate corseted gowns, extravagant confections, the absolute rejection of modesty or practicality in favour of beauty and pleasure. Poppy King's own quote: "I've always been fascinated by the opulence of the court of Versailles and it was Marie Antoinette's infamous misquote that ran through my head when I created this lipstick." The brand's description elaborated: "Paying homage to Marie Antoinette's lavish taste and her total rejection of the ordinary, this ground-breaking and truly extraordinary lipstick captures that same spirit of rebellion and decadence."
The product launched at Barneys New York and Space NK before broader availability at Ulta. Its retail price of $45–$50 placed it at the absolute top of the LQ range — significantly above the standard $22–$25 lipstick pricing and closer to the premium tier of Tom Ford or Charlotte Tilbury. The price generated discussion: some reviewers found it hard to justify, others became devoted repeat buyers. One Influenster reviewer bought eight tubes. The gunmetal packaging with magnetic closure and velvet-feel outer box was consistently cited as justification in itself.
Let Them Eat Cake's most technically interesting quality was its simultaneous warm-cool composition — the design choice that made it work on a wider range of skin tones than any other lilac lipstick should. Lola's Secret Beauty Blog described this with precision: "the cool tones of lilac are cleverly countered with rose gold lustre pigments that catch the light and create voluptuous lips." The result was that the shade functioned differently depending on the viewer's angle and the lighting environment.
On skin: Lola's Secret Beauty Blog described it as "pearly lilac pinks — infinitely wearable lilac pink." Beauty Professor: "the rose gold-tinged lilac is flattering for a spectrum of skin tones." The Sweat Edit wore it and found it left a "most pretty pink stain" that lasted over four hours. The key variable is application pressure: a lighter application emphasises the sheer, soft lilac; a heavier or built-up application brings out the metallic, more opaque dimension.
Let Them Eat Cake was one of the most divided products in the Lipstick Queen range in terms of reviewer experience. The division was essentially about a single quality: the texture of the sparkle particles, and whether they registered as fine metallic shimmer or as gritty chunky glitter. This was not a question of the colour or the concept — almost every reviewer agreed on those — but of tactile experience.
The resolution: the sparkle texture was real and it divided wearers. At $45–$50, those who found it gritty felt particularly aggrieved; those who found it refined felt the price justified. Application method mattered — applying with a fingertip rather than directly from the bullet reduced the "glitter scrub" effect when using it as a topcoat. The product clearly leaned more metallic-shimmer than fine-pearl for some wearers, which was either its defining glory or its key flaw depending on the reviewer.
The Let Them Eat Cake formula was one of the most unusual in the Lipstick Queen range — built on a base of Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Hydrogenated Polyisobutene (a lightweight, non-greasy emollient pair that provided a slick, smooth application), with structural elements not confirmed elsewhere in this series: Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides and Pentaerythrityl Adipate/Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate.
Pentaerythrityl Adipate/Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate is a branched-chain ester of pentaerythritol with multiple fatty acids — a premium cosmetic emollient that provides exceptional skin feel with very low viscosity and excellent spreading. It was used in several luxury lipstick formulas of the 2014–2016 period specifically for the "no-weight" application feel it delivered. The formula also contained Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Copolymer — the same polymer spheres used in the Sinner formula to create a controlled matte effect — here used in a smaller concentration for texture smoothing rather than mattifying. Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene was the formula's most unusual structural ingredient: a cyclic hydrocarbon resin that provided the specific adhesion and wearability the formula required, with a unique texture quality different from conventional waxes.
The shimmer system was Synthetic Fluorphlogopite (the premium synthetic mica) and Mica (CI 77019) — both confirmed at Net-a-Porter. Apricot Kernel Oil (Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil) was the featured nourishing active, providing oleic acid and Vitamin A alongside the Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E). Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate was a UV filter protecting the delicate lilac pigments from colour shift in sunlight. The pigment system was Red 7 Lake, Red 33 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 30 Lake, Iron Oxides, and Titanium Dioxide — together producing the cool lilac in the base.
As confirmed at Net-a-Porter and Lola's Secret Beauty Blog:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vegetable Oil (Olus/Huile Vegetale), Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Pentaerythrityl Adipate/Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (Candelilla Cera/Cire De Candelilla), Beeswax (Cera Alba/Cire D'Abeille), Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Copolymer, Silica, Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
Highlighted ingredients are key actives or structurally distinctive components. Synthetic Fluorphlogopite and Mica (CI 77019) together provide the two-component sparkle system — Synthetic Fluorphlogopite gives the metallic shimmer sheen; Mica provides additional pearl depth. Pentaerythrityl Adipate/Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate is a premium multi-chain ester providing the ultra-smooth, lightweight application feel distinctive to this formula. Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene is a cyclic hydrocarbon adhesion resin — unusual in lipstick formulation, providing the specific wearability and structural stability of this formula. Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Copolymer (polymer spheres, also in the Sinner formula) provides texture smoothing. Apricot Kernel Oil is the featured nourishing active — rich in oleic acid and Vitamin A. Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate is a UV filter protecting the pigment. Pigment system: Red 7, Red 33, Blue 1, Red 30 Lakes + Iron Oxides + TiO2 = cool pink-lilac base. No fragrance confirmed.
Three lipsticks that come closest to the irreplaceable Let Them Eat Cake — the cool lilac with warm sparkle dimension, the metallic shimmer finish, and the "universally flattering despite being a lilac" quality.
For the cool-toned, slightly purple-pink base dimension of Let Them Eat Cake — the lilac that somehow flatters everyone — Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Glastonbury is the closest current counterpart in a premium formula. It is a cool-pink-berry rather than a lilac, but sits in the same colour family and delivers the same "I wasn't sure about this but it works" universality. The formula is notably different (matte rather than metallic shimmer), but the Glastonbury shade represents the closest tonal equivalent in the CT range to the Let Them Eat Cake base colour, for those who want the shade family without the sparkle.
For the metallic-sparkle topcoat use of Let Them Eat Cake — worn over another lipstick to add a rose gold metallic pearl dimension — MAC Dazzleglass is the most direct ongoing equivalent in the topcoat-shimmer category. Like Let Them Eat Cake used as a topcoat, Dazzleglass adds dimensional shimmer over any base colour and is buildable from subtle to statement. The Bare Necessity shade replicates the lilac-with-warm-pearl quality most closely. MAC Dazzleglass has been a category benchmark for the metallic-shimmer lip topper format since it launched, and remains available where Let Them Eat Cake is not.
For fans of Let Them Eat Cake who loved the entire sensory experience — the heavy gunmetal tube, the magnetic closure, the velvet-feel outer box, the $45–$50 price point, the single irreplaceable shade — Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer in Wistful or the adjacent cool-pink-lavender shades deliver the closest luxury-format equivalent. Tom Ford's Lip Color Sheer formula is comparably lightweight and shimmery to Let Them Eat Cake, the single-shade approach is comparable, and Wistful sits in the same cool-pink-lavender family. The experience of the product — the weight, the craftsmanship, the decadence — is the closest match in the current market.
"This is precisely the shade that I have spent years trying to find. The rose gold sparkles add enough warmth that it can be worn by people with warm or cool complexions. The metallic finish is refined and elegant, rather than overdone."
I have always been enamoured of pearly lilac pinks and remember such a shade that was among my first lipstick loves as a teenager. I have perpetually sought out a replacement shade since that time, and Let Them Eat Cake is the very embodiment of this long-lost shade. Described as a "delicate lilac shot through with sugary rose gold sparkles" — this twinkling beauty is perfection for those who seek an infinitely wearable lilac pink. The formula is hydrating, it applies sheerly with one coat but can be built up, and the rose-gold shimmer adds a luminosity that makes the lips appear full and voluminous. I cannot begin to express how happy this makes me.
"This is my daily lipstick. I get compliments on it daily. It lasts my entire shift. I can apply it without a mirror and know it will look fine. It is the most expensive lipstick I've ever bought at $50 — but after 6 tubes, I just bought 2 more."
I can't say enough good things about it. It is simply beautiful. Because of the formula and colour, I can apply it without a mirror and know it will look fine. I hope to continue to find this throughout the years. The packaging alone is worth it — the velvet-feel box, the gunmetal tube with the magnetic closure. This is a lipstick that feels like a luxury object and performs like one. I have worn it every day for months and it delivers the same beautiful result every time.
"Vive la France! Let Them Eat Cake is truly a luxury lipstick. As opulent and unusual as it is, it's very wearable — and shockingly flattering. But the price is insane and the glitter texture divides opinion."
The colour is lovely — a really beautiful lilac that works for more skin tones than you'd expect. But it is frosty like a '70s lipstick, and I'm ok with frost, but if some people don't like it at all they should avoid this one. Also $45 for a lipstick is a lot to chew on. The packaging is exceptional — everything about the tube and box is worth touching — but the lipstick itself delivers a result that is polarising. Devotees will love it unconditionally; people who dislike metallic textures will struggle. Know which camp you're in before spending the money.