Dolly Parton Says She Always Knew Her Makeup Collection Would Be a Hit 'Because It's Mine' (Exclusive)

When Dolly Parton started teasing her new makeup line in August, it only made sense that she’d start with lipstick.

And of course, the main color is a fiery shade called Jolene Red.

“Think of her as a hot mom,” Parton, 78, tells PEOPLE exclusively about the color, which she also says is the kind of shade that “anyone can use.”

Launched under Scent Beauty, Parton’s collection, called Dolly Beauty, initially started with four Heaven’s Kiss lipsticks: the aforementioned red, as well as Rosebud, Birthday Suit, and Honey Plum. Parton then added lip liners and lip glosses to round out her lip routine.

Dolly Beauty lipstick.

Dolly/Scent Beauty

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Parton likes to mix and match what she wears — and she wants her Dolly Beauty customers to, too, because she knows everyone has different tastes.

For the “9 to 5” singer, she brings Jolene Red for the holidays — but sticks to more neutral shades for every day.

“It’s a good time of year for me to wear my Jolene red and … the gold gloss goes nicely with it, too,” she says of Hi-Gloss Lips Lip Gloss in Gold Dust if she’s going for a “softer” look. (Not that there’s anything wrong with “being really out there” and letting red “be red,” she says.)

For her everyday look, she wears High Definition Lip Liner in Dawn with lipstick in Birthday Suit. Sometimes she completes the look with gloss – and Gold Dust is her favorite for daytime use as well.

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Dolly Parton.

Dolly/Scent Beauty

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Parton tells PEOPLE that the limited collection of colors available right now is just the beginning for Dolly Beauty — she intends to expand to include a lot more, she just has to keep testing the colors. Because yes, she tests them all and enjoys it immensely.

“When I first got [the products]I’d take them home and then I’d do it almost like a job,” she says of trying out shades before approving colors for production. “I’d stand in front of the makeup mirror and then I’d just do worse [my face]and then I would put [a potential lipcolor] on, and then I’d look at it and think, ‘well, I really like that.’ Then I’d take it all off.”

Parton says she’s usually in her closet, where she keeps her vanity, matching lipsticks with her clothes to see what she likes.

“I would lie down [clothes] on the shoulder and I think, this color goes well with it,” she says. “I just loved playing in it. I had fun just testing everything.”

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Dolly Beauty lip pencil.

Dolly/Scent Beauty

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After debuting her lip products, Parton next turned her attention to eye products, launching mascara and eyeliner in October. And while, of course, he applies them traditionally, he also uses eyeliner a little more non-traditional.

“I have a little beauty mark and I use my little brown pencil to dress it up a little bit,” she says of using her high definition eyeliner. “It’s real, but I still like it a little dressed up.”

Dolly Beauty eye makeup.

Dolly/Scent Beauty

The market for celebrity-endorsed beauty brands may be crowded these days, but Parton doesn’t mind that at all. In fact, she tells PEOPLE that she knew Dolly Beauty was the right move at this point in her life and that it would be successful. The simple reason why it stands out from the crowd? “Because it’s mine,” she says.

As someone who has always loved makeup and is known for being glamorous, Parton says it only made sense to create her own collection. A partnership with Scent Beauty, the company behind her fragrance collection, made it even easier.

“Why not do it now while I’m still young enough to sell it and old enough to make people want to use it because they think it can keep you young?” she adds.

Dolly Beauty is available online now and will be available in stores next year.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education