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

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

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

"You think of her as a red-hot mama," Parton, 78, tells PEOPLE exclusively of the color, which she also says is the kind of hue that "everybody could 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.

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

For the "9 to 5" singer, she brings out Jolene Red for the holidays — but sticks to more neutral shades for everyday.

"It's a good time of year for me to wear my Jolene Red and ... the gold gloss really goes pretty with that too," she says of the Hi-Gloss Lips lip gloss in Gold Dust if she wants a "softer" look. (Not that there's anything wrong with being "really be out there" and letting the red "be red," she says.)

For her everyday look, she wears the Hi-Definition Lip Liner in Dawn with the lipstick in Birthday Suit. Sometimes she tops the look with gloss — and Gold Dust is her fave for daytime, too.

Parton tells PEOPLE that the limited collection of colors currently available is just the beginning for Dolly Beauty — she intends to expand to include plenty more, she just has to keep testing out the colors. Because yes, she tests them all, and thoroughly enjoys doing so.

"When I first got [the products], I would take them home and then I would do it almost like a job," she says of trying out the shades before approving the colors to put into production. "I would get in front of my makeup mirror and then I would just make up [my face], and then I would put [a potential lipcolor] on, and then I'd look and I'd think, 'well, I really like that.' Then I'd take it all off."

Parton says she usually found herself in her closet, which is where she keeps her vanity, matching up the lipsticks with her outfits to see what she liked.

"I'd lay [clothes] on my shoulder and think, this color looks good with that," she says. "I just liked to play in it. I had fun just testing everything."

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After debuting her lip products, Parton then dove into eye products, launching mascara and eyeliner in October. And while she, of course, applies them traditionally, she also uses the eyeliner a little more nontraditionally.

"I have a little beauty mark, and I use my little brown pencil to touch that up a little bit," she says of using her Hi-Definition Eye Pencil. "It's for real, but I still like to keep it touched up a little."

The celebrity-backed beauty brand market may be crowded these days, but Parton is not at all fazed by it. In fact, she tells PEOPLE she knew Dolly Beauty was the right move at this point in her life and that it was going to be a success. The simple reason it stands out from the crowd? "Because it's mine," she says.

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

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

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