50 Shades of Valentino

The growing world of luxury brand beauty just found its next star, and this one most definitely does red

The Italian brand launches a beauty range

Hot on the heels of Hermès and the introduction of its game-changing lipstick collection last year, the house of Valentino is starting its own beauty line with a launch that has kept the fashion world bright-eyed with excitement since it was announced in April. While Gucci Beauty keeps things Gucci with its retro-kitsch, grandma’s-attic aesthetic, and Dolce & Gabbana Beauty’s packaging nods to the Italian label’s bold prints, the new Valentino Beauty designs stay true to house codes with red lacquered packaging marked with a V. (This is, after all, a designer so closely associated with the colour, he started a second brand called Red Valentino.)

It’s a hefty collection, featuring 50 lipstick shades under the label Rosso Valentino (there are multiple shades of red, of course), experimental eye make-up and an inclusive spectrum of 40 foundation shades. According to Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, “Beauty is democratic. I look at the identity of each individual, the uniqueness that encloses diversity and inclusivity. Beauty is about grace.”

And gracing Valentino’s inaugural campaign is a diverse assembly of 16 models representing different races and genders, sporting out-there make-up looks to remind us that at the end of the day, make-up should be about fun, artful expression.