Valentino launching cosmetics

Valentino is finally launching its first line of cosmetics. While many of its competitors, like Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy have been in the cosmetics game, Valentino was one of the last major luxury brand holdouts without a beauty line. In the coming weeks, Valentino is launching a line of color cosmetics including lipstick and foundation in multiple shades. The cosmetics launch will also be accompanied by the launch of a new cosmetics clutch bag big enough to hold a lipstick and face powder.

Luxury brands who have recently dived into the beauty game have found success. Gucci sold over one million tubes of its lipstick in a month after its 2019 launch. Hermès’s lipstick launch was also a success.

Valentino licensed out the development of their beauty products to L’Oréal, an ages old industry beauty expert. Licensing is often the go to approach for these companies that don’t have in-house chemists for developing beauty products. Gucci’s lipsticks are produced by licensee Coty.

The new Valentino beauty collection will feature fourteen core products, and the brand is also planning limited beauty drops to coincide with their runway shows. In 2019, Valentino took its plunge into the fragrance game with Voce Viva fronted by Lady Gaga.

Valentino is betting on a beauty rebound as the world works on emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. A pop-up shop will be opening on May 31 at Selfridges and will run for a month at the famed department store. Customers can also pre-order on Valentino’s U.S. e-commerce site. This August, the collection will become available at Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. The products will also launch on China’s T-Mall platform in August.