From the XXL bouffants that reached up to the heavens at the AW18 Couture show to the dramatic petal lashes for SS19 Couture, Valentino has consistently delivered our favourite beauty moments season after season. But, unlike the majority of other luxury labels, the Italian fashion house has never branched out into creating its own beauty line. Until now. 

Valentino has announced it is finally coming out with its own make-up. Dropping in August, the line launches with a full collection including foundation in 40 shades, 50 shades of lipsticks, and eye products. Creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli has even adapted a SS17 bag into a tiny cosmetics clutch just big enough to hold a satin face powder and miniature lipstick tube.

The inclusive beauty range will welcome all genders, ages, and cultures, a spirit which is also present in the campaign which features 16 eclectic faces including non-models. “Pierpaolo really wanted to have this balance between couture and the clash,” Garance Delaye, global president of Valentino Beauty, told Business of Fashion. “It’s very couture but at the same time it’s for all individuals.”

While this is the first time Valentino has launched cosmetics, the house isn’t totally new to beauty having sold fragrances with various different partners since the 1970s. Last year, it released Voce Viva with Lady Gaga as the face. The debut follows successful recent cosmetics launches for Gucci and Hermès. Gucci reportedly sold over a million tubes of lipstick in the month after its 2019 launch. 

Valentino will begin the roll-out of its beauty line with a month-long pop-up at Selfridges on May 31. Pre-order on Valentino’s US e-commerce site starts on June 1 and the collection will enter select stores in the US in August and in September for Europe.