There is an evident synergy between Valentino beauty and Valentino fashion. While that statement may seem like a given, the truth is that the economic potential of cosmetics and perfume results in many fashion brands launching beauty lines with commercialism, rather than craft, in mind.
That's not the case with Valentino's cosmetics, which have been created under the auspices of the brand's creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. Since assuming the entire creative mantle of Valentino in 2016, including menswear, womenswear, and couture, Piccioli has proven that his vision for the brand is nothing if not comprehensive.
‘Beauty and fashion are in a constant and symbiotic evolution,' says Piccioli. ‘The work we are doing in Valentino is guided by the values we trust in, we moved from an aesthetic built on exclusivity to an inclusive one, we grew from a two-dimensional vision of beauty to a three dimensional one, where emotions, dreams, and individuality are as important, if not more, as any other feature.'
Indeed, Valentino's inclusive ethos is as key to its beauty line as it is to its fashion. The collection features 40 foundation shades, developed through extensive research on the skin tones of 5000 women in eight countries across every continent. It's an ultra-light, semi-matte cream that is specially formulated for each shade to ensure there is never an ashy residue.
The collection's lipstick range is equally voluminous, with 50 different shades ranging from reds, pinks, and plums, to modern nudes made to suit a variety of skin tones, a consideration that is unfortunately not always the case in cosmetic lines. The range even includes vibrant oranges and rich corals, and an edgy purple and blue.
Piccioli's collections have always evidenced an extraordinary mastery of colour, and the same is true for Valentino beauty. There are peridot greens, deep blues, acidic yellows, bubblegum pinks, and more to experiment and play with.
The entire collection includes the foundations and lipsticks; as well as eyeshadows, blushes, eyeliners, a brow trio and even glitter. It's an extensive and exuberant makeup range, making it well-suited to the growing trend for anti-perfectionist, self-expressionistic beauty we're seeing today.
As Piccioli puts it, ‘beauty is directly connected to the intensity of our feelings, the more we love, the more we are connected to our true self, the more it shows and glows on the outside. Valentino beauty is for the dreamers.'
INFORMATION
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designCreativity leaps the screen at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s record-flying roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The modernist home of musician Imogen Holst gets Grade II listingThe daughter of the composer Gustav Holst lived here from 1964 until her death, during which time the home served a locus for her own composition work, which included assisting Benjamin Britten
-
This fun and free-spirited photography exhibition offers a chromatic view on the world‘Chromotherapia’ at Villa Medici in Rome, explores how we view colour as a way of therapy, and how it has shaped photography over the last century (until 9 June 2025)
