‘Radically glamorous’: Lancôme partners with fashion photography duo on luxury cosmetics line

By Kacey Culliney

- Last updated on GMT

The After Dark Collection includes an eye make-up kit, eyeshadows, lipsticks and a highlighter-blur duo (Image: Lancôme)
The After Dark Collection includes an eye make-up kit, eyeshadows, lipsticks and a highlighter-blur duo (Image: Lancôme)

Related tags L'oréal Lancôme Luxury beauty Luxury cosmetics

L’Oréal-owned beauty major Lancôme has teamed up with infamous fashion photography duo Mert and Marcus for the launch of a luxury coloured cosmetics line.

The collaborative ‘After Dark Collection’ by Lancôme and Mert & Marcus features a make-up kit for eyes – a first for Lancôme – along with a range of eyeshadows, lipsticks and a highlighter-blur stick. Lancôme said the brightly coloured collection targeted “radically glamorous”​ women looking to create “dramatic”​ and “electrifying”​ looks.

Mert and Marcus have created a ‘visual universe’

Françoise Lehmann, brand president of Lancôme, said working with Mert and Marcus – two “talented and exceptional personalities”​ – had been an “exhilarating and passionate adventure”.

“Mert and Marcus are not only brilliant artists and renowned photographers, but they are also incredible beauty experts. I am extremely proud of this collaboration, the visual universe they have created and the innovative textures,” ​Lehmann said. 

Mert and Marcus said they had never really been interested in “beauty in its original form” – ​something that had driven the direction of this collaboration.

“Somehow, what excited us over the past 26 years, was transforming and creating characters with light, make-up and stories, and this is what we tried to achieve with this collection,” ​they said.

Lady Gaga, famed for her music and fashion, also launched a coloured cosmetics line last year​ under her beauty business Haus Laboratories targeting “bravery and creativity”.​ The cosmetics range features all-over liquid shimmer powders and bright lip liners and glosses. 

After Dark by Lancôme and Mert & Marcus
After Dark by Lancôme and Mert & Marcus

According to The NPD Group, glow and illuminating make-up was rising fast up the cosmetics ranks​, particularly in the UK where the category had generated €2.47m in sales alone for the first six months of 2019. These products, it said, were gaining interest on social media and a number of strong colour palette and glitter launches had fuelled this.

The insatiable rise of luxury?

Last month, L’Oréal also announced a long-term license agreement with high-end Italian fashion house Prada​ to create, develop and distribute a luxury beauty line.

Cyril Chapuy, president of L’Oréal Luxe, said the license to develop Prada-branded cosmetics provided the beauty major an “ideal complement to its portfolio of iconic brands”.

Luxury beauty had proven increasingly important for L’Oréal in recent months​, with its Luxe division reporting dynamic growth in Q3. L’Oréal Luxe generated €2.75bn of the group’s total €7.18bn sales for the quarter, up 13.8% on like-for-like terms. Within the division, Lancôme’s new formula launch Génefique had performed particularly well.

Related topics Brand Innovation Colour Cosmetics

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