Louis Vuitton has officially expanded its legacy empire into the world of luxury cosmetics with the debut of La Beauté Louis Vuitton. The new collection, created in partnership with legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath and teased earlier this year, represents a bold and distinctly Vuitton take on beauty: meticulously considered aesthetics, exquisite detail, and a price tag designed to cater to the house’s most elite clientele.
The collection is extensive, immediately entering the beauty sphere with a statement range: 55 lipsticks and 10 lip balms priced at $160 each, alongside eight eyeshadow palettes retailing at $250 each. Refills are more moderate. The line will launch today, August 20, in China, before opening to a digital worldwide pre-launch on August 25, and finally available globally in select Louis Vuitton boutiques and online from August 29.
Luxury as the Starting Point
The packaging alone reflects Vuitton’s brand DNA. Industrial designer Konstantin Grcic, celebrated for his conceptual furniture, has reimagined luxury beauty through Vuitton’s Monogram and Damier patterns. The lipsticks are etched with the maison’s signature motifs, while companion accessories, including a dedicated lipstick pouch and wallet for blotting papers, extend Vuitton’s identity in leather craftsmanship to its beauty debut.
The formulas, too, lean on the house’s pursuit of refinement. Eyeshadows are enriched with camellia oil, known for its nourishing properties, while the brand’s lip balms feature upcycled mimosa wax sourced from Grasse, the historic French hub of perfume and flower extraction. Sustainability, long a growing theme in the beauty sector, gets framed here as yet another note of luxury.
Priced Beyond Prestige
The launch boldly pushes past what most would consider premium pricing. At $160 a bullet, Vuitton’s lipsticks are nearly double that of Hermès’ Silky Lipstick, which once drew surprise for its own high positioning. They also surpass the Precious Lipstick from Japanese luxury house Clé de Peau Beauté.
The Pat McGrath Effect
At the heart of the collection lies Vuitton’s collaboration with Pat McGrath, arguably one of the most influential makeup artists in the world. Known for her inventive artistry and her eponymous range, Pat McGrath Labs, she brings both credibility and creative vision to Vuitton’s beauty entrance.
In a press release, McGrath reflected on her philosophy: “I have always been obsessed with the smallest of details: the perfection needed in product texture, the precise application methods… how products should make you feel.”
Her involvement not only enhances Vuitton’s credibility among beauty insiders but also sets a high bar.
Choosing the Ultra-Wealthy
The strategy marks a deliberate divergence from the typical designer beauty “gateway” approach. For decades, brands like Chanel, YSL Beauté, and Gucci have introduced cosmetics at relatively accessible tiers compared to their fashion and leather goods, intended to draw in aspirational buyers. Vuitton, however, has skipped aspirational entry points entirely, clearly targeting the ultra-wealthy customer base that already shops its handbags and haute couture.
This comes as many premium beauty brands are struggling to grow sales, with increasingly value-conscious customers trading down to affordable alternatives. According to The State of Fashion: Beauty Volume 2 by The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, 24% have moved to cheaper beauty in the past year.
Yet Vuitton’s market is not the price-sensitive beauty shopper. It is the client already spending five figures in-store, for whom $160 on a lipstick is a natural extension of lifestyle.
Playing the Long Game
Execution will be critical. Unlike many beauty licenses, YSL under L’Oréal, or Gucci with Coty, Vuitton operates beauty fully under LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate and powerhouse behind Dior, Guerlain, and Benefit Cosmetics. This gives Vuitton unparalleled resources in formulation, manufacturing, and global distribution.
Still, Vuitton is rolling out cautiously. Initially, La Beauté Louis Vuitton will be available only in Vuitton-owned retail and online, giving the brand full control of presentation and service. Over time, selective expansion into specialty retailers or luxury department stores may follow, as seen with Hermès Beauty.
A Defining Moment in Luxury Beauty
With La Beauté Louis Vuitton, the maison makes an emphatic entry into one of the fastest-growing luxury markets of beauty. But Vuitton’s entrance is not about volume. It is about staking cultural authority, merging fashion and beauty through the lens of artistry and exclusivity.
Whether the product quality proves as extraordinary as its positioning remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: this is no conventional beauty play. Vuitton has reframed cosmetics as a continuation of luxury heritage, not simply a more accessible extension of the brand.
For now, the question stands: in a world reshaped by price-consciousness, who wants to spend $160 on lipstick? For Louis Vuitton’s core clientele, the answer is simple: those who always have, and always will, pay for the pinnacle of prestige.
