When Rabanne Beauty launched last year (2023) it proved that there was still plenty of room for innovation in the make-up space.
With the iconic makeup artist Diane Kendal overseeing creative direction, the brand debuted with a range of products that included Shimmer Bomb, a glitter spray that creates a veil of iridescence all over the skin or body; Colour Shot, richly pigmented liquid eyeshadows that can be mixed into lipsticks or used as highlighter for high-voltage looks; and Liquid Shot amplifiers in glitter and metal, which provide a disco ball glimmer to eyes, cheeks and lips.
Rabanne Beauty’s new Dramalips lipstick
Now, Rabanne is continuing its penchant for bold, radical beauty, with a line of lipsticks that make the word ‘glossy’ seem like an understatement. The new line, called Dramalips – which will be available from Selfridges later this month (April 2024) – comes in 14 wet-look colours and three pearlescent shades that can be worn on their own or layered on top of colour for an extra intense effect. For Kendal, the versatility of Rabanne Beauty’s products has always been what makes them so exciting to work with. And the Dramalips lipsticks are one more playful tool she can add to her makeup kit.
‘I think when something’s modern, it means that it has to be very versatile,’ Kendal tells me over a call from the Rabanne offices in New York. ‘The great thing about Rabanne products is that they can all be played into each other, with lipsticks that can be used on the cheeks, as with Dramalips, or Metal Shots which can be mixed with the eyeshadows and the lipsticks to give different diving dimensions. Shimmer Bomb, is such a fun product to have within the line that you can use to enhance makeup look by putting on your face with a brush or spraying on your body.’
The union of Rabanne Beauty and Kendal is a natural fit, since Kendal has made a name for herself as an expert in avant-garde beauty. After studying special effects and prosthetic make-up at the London College of Fashion in the 1980s, she went on to become a foundational member of the nascent 1990s London fashion scene, working regularly with photographers like David Sims and Nathaniel Goldberg. By the mid-90s she relocated to New York, where she and then up-and-coming hairstylist Guido Palau became known for their signature grunge-meets-fashion aesthetic.
Looking back on her illustrious career, Kendal says the best thing about her work has always been collaborating with fellow creatives and brands. ‘One of the biggest aspects of doing what I do is, of course, working with people and collaborating. It gives me the benefit of being able to work with different designers and being inspired by what they’re inspired by. It’s exciting and inspiring and makes me be more creative because you’re always trying to find new ways of creating looks for all these different people.’
Rabanne Beauty, in particular, has helped Kendal explore new limits of her creativity. ‘I think the great thing about coming to a brand like Rabanne is that it pushes me to always find new ways of creating looks and using products,’ she says. ‘It’s such a beautiful brand to be able to do that with, and just play.’
Rabanne Beauty Dramalips lipsticks are available from 28 April 2024 at Selfridges.
