In 2014, Christian Louboutin added to his red-soled shoe empire by launching a set of sumptuous nail polishes, in the most immaculate and luxurious packaging possible. In 2016, he further expanded his beauty offering with a line of high-shine, super-pigmented lip lacquers and, later in the year, with a trio of evocative fragrances in jewel-toned flacons designed by architect Thomas Heatherwick.
This March,? Louboutin launches a luxury line of makeup products to enhance the eyes, intro?ducing a new mascara, ink liner, eye definer and brow definer in extremely saturated pigments for the purest and deepest colour payoff?. Louboutin explains why it was the natural next step to develop a beauty range focusing on the eyes, the most expressive part of your face: "You can see happiness,? sa?dness,? fear,? fierceness... ?You d?efinitely see everything? throug?h the eyes??."
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The result is a collection that combines sensual application with the intensely rich colour and? attention to d?etail we might expect from the revered French ?desig?ner.? Luxurious and? uni?quely slend?er,? each prod?uct offers a precise an?d sensual ?gesture, similar to calli?graphy.? The Christian Louboutin eye collection is artfully ?desig?ned? to prov?id?e ?definition and? a??dd to the expression of a woman’s eyes,? amplifying? the essence and? power of her g?aze?.
Louboutin was influence?d by ?Kathak?ali,? a form of classical Ind?ian d?ance.? The d?ancers are ?known for their extra?vag?ant mak?eup,? including? elaborately ?drawn eyes,? brin?ging? attention to their ?dramatic eye mo?vements and? expressions? which are an inte?gral aspect of the ?dance?.
In bringing ‘Les Yeux Noirs’ to life, Louboutin visualised one of his beauty icons, Queen Nefertiti’s infamous sculpted eyes – a nude lid precisely lined with carbon-black charcoal liner. This look emboldened her eyes and served to signify her powerful spirit. The designer delved further into the symbolism of ancient Egypt – a place and culture that constantly feeds his imagination – for the creation of the striking packaging: the Egyptian motifs of lotus flower petals and obelisks meld with art deco geometry to create these modern objets d’art.