A $160 Lipstick: Louis Vuitton’s La Beauté Strategy
With its first makeup collection La Beauté, Louis Vuitton is selling more than just a $160 lipstick — it’s offering a layered story. But will this move redraw the boundaries of luxury cosmetics?
A lipstick is never merely a small item in a makeup bag. Sometimes it completes an outfit, sometimes it’s the most practical tool for confidence, and sometimes it’s a symbol of prestige. The presence of luxury brands in beauty amplifies these meanings loaded onto such a small yet powerful object. Louis Vuitton’s first makeup collection, introduced under the name La Beauté Louis Vuitton, stands at the very peak of this symbolism.
The collection, created in collaboration with Pat McGrath, opens a new stage in the beauty world. But this stage is built not only on creativity, but also on pricing strategy. The line includes 55 lipsticks priced at $160 each and 10 lip balms. The refills for the lipsticks are sold at $69. Four-shade eyeshadow palettes are priced at $250, with refills costing $92. This La Beauté collection, born from the powerhouse union of makeup icon Pat McGrath and luxury giant Louis Vuitton, is positioned not merely as makeup but as an extension of brand history — objects that carry Vuitton’s craftsmanship and heritage into everyday life.
A Strategic Field
As global luxury consumption shows signs of slowing, Louis Vuitton’s ambitious entry into beauty is no coincidence. Chanel, Dior, and YSL have long been strong players in cosmetics. More recently, brands like Hermès, Gucci, Prada, and Victoria Beckham have joined the field.
Cosmetics is no longer a gray area for fashion but a multi-billion-dollar playing field promising growth. The global cosmetics market is becoming increasingly attractive for luxury brands. According to a Precedence Research article, the market, valued at $79.06 billion in 2025, is expected to reach about $148.19 billion by 2034, growing at a compound annual rate of 7.23%. These figures show that beyond aesthetics and prestige, serious economic potential drives fashion houses to treat cosmetics as a strategic investment.
Gucci’s 2019 lipsticks, which sold one million tubes in a month, or the collectible packaging of Valentino and Hermès, prove that high fashion has positioned cosmetics as an accessible entry point. Today, it’s not only the silhouettes on the runway but also viral makeup looks on social media that set trends; lipsticks, blushes, and palettes have become the most visible extension of brand identity strategies.
The Price of Luxury
But is this also the case for Louis Vuitton? The French giant has turned its makeup segment into a brand identity exercise with its much-talked-about pricing. The La Beauté Louis Vuitton collection serves as an entry door for new customers, but unlike its competitors, it does not give the illusion of accessibility.
The luxury cosmetics category is getting increasingly crowded. Louis Vuitton’s pricing, therefore, may be part of a deliberate differentiation strategy. Its price policy clearly separates it from other luxury beauty houses. Compared to Hermès lipsticks priced between $54–85, Gucci’s $49 options, or Clé de Peau Beauté’s products reaching $113, Vuitton’s $160 price tag marks a new peak.
This difference, defining a new limit for luxury cosmetics, represents more than just a lipstick. What’s being sold here — a product or a story? Louis Vuitton leans toward the story. Looking at the formulas, the differences between a Sephora lipstick and a La Beauté Louis Vuitton lipstick are not revolutionary. The true value lies not in the pigment on the lips but in embedding brand codes within an object. In other words, the price tag acts as a filter, positioning the brand as an exclusive club appealing only to a select few.
From a marketing perspective, this pricing also looks like a success story. Shock value, provocative subtexts, and viral talking points are among the most popular strategies today. Thus, the $160 figure serves not just as a measure of brand equity, formulation, or packaging, but also as a viral marketing tool and a conversation starter. The chosen price pulls the brand into the center of attention, creating visibility from social media jokes to news headlines. In this sense, the product becomes more than a “luxury lipstick”: it transforms into a communication move reinforcing Louis Vuitton’s brand value and aura of unattainability.
The Consumer’s Decision
So how will this step influence the future of luxury beauty? The signals are clear: the price line is heading upward. Yet the decisive factor remains consumer judgment. According to Business of Fashion, 63% of consumers do not believe “premium products deliver higher performance.” Success, then, will depend not solely on price but on experience, storytelling, and the contemporary interpretation of brand heritage. Louis Vuitton’s makeup line is a true test ground in this regard. If the test succeeds, the playing field for luxury cosmetics will likely expand even further.
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