“Valentino Beauty is for the dreamers,” explains Creative Director Pierpaolo Picciolo, whose vision for the collection is to celebrate individuality, inclusivity and self-expression through the power of make-up. After years in the making, the prestigious fashion house’s first foray into beauty is a vibrant, versatile and innovative line-up that invites the wearer to dream up their own idea of beauty.

When it came to shooting the campaign imagery, Pierpaolo teamed up with renowned make-up artist Raoul Alejandre to create bespoke make-up looks for a cast of 16 diverse personalities. “It was really exciting to sit down with each person and get to know them on a personal level,” explains Raoul. “We all come in different shapes, sizes and personalities with something to say, so to be able to create make-up that is unique to each person was really beautiful.”

Versatility and creativity were high on the agenda when it came to product design, with many formulas having multi-use benefits – from Eye2Cheek’s creamy powder that can be used on (you guessed it) eyes and cheeks or anywhere else you fancy, to the triple-ended Brow Trio that acts as your pencil, brush and pen all-in-one. Arguably their most innovative product is the Go-Clutch set – the ‘clutch’ on a chain houses a mini version of the Rosso Valentino Lipstick and Perfecting Powder (both of which come in six shades) that can be switched out depending on your desired look or mood that day. But for us, the most progressive (and exciting) part is the range of refillable options, not just for their 50-shade line-up of Rosso Valentino lipsticks, but for the Go-Clutch Perfecting Powder and Go-Cushion Foundation too – something still relatively rare in the wider make-up space.

And then there’s the formulas… The vast range of shades in the collection are complemented with a Roma-Light Complex™– a booster that adds radiance and intensity to colour, inspired by the specific luminous light found in Rome. You can find this in their Rosso Valentino lipsticks, which come in a satin and matte finish across 50 shades (from tomato red and fuchsia to a selection of nudes). The Very Valentino foundation comes in an impressive 40 shades and was developed after testing across 5,000 skin tones to ensure accurate matches for all pigments in the skin. It uses Light-Lasting™ technology to deliver a semi-matte finish in a light-yet-buildable formula that lasts up to 24 hours. For eyes, expect more long-wear, multi-use products – from a mix of textures in the Eye Shadow Color-Flip Eye Palette to the Twin Liner that has a precise liquid liner one end and a smooth gel pencil the other, so you can pick between subtle flicks or intricate, artistic designs.