Written by Catherine Tse
From Audrey Hepburn To Meghan Markle,
Givenchy Epitomises Timeless Beauty
This past June, Givenchy Beauty launched its very first Canadian department store counter at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver. You may know Givenchy fashions from the runway and a selection of its fragrances and cosmetics from other retail sources, but this is the first time the entire beauty collection from this luxury Parisian brand is available at a single counter in Canada.
And this counter is not just in Canada’s premier luxury retailer but in a place of prominence within. Vancouver’s Holt Renfrew recently unveiled its new Beauty Hall, a 16,000 square-foot renovation that spans the entire floor. To enter, customers make their grand entrance down a long escalator and at the base of that escalator is the Givenchy counter.
Along with key members of the Givenchy Beauty team, Barbara Wolfson, Vice President Store Experience and Buying Partner at Holt Renfrew, was present during the grand opening of the counter. “Holt Renfrew’s place as luxury leader is reinforced with the addition of Givenchy Beauty to our already powerful roster of designer brands in the Vancouver store. As one of the world’s great names in fashion and beauty, Givenchy is a natural addition to the Beauty Hall and we are thrilled to offer it to our clients.“
Currently, this counter holds the Canadian exclusive collection of the entire L’Atelier de Givenchy perfume portfolio. Givenchy’s first perfume was launched in 1957, L’Interdit, an homage to Hubert de Givenchy’s friend and muse, Audrey Hepburn. The L’Aterlier perfume lineup is uniquely innovative and elegant, resting along a sophisticated spectrum of unisex scents. Neroli Originel was actually inspired by a dress worn by Hepburn, flush with neroli blossoms floating over a base of musk-scented vanilla. Their best selling fragrance from this collection is Ylang Austral, an exotic and chic woody floral that opens with luxurious ylang-ylang before revealing a base of sunny sandalwood. ($265, 100ml)
Givenchy nail polish is another exclusive found only at the Holt Renfrew counter, though most customers flock to Givenchy for their seasonal, limited edition releases. The Spring Summer 2018 makeup collection is called Couture Outlines, a tribute to the art of creation and takes its inspiration from the graphic lines of stockman mannequins.
Comprised of matte and glowy textures, editorial yet wearable shades, the collection’s superstars are the Couture Atelier Palette (four shades – brown, red, blue and white – that depict the harmony shared amongst the four hallmark colours of a tailor’s dummy, $82) and the Teint Couture Cushion Glow (a colour-correcting cushion that also highlights, $62).
Those looking to explore Givenchy Beauty for the first time, their Le Rouge Perfecto Beautifying Lip Balm ($44) is a cult favourite. Housed in a slim case wrapped in genuine pink leather, this is an elegant lip balm that’s highly moisturising and plumping. It also features a formula that is pH-sensitive, tinting lips with a sheer wash of pink. And Givenchy’s innovative Phenomen’Eyes Mascara ($37) with the spherical brush is beloved for its ability to push lashes upwards with volume and separation.
Givenchy Beauty also releases Couture Edition products with special packaging that reflect patterns taken from past collections. This season, the print is a multicoloured floral against a black background taken from Givenchy’s Autumn Winter 2013 ready-to-wear collection. Its feminine yet moody print, set on genuine leather, perfectly reflects Givenchy’s legacy of avant-garde elegance. This Couture Edition packaging is available on two cult-favourite products, Givenchy’s iconic Le Rouge lipstick in shade No. 315 Framboise Velours ($48.50) and with the Prisme Libre Loose Powder in No. 1 Mousseline Pastel ($75).
