LORAC is Reignited with Appointment of First-Ever Artistry Adviser and First-Ever International Expansion

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- LORAC, the prestige cosmetics brand long revered for its working artist cult community and red-carpet roots, announces today the appointment of Kelsey Deenihan as its first-ever Artistry Adviser. 

Deenihan, whose celebrity clientele includes Reese Witherspoon, Millie Bobbie Brown, Cindy Crawford and Cara Delevingne, brings years of experience as a professional artist to her partnership with LORAC. A Los Angeles native herself, Deenihan's work has been seen both on and off the red-carpet, with editorial credits in the pages of Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter and more. Her appointment signals a return to LORAC's beginnings as the first pro-artistry brand – a distinction that has been integral to its DNA since its founding by Carol Shaw in 1995.

"We are not a start-up but a start over. We're looking to our past for our future. Carol Shaw was a pioneer and the first to recognize that professional makeup should respect the skin's integrity versus put it through hell. Over the years, as makeup shifted from a focus on the artists to an obsession with Instagram, the brand lost its way. What you will begin to see from us is a remastered original, in every sense. And this starts with where we started: the PROS." - Rachel Shelowitz, GM LORAC

In her new role, Deenihan will work closely with LORAC to reintroduce the brand within the working artist community, reignite the engagement of the makeup-obsessed consumer community, advise on product development and provide strategic recommendations on 2020 growth plans and beyond.

"LORAC is one of those brands that you reference all the time and wonder whatever happened – to be in the position to help bring it back to life in a way that brings light to the working artist community while paying homage to the OG Artist brand is basically the dream job. I could not be more grateful for the chance to make a major impact on this industry and for the people who love it as much as I do." - Kelsey Deenihan, LORAC Artistry Adviser

Since its acquisition into the Markwins portfolio in 2018, LORAC has undergone a strategic repositioning of its brand assets and attributes, leaning heavily on product innovation and reimagined formulations of existing cult-classics. This July, LORAC launched the LUX Diamond Palette complete with its first new eye shadow formulation in over 5 years (a former best-selling category for the brand), containing 100% authentic and sustainably sourced diamond powder. As the brand approaches its 25th anniversary in 2020, several new-to-market innovations are slated to hit store shelves.

In addition to a revamped product line, the brand has its sights set on retail expansion. Beginning this fall, LORAC will venture beyond the US for the first time with a launch in Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada and via e-commerce in China. Continuing through 2020, global expansion will evolve with strategic e-commerce and retail partnerships in targeted markets. On the local front, prestige partners such as Macy's and Nordstrom have taken note of the new direction and will begin carrying the brand as well.

LORAC will continue to proudly leverage its Los Angeles heritage through synergistic collaborations; specifically, a partnership with a Los Angeles native brand during New York Fashion Week and a luxury, co-branded capsule collection that will debut in-store and online for Holiday 2019.

"When we acquired LORAC last year, it wasn't to be a niche player, but to make a global impact on the business. We have seen a return to craftsmanship in food, fragrance and skincare – similarly, the working artist community are the artisans of makeup and they helped to build this brand at its inception. We are beyond excited to re-engage this community in LORAC's next chapter." - Stefano Curti, Global President Markwins Beauty Brands

About LORAC
Inspired by Hollywood glamour and working artists around the world, LORAC is the pioneer in advanced makeup artistry. With over two decades of experience on- and off-camera, LORAC makes professional makeup with integrity and skin-loving formulas. Effortless and confident, LORAC is makeup for a close-up.

About Markwins Beauty Brands
With a brand portfolio that includes wet n wild, Physicians Formula, Black Radiance, Lip Smacker, Bonne Bell and LORAC, the company commands a US FDM share of almost 10 and is enjoying growth that vastly outpaces the industry. With distribution in over 80,000 doors and 80 countries, Markwins Beauty Brands can be found in retail outlets including department, specialty, mass, drug, and food stores.

SOURCE LORAC