Paris (AFP)
Purple, carmine, orange or cherry ... In the L'Oréal luxury make-up factory, the shades are available in the hundreds, a sign that the masks have not completely removed lipstick from faces.
In Lassigny, in the Oise, rosé red tubes that Valentino will launch in 2022 are mass produced on one of the brand new automated production lines.
Like its competitor Hermès, this brand has just positioned itself in cosmetics, which offer a bit of luxury that is a little more accessible to consumers.
Next to it, other models are made in a metronome mechanism, before being shipped around the world.
The pandemic has lowered sales of makeup, a collateral victim of the confinements.
In France, during the first eight months of 2021, sales of selective beauty products even fell by 20% compared to 2019, according to the NPD Group firm, which has nevertheless noted a rebound since May.
However, trends differ depending on the market, explains Emmanuel Guichard, director general of the Federation of Beauty Companies.
While the trend for "no make-up" ("no makeup") grows in the West, "China has suffered much less from the contraction of makeup. We are not in the same tone of minimalism", notes Eric Briones, editorial director of Journal du Luxe.
The French cosmetics sector is thus especially boosted by the international market, which represents 60% of its sales.
In Lassigny, it is even 98% of the production which leaves outside the borders, for a third towards Asia.
Consequently, even at the heart of the pandemic, this factory has not limited its investments, nor had recourse to layoffs.
"We have always continued to operate", underlines its director, Olivier Boudinot.
An employee of the luxury makeup factory of L'Oréal checks the products, October 6, 2021 in Lassigny, in the Oise FRANCOIS LO PRESTI AFP
Now, "we are almost back to our 2019 production level," he adds.
The plant will soon switch back to production seven days a week to meet increased demand.
- 50 shades for a bestseller -
"China left in September 2020," adds Boudinot, showing his optimism for the future.
More generally, "we are probably going to have a good year: the very significant growth in exports of cosmetics to China is offsetting the drop in consumption in the world", argues Emmanuel Guichard.
Riding on Asia's taste for luxury, the Lassigny plant recently launched its two new ultra-modern production lines, an investment of several million euros which allows it to gain in agility to meet demands. specific, such as Chinese New Year.
An employee of the luxury makeup factory of L'Oréal checks the products, October 6, 2021 in Lassigny, in the Oise FRANCOIS LO PRESTI AFP
On a line, 2,000 to 3,000 reds are produced per hour, sometimes more.
The grape, the appropriate term for the stick, is first prepared and then heated in a tank before being molded in its case.
It takes about twenty raw materials, which give the ambient air a sweet smell.
Many shades are created, not necessarily all of them recognizable to the uninformed eye.
L'Oréal even does in-house training to distinguish colors.
Ultimately, Valentino's new red will offer 50 colors.
"That's what it takes for there to be a bestseller," explains L'Oréal's European technical director, Alexandre Brellier.
The mascaras are made a little further away, with a smaller palette, while another part of the factory is devoted to powders.
In all, the site offers 1,700 references, some more difficult to design than others, such as a square lipstick.
"It made us sweat," recognizes Olivier Boudinot.
An employee of the luxury makeup factory of L'Oréal checks the products, October 6, 2021 in Lassigny, in the Oise FRANCOIS LO PRESTI AFP
Because growth requires effort, even if it means creating sticks of red ... in the shape of a heart, which L'Oréal recently did for Chinese Valentine's Day.
© 2021 AFP