Francesca Guerrera Makeup Debuts

New cosmetics line combines Italian design heritage and American know-how for a highly styled, highly functional collection.

By Janet Herlihy, Editor

There’s a new name to watch for among designer color cosmetic brands.

Born in Italy, artist/entrepreneur Francesca Guerrera was already steeped in color and sensitivity when she arrived as a teenager with her family in the United States. The family settled in Santa Barbara, CA.

Guerrera’s artistic talents led her to the beauty industry, where she said she began her career in a prominent salon. When she was 24, Guerrera was ready to open her first salon in 1988.

In 1997, she opened Vista del Mar Spa, a full-service European Day Spa in Cape Cod, where a complete menu of spa services are offered. The Beauty Boutique at the spa offers a range of classic brands as well as the latest cosmetic lines (including Guerrera’s own).

Guerrera began her own line of products when she realized the best way to find superior-quality, long-lasting makeup brushes would be to have them made. From her brush collection, she expanded to a full range of color cosmetics that debuted online at www.francescaguerra.com in May 2002.
According to Guerrera, the line was developed in conjunction with top chemists and manufacturers around the world and “is distinguished by its makeup artist’s palette of fresh colors and textures, beautiful packaging and a commitment to personalized service and consumer education.”

In addition to her Cape Cod Spa and online distribution, Francesca Guerrera Makeup is available at Barney’s.

The packaging, featuring sleek silver metallic looks, is functional as well as fashionable. Guerrera decided to develop a screw cap top for her lipstick, because, “The biggest problem with any lipstick is that after a few uses, the cap begins to wear away a bit, and becomes less securely attached to the tube,” she explained. “Then after tossing the lipstick into a makeup bag or pocketbook, women often pull out a lipstick sans cap, a messy occurrence for both the lipstick and other contents.” The best solution was a screw on cap.

Guerrera chose metallicized plastic for her gleaming compacts in order to keep them light weight. Pewter-look compacts will be added to the line this fall.

The current line consists of color cosmetics for eyes, lips, face and cheeks as well as concealer and treatment product for lines around the eyes. It also offers several brush collections, refillable compacts, a lash curler and a luxury purse that doubles as a handbag and cosmetic kit.