History

Beauty legend Serge Lutens got his start at age 14, when he apprenticed at a salon in his hometown of Lille, France. From there, he went on to become the ultimate Renaissance Man of the style world, collaborating with Christian Dior on a makeup line before becoming the creative director of Shiseido in the 1980s. In between, he mastered photography, filmmaking, and fragrance design. In 2000, he launched his own line of boutique scents, followed by a hyper-luxe makeup collection in 2005.

Philosophy

Rigorously chic, unabashedly indulgent. Serge Lutens pares your beauty drawer down to the essentials (or what he considers to be the essentials). A kohl liner, dark red nail lacquer, lusciously creamy lipstick, and the most luminous foundation ever. His celebrated fragrances, by contrast, are exuberantly untraditional and have earned him the reputation of a scent visionary.

Birchbox extra

NSerge Lutens makeup is spendy even by luxury beauty standards. But because most products come in refillable format, they’re a smart investment.