Created by Parisian Sophie Albou in 1995, clothing label Paul & Joe branched out into cosmetics in 2002. Each season the company releases limited-edition collections (almost always consisting of 3 face color powders and 3 lipsticks) featuring absolutely stunning packaging and which are, according to the website, "linked with that particular season's fashion." In the past it was cute, precious and almost cloying – lots of delicate flowers and ribbons – but the company has slowly been moving towards more sophisticated, Art-Nouveau-inspired designs.
This fall's theme is called "Inspiree":
“An intriguing room,
A delicate floral pattern,
A fragile antique plate,
An old cushion cover saved from a Paris flea market,
These eclectic things are the source of inspiration
For Paul & Joe creator Sophie Albou.
Keepsakes we will continue to adore and be entranced by
As the days and years pass.
We have created a collection of colours inspired by these special things.
Remarkable colours that conjure up such haunting memories."
Here are the face color powders. From left to right: Pressed Petals, Lullaby and Atelier (with flash and in natural light)
And two of the three lipsticks, Muse on the left and Motif on the right:
The pattern continues all the way around to the back of the lipstick bullet:
I'm not sure the theme behind this collection matches the packaging and colors. "Intriguing room", "delicate floral pattern", "fragile antique plate", "old cushion cover" – all of these could be used to describe the colors and packaging designs of previous collections. The theme also mentions a "Paris flea market", which was, incidentally, the name of the fall 2005 collection. While the packaging is lovely, the theme could have been a little better written to more fully tie into the feel of the collection – it's a bit uninspired this time which is a shame considering the collection's name. Nevertheless I'm loving the designs and the fact that the lipsticks are all engraved with the signature Paul & Joe flower that appears on most of their packaging, which is something the company hadn't done before. It definitely "projects a unique presence", as is Ms. Albou's vision for the cosmetics line.