Louis Vuitton Beauty Online: A Case Study in Luxury E-Commerce
- Marina 2Jour
- 2 days ago
- 21 min read
Louis Vuitton launched beauty online on the 25th of August.
The first glimpse of one of the world’s biggest luxury brands stepping into beauty came a few days before. Social media exploded with discussions not about the product itself, but about its price.
The line, developed by star makeup artist of the main catwalks Pat McGrath, consists of lipsticks priced at £120, lip balms at £120, and eyeshadows at £190. Refills cost significantly less — £52 and £69, respectively. The collection, announced this spring, also includes accessories such as makeup bags and brushes.
In comments to the Financial Times back in March, the brand’s CEO Pietro Beccari mentioned that such an expansion is an additional entry point for customers into the brand:
The issue is to do things properly, that can serve as an entry to our brand. There are many entrances; now we have one more.
The prices for full-size products in the beauty section, judging from this perspective, don’t seem contradictory to me — given the stated goal. If one of the aims was not to become a serious player in the beauty market, then fine: there will always be someone who buys themselves a lipstick or eyeshadow. That customer won’t be mass-audience.
But if one of the goals was to develop beauty into a proper business, then the pricing strategy may suggest that the brand’s bosses have somewhat lost touch with the market. I suspect this could even work against them with aspirational customers.
In both cases, what remains inexplicable to me is the gap between the refill and the full product (a 2.5x price difference). While many compare LV beauty with Hermès (Perfume and Beauty division brought the group €535 million last year), what comes to my mind is 31 Le Rouge by Chanel. The lipstick costs £145, and its refill £65. That product is aimed at connoisseurs.
I recalled this Chanel lipstick — the creation of a luxury fashion house that, along with Dior and Armani, I consider among the most successful in expanding into beauty — for a reason. The way Louis Vuitton set up its beauty online reminded me very much of Chanel approach to present it online.
As mentioned in that FT piece, the brand is not going to break its taboo, and the cosmetics will be available exclusively in boutiques and in the namesake online store.
I had been very much awaiting the launch of this line in e-Commerce. There is hardly anything to criticize — LV not only used classic techniques but also added some new touches. How Louis Vuitton beauty is presented on the official website, which features are worth borrowing, and what could be improved, read further.
What this article covers
A detailed look at Louis Vuitton’s beauty launch online. The article reviews how the brand presents its new category on the official website — from homepage and collection pages to product detail and features. It also examines signature storytelling elements, compares LV’s approach with Chanel, and highlights broader themes such as pricing and packaging.
Who will find this article valuable
E-commerce leaders in luxury and beauty — to see how one of the world’s biggest luxury houses structures its online beauty launch and what lessons can be applied;
E-commerce and digital managers — to study concrete examples of UX, navigation, and conversion design;
E-commerce beauty professionals (in-house or agency) — to gain practical insights into structuring product presentation, designing collection pages, and building product detail pages that balance storytelling with conversion;
Marketing & branding professionals — to explore how storytelling is integrated (or underused) in luxury e-commerce journeys;
Beauty brands — to benchmark their own e-commerce approaches.
*In the meantime, before my guide on selling beauty online is released, you may enjoy the case study on selling luxury perfumes online.
Contents
Structure: introduction, entry points, page structure, content blocks. Strengths and positives. Gaps and solutions.
Structure: category separation, filters, collection description.Gaps and solutions.
Structure: connections, information essentials, visuals, extra blocks.
Features: Online Try-On, AI Shade Finder.
Strengths and positives. Gaps and solutions.
Structure: visuals, instructions, CTA.
Strengths and positives. Gaps and solutions.
LV beauty vs Chanel 31 Le Rouge comparison
Structure: LV approach, Chanel approach.
Strengths and positives. Gaps and solutions.
Before we begin an in-depth review, let’s outline what’s important when selling online.
1) Structure
In online sales, structure becomes especially critical. If a customer visits a physical store, they have the opportunity to interact with a consultant who not only guides them along the way but also subtly suggests additional upsell and complementary items. This works both ways — to the benefit of the customer and the brand.
When it comes to online, the brand’s task is to provide information not only in a structured and interconnected way (this is what I call connections), but also in the simplest possible form. The customer should not have to struggle to find what they need, and every interaction with the platform should take as little time as possible. Otherwise, the brand risks losing the customer, since the duration of engagement online is much shorter than offline.
2) Packaging for gifting and luxury experience
3) Technical side
The checkout process must be simple and fast. This includes site speed, the number of checkout steps, clarity of information, and the ease of returns.
When it comes to beauty, there are several important nuances:
