We’re tired of seeing actresses fronting cosmetics lines. How stupid do beauty companies think we are? Does L’Oreal expect us to believe that Diane Keaton wears its Age Perfect Skin Supporting & Hydrating Makeup off-camera? What’s worse is that some of these lovelies aren’t even wearing the makeup they’re hawking when they’re on-camera. L’Oreal recently landed in hot water when it was discovered that Penelope Cruz, who appeared in an ad for its Telescopic Mascara, was actually wearing fake eyelashes. L’Oreal called it standard industry practice. We call it outrageous.
So it was a breath of fresh air when cult cosmetics company CAMP recently signed New York celebrity transsexual Amanda Lepore to promote a cosmetics line created exclusively for her. (This company doesn’t call itself CAMP for nothing.) A cult hero to people from all walks of life, Lepore is known for working with fashion houses Dior, GUESS, and Heatherette, in addition to acting as a creative muse for famed photographers David LaChapelle and Justin Monroe, and singer-songwriter Boy George. She was also recently seen starring in a Girl In a Coma’s music video for “Road To Home.”
Lepore is the first transsexual to have her own cosmetics collection, which we welcome with open arms. It injects some much-needed fun and humor into makeup, while sending the message that women of all variations and persuasions can be beautiful. Think of it as Dove’s “Real Women” campaign with a tranny twist. We have it on good authority that Lepore adores her namesake line and only wears CAMP products.
“To us here at CAMP, it is not about gender,” company founder Michael Perich explains. “It’s about being true to yourself and having fun in the process… I’m breaking conventional rules and that’s why the world is taking notice of CAMP… We get orders from all over the globe on a daily basis from word of mouth.”
“Collection Lepore” is available now for $80, exclusively through CAMP Cosmetics at www.campcosmetics.com and the official Amanda Lepore website, www.everythingamanda.com. The limited collection includes a signature red lipstick called Lepore Red, Lepore Champagne for the cheeks and an eye palette named Lepore Metamorphosis. The full collection will land on counters from New York to Vegas to London and Hong Kong in early 2009.
