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Harold James has been appointed L’Oréal Paris’s new global makeup artist. The 37-year-old French artist succeeds British artist Val Garland, who had been in the role since 2017.
“Harold James’s work celebrates women’s infinite diversity through makeup,” Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, L’Oréal Paris global president, said in a statement. “Along with his tremendous capacity for listening to each woman’s needs, he uses his considerable talent to reveal each woman’s individuality and unique worth. We welcome Harold to the family, where his innovative spirit and timeless style make him a natural choice to steer the makeup vision for L’Oréal Paris.”
He will be involved in the makeup direction of the ad campaigns and work on product development. The first products under his stewardship will come to the market in two to three years, due to the beauty sector’s lengthy lead times. The first campaign under his direction (for Infallible Skin Ink, a hybrid product between a foundation and a concealer) will come out in the coming weeks.
James, who was born in French Guiana, is self taught: during his time as a political science student in Lyon, France, he assisted a makeup artist friend and discovered a passion for makeup. He travelled the world to learn beauty techniques and became known for his natural yet glamorous style. He insists on diversity, female empowerment and precision.
“In the world of makeup, precision is everything,” James says. “We can see how sensitive consumers are to the fact that everything matches perfectly: whether it’s the right red or golden undertone, whether we go as far as possible on the darkest or lightest shades.”
James will bring newness and an edge to the megabrand, beneficial in a sluggish time for the beauty market. Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Charles-Louis Scotti estimates L’Oréal Paris’s revenue passed the €7.5 billion mark in 2024. (L’Oréal doesn’t break out sales for individual brands within the consumer products division, but the division of which L’Oréal Paris accounts for roughly 50 per cent was up 2.3 per cent organically in the first quarter.) “The makeup category grew only in the low single digits across the L’Oréal group brands in the first quarter, below fragrance and haircare, and L’Oréal is outperforming the market. Makeup in general is hard hit by the drop in demand, notably in the US, and fierce competition, notably in China, where local makeup brands gain market shares,” says Scotti.
It’s rare for a mass brand to have a global makeup artist. For luxury beauty brands, on the other hand, it’s quite common. Louis Vuitton recently announced Pat McGrath as its new cosmetics creative director. Hermès Beauté has Gregoris Pyrpylis, Dior makeup has Peter Philips and Guerlain has Violette Serrat.
In the era of social media, where beauty looks on the red carpet or on the runway can break the internet — think of McGrath’s porcelain doll look for Margiela — a creative leader shaping the makeup narrative is key. Makeup artists have stepped into the limelight in the last decade thanks to celebrity collaborations and a heightened interest in behind-the-scenes beauty. “There’s a growing awareness of makeup among the general public. Today, many women and men are becoming more knowledgeable about it,” James notes.
This announcement comes less than a month before the Cannes Film Festival, a key moment for the brand, which has been the festival’s official partner for 28 years. James will have his hands full: Andie MacDowell and Eva Longoria will celebrate their 40- and 20-year anniversaries, respectively, as L’Oréal Paris global ambassadors during a dinner, while Elle Fanning, another L’Oréal Paris global ambassador, will climb the steps of the famous Palais des Festivals for the screening of her upcoming film, Sentimental Value. James will host makeup workshops at the event.
James will also oversee the makeup of the next L’Oréal Paris runway show during Paris Fashion Week in September. The brand is a partner of Paris Fashion Week; it supports young designers on the calendar, providing beauty experts to do the hair and makeup of their models. It also features emerging designers’ creations to dress its ambassadors during its show.
“One of the main reasons I appreciate the brand is that it goes beyond mere beauty,” says James. “It connects to women, cinema and fashion. I always need a theme to drive my work forward, and I accomplish that through makeup. Although I studied political science, makeup has allowed me to amplify voices.”
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