Illamasqua offer make-up for the afterlife

Cult British make-up brand Illamasqua team up with London funeral directors to offer a makeover service for the deceased.

BY Belinda White | 11 July 2011

It seems that looking good in life is only half the story. In response to an ever-growing demand to look good in death, cult British beauty brand Illamasqua has teamed up with London funeral directors Leverton & Sons to offer make-up for the afterlife.

For upwards of £450, you can now get the makeover you always dreamed of from Illamasqua's team of specially trained make-up artists to ensure you are ready to face, not only your mourners, but the hereafter, in style.

Dubbed 'The Final Act of Self-Expression', Illamasqua - whose co-managing director is Agent Provocateur founder Joe Corre - plans to fill a gap in the market fuelled by an increase in people pre-planning their own funeral.

"At Levertons we have always applied make-up when requested by family and friends or when specified in someone's pre-arranged funeral," explains Andrew Leverton, director of Levertons & Sons, "We are now entering a new era in [which] pre-arranged funerals have become as standard as making a will, it's great for us to be able to offer this additional service."

So now while you make the choice between the mahogany or oak casket, the satin or silk lining, roses or lilies, you can also put your name down for a smoky eye, heavy blush or a scarlet lip.

Illamasqua's make up artists have had specialist training from Leverton & Son's embalmers in how to work with the deceased, and the treatments involved with applying make-up to someone who has passed away.

Illamasqua is the brainchild of Julian Kynaston, a Yorkshire-born, self-taught marketer with no previous experience in make-up. In three years, the brand has achieved cult status, and is now sold in almost 100 stores globally.

Joe Corre, the son of fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, joined the company in February 2010 after severing his ties with Agent Provocateur following his split from business partner wife Serena Rees.

'The Final Act of Self-Expression' service is available from Illamasqua and Leverton & Sons in the London area only from July 2011 and can be booked as part of a pre-arranged funeral plan by calling Leverton & Sons on 020 7387 6575.