Il Makiage

Il Makiage is a cosmetics brand founded in New York in 1972 by makeup artist Ilana Harkavi. The name is an intentionally simplified rendering of the French word “maquillage,” meaning makeup. In its first decades, the company was primarily recognized within the professional makeup industry rather than by the broader consumer market. Its early identity was associated with artist-led cosmetics and packaging innovations, including eyeshadow cases with transparent windows that allowed the shade to be viewed without opening the product. The brand entered a major transition in the late 2010s. After Oran Holtzman and Shiran Holtzman-Erel had acquired the brand, it was relaunched in 2018 as a digital-first, technology-oriented beauty company. The relaunch repositioned Il Makiage around online discovery, data-driven personalization, social media, and direct customer relationships. A central part of the new model was PowerMatch, an artificial-intelligence and machine-learning system intended to recommend complexion products, particularly foundation shades, based on customer responses and other digital inputs. Il Makiage’s online experience combines quizzes, product recommendations, tutorials, influencer activity, and a try-and-exchange proposition. Customers can receive full-size products for testing and use the company’s return or exchange process if the recommendation is unsuitable. This structure helped the brand reduce the difficulty of buying complexion products online while also generating first-party customer data. The resulting information could be used to refine recommendations, personalize marketing, and inform product development. The company’s growth strategy has emphasized performance marketing and highly visible social content rather than relying only on traditional department-store distribution. Its product portfolio includes complexion products, eye makeup, lip products, tools, and related beauty items. The Woke Up Like This foundation and F*ck I’m Flawless foundation are among the products most closely associated with the brand’s digital complexion-matching proposition. Technology has remained central to the broader business. In November 2019, Il Makiage acquired Israeli artificial-intelligence company NeoWize to strengthen its machine-learning capabilities. In August 2021, it acquired computer-vision startup Voyage81, adding further expertise in computer vision and related artificial-intelligence applications. Il Makiage is part of the ODDITY platform, whose wider technology strategy also includes artificial-intelligence and scientific discovery capabilities. The company expanded beyond its initial core markets during the digital relaunch period. It entered the United Kingdom in May 2020, Germany in November 2020, and Australia in June 2021. The brand is based in New York City and has Israeli roots through its founding and technology operations. Dmitri Kaplun is identified as the company’s chief executive officer. Il Makiage remains an active beauty brand with a business model combining cosmetics, e-commerce, personalization technology, and international digital marketing.

Il Makiage was established in 1972 by New York-based makeup artist Ilana Harkavi. The company’s name is derived from a deliberately simplified spelling of the French term “maquillage,” or makeup. Its initial development was closely connected to the professional makeup world. Rather than immediately operating as a mass-market consumer label, it built recognition among makeup artists and other industry professionals. One early product and packaging innovation was the use of windowed eyeshadow packaging, allowing users to see the color without opening the case. For several decades, Il Makiage remained comparatively obscure to the general public while retaining its professional cosmetics identity. A change in ownership and strategy began in the late 2010s. In June 2017, investment firm L Catterton acquired a minority stake for $29 million. After Oran Holtzman and Shiran Holtzman-Erel had purchased the brand, they relaunched it in 2018 with a substantially different operating model. The new Il Makiage was designed as a digital-first beauty company, using e-commerce, performance marketing, social content, data, and technology to reach customers directly. The relaunch placed personalization at the center of the customer experience. Its PowerMatch system used artificial intelligence and machine learning to recommend complexion products and foundation shades. Customers were guided through online questionnaires and product-discovery flows rather than being required to test a large number of shades in a physical store. The company paired this recommendation system with a try-and-exchange proposition, including full-size products for trial and a return process intended to reduce the perceived risk of purchasing foundation online. This digital model also created a substantial first-party data resource. Quizzes and customer interactions provided information that could be used to improve recommendations, tailor communications, and support product development. Influencer marketing, tutorials, social-media advertising, and user-generated content helped translate the technology proposition into a highly visible consumer brand. The approach contributed to the company’s growth and to a shift in public recognition beyond professional makeup circles. Technology expansion continued through acquisitions. In November 2019, Il Makiage acquired Israeli artificial-intelligence company NeoWize, integrating its capabilities into the brand’s machine-learning programs. In August 2021, the company acquired Voyage81, a computer-vision startup, to strengthen the group’s expertise in vision technology and related artificial-intelligence applications. Il Makiage is part of ODDITY, a broader beauty and technology platform. In June 2023, ODDITY acquired Revela, an artificial-intelligence-based molecular discovery company, adding a further scientific and technology component to the platform. International expansion accompanied the digital relaunch. Il Makiage entered the United Kingdom in May 2020, Germany in November 2020, and Australia in June 2021. The brand continues to operate from New York City while retaining important Israeli connections through its origins and technology activities. Its current identity combines a professional makeup heritage with direct-to-consumer distribution, algorithmic product matching, social commerce, and a portfolio spanning complexion, eye, lip, and tool categories. Dmitri Kaplun is identified as the company’s chief executive officer.

1. 2023ODDITY acquires Revela

   ODDITY acquires AI-based molecular discovery company Revela as part of the platform’s technology expansion.

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2. 2021Voyage81 acquisition and Australian launch

   Il Makiage acquires computer-vision company Voyage81 in August and launches in Australia in June.

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3. 2020United Kingdom and Germany expansion

   The brand launches in the United Kingdom in May and Germany in November.

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4. 2019NeoWize acquisition

   Il Makiage acquires Israeli AI company NeoWize to support machine-learning applications.

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5. 2018Digital-first relaunch

   The brand is relaunched by Oran Holtzman and Shiran Holtzman-Erel as a technology-driven direct-to-consumer beauty business.

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6. 2017L Catterton takes a minority stake

   L Catterton invests $29 million for a minority interest in the company.

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7. 1972Il Makiage is founded

   Makeup artist Ilana Harkavi establishes the cosmetics company in New York.

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Premium-to-masstige cosmetics combining professional makeup heritage with artificial-intelligence-assisted personalization, direct-to-consumer commerce, and social-media-led customer acquisition.

• Woke Up Like ThisFoundation

  A complexion product associated with Il Makiage’s online shade-discovery model. It is presented within the brand’s direct-to-consumer foundation assortment and is closely linked to the PowerMatch recommendation experience.

• F*ck I'm FlawlessFoundation

  A flagship Il Makiage foundation offering positioned around full-coverage complexion makeup and digital shade matching. It represents the brand’s focus on combining a recognizable product proposition with personalized online selection.

• PowerMatchBeauty technology and product matching2018

  An artificial-intelligence and machine-learning system designed to recommend complexion products, especially foundation shades. Customers interact with the system through online discovery and quiz-based flows intended to make shade selection easier without relying exclusively on in-store testing.

• 2021Acquire Voyage81M&A

  The company sought to extend its capabilities beyond questionnaire-based recommendations into computer vision and related technologies.

  What changed. Il Makiage acquired computer-vision startup Voyage81 in August.

  Aftermath. The acquisition expanded the brand’s access to computer-vision, artificial-intelligence, and machine-learning expertise.

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• 2021Enter AustraliaStrategy

  Following expansion into the United Kingdom and Germany, the brand continued building an international digital customer base.

  What changed. Il Makiage launched in Australia in June.

  Aftermath. Australia became another market served by the company’s online-led international model.

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• 2020Expand the digital brand internationallyStrategy

  The technology-led relaunch created a model that could be deployed through online channels outside the United States.

  What changed. Il Makiage entered the United Kingdom in May and Germany in November.

  Aftermath. The company extended its direct-to-consumer international footprint in Europe.

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• 2019Acquire NeoWizeM&A

  Personalized beauty recommendations were a central part of Il Makiage’s digital strategy.

  What changed. Il Makiage acquired Israeli artificial-intelligence company NeoWize to strengthen machine-learning capabilities.

  Aftermath. NeoWize’s technology was integrated into the company’s machine-learning programs.

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• 2018Adopt a digital-first operating modelStrategy

  The historically professional-oriented cosmetics brand had limited broad consumer recognition and was being repositioned after a change in ownership.

  What changed. Oran Holtzman and Shiran Holtzman-Erel relaunched Il Makiage around direct-to-consumer e-commerce, social marketing, online quizzes, personalized recommendations, and technology.

  Aftermath. The relaunch substantially increased the brand’s digital visibility and created a foundation for international expansion.

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• 2023ODDITY acquires Revela

  ODDITY, the platform that includes Il Makiage, acquired artificial-intelligence-based molecular discovery company Revela, broadening the group’s technology and product-development capabilities.

  M&A
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• 2021Il Makiage acquires Voyage81

  The company acquired computer-vision startup Voyage81 to expand its capabilities in computer vision, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

  M&A
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• 2021Il Makiage launches in Australia

  The brand continued its international digital expansion by entering the Australian market.

  Other
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• 2020Il Makiage launches in the United Kingdom

  The company expanded its digital retail operation into the United Kingdom.

  Other
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• 2020Il Makiage launches in Germany

  Germany became one of the brand’s first European expansion markets after the United Kingdom.

  Other
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• 2019Il Makiage acquires NeoWize

  The brand acquired Israeli artificial-intelligence company NeoWize to support its machine-learning and personalized product-recommendation capabilities.

  M&A
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• 2018Il Makiage relaunches as a digital-first beauty company

  Following the acquisition of the brand by Oran Holtzman and Shiran Holtzman-Erel, Il Makiage was relaunched around e-commerce, technology, personalized discovery, and digital marketing.

  Product launch
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• 2017L Catterton acquires a minority stake in Il Makiage

  L Catterton purchased a minority interest in the cosmetics company for $29 million, before the brand’s subsequent digital relaunch.

  M&A
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1. Il Makiage
2. Il Makiage official website