Relaunching stateside this month, prestige cosmetics brand Il Makiage made a splash with beauty editors and influencers last week at an exclusive shoppable exhibit in Soho. The pop up, located at 490 Broadway, will be open for the next six months and is the first of several scheduled to roll out across the U.S, with the next slated for Miami and Washington D.C. The exhibits, designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, will be the only way consumers can buy the entire Il Makiage collection of makeup, which consists of more than 1,000 sku’s. Il Makiage’s website will sell a curated version of products, available on a rolling basis. The brand boasts 40 stand-alone stores, in addition to five makeup academies, in Israel.

Il Makiage, created in 1972 by New York City professional makeup artist, Ilana Harkavi, was acquired by brother and sister team Oran Holtzman and Shiran Holtzman-erel, who redesigned the line to speak to successful women, appealing to both their swagger and substance. As a point of difference, Oran and Shiran implemented proprietary formulations that were used for decades by celebrities and professional makeup artists, but were not available to consumers. They then worked for five years to extend the range into a full line of makeup products with uncompromising attention to detail.

The brand bills itself as the antithesis of the unadorned, natural, pink-washed minimalist trend that has prevailed in beauty in recent years. Instead, it proudly positions itself as high maintenance, targeting high-maintenance millennials.

Its packaging is a graphic combination of glass bottles and black sleekness in the vein of ‘90s famed beauty brands, MAC and NARS. What differentiates it from competitors is that formulas withstood focus groups by makeup artists and consumers. The full offering starts with 50 shades of foundation, in keeping with the industry’s move towards inclusivity. There are also a variety of liquid lip colors, lip and super-creamy eye quads with massive color pay-off, pro palettes and more. With prices ranging from $22 to $119, formulas were created in Italy and Germany and took more than four years to complete. Recently, the company received a significant capital investment from the Growth Fund of L Catterton, the world’s largest consumer-focused private equity firm, to support Il Makiage’s push into the US market.

From an advertising perspective, billboards with bold imagery and cheeky headlines supporting the brand’s daring, sarcastic tone are taking over New York City.