The 11 Best Italian Beauty Brands to Say Ciao to, According to 3 Italian Beauty Experts

This Sicilian skincare brand uses organic ingredients that are hand-harvested on an 800-acre estate in Italy. The Italian label has equal care for their land, heritage, community and skin, and approaches beauty from a holistic standpoint. Taking an ANTI-anti-aging perspective, the products, which include moisturizers, eye serums, creams, micellar cleansers and oils, are formulated to enhance your natural beauty with the most restorative ingredients straight from Sicily. Even the gorgeous packaging is made with intention; every glass bottle contains a special UV protection that prevents the degradation of their formulas. The brand is beloved by microbiologist-turned-content-creator Grece Ghanem, and some of her favorite products include the Visione Di Luce eye cream and the Biphase moisturizing oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil.

“Acqua di Parma is everywhere in the U.S. now,” says Del Papa. “It was first founded in 1916 in the city of Parma by a small manufacturing company that was making gentleman’s perfumes. The company was acquired by a larger group over the years but always kept its creative team linked to the Italian territory and [the] quality is always incredibly high.” Renowned for their tantalizing citrus and aromatic fragrances, you may be surprised to discover that Acqua di Parma carries bath and body products, too, from aftershave balms to luxurious hand creams and refreshing face balms. All of the products are made in Italy with the upmost craftsmanship and ingredients that reflect Italian nature.

Iconic Italian luxury brand Prada recently launched their first makeup line in 2023. There are soft and hyper matte lipsticks, refillable foundations and eye-shadow palettes encased in the sleek, silver reflective packaging with hints of gold and the brand’s distinctive triangular logo. “Miuccia Prada is an absolute idol for me,” gushes Del Papa. “Did you know that the first Prada store opened in 1913 in Milan? It was Mario Prada and his brother Martino, [and] they opened a leather shop. In the ‘70s, Miuccia Prada joined the family business and began to design accessories with Mr. Bertellli. The rest is history.” Prices range from $50 to upwards of $600 for travel pouches in the brand’s famous re-nylon material, and products come in an abundance of shades and colorways, too.

As Schena explains, Italian beauty is all about quality, harmony and most interestingly, contrast. “Italy has a unique talent for seamlessly blending contrasting elements and creating harmonious expressions. By fusing contrasting elements, we are able to achieve timeless and sophisticated aesthetics that appeal to a broad audience worldwide,” she explains. KIKO Milano, established in 1997, is a prime example of this and offers customers “the freedom to express themselves creatively, without compromising on quality, wearability or affordability.” Regardless of age or budget, KIKO Milano promises to deliver accessible makeup with the refined elegance that’s found in Italian women. Ciao bella, indeed.

While we’re familiar with the luxury house’s opulent ready-to-wear pieces and equestrian-inspired designs like the legendary horsebit-chain bags, their cosmetics collection is the most accessible component of the fashion house. Launched in 2014, the line consists of dreamy eyeshadow palettes, bronzers that apply like butter and matte lipsticks in a slew of shades, including signature Gucci plums, reds and browns. They even offer a broader product selection that includes nail polish and floral perfumes.

What began in 1957 as family remedies has since transformed into an Italian legacy. Founder Princess Marcella Borghese, a part of Roman Italian royalty, revolutionized the beauty landscape with her at-home spa approach. Finding inspiration in her family heritage, the Borghese Roma skin products were born. With many decades behind their craft and fundamental products like their mud masks, Borghese Roma is all about ‘me time’ and self-care.

Elegance and refinement epitomize this Milan-founded luxury house. The innovative, cutting-edge formulas are widely known within the beauty landscape and preferred by many celebrity makeup artists today who want their clients to have a flawless complexion. Award-winning products from the Luminous Silk collection, developed for all skin types and skin tones, include the foundation, concealer and blush.

“Perlier is an Italian beauty brand that specializes in creating skincare, bath, body and hair care products using natural ingredients mixed with the latest scientific discoveries,” says Giraudi.  One of the main ingredients used throughout the line: honey. “Perlier specialized in the use of honey in beauty more than 50 years ago.” Inspired by its ancient origins, you’ll find the natural and organic ingredient, which is sourced in Italy and found in many of their products, such as body balms, hand creams and liquid soaps. Giraudi goes on to explain that what makes Perlier a force amongst Italian beauty brands is that the company conducts their own research, studies, formulations, manufacturing and all the testing of its products, building a dedicated team of pharmacists, chemists, scientists and agricultural specialists.

This Italian-inspired brand creates skincare products that are grounded in earth-derived ingredients like essential omegas, chia seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, aloe vera and more to nurture your skin. Palermo products prioritize la dolce vita, aka the sweet life, and are meant to be incorporated into your daily self-care practices. From facial serums to face masks and soaps, there’s a lot to enjoy about this Italian approach to simplistic beauty.

Made in Puglia, Italy, on an organic farm, Prato Botanico is an artisan Italian skincare brand made from heritage botanicals that are rich in vitamins, peptides and minerals designed to give you radiant, glowing skin. Their focus? Skincare that celebrates your natural beauty. There are plenty of standout products, including the calming cleanser—which is great for sensitive, blemish-prone skin—and uses ingredients like organic aloe vera and hyaluronic acid to calm and moisturize without stripping oils from your face and neck. And loyal customers rave about how soft and moisturizing the Smoothing Day cream is (and how it even doubles nicely as primer for foundation).

Meet Acqua di Bolgheri, one of Del Papa’s favorite Italian brands that reminds her of Olivella’s debut products: soaps.  “Acqua di Bolgheri has an incredible soap line,” she says. They also have an assortment of bath foams, body lotions, shower gels and more. “Bolgheri is a small village in Tuscany very famous for its wines and incredible hills. The brand uses local ingredients and really knows how to tell its story.” The products consist of gentle formulas with ingredients like organic chamomile, olive oil and vitamin E, and fragrant notes like strawberry, almond, jasmine and sandal, to name a few.