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Behind the scenes at your favorite companies.

DuWop Cosmetics: Out of the Box
By Erin Roop

Long before DuWop became a leading beauty brand, makeup artist Christina Bartolucci and hairstylist Laura DeLuisa were bringing their talent to millions of viewers every week on TV shows like Felicity and Scrubs. “When we met, something just clicked, so we became a hair-and-makeup team,” Bartolucci recalls. Of course, beautifying celebrities meant banishing the puffy eyes that resulted from 18-hour days on the set. And when the two couldn’t find a product capable of doing the job, they began mixing up their first beauty solution, IGels, in DeLuisa’s kitchen.

Although the cooling botanical gel eventually became cult favorite, Bartolucci and DeLuisa’s initial fulfillment efforts looked more like a scene out of I Love Lucy than the sort of high-tech process one might expect. “We timed it like an assembly line, and I would pull on this little rubber hose to fill up the dishes with the blue goo,” Bartolucci remembers. “One day, Laura had to run out while I was making them. I begged her not to leave because things were always breaking around me, and I had no idea how to fix them.” The moment DeLuisa walked out the door, disaster struck: “The hose came unhinged from the machine and started flailing around like a snake, spraying blue goo all over Laura’s ceiling.” After calling the machine’s manufacturer, Bartolucci did manage to reattach the hose, but the drama didn’t end there: “Let’s just say that Laura’s house smelled like lavender for more than two years.”

Luckily, balancing the demands of their day jobs with launching a new brand proved a far easier task. “We got to work with the best cosmetics every day, and we had an unlimited budget,” Bartolucci explains. “We were able to try everything on the market and determine what was missing. Every time we had an idea, we would rush back to Laura’s kitchen and start mixing up ingredients to achieve our vision.” When their business began to pick up, Bartolucci and DeLuisa were working at Felicity and fulfilling orders out of the back of the makeup trailer. “Everyone at the show was so nice—they put us on their UPS account, and UPS would come to the trailer as a separate stop on their route. When they pulled up, everyone, including Scott Speedman and the rest of the cast, would throw boxes into the truck.”

Soon after, the two unveiled Lip Venom—a revolutionary lip plumper designed to create pouty, kissable lips for love scenes. When the product became a best-seller, Bartolucci and DeLuisa quit their day jobs and dedicated themselves to DuWop full time. Ever since, the brand has remained committed to developing products that are cruelty-free ("tested on actors, not on animals"), and often, they find inspiration in unexpected places. “When my daughters were young and they woke up from their naps, their cheeks would be flushed with the most beautiful color,” Bartolucci says. “When we were creating Blush Therapy, we worked so hard in the lab to create colors that would mimic that beautiful effect.” Above all, the company has remained true to its slogan, Creating what’s missing from your makeup bag: “We’re continually asking ourselves, ‘What isn’t out there?’ and developing solutions to fill the gaps.” One of the most popular of those solutions has been Revolotion—the first tinted body moisturizer with both SPF and shimmer.

“We invented Revolotion because we found that body makeup was too streaky and difficult for the average person to work with,” Bartolucci explains. “Plus, it gets all over clothing. I personally ruined an Armani gown getting a celebrity ready for an event—she looked amazing, but the dress was trashed.” After its launch, Revolotion quickly became one of DuWop’s hottest products and a favorite of A-listers. “Madonna won’t tour without it, Gwen Stefani has been using it for years, and Mischa Barton used an entire bottle of it every week on The O.C.,” she says. These days, the brand’s celebrity following also includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Kelly Ripa, Heidi Klum, Mandy Moore, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Jennifer Garner, and of course, Keri Russell. But Bartolucci is quick to point out that DuWop’s focus extends far beyond Hollywood; the team is every bit as passionate about filling the needs of everyday women. “We have a gift to give,” she says. “We’ve evolved as a company, but every step of the way our loyal customers have been there with us. It’s our job to keep them wondering what DuWop will think of next.”

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