The Playboy cosmetic line will be rolled out internationally at high-end retailers and boutiques such as New York's Henri Bendel, London's Selfridges & Co. and Colette in Paris.
The line is licensed through a company called High Maintenance and includes lip gloss bearing bunny-eared caps, eyeliners, blush and foundation, all boasting long-lasting "stay-the-night" formulas.
High Maintenance CEO Kirk Summers said his goal was to focus on upscale products for women ages 18-29 who equate Playboy with sexy fun, rather than sleaze.
"We were out to legitimize the Playboy brand," he said.
The cosmetic line is part of Playboy’s overall strategy to boost revenue through a list of lucrative licensing deals, which currently include 125 licensees operating 200 license deals. The company expects to see a 20-25 percent jump in its 2006 earnings from these entertainment and licensing divisions, according to the company.
Alex Vaickus, Playboy's president of global licensing said the cosmetic line, among other similar Playboy licensing deals, is a way to give new life to a brand name that is primarily associated with a men's magazine.
"There aren't many brands that can participate in the breadth of categories that we can," Vaickus said.
Playboy also plans to roll out a fragrance line and will expand on its current men's apparel line. A licensed nightclub atop a new tower at Las Vegas' Palms casino also is slated to open this summer with clubs in Shanghai and London to follow, the company said.
