Princess Marcella Borghese (1911-2002) was a manufacturer of cosmetics.

History

Marcella Fazi was born in

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

in 1911. In 1937 she became the second wife of the widowed nobleman Paolo Borghese, Duke of Bomarzo and Prince of Sant’ Angelo e San Polo, and acquired the title of Princess. She gave birth to twin boys, Francesco and Livio, the same year. She also had two daughters, Rosanna and Anita Maurizi, from a previous marriage. She had two grandchildren from her first marriage, Sylvia and Valentina. From her second marriage she had five grandchildren; Scipione, Ilaria and

Lorenzo Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...

from Francesco's side and from Livio's side, Luca and Matteo. The fashion-conscious princess had toiletries, including makeup, made specifically for her using the natural ingredients found around the

Villa Borghese Villa Borghese is a landscape garden in Rome, containing a number of buildings, museums (see Galleria Borghese) and attractions. It is the third-largest public park in Rome (80 hectares or 197.7 acres), after the ones of the Villa Doria Pamphil ...

in Rome, where the family lived. She wanted to create a line of lipsticks in a wider variety of shades than what was available at the time, and once

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

gave the cosmetics his blessing, pushed forward with the idea. Princess Marcella Borghese died in 2002 in her home in

Montreux, Switzerland Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut district in the canton of Vaud, having a population of approximately 26,500, with about 85,00 ...

. She was 90 years old, and was buried in the family crypt at the

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four Basilicas in the Catholic Church#Major and papal basilicas, major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim C ...

in Rome.

Business

In 1956, Borghese met cosmetics magnate,

Charles Revson Charles Haskell Revson (October 11, 1906August 24, 1975) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was best known as a pioneering figure in the American cosmetics industry as the person who created the first pigment-based nail polish and ...

, the founder of

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it remains. Revlon was founded by brothers Charle ...

. The two struck up a lifelong friendship, as he helped her to create her cosmetics line, which Revlon then licensed under the Princess Marcella Borghese brand name. One of Princess Marcella Borghese's first collections included brightly colored lipsticks and nail colors to match the vivid colors of her fashion designer friend,

Emilio Pucci Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (; 20 November 1914 – 29 November 1992) was an Italian Marquess, aristocrat, fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company Pucci designed geometric prints in many colors. Early life Pucci wa ...

's knitwear. Her Montecatini Cosmetic line, named after her favorite spa (and an ancient town in Tuscany), used the purported healing properties of the Terme di Montecatini mud and the mineral waters. The Princess was one of the first people to create a skincare line which was based on the natural therapies of a spa. In 1992 Revlon sold the Borghese brand to Halston Borghese International Limited, a new company set up in New York by four Saudi investors (all brothers) to buy and hold Revlon’s Halston and Princess Marcella Borghese divisions.Nigel Groom, ''The New Perfume Handbook'', 2nd edn (London: Blackie Academic & Professional, 1997), p. 150 . Borghese remained involved in the line named after her until her death. Today, the company is privately held and known as simply Borghese. It is based in New York City. It has been run by CEO and owner Georgette Mosbacher since 2000. The brand is sold primarily through department stores and online. In 2009 Georgette Mosbacher stated that Borghese was a $100 million USD company with a third of their business being in Asia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borghese, Princess Marcella 1911 births 2002 deaths People from Umbria Cosmetics people History of cosmetics Marcella Cosmetics companies of the United States Revlon brands