Furio Camillo: “We put our soul into our cosmetics”

The article was first published in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

Furio, where did it all start? The initiator of the creation of our brand was my brother Pio, who was always interested in filming, cosmetics, and makeup. Already at that time, in the 60s, the makeup industry in America was developed, there was a good selection of products. We brought a lot of interesting products to Rome, but it was very expensive. Pio always experimented a lot and used different means. When we ordered another product, he suddenly asked: “Why can’t we do it ourselves?” We tried it. We conducted an experiment. Which ended with the creation of an entire factory! Tell us about the atmosphere that reigned at the film studio at that time. It seems that Cleopatra was filmed then? In the 60s there was a very interesting, free atmosphere here. And filming “Cleopatra” is a separate world. Everyone greeted each other on the streets of Rome, meeting by chance in unexpected places. The fact is that this film involved a large crowd, because this is a film about Ancient Rome, which means it needs a lot of bright colors, which the film studio needed in large quantities. Our products were used not only for the main characters, but also for the actors in crowd scenes. We even named our brand after the film studio. Who did you test the cosmetics on at the first stage of creating Cinecitta? Surely there were some failed lines that you replaced with improved ones? We were the first on the market and we had no competitors. They were the first to launch a product on the market, which turned out to be incredibly popular, because at that time many theaters were emerging where cosmetics were actively used. We opened a store in the city center. And the richest clients in Rome came to us, took our products, and told their friends about them. All residents of the city looked up to these people, so such word of mouth was better than any advertising! But, of course, our products were initially distinguished by high quality. What distinguishes professional cosmetics from ordinary ones, even if they are luxury brands like Chanel or Dior, which are more expensive than professional ones. What are the nuances of its creation? Here, a lot depends on the process of creating the product itself. Our factory is like a tailor who works with a narrow circle of customers, but at the same time prefers good quality. We don’t have many people in production, but everyone knows their job perfectly! What are the main advantages of the Cinecitta brand? We work on the same principle as other factories. We started with a very small workshop. And now 70 people work here, and everyone puts their soul into their work. No one was ever fired! As a rule, this is always a family production, and there are always very good relations between colleagues. We have no desire to earn more money - we work for results, for quality. We are very loyal to our customers and listen to all their wishes. First of all, we distribute our product through makeup artists. Now our makeup artists are working in Sicily, filming a cartoon for Disney. And this is the best advertisement for our cosmetics! Makeup artists also collect information about what products people in different parts of the world would like to purchase. For example, we created No. 7 foundation Fondotinta specifically for Slavic women who have very fair skin. But it was liked in many countries around the world. What properties should professional cosmetics have? The price must correspond to the quality of the product. The manufacturer is required to test its product before launching it for sale. And not just once, but on a large number of people - at least that’s what we do. Various qualities are important in the complex - durability, endurance at high temperatures, hypoallergenicity, efficiency. The most important thing is that the client not only buys the product, but is also satisfied with everything after use. For example, our technologists began to specially create formulas that will provide cosmetics with durability and heat resistance. We know very well that otherwise our product will not be sold, for example, in the north of Russia or in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we have created a single formula, thanks to which our cosmetics can withstand both high and low temperatures. Why can't high-quality cosmetics be cheap? A natural product is always expensive. But our prices are lower than they could be, because we only pay for raw materials - we do not purchase technology, formulas, compositions. We have it all. When you buy Cinecitta, you get very high quality for the lowest possible price.

Tour of the Cinecitta factory

To reinforce his words that the factory is a family business in which all its workers put their souls, Furio gave the team of our magazine a tour. The Cinecitta cosmetics production workshop is really very compact compared to huge factories. The entire production, for example, occupies only one floor - the second. On the third there is a warehouse, on the last there is an office. Each employee is busy with his job and is focused on it as much as possible. Everyone is wearing gowns, caps, gloves and shoe covers, which complies with safety regulations. Staying focused and calm is not an easy task for expressive Italians. But, seeing the guests led by the production director, they look up for a few seconds, smile welcomingly, wave their hands and immediately return to their work. It turns out that in order for a beautiful box of shadows or powder to fall into the hands of makeup artists, it must go through five, seven, or even nine stages of production. Not yet packaged bright shadows stand in neat round piles on the shelves. The foundation is poured into jars with precision down to the milliliter. Various subtleties of production are explained to us, but listening carefully is very difficult, because our eyes run wide from so many beautiful cosmetics! Almost the entire process has been automated, but at the same time, every action of cosmetics production machines is closely monitored by factory workers. All substandard products are immediately and mercilessly thrown away - everything should get from the factory into the hands of buyers in the best, ideal condition! Between the interview and the factory tour, we find time to walk around Rome. This city captivates with its grandeur. In previous issues of our magazine, you have already read interviews with Italian hairdressers or makeup artists who are distinguished by their expression and explosive character. But only when you get to Rome do you realize that all Italians are so impulsive, even ice cream sellers and bank employees. Everyone has irrepressible creativity and energy in their souls! What impressed me most about Rome was the Cinecitta film studio itself. There are already 20 filming pavilions, but there is no pavilion number 17 - Italians consider this number unlucky. The most interesting is the fifth pavilion - it was there that Federico Fellini shot all his films. All the decorations are made perfectly. It feels like you are in a parallel universe. During our excursion, a film was being filmed. But the guide didn’t tell us the title and asked us not to take pictures even with mobile phones - the film would not be released soon. At the film studio you can find portraits of great actors and directors, the scenery of Florence, where one of the versions of Romeo and Juliet was filmed, and many other interesting things. Even the cafe for lunch is designed in a completely “cinema” style. We thank Larisa Garcia, the founder of the exclusive representative office of Cinecitta cosmetics in Ukraine, for organizing the interview.