Creating solutions for brands on a mission.

The Beauty world is turning, moving and changing. Beauty ideals are transforming, consumers become more demanding and purpose is a value that counts.
Schwan Cosmetics has been part of this development since 1927. Back then, we invented the world's first cosmetic pencil. The "Schwan Cosmetics Eyebrow Pencil“ and our customer-centric corporate philosophy laid the foundation for countless other innovations and decades of successful growth.
Today, Schwan Cosmetics is active on five continents in 130 countries, with more than 3,000 employees and state-of-the-art technology that meets the highest standards.
Our Brand Purpose: Mindful Beauty
We believe in innovations and services that are aimed at the needs of the users. We believe in products that promote diversity so that everyone can celebrate and highlight their uniqueness. 
By being mindful of the world we live in, the products we create and how we create them, we strive to offer color cosmetics that help everyone express themselves, not disguise themselves.  
Our innovative power lies in the success of our customers. In close cooperation and partnership, we are making our customers’ visions reality by creating expertly designed cosmetics, custom innovations, and sustainable solutions that set trends worldwide.
With our knowledge, our conviction and our creativity we help our customers shape the future in the cosmetic world and beyond – for their success today and tomorrow.

We believe that every idea has a color. What‘s your‘s?

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Beauty & Facts

As a leader of the beauty industry we do not look for trends – we live them and transfer them into customized products.
Our passion in numbers:

To create our products we use more than 370 textures. At the same time, they have to be innovative and of the highest quality, because our clients demand nothing less.

Eyeliner in China, eyeshadow in South Africa, lip gloss in Brazil – more than 700 clients in about 70 countries rely on beauty highlights by Schwan Cosmetics.

People from over 30 nationalities work for Schwan Cosmetics. Together we have one mission: To create sustainable, innovative products that excite consumers all over the world.

Demanding + visionary + sustainable = successful. The numbers back our formula for success: We sell more than 600 million pens a year.

Worldwide there are more than 3,000 dedicated employees working for Schwan Cosmetics – and day by day they accomplish creative innovation for you.

9 production facilities around the globe guarantee you sustained production and short supply routes.

Responsibility

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Career

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History

The Story of our Success.

1865

Gustav Adam Schwanhäußer purchases the pencil company Großberger & Kurz. He shapes the company with his entrepreneurial skill, an inquiring mind and his vision for the future. 5 generations later, the Schwanhäußer family’s success story continues today.

1875

In keeping with the Schwanhäußer family name, the swan becomes the trademark of the company. It symbolizes purity and beauty and stands for the flawless high quality of the company’s products.

1890

Creating success abroad: Gustav Adam Schwanhäußer uses his close-knit distribution network he established to send representatives to Athens, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Cairo, Jerusalem, and Damascus. Advertising posters are created and adapted for marketing within each respective destination, including the Arab world.

1910

Wood wool, packing paper and boxes, pictured here in the packing room in Vienna, are used to package and hold finished pens. As early as 1884, the Vienna subsidiary, which was founded by Gustav Adam Schwanhäußer, became a clever avenue for supplying clients in Austria-Hungary without worrying about customs barriers.

1927

The world’s first cosmetic pencil is introduced: the "Schwan Eyebrow Pencil"! Among the very first enthusiastic customers is cosmetician Max Factor. Crates of the product are first delivered to the USA, then later to Germany and to other countries. Besides their innovative eyebrow pencil; eye pencils, lip liner, and nail polish are also offered to customers.

1930

The staff in their Sunday best, including the company owner in the center of the picture. With his chemical and technical expertise, Dr. August Schwanhäußer pushes forward with product development in the field of cosmetics. His brother, Dr. Eduard Schwanhäußer, then begins to set new standards in the areas of strategy, organization, and networking.

1972

The breakthrough happens, with completely new pre-molded technology (MT). Introducing jumbo pens, he opens the eye shadow and lipstick market and US based company Elizabeth Arden immediately starts ordering them in large quantities.

1977

Schwan takes the patented MT process a step further and leaves the origins of the cosmetic pen manufacturing process behind. The cosmetic masses are now poured directly into wooden pods or pointed plastic. Not only the filling process has significant improved, but also the texture. Through formulation of a volatile component, the mass becomes softer, easier to apply, and lasts even longer.

1987

These products also revolutionize the market
The B-Matic enthralls with an always sharp pencil lead without the need for sharpening.

2002

Mascara is included in the product assortment and is significantly further developed.

2005

Powder-Matic® is the world's first powder shadows with rotary mechanics.

2012

CURVE, the world’s most spectacular liquid eyeliner, allows easy and precise application.

2016

MAGIC, the world’s first powder eyeshadow in pencil form, is launched.

2017

Yet another worldwide premiere: With “The InLiner,” Schwan Cosmetics revolutionizes the application of liquid eyeliner. A specially designed wheel applicator enables extremely precise application to the eyelids.

2018

For the first time in the history of wooden cosmetic pencils, Schwan Cosmetics successfully brings high-performance formulations into wood. This is PERFECT.

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