Back in 2014, beauty enthusiasts were blessed with the ultimate luxe experience—Gucci Beauty's first makeup collection. Former creative director Frida Giannini partnered with legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath to create everything beauty dreams are made of: gorgeous eyeshadows, foundation, lipsticks, blush, and more that were beautifully packaged and praised by consumers. Sadly, the line disappeared after a while, and there was no talk of anything new—until now. Gucci Beauty is back, and better than ever under the inimitable vision of creative director Alessandro Michele with a new lipstick collection.
The Details
Unsurprisingly, this isn't just any 'ole lipstick launch. Would you expect anything less than luxe from the iconic fashion house? This collection is a squad of 58 stunning lipsticks available in three dreamy formulas: 36 satin, 18 sheer, and four balms for a translucent finish. If you're wondering why solely a lipstick line, Michele wanted consumers to be able to use a classic product in unexpected ways, so he created this line that's centered around "complete liberation", a Gucci Beauty team member told MarieClaire.com.
"Lipstick is the most beautiful object you can find inside a handbag," Michele stated in a press release. "It is the most fascinating because it has always had a beautiful scent—we made Gucci lipsticks perfumed with violet. Lipstick is a playful object because it recalls crayons that children color with. Lipstick also symbolizes of the world of cinema, and all of the famous lips from Hollywood."
Shop Gucci Beauty's New Lipstick Collection
The Packaging
To play up the Hollywood starlet theme even more, Michele named each lipstick shade after iconic Hollywood movies and characters. Think: Maureen O’Hara and Love Before Breakfast. The elegant packaging features unique illustrations designed by Michele, which are inspired by the vintage era of house motifs with contemporary codes. According to Michele, the packaging of the pink rosebud print on ivory with a gold base was modeled after a 1940s dressing table, and the roses are reminiscent of the wallpaper of an old motel, of a beauty parlor in Los Angeles in the 1950s, or the lipstick you would find in a vintage market. As for the turquoise-colored tube, it's a hybrid shade of blue and green because it represents an attention to color, before pink was assigned as symbolic of the feminine world post war. As evidenced, this line is an incredible embodiment of when beauty meets art.
The Unexpected Uses
At the press preview, Gucci Beauty's global makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver showed me cool, and unexpected ways to use the lipsticks all over your face. For instance, you can use the balm on the top of your cheeks for a subtle glossy highlight, or the sheer and satin shades for a natural hint of color. Plus, you can forget about a brush and use your fingers to tap everything on since the color builds really nicely. Just add as many layers as you'd like for a bigger shade pay-off.
The Visuals
The ad campaign showcases raw, real beauty in such a diverse way. "The idea of the campaign is to create a representation that is close to reality with a humanized point of view, however seemingly strange," Michele explains in a press release. "But the strangeness is human so it's beautiful. The shots by MartinParr are like bullets; they are direct, dry, and then they are inclusive because these women are wearing makeup in a very liberating way."
The Interesting Response
Dani Miller, the lead singer of punk band Surfbort, whose music touches on politics, sexuality, and mental health, is featured with a riveting image of her teeth—an attention-grabbing visual that everyone can't stop talking about.
When the image was released on the brand's Instagram, people had a lot of feelings. One commenter wrote: "I'd rather spend my money for dental care, not surely 4 your lipstick!!!" and another said: "Is it “not” fashionable to see a DENTIST." Alternatively, others found it refreshing to see a real smile showcased in a high-fashion ad. "I actually prefer seeing this ad to the typical crystal white and symmetrically perfect teeth we see in dental and beauty adverts all the time. It makes me feel like my teeth are okay." Another agreed: "Thank you for breaking down the ideals and redefining what it means to be beautiful." I 100 percent agree that these images are what 2019 and beyond should look like: an unapologetic, unfiltered representation of beauty.
Shop each lipstick on GucciBeauty.com today, and nationwide at Saks.com on May 29.
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