Close your eyes for a moment and just empty your mind of everything, then look at this cover with new eyes. Who is this? Because it really isn’t Lady Gaga, right? There’s a whiff of Gaga to this computer-generated image – like Gaga meshed with… a doll. Or something. My point is that this cover image is freaking me out. Anyway, the interview took place at her Hollywood Hills home, where she resides with three French bulldogs (Gustav, Asia and Koji) and her Best Song Oscar. The interview? It’s about her makeup line, Haus Laboratories, which is exclusive to Amazon. Yes, Gaga is entering the lucrative beauty market. Kylie Jenner was some kind of pioneer, huh? And Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is shook – Haus Lab is here to get all of the lip liner money. You can read the full Allure piece here. Some highlights:
Gaga uses her own product: “I have the Chained Ballerina Glam Attack on my eyes, with the Legend Glam Attack in the corners. And then I’m wearing the RIP Lip Liner in Drag, and Entranced is the gloss, a clear, multidimensional rainbow chrome gloss that comes with the Rose B*tch collection.”
Makeup changed how she saw herself: “I never felt beautiful, and I still have days that I don’t feel beautiful. All of the insecurities that I’ve dealt with my whole life from being bullied when I was younger, they come right back up to bite me. Then I put makeup on, and before I know it I feel this superhero within. It gives me those wings to fly.”
The lip pencil of her dreams: “First and foremost, I wanted to create the lip pencil of my dreams. I love lip pencil, but for me there always ends up being something wrong with them. It’s either dragging or it’s bleeding. With this formula, I can line my lips beautifully, but most of the time, I wear it all over my mouth. It feels like a lipstick, and it does not transfer. Every time I put it on, I have this sigh of giant, artistic, creative release that I just — my heart soars.”
Watching her mother put on makeup: “She would look so, so beautiful, and so strong. She just had such a bravery about her, and it was so inspiring to me. I grew up with this understanding that you can be brave in many different ways, and one of those ways is makeup. I really hope that when I have maybe a little girl one day, or a little boy, and they see Mommy put her makeup on, that they have the same experience that I did.”
Haus Laboratories will champion the LGBTQ+ community: “I would like all gender identities to know very clearly that they are included, and never exploited, ever. I want that little boy at home that might like to be called a girl to say, ‘Mommy, I want to wear Dynasty. It’s a Glam Attack.’ And then Mommy goes, ‘Oh, my son wants to be called a girl, and he wants the Glam Attack.’ And then she goes and she gets it for him. And he uses it. And then there’s a bond. It’s kind of like when kids used to come to my shows with their parents, and they’d lean over and they’d say, ‘Mommy and Daddy, I’m gay.’ Or ‘I’m not a boy; I’m a girl’. Or ‘I’m not a girl; I’m a boy.’ I have heard those stories so many times, over and over, for all of the years that I have been in this business. And I want the same thing that I’ve had in my concerts to happen with this company. If I’m not changing people’s lives, what are we doing here?”
There’s a lot of crying in the interview too, which is surprising on some level because she’s there to talk about…makeup. But makeup is a big subject for her, clearly. And I believe her about all of it, that makeup is very important to her, that she’s always used makeup to feel confident and to make Stefani turn into Gaga.
My concern: at some point, there’s just a huge, overwhelming celebrity-oversaturation of the makeup market, right? Everybody and their brother has a makeup or skincare line now. Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Miranda Kerr, Kylie Jenner, Drew Barrymore, Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow (Goop joined with Juice Beauty), and Jessica Alba’s Honest makeup. And let’s not forget about all of the celebrity-branded collaborations with existing lines, from Sephora to CoverGirl to Dior and on and on. I get it, it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry. But if I was a celebrity these days, I’d be trying to find the NEXT thing. What will be the go-to business when the bottom drops out of some of these makeup lines?
Photos courtesy of Allure.
That’s just a cheap publicity stunt.
All make-up is all gender inclusive, if the person and the surroundings is ok with it. That mom in her story won’t buy her son make-up, Gaga’s or other, if she won’t want him to wear it.
I don’t think it’s cheap…and I don’t think it’s a publicity stunt….
Gaga has been consistent from before day 1 regarding her positive stance with the LGBTQIA community…and people want to be SEEN…they want to be ACKNOWLEDGED….and that’s what she’s doing
Came here to say the same thing: Gaga consistently advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and I find her to be a compelling ally. Stating this provides inclusivity that is much needed.
I know she’s always been inclusive and yeah, if this marketing of hers makes people feel better, than good, I agree.
Doesn’t change the fact that it’s not the lack of proper make-up that holds men back from wearing it, it’s society’s attitude towards men in make-up.
I’d understand her campaign if it was literally make-up for different skin types, like more fitting for male skin. But it looks like it’s just make-up as any other.
Bonus points for making it sound inclusive, tho, you’re right about that.
I agree, Lala. This isn’t a publicity stunt, it is very much in line with Gaga’s entire career. It is only surprising that she didn’t do a full line sooner (though she did do one-off products with MAC, which is a very inclusive line and had male beauty consultants at their counters in the early 2000s).
“Doesn’t change the fact that it’s not the lack of proper make-up that holds men back from wearing it, it’s society’s attitude towards men in make-up.”
You are missing the fact that for over a decade Gaga’s concerts have been a place where many men wear make-up. I understand your cynicism in some ways, but I think directing it at Gaga is misplaced.
I’m not saying she’s not genuine about inclusive sexuality, but I do find her whole unapologetic “born this way” shtick pretty rich. She says make up changes how she feels about herself yet fails to ever mention the extensive facial plastic surgery she’s had. She looks like a different human than her old self.
Nannytotherescue has a point. The pigments/formulas don’t, like, change color per your chromosomes. (I’d be in trouble if they did, as an intersex person. As it is, I can wear the same makeup as any old guy or gal). That being said, put me on the waitlist if Robert Smith ever releases a line. That badass is committed to a workable look.
Not to disregard Gaga’s inclusivity- it’s cool (sometimes clumsy- but cool.)
Like, I feel like a more effective-to-that-message advertisement would be Gaga standing Behind other models. In her makeup.
Agreed. It’s pandering and it’s getting old. All make-up is gender inclusive.
As a person who wears very little make up, and not very often, I am amazed at all the celebrities who have so much to say about this topic! Even the Teen Mom people have makeup lines now. I agree, is there really that much interest to support all of them in the market? And what about when trends shift back to a natural look…
The natural look is what’s popping now. Really it’s foundation, powder, a bit of blush, a light lip, and no eye make-up at all. This will make you look younger too !
I love the no makeup makeup look (it’s what I’m known for). Accentuate your features, get rid of bags under eyes and open up your eyes with some mascara. It’s timeless, natural and fresh.
The thing is that the makeup industry is absolutely insanely flush with cash. It’s so so lucrative.
But like most things there are a lot of umbrella companies that own many brands.
Anyone can put out garbage makeup – but if you want to last you have to not just be a novelty. And that’s where you’re going to see a lot of them close up shop. Nobody is buying Paris Hilton products as a holy grail product, you know what I mean? And a lot of these influencer/z-d-list celeb lines are just stuff they’ve hired another company to create or a company approached them saying ‘hey lets stick your name on this’.
But on the other side of the fence you have Rihanna who’s hired the right people, really looked into formulation and spent extra time making sure the product could stand up there as competition to the big brands – I don’t see that going away anytime soon.
I think she looks like Kourtney on the cover. I’m a guy and I love love makeup and wear it everyday, it’s a cliche at this point but I feel empowered when wearing it.
I agree with you; I’d scrolled past the heading pretty quickly and found myself staring at her image and trying to place which Kardashian she was. Didn’t even think of Gaga until I went back and read the header.
I pre-ordered her make up line and I really like it.I am a HUGE gaga fan and anything she does I’ll spend $$$ on. She is such good person
Even when she’s best friends with Uncle Terry and R. Kelly?
But isn’t all makeup gender neutral? Perhaps the branding and marketing targets females but overall most it not all makeup is for everyone?? Actors, news broadcasters, etc have used make up for decades. Good for her for wanting to be inclusive though I guess
They don’t wear eyeshadow or lip liner. It’s different.
makeup for men and women is very different.
“I have the Chained Ballerina Glam Attack on my eyes, with the Legend Glam Attack in the corners. And then I’m wearing the RIP Lip Liner in Drag, and Entranced is the gloss, a clear, multidimensional rainbow chrome gloss that comes with the Rose B*tch collection.”
She managed to say that with a straight face…. This sounds like it was written for a celebrity mockumentary.
All that being said. The makeup is getting only so-so reviews.
I’m a professional mua and I can’t keep up with so many lines and releases and new celebrity brands. I keep going back to my professional favourites.
However, I do understand why she would get emotional about makeup – some of us fall in love with makeup because it serves a purpose in our lives. It used to give me the confidence of stepping out of my room when I was scarred by acne. Without makeup I’d have probably never left the house. I have a lot of respect and love for makeup creators, laboratories and artists.
I think the delivery was desperate and melodramatic, but I believe what she’s saying here. Especially because unlike many celebrities with self-esteem issues, she did not get any major plastic surgery. So I can see makeup actually playing a really big role.
What? She’s got a new nose for sure and fillers all over.
I’ve had to stop buying makeup, because a lot of the containers are plastic, and we can’t recycle our way out of plastic. I wish make up lines would think about making their containers biodegradable.
Thanks!
The big question is how make-up and fashion are horribly unsustainable markets.
Also, she should pull a Rihanna and put her money where her mouth is: really research make up adapted for men’s skin. I’m sure many men already wear concealer and foundation and eye liner anyway. But do they have a brand caring for their skin?
So to me although I believe her heart is in a good place, she’s not doing anything to change society like Rihanna’s did with inclusivity.
I’m sorry, but that interview is just ridiculous. Why does Gaga have to act like everything she does is THE MOST IMPORTANT. Once you start waxing poetic about LIP LINER, that’s when you know you need to reevaluate things.
So I get that she cares about this, and this has been transformative, but this line: If I’m not changing people’s lives, what are we doing here?
There are many ways that someone with her means and privilege could change lives that do not involve lining her pockets and getting into an already-crowded field. She could donate to worthy causes (I know she does this somewhat but still, she could do more), she could volunteer, she could advocate.
Also, I admire the inclusivity to the LGBTQ community but Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty beat her to this too. On their insta, they make it a point to highlight POC and queer folks who are wearing their products. There’s just no need for her to get into this market other than hubris.
And maybe it’s just me and I’m oversensitive, but it seems like a lot of people have seen Rihanna’s success with all this, and feel like if a WOC could do it, they can too, without giving her any props for how hard she’s worked on her line, what a unique vision it was and is, and all of it. It just feels vaguely racist and very privileged.
Lady Gaga releasing a makeup line feels vaguely racist?? Oh COME ON.
I just got one of the lip glosses and as much as I wanted to love it – it takes a lot of layering to get a solid hue and honestly if it were any other makeup brand I would be disappointed in the quality – but for some reason since it’s her line I want to like it more than I do
It’s been the same a couple of years ago with all the celebrity perfumes..
She sounds cooked.
Her mother was brave for wearing makeup? K… I don’t know what is brave about polluting your skin with toxic chemicals just so you can go out in public without being judged but K… If you say so Gaga.
I would like an ingredient list. When she’s manufacturing makeup that isn’t full of endocrine disruptors then I’ll call her an “ally”.
But what is the difference between hers and any other makeup in the market right now? Other than an explicit statement about it? Men used the other makeup brands too. Just curious
But if that change public perspective about men wearing makeup, I guess it is a good thing~
Nobody bats an eye when there are guys buying makeup at Sephora and I come from a modern but conservative (?) country (honestly I don’t know how to classify my country)
..and while everyone is saying words, my kpop boys are just casually endorsing sanitary pads and makeup
lol
Im obsessed with makeup so I want to love this line but there is something about it that lacks appeal.
It looks heavy, I guess. All of the beauty shots used to promote this line look dirty and very 80’s in the worst way.
I dont know – I suppose I just dont get it.