Big World News

Written by Morgan Fargo

This week, after months of anticipation, Ariana Grande will launch r.e.m. beauty into the world. Released in “chapters”, the first drop focuses on 60s eyeliner, science fiction-inspired matte lipsticks and lustrous metallic eyeshadows. 

This week Ariana Grande joins the ranks of Selena Gomez, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian as a celebrity with their own beauty brand. Grande’s eagerly anticipated r.e.m. beauty launches on 12 November and, fortunately for you, we have the details on what, where and how to buy. 

After months of teasers and heavily dropped hints (see a ginormous billboard in Times Square, New York), the first “chapter” of r.e.m. is ready to fly the coop. 

Chapter One, “Ultraviolet”, includes eyeliners, plumping lip glosses, liquid eyeshadows and matte lipsticks – products Grande says she’s been subtly wearing on television and on stage for some time now. 

“The fact we were doing shows and finishing the tour and [were] able to test the highlight on stage and then make notes on the formula and say… OK, this needs to change or this,” played a major part in product-testing the formulas, says Grande. “I’ve been wearing a lot of the Chapter One products on The Voice and testing them and seeing how they look on camera.”

For Stylist beauty director Shannon Peter, Grande’s offering is markedly impressive in a world filled with celebrity make-up: “We’ve definitely witnessed a seemingly endless stream of celebrity beauty launches lately, but I have to say, r.e.m. beauty definitely feels like one of the more considered offerings. The formulas and textures feel super luxe (especially given the fairly humble price points) and you can see Ariana’s vision (she wanted to channel some retro sci-fi Barbarella/Star Trek vibes) come to life.”

“I didn’t want it to look like make-up. I’m a huge fan of sci-fi vintage horror space stuff, so I wanted to create our own world with this packaging,” says Grande of the prop-esque aesthetic. 

However, don’t think that r.e.m. beauty will be immediately available in its entirety. Grande and her team have chosen to drop certain products and product combinations, instead. 

“There is so much more coming but we wanted to do drops instead of giving you everything at once. We wanted to be super selective and intentional with the storytelling and what we give you first,” says Grande about the decision. “[It will] hopefully be able to inspire people to express themselves in a new way and share it with the world.”

So, without further ado, the seven r.e.m. beauty products the Stylist beauty team are most excited to shop.

• r.e.m. beauty Matte Lipstick in “Rollerskates”

  Reminiscent of a miniature astronaut, the Rapid Matte Lipstick is, in Grande’s own words, a “little space human-alien pod”.

  “It’s very soft and smooth. I love this formula. It’s super matte, but also super creamy and hydrating at the same time,” she says. “[It] comes in six shades, which is very exciting. There will be more but we’re starting with six and they’re all really strong.”

• r.e.m. beauty Eyeshadow Palette in “Babydoll”

  “The baby doll palette is what my grandpa used to call me,” Grande explains about the name of this eyeshadow combination. “[It] was the one that I gave the most personal name because [it’s] the neutral.

  “More warm and yummy tones and the names are all super personal to me.”

• r.e.m. beauty Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow in “Metallic Bronze”

  Grande’s liquid eyeshadow is a big selling point for those who like quick, effortless applications without sacrificing colour payoff. 

  “We have several matte shades and then several super metallic sparkly shades,” she describes. “The coverage on these is really, really insane. They’re super pigmented.”

  Wear alone or pair together for (another Grande phrase) “an extragalactic” effect.

• r.e.m. beauty Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in “Mod”

  Grande is known for white eyeliner. It’s become something of a staple in her makeup repertoire. 

  “A lot of my inspiration is from 60s mod [style],” she says. “You know, Twiggy Barbarella and stuff like that. So, you can create more graphic vintage [looks] with this or just use it on your waterline.”

• r.e.m. beauty Highlighter Topper in “Miss Saturn”

  One of the 10 available highlighter shades, Grande named each after a planet in the solar system. 

  “They’re not just highlights, though,” she caveats. “You can put them anywhere. That’s the thing about a lot of the products in this line is that they’re multifunctional, so you can use them as an eyeshadow if you wanted.”

• r.e.m. beauty Plumping Lipgloss in “Pink Razor”

  Grande’s lipglosses are inspired by nostalgic memories of the 90s with names like ‘scrunchie’, ‘Chucky’ and ‘VCR’. 

  “[They’re] super plumping and yummy and tingly and warm,” she says. “And smell delicious.”

• r.e.m. beauty Practically Permanent Lip Stain Marker in “Miss Berry”

  “The practically permanent lip marker is like a stain,” Grande explains. “I love stains. I’ve always loved stains more than lip liner or lipstick because I feel like… it’s gonna be there for you.” 

  “We’ve got to go, we’ve got to work, we’ve got to do things and we’re going to run around… and it doesn’t move. It’s [still] there.”

r.e.m. beauty launches on 12 November at rembeauty.com. All products will be displayed with USD pricing and orders may be subject to US customs and shipping charges.

Main image: courtesy of the brand

Source: Read Full Article