Diary / Justbobbi / Sep 26, 2022

Gucci Westman on Clean Beauty and Getting Gorgeous Skin

Written by: Sara Bliss

Makeup artist Gucci Westman is known for creating that no-makeup makeup look that so many of us aspire to—but isn’t easy to achieve IRL. Her latest venture, Westman Atelier is a six-product beauty line promises to deliver that signature dewy, fresh-faced glow thanks to high-performance foundation sticks, cream blushes, bronzers and highlighters. We caught up Gucci to talk clean beauty, the challenges of creating a line that lived up to her standards, and her go-to’s for gorgeous skin.

When you were first conceiving your makeup line, what did you want to create?

Initially, I thought I would do an organic line, but I didn’t realize how limited the resources are. For me, the performance and the integrity of the products had to be paramount. As a makeup artist I would never be satisfied with some of the completely natural formulas that are on the market, because they don’t offer the performance I am used to. It was very challenging to achieve these beautiful textures without using toxic chemicals and ingredients. It took three and a half years to create. I wanted to emulate the texture, colors, and performance of non-natural lines, but without toxic ingredients. More than anything a woman has to be able to trust her products. There has to be a Wow this is doing it exactly what I expected it to do. I have very high standards and it is better than I ever hoped.

What were some of the ingredients you tried to avoid?

Certain ingredients were just a hard No. For example, silicones. All of my products have added beneficial skincare and silicones acts as barriers, blocking really beautiful active ingredients from penetrating the skin. Lakes are coloring agents, and when I understood more about them, I really went on a mission to avoid them as much as possible. However, it is almost nearly impossible to do. We are as clean as we can be without compromising on performance.

You launched with only six products and lots of stick formulas, why did you go in that direction?

I wanted this line to be extremely intuitive and make the experience effortless, as opposed to a line with so many steps. Less choice is sometimes easier, let’s just face it, too many options can make you unhappy. I learned to do makeup with stick formulas when I went to beauty school in Paris using Makeup Forever. When you first learn a trick and it works for you, it is hard to steer away from that.

What can people expect from the products?

The formulas are very lightweight with oils that have replaced the silicones. The foundation provides nice coverage, but you can make it as sheer as you like. It is doing something more than just covering, it is very dynamic. I crafted everything to create any finish you want. You can create a radiant blushy finish, a polished look, or a matte bronze finish that emulates an authentic suntan.

What are your beauty from the inside out go-to’s?

I go to this incredible doctor in LA Dominique Fradin-Read. I see her every year to make sure we are we are on track with supplements and everything. I believe that consistency more than anything will take you where you want to be with a balance of health/mind/body. I think if you are a Yo-Yo person that exercises a lot once in a while, that’s not going to give you the outcome that you are looking for. I did that for a long time before I was inspired by [my client] Cameron Diaz who was such a good role model because she is always so disciplined and consistent. I have been on this more consistent path, but there are times where I tend to indulge more and have more Rose, or pizza with my kids, and you just have to make up for it.

You are known for creating gorgeous natural skin in your work, what are your own skincare must-do’s?

I did laser treatments for a long meant to help with rosacea but it was really expensive and didn’t really help. Now, I regularly see Georgia Louise and she never ceases to amaze me with all of her newness and gadgets. She has this new machine that I love called GLOPulse. She has another gadgets that work on your neck and your skin with tightening. I also do this penis stem cell facial that helps with rosacea, temporarily at least. I also like Biologique Recherche products, that’s a consistent brand for me.

What have you liked best about creating your own beauty line?

The feedback from women has been the most rewarding. That really means everything.

Diary / Justbobbi / Sep 26, 2022

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