Everyone has a list of items they can’t leave the house without. Mine includes my phone, keys, a novel, Trident Tropical Twist Gum, and, at least, four different lip products. And, yes, they all play different roles. There’s a no-frills one for moisturizing, a few that add some color, and another that plumps and hydrates. It can be tough to find a multi-tasking lip product that actually lives up to its claims, so when I heard about Gucci’s latest lip launch, I was intrigued. Gloss à Lèvres is a product that marries tint and shine with a moisturizing formula. Inside the tube, you’ll find ingredients like hyaluronic acid and black rose oil that work to keep your lips hydrated. When I swiped the gloss on, I noticed that it didn’t feel tacky at all, and it gave me just the right amount of glassiness to brighten up my face. The tingling sensation was subtle, and it didn’t feel like my lips were on fire. The gloss’ tint enhanced my lip color rather than camouflaging it. My lips looked bouncy and felt cushioned—it instantly moved to the top of my ‘can’t leave the house without this’ list.
To learn more about this new launch, I reached out to the man behind the gloss Thomas De Kluyver, Gucci’s global color and makeup artist. Ahead, he talks about the inspiration behind the launch, the formula, and more.
On the inspiration behind launching this new lip gloss range:
“I think gloss is a huge part of Gucci already. We have the multi-use gloss, which you can use on your eyes, cheeks, and face. It’s a big hero product for us, and we're constantly using it backstage. I think when you think of Gucci, you think of patent leather and those sorts of things, so I think this [launch] fits nicely into the range.
“I also think it's very fresh. Florals are a strong motif that comes through at Gucci quite often. And I think the glosses sit really nicely in that space alongside fragrances like Flora and Bloom. The [lip gloss] colors, they're very inspired by that world.”
On the color shade range:
“When we were doing the colors, we kept in mind the colors we use day in and day out when we're working on the shows and campaigns, and we also wanted to make something that felt very wearable. So even though the colors themselves may look a little bright in the tube, they're actually very soft tints. Also, each color has been specifically formulated to work on all skin tones.
“We have a pale pink shade which is a color one may think wouldn’t look nice on a deeper skin tone, but that’s not the case here. It’s actually really beautiful on darker skin tones and mid skin tones. The goal with the colors was to make a universal product that really fit in with the Gucci Beauty DNA.”
On the formula:
“Since we already have the multi-use gloss in the line, we wanted to create something that felt different. I think what's really incredible about this lip gloss is the plumping formula. Plumping glosses can be very intense, but this one has a really light sensation. There's a real softness to it. It feels smooth on your lips, and as shiny as this, it doesn’t feel sticky at all.
“I's very long-lasting, the shine really stays. And they've been really popular, actually, backstage. They can also be worn on their own or layered over lipsticks.”
On the unique applicator:
“It’s a new take on the classic doe foot applicator. It picks up a lot of gloss, but it's also easy to apply at the same time. It gives you the precision and control you need during the application process.
“When you're applying lip gloss, my favorite thing to do is apply in the center of the lips, and then use the applicator to blend out to the edges, so you don't end up with too much gloss outside your lip line.”