In addition to being a music icon, Gwen Stefani is a beloved local figure who honors her Southern California origins in everything she does. In the 1990s, it seemed like every fashionable woman in Los Angeles craved her L.A.M.B. (LOVE. ANGEL. MUSIC. BABY.) clothing and accessories, notably the Le SportSac bag collaboration. The coolest children’s clothes the shop has ever offered are from her Harajuku Mini line for Target (we were lucky to have a toddler during its heyday and our daughter lived in the punky, reasonably-priced pieces). Her more upscale business, Harajuku Lovers, expanded into further goods, including a fragrance. Surprisingly, Gwen didn’t have a cosmetics brand before to now in her three-decade career.
With brilliant red lipsticks and creamy nudes that don’t come off (even if you’re eating greasy Italian food, as we got to do with the singer herself at the brand’s launch party), GXVE Beauty, which she launched earlier this year, has already made an impression on the beauty scene. It’s the ideal moment to highlight this L.A. Golden girls’ glam goods because Christmas party outfits and gift-giving are on everyone’s minds.
At the celebration in March, Gwen said, “This seems like the next chapter of my life.” Mama Cozza’s in Anaheim is her preferred Italian eatery. “When my life and my family broke apart, I wanted to pick up the pieces… As they can if you work hard, pray, and desire it, many lovely things come out of it. I want to do something that is completely mine, that is me, and that I know I’m excellent at, and this was one of those ideas.” She added.
Stefani was alluding to her split with Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, which signaled a new beginning in several ways. It resulted in a happy new relationship with her The Voice co-star Blake Shelton, new songs (including duets with her new spouse), and her long-awaited entry into the beauty industry.
She said, “She doesn’t know why she doesn’t do this sooner,” before delivering a close-up acoustic rendition of her best-known songs.
Stefani has incorporated eye-catching aesthetics into her appearance and made them uniquely hers since she initially entered the music industry as the lead singer for Ska rockers No Doubt. She rocked the cultures that were all around her growing up, adding her rock n’ roll touch to everything from L.A. Chola-style tanks and slacks to O.C. pinup girl hairstyles to the Bindi craze. Despite being gone, L.A.M.B. Is still widely used on resale websites like Poshmark. She also has a modest “Anaheim Hillbillies” clothing line and an eyewear business.
The mother of three, who presently resides in Encino, remembered, she toyed with cosmetics her entire life. She said “In her entire life, she had a cosmetics obsession. Also, her girlfriend’s mother had an absurd amount of cosmetics, and we used to play around with her Mary Kay products and other things. After that, she continued to work as a makeup artist behind the counter for Borghese and Ultima II.”
The GXVE Community, a recently launched proprietary digital platform for sharing looks and selling products through brand ambassadors who receive commissions, pays homage to the Mary Kay days while putting a contemporary focus on social media and the online community of makeup artists and tutorial creators.
The 53-year-old enjoys makeup, and she does it so beautifully that she has served as an example to several generations of women (and men). Gwen’s success demonstrates that daring beauty trends don’t have to be constrained by what is deemed “age acceptable,” as demonstrated by other 50-something celebrities like Jennifer Anniston and Jennifer Lopez (who just launched her skincare line). Now, her choice to launch a cosmetics line supports this notion. A bold brow, long lash, and glossy lips are always in style. For your festive face, GXVE has you covered with brow pencils, a silky primer, and neutral shadows. The line’s lip colors, both liquid, and sticks are the stars here (our preferred hue is “original recipe” red).
Gwen’s most popular lip colors are now available in mini-packs, and her new “Eye See Sparkle” pots are also available in gift packages, making them ideal stocking stuffers for the Holla (Back) Days and beyond. Both your neighborhood Sephora and gxvebeauty.com have these for sale.
The singer claimed that makeup was more than simply a formula: “Makeup is a sensation that you get when you put it on and you are that version of who you want to be that day.” We are doing it here because I want to play and be creative. It is cosmetics, not rocket science, but it is a lot of fun.