Gucci’s foray into beauty just entered its second chapter. Following an impressive 58-shade lipstick range, the luxury house unveiled its new Mascara L’Obscur with a West Hollywood soiree paying homage to its roots.
Taking inspiration from decades past, party-goers grooved along to throwback tunes spun by Dani Miller—yes, the punk princess who went viral in Gucci’s unconventional lipstick ad—and sipped on appropriately-themed garden cocktails featuring a dash of lavender and elderflower.
Beck and Zoe Bleu Arquette (yes, of those Arquettes) were seen making the rounds, alongside singer Rebecca Black, indie artist King Princess and singer-songwriter Diana Gordon. Jeffertitti and Rainey Qualley (of the Andie MacDowell brood) stepped into the DJ booth after Miller, and kept the room moving with a mix of new and old hip-hop faves.
Beck and friends. BFA/Gucci
Guests were voyeurs to the 1980s world of the Florentine fashion house as they made their way through the immersive and enchanting experience. Doubling as a two-day pop-up (now open to the public until March 7) and dubbed the Gucci Beauty Network Studios in partnership with Sephora—a first for the Kering-owned luxury brand—the fashion fairytale continued with delectable bites at the Gucci Guilty diner (a nod to the brand’s newly opened Gucci Osteria just minutes away on Rodeo Drive), Instagram-worthy photos in the Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur library, and a digital garden in the Gucci Bloom mirror room.
Zoe Bleu Arquette and friends. BFA/Gucci
The mascara and full lip-colour range were right at home alongside extravagant vanities fit for old Hollywood, with a team of professional makeup artists on hand for a glam mini-makeover.
The vanity-themed Gucci Beauty sign welcomed guests as they stepped into the immersive party. BFA/Gucci
“We called it L’Obscur because this word balances charm and mystery,” creative director Alessandro Michele noted, adding that he designed the uniquely creamy formula “for an authentic person who uses makeup to tell their story of freedom, in their way.”
Mascara L’Obscur is intensely black. Photo courtesy of Gucci.
Perhaps one of the most malleable mascaras on the market, the oval-shaped brush and silky, buildable texture create multiple opportunities: the elastomer wand can be used horizontally or vertically, resulting in dramatically different looks—and the brush offers a narrow, bendable tip for those who might be challenged getting to the inner lashes. Precision is key to describing this deep-black mascara (the only colour in which it’s offered) and, after a night of dancing, there wasn’t a flake in sight.
As always, the packaging is perfection with a soft pink tube in a blush satin jewellery box, and the wand’s heavy, textured vertical grooves should help steady even the shakiest hand.
Dani Miller and Jeffertitti Moon. BFA/Gucci
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