Gwyneth is Gorgeous for Good – it’s official. I had the pleasure of meeting the naturally beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow last week to chat about her new makeup line, Phyto-Pigments, for Juice Beauty. We met in one of my favorite hotels in Los Angeles, the Art Deco Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica.
Gwyneth is so elegant. Everything about her is understated, and yet utterly stunning. I think she’s much prettier in the flesh than in photos or TV. She wore a navy blue pantsuit (not a Hilary Clinton-esque pant suit), but a really cool kind of Burberry-style number. I actually wish I’d asked her the designer because I need to own it! She also wore impossibly high-heeled black pumps, which gave the whole look a sexy/edgy dimension. She wore her hair straight – and up close and personal, it really is the color of wheat – so pretty.
But the thing that got me was her complexion. She was obviously wearing all of her new Phyto-Pigments makeup collection, and despite the fact that Gwyneth is clearly blessed with a beautiful complexion, this makeup line sat beautifully on her skin. She really is VERY natural – looking. And, what I love about her new line is that it gives us mere mortals the chance to get that very pretty, natural look too.
Gwyneth explained that she decided to partner with Juice Beauty because she was already a fan. She wanted to create a makeup line that performed as well as the best products on the market, and yet products that were clean, non-toxic and as green as possible. So, she took her favorite primer, foundation, mascara etc to the formulators at Juice Beauty, and everyone got to work. Karen Behnke, founder/owner of Juice Beauty told me that Gwyneth is an absolute perfectionist: They had to go back-and-forth hundreds of times with every single formula, until Gwyneth was satisfied that the product performed as well (if not better) that the ones that she’d used and loved for years on the set.
Moreover, Gwyneth was involved in every single aspect of production, including designing the packaging herself. I think she is so smart to do this because we’ve all become a bit jaded with huge celebrities licensing themselves to massive cosmetic companies. We want something more authentic and personal – and that’s exactly what you get with the Juice Beauty and Gwyneth Paltrow partnership: Gwyneth doesn’t endorse or lend her name, she co-creates the product!
The entire organic makeup collection was all laid out on the glass coffee table in front of us and we became like little girls, playing with color and textures on the back of our hands. She explained that she’d named the Liquid Lip (a highly pigmented lip gloss) after her friends: Reece, Drew, Kate, etc. My favorite happens to be Kate, which is a girly pink. I’d already had a chance to try out the Illuminating Primer, which I’m obsessed with, because Juice beauty has come up with a formula that is silicone-free (made with coconut alkanes). It’s the perfect illuminating makeup base, or you can mix it with the Flawless Foundation Serum. BTW – my assistant went bananas over this foundation: she never usually wears the stuff, but she said this is a game-changer for her because it’s so naturally gorgeous.
The Luminous Lip Crayon is off-the-charts. If you are a Mac girl, change over now! These deeply pigmented crayons (a cross between a liner and lipstick), are pigmented with natural botanical extracts in place of dyes, and the result is outstanding.
So, makeup aside, what else did I learn about Gwyneth? She’s clearly a devoted and hands-on Mom – she had to rush off to pick up Apple from school. She said that eleven year-old Apple is already into makeup because of all the You Tube videos she watches, and I admitted that my daughter is already as good as a makeup artist because she’s been watching these videos for years now (my daughter is 14!). Gwyneth said that since turning 4o, she had to get a lot more disciplined in the workout/healthy eating deptartment : She works out every morning, meditates and has a very healthy breakfast – get’s it all done before hitting the “office” at 9am. She’s committed to the Tracy Anderson workout, and believes that this particular workout gave her a better body than yoga, pilates, or anything else (where’s my nearest studio!!!!!). She eats very healthy for ninety percent of the time, but she’s also pretty normal in that she enjoys French fries and a Martini every now and again.
Ultimately, Gwyneth is inspiring: She has created a hugely successful business with Goop, her weekly lifestyle blog and newsletter, and now her skincare and makeup line. I get the feeling that she enormously enjoys being an entrepreneur. She holds up a torch for anyone who wants to be as natural a beauty as possible. And yet, much like her makeup line, there is an element of playfulness/edgy-ness to her personality, which makes her human.
So anyone who thinks that Gwyneth Paltrow is an ice-maiden is wrong! She’s warm, fun, and has made it her mission to inspire us all to lead a healthier way of life. So, do try her makeup line. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Juice Beauty and Gwyneth Paltrow are a match made in heaven, and I wish them both all the luck in world with this stunning new collection.
