Ever since rumors began to swirl that Lady Gaga (queen of lashes, sparkle, and high-glam beauty moments) would be launching her very own makeup line, Haus Laboratories, fans and beauty lovers have been agog—sorry, couldn't resist—with major anticipation. And, after months and months of product teasing, pre-ordering products on Prime Day, and keeping careful tabs on the Haus Laboratories Instagram account for any and all updates, the time has finally arrived.
A few hours before midnight (PST) last Monday, September 16, Lady Gaga announced during the brand's Los Angeles based launch party that the line was officially for sale—both on the Haus Laboratories website and Amazon (the brand's one official retail partner).
As Gaga explained in front of her L.A. fans and launch attendees, Haus Labs has not only been a feverish passion project on a personal level (sharing that she quite literally stewed and stirred formula ideas on the kitchen floor), but it's a full-out "glam attack" on what the world automatically assumes a beauty brand ought to be. Haus Laboratories, she says, is different.
As stated on the brand's website and as Gaga reiterated live on Monday, beauty isn't in the eye of the beholder—beauty is found in the way we see ourselves. "At Haus, we want you to love yourself, and it is our mission to spread kindness, bravery, and creativity by providing tools for self-expression and reinvention," she states. "This is your glam. Your expression. Your artistry. Your rules."
Gaga went on to share that while she didn't grow up ever feeling beautiful—a battle that's still very present—she did, however, discover the power of makeup, and a beauty and creativity she could foster while experimenting with the products sitting underneath her mirror.
"I found the superhero within me by looking in the mirror and seeing who I wanted to be," she explains. "Sometimes, beauty doesn't come naturally from within. But I'm so grateful that makeup inspired a bravery in me I didn't know I had. I’ve come to accept that I discovered my beauty by having the ability to invent myself and transform. They said I was weird, but really, I was just born this way."
So what magical elixirs and powders lie within the transformative possibilities of Haus Labs? Think lots of wearable drama by way of shimmering liquid eye pigments, power- and pigment-packed glosses, wickedly creamy lip liners, and, of course, some last-minute surprises in the form of some extra, very Gaga-esque eye adornments. (Up until launch day, we didn't know we were going to get a felt-tip liquid eyeliner, lacy eye "Armor Masque," or wing-tip cat-eye stickers out of the deal.) Oh, and everything, by the way, is vegan, cruelty-free, and handily kept under a $30 price point.
Now, as fun as all of the above is, it's admittedly high-impact, and my fellow minimal makeup wearing co-worker, Courtney Higgs, and I were left wondering just how wearable Haus would be in our day-to-day beauty life. You know, when we're not accepting an Oscar, singing our hearts out in a stadium, or walking the red carpet. So we decided to convene over the entire Haus collection and choose products to test-drive during a normal day at the office. Then, because we're not complete buzzkills, we chose a few more products to apply post-work duty for some extra intensity and Gaga-inspired flare. (Hypothetically, an amped-up look we might wear out and about on a Friday night.)
Below, we're sharing both our daytime and nighttime-elevated Haus makeup looks alongside photos and reviews. Keep scrolling!
Courtney's Daytime Look
I don’t wear like to wear a ton of makeup during the day, so I definitely wanted to make sure the look I created was mellow and in line with my usual vibe. I did my normal skincare and face routines and then went in with literally one dot of Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder in Chained Ballerina ($20) on each of my lids. I was shocked at how much color I got out of the tiniest amount of product, so to soften the severity I smudged the glittery black gel with my ring finger until it turned into a soft, shimmery charcoal color.
Then, I lightly lined my eyes right at the lash line with the Liquid Eye-Lie-Ner ($20). I loved how quickly it dried down to a super-black, super-matte finish. For my lips, I used the RIP Lip Liner in Drag ($16), and I have to say, this deep mauve hue was super flattering against my brown skin—not at all chalky or ashy. To finish, I patted, again, one tiny dot of Le Riot Lip Gloss in Blaze ($) and smoothed it out until most of the sheen had been subdued to look like a lightly glossy stain.
How She Intensified It
My only strategy to amp up the look for nighttime was to add more of everything. I took the same Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder and placed two extra dots of the product on each lid as well as a little along my lower lash line. This time when I smudged it out, the dark color remained, creating a disco ball effect. To jazz up my subtle daytime liner, I added the Wingtip stickers from the Eye Armor Kit ($35) to the corners of each of my eyes, before going back over my light liquid line with more of a heavy hand.
I re-applied the same lip products, this time letting the high sheen stay in place. Overall, I definitely felt like I was wearing a ton of makeup, even though I had probably only used around 10 dots of actual product all day. That really says something about the potency of these formulas. That said, the only one I’d likely incorporate into daily use is the liner and the gloss; the rest will have to wait for a big night out.
My Daytime Look
As much as I love Lady Gaga, and as much as I admire her signature ballsy makeup moments, mega-watt makeup just isn't my jam when it comes to daily—or even special occasion—wear. Day to day, I'm either bare-faced (my preference), or I'll stick to my tried-and-true uniform of foundation, concealer, some blush and bronzer, lots of mascara, and probably a subtle flick of black liquid liner. That said, even though I was worried Haus would be saturated with strictly high-impact colors and heavy formulas, that was so not the case.
I really appreciate that, true to Gaga's word, this line is wearable for everyone and every kind of makeup aesthetic. Yes, the formulas are high-performance and saturated with satisfying pigment, but it's easy to mix and match in order to customize your vibe. You can go all out with a Vampira-like lip, elongated cat eye, and graphite glitter-crusted eyes, or you can swipe on a clear crystal colored gloss and touch of liner and call it a day. Plus, in addition to the brand's customizable genius, the formulas themselves really are amazing—super-blendable, surprisingly easy and low-maintenance to apply, and boasting fabulous consistency. I'm a makeup snob, and I'm honestly impressed.
For my daytime work look, I wanted to go with a neutral-ish lip, glittery pink lids, and a little bit of liner for some extra definition around my lashline. After taking stock of the entire collection, I opted for the RIP Lip Liner in Myth ($16) topped with Le Riot Lip Gloss in Entranced ($18). For my eyes, I used (and obsessed over) the Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder in Aphrodite ($20) and Rose B*tch ($20) finished with a quick draw of Liquid Eye-Lie-Ner ($20) since my makeup never feels complete without a super-subtle cat eye.
I will say that the shadow and the eyeliner here were the standouts. Like, truly, I'm obsessed with that shimmer and couldn't get over how easy it was to apply, how perfectly it dried down, and how subtle and beautifully shimmery it looked. I can't wait to keep experiment with some of the bolder colors, but this was a good toe-dip for me. As far as the lip liners and gloss, I'm left satisfied but not overjoyed. That being said, I'm also not a gloss or liner person! I'll keep the glosses in my arsenal because I like that they're sticky enough to last and maintain their lacquer-like shine for hours (even after lunch), but I had trouble with the liner shades. I didn't find any to be flattering for my skin tone or makeup vibe—they all read either a little to purple or a little too orange/brown for me.
How I Intensified It
For nighttime, and because I do like an intense lip every so often, I really went for it and traded in my daytime vibe for RIP Lip Liner in Slayer ($16) topped with Le Riot Lip Gloss in Scream ($18). For my eyes, I kept everything the same but added the Wingtip stickers (and more liner) from the Eye Armor Kit ($35).
This look was intense. I liked or had an appreciation for everything individually, but after all was said and done, I probably wouldn't go quite so all-out on both eyes and lips IRL. It was more dramatic than I anticipated! If you're into a dark and vampy lip, you will absolutely love Slayer and Scream, but they are intense, so tread carefully with your application. Even though I think the stickers are brilliant, I probably won't be wearing them. I'm actually pretty good with my lining talents, and I like something a little less elongated on my own face. But I think theses stickers are a great idea for people seeking a really dramatic cat eye and for anyone who might not have the confidence or patience to do the look from scratch using a pen alone.
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Shop Le Riot Lip Gloss
Shop Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder
Shop RIP Lip Liner
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