Haus Laboratories

Haus Laboratories (stylized in all caps and abbreviated as Haus Labs) is a vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics brand launched on September 17, 2019, by American singer Lady Gaga. It is the first major beauty line to launch exclusively on Amazon, released in nine countries including France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The first products included lip liner, lip gloss, and liquid-to-powder shimmer. The company's mission is to spread kindness, bravery, and creativity by providing tools for self-expression and reinvention.

Haus Laboratories
TypePrivate
IndustryCosmetics
FoundedSeptember 17, 2019 (2019-09-17)
FounderLady Gaga
Headquarters
United States
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsCosmetics, beauty products
Websitehauslabs.com

Haus Laboratories was originally launched in 2012 as a perfume brand, in association with Coty, Inc., an American multinational beauty company founded in 1904 and known for owning several brands. Their first fragrance, Fame, came out in that same year, and the second one, called Eau de Gaga, in 2014.

Background
"I have a platform in the world. God gave me this voice for a reason, I don't know why, I ask myself that question all the time, but I'm sure as hell not going to put out a beauty brand that is going to drive insecurity and fear into people. This is about liberation."

–Gaga talking about the brand in her The Business of Fashion interview.[1]

In February 2018, Gaga filed for trademarks for "Haus Beauty" and "Haus Labs" through her company, Ate My Heart Inc. Then, at the Met Gala in May 2019, fans started to suspect that the makeup she was using was a preview of what was to come. Besides that, she had been using the hashtag #HausBeauty on several posts on her Instagram. Haus Laboratories is Gaga's first solo cosmetics brand.[2] Previously, she had collaborated with MAC Cosmetics, for their Viva Glam Lipstick 2011 campaign, with a video directed by Nick Knight.[3] Between 2012 and 2014, Gaga released two fragrances, Fame and Eau de Gaga, via Haus Laboratories in association with Coty, Inc.[4]

The brand is inspired by Gaga's early days as a musician in Manhattan and it carries the spirit of embrace of individuality, and expressing it through bold makeup and body art, authenticity, and inclusivity. Also, the decision to sell it exclusively on Amazon was based on Haus Labs' messages of self-acceptance and confidence. Gaga stated in an interview to The Business of Fashion that the partnership with Amazon was made because only they would allow her to commercialize a brand with these principles, saying "no message of self-acceptance, no deal".[1]

The team assembled by Gaga consists of 15 people, such as veterans from Milk Makeup and Benefit Cosmetics owned by LVMH; Gaga's makeup artist, Sarah Tanno, who is the brand's global artistry director; and the former executive at The Honest Company and Zynga, a mobile game company behind FarmVille and Words with Friends, Ben Jones, who is chief executive. She has also secured backing from Lightspeed Venture Partners, an investor in companies including Goop and Stitch Fix.[5]

Launch

Haus Labs' first products were available for pre-order for Amazon Prime members on July 15, 2019, but only hit the market in September.[6] For the official launch, Gaga hosted a party, called "Haus Party", with 500 guests, on September 16, 2019, in Santa Monica. During her speech, she claimed "we're not just launching makeup. This is a glamour attack on the world to be accepting, humble, brave and, above all, empowered to be kind. No matter how you identify, all are welcome at Haus Laboratories".[7] It was launched simultaneously on Amazon in nine countries, including the US, France, and Germany, while customers from other locations could order from the company's global store, on hauslabs.com.[1]

Products

On September 17, 2019, Haus Laboratories launched the first products, six kits that featured three products each: Glam Attack (a shimmer pigment), R.I.P. Lip Liner, and Le Riot Lip Gloss. Inspired by the houses in the ball culture scene in the 1980s, seen in the documentary Paris Is Burning (1990) and in the television series Pose, these kits were called Haus of Chained Ballerina, Haus of Goddess, Haus of Bitch, Haus of Rockstar, Haus of Dynasty, and Haus of Metal Head. They also released a limited-edition packs of two pigments, two glosses, or two liners.[8] On November 14, the line announced that they would be launching their first holiday collection, entitled Cosmic Love, with a new formula and more glittered lip liners, lip gloss, and shimmer powders, and a new kit called the Haus of Angel Baby, along with their first ever bullet lipstick. It was released on November 18.[9]

On May 19, 2020, Haus Labs launched the Stupid Love Palette, with 18 new shades, with names from Gaga's sixth studio album Chromatica (2020).[10] Named Eye-Dentify, on August 4, 2020, the brand released their new collection of gel pencil eyeliners, made into 20 different shades and available in three different finishes – matte, shimmer, and metallic. Both Gaga and Ariana Grande wore it in the music video for "Rain On Me".[11] On October 6, 2020, Haus Labs launched a blush and highlighter duo – Head Rush, and a bronzing and highlighter duo – Heat Spell. The blush comes in seven duo sets, and the bronzer comes in five. In an interview with Refinery29, Gaga stated "we formulated them to be a silky powder, that leaves a clean buildable finish with rich, flirtatious hues and beaming highlighters. I've named them Heat Spell and Head Rush to indicate the ecstasy of celebrating you."[12]

Packaging

The collection is packaged as a kit and comes in a silver and black vinyl clutch to stow the makeup. All product packages have a diamond-like prism shape on the bottom and top of the cap.[13]

Pricing

The prices for the first products from Haus Laboratories ranged from $16 to $49. A lip gloss cost $16, while a palette for eyes, lips, and cheeks was $49.[14] Nicole Quinn from Lightspeed Venture Partners stated that they decided to bring the prices down so that it would be possible for more people to purchase them, saying "it means we can appeal to a much greater percentage of Gaga's audience".[15] Celebrating their first anniversary, the brand offered all products on Amazon at 30 percent off from July 14 to July 20, 2020.[16] Its duo sets of blush, bronzer, and highlighters cost $26.[12]

Marketing

Serving as the launch video of the brand, a one-minute video titled "Our Haus. Your Rules." was released. It was directed by Daniel Sannwald and featured Gaga encouraging people to embrace the individuality and express it through bold makeup and body art with her collection of makeup.[17] "Babylon" (Early Version) was its official track, being produced by Gaga in collaboration with Bloodpop, Tchami, and Boys Noize.[18] Promoting part 1 of the Cosmic Love Holiday Collection, Haus Labs released a video featuring Gaga along with other models wearing the new products.[19] On May 18, 2020, the brand released a video with Gaga accompanied by guests such as RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Alaska Thunderfuck and Aquaria, and the YouTubers Aaliyah Jay and Patrick Starrr among others, to lip sync "Stupid Love", while promoting the eye shadow palette of the same name.[20] On July 31, 2020, a video featuring Gaga was released to promote their gel pencil eyeliners, named Eye-Dentify.[21]

Sales

According to reports by the fashion-industry trade journal, WWD, Haus Labs was the third best selling celebrity makeup brand of 2020, earning over $141.7 million of media value (a measure of marketing success). It was only behind Fenty Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics, first and second place, respectively.[22]

Philanthropy

Haus Laboratories joined the Born This Way Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Gaga and her mother to raise mental health awareness, through donations from $1 of every paid transaction on Haus Labs' official website.[23]

See also

References
  1. Strugatz, Rachel (July 10, 2019). "Revealed: Lady Gaga's New Beauty Line". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  2. Rogers, Sam (July 10, 2019). "Haus Laboratories: All the facts about Lady Gaga's new beauty brand". Vogue India. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. "Lady Gaga Named MAC Spokesperson — AGAIN!". Seventeen. December 17, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  4. "Lady Gaga unveils new Steven Klein artwork for Eau de Gaga". Yahoo! News. August 11, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  5. Rogers, Sam (July 10, 2019). "Could Lady Gaga's New Make-Up Line Be The Next Fenty Beauty?". Vogue UK. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  6. Shunatona, Brooke (July 15, 2019). "Attention: You Can Now Preorder Lady Gaga's Haus Labs Makeup Products Online—TY, Amazon Prime Day!". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  7. Schmidt, Ingrid; Weinberg, Lindsay (September 17, 2019). "Inside Lady Gaga's "Haus Party" to Unveil Cosmetics Line". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  8. Rekstis, Emily (July 11, 2019). "Here's a Sneak Peek at Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories Makeup Launch". Us Weekly. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  9. Simmons, Shea (November 14, 2019). "Lady Gaga's Haus Labs Holiday Collection Will Be On Your Wish List This Year". Us Weekly. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  10. "Lady Gaga's Haus Labs is droping a 'Stupid Love' palette". Dazed. May 14, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  11. "Lady Gaga's make-up artist Sara Tanno on Haus Labs' trends and tricks". Dazed. August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  12. Hoshikawa, Karina (October 1, 2020). "Lady Gaga's Beauty Brand Is Launching Bronzer & Blush – Here Are The Exclusive Detailss". Refinery29. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  13. Blasdel, Becca (July 16, 2019). "Lady Gaga's 'superhero' makeup line is already an Amazon Prime Day best-seller". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  14. Mackelden, Amy; Rosenstein, Jenna (September 17, 2019). "Lady Gaga's New Beauty Line Haus Labs is Herea". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  15. Lebsack, Lexy (September 20, 2019). "Lady Gaga's Female Investor Gets Real About Business, Beauty, & The Next Big Thing". Refinery29. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  16. Butan, Christina (July 15, 2020). "Lady Gaga's Entire Makeup Line Is 30% Off Right Now — Including Her Top-Rated Eyeliner". People. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  17. Noble, Audrey (July 11, 2019). "Everything You Need to Know About Lady Gaga's New Haus Laboratories Collection". Vogue. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  18. Nolfi, Joey (June 12, 2020). "Lady Gaga's Chromatica team reveals the history and future of her new era". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  19. Sharma, Jeena (November 18, 2019). "Lady Gaga's Haus Holiday Collection Is Here". Paper. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  20. Megarry, Daniel (May 18, 2020). "Lady Gaga releases new Stupid Love video with Drag Race stars Aquaria and Alaska". Gay Times. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  21. "Lady Gaga stuns in Haus Laboratories gel eyeliner campaign". Fashion Gone Rogue. August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  22. Manso, James (April 7, 2010). "Fenty Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics Top Celebrity Brand Rankings". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  23. "Building a kinder + braver world, together". Haus Laboratories. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
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