ZARA BEAUTY

ZARA, the Spanish high street clothing giant known for its designer-inspired pieces at purse-friendly prices, have dipped their toes into the cosmetics world with its first-ever sustainable, vegan, cruelty-free and inclusive makeup collection, aptly named ZARA BEAUTY, consisting of 130 colours, customisable eye palettes, smart refillables, recyclable packaging and a diverse campaign, and has been hailed by YOU Magazine's Edwina Ings-Chambers as 'groundbreaking' and The Guardian's Sali Hughes as 'extraordinarily good,' and will be available in ZARA stores and at zara.com today. 

📸 By Oliver Hadlee Pearch For ZARA BEAUTY Via YOU Magazine

Housed in minimalist white packaging with slanted edges 'to mirror the slopes of the Z in Zara, apparently,' as YOU Magazine's Ings-Chambers puts it, the initial drop consists of 21 items for eyes, lips, face and nails, with prices ranging from £3.99 for an eyeshadow refill to £17.99 for an entire palette. Stand out offerings include an Eyeliner with ultra-fine precision brush for the perfect feline flick or graphic look, nine highly-pigmented Eye Shadow Duos spanning a matte azure and blue called JEALOUS JET to a metallic green and gold called BONJOUR VERMONT, a six-colour silky-smooth compact in a myriad of pinks and purples named CLASH OUT, an Ultimatte Matte Lipstick covering 14 hues from a fuchsia-esque labelled JACKPOT to a classic red labelled WINNER, a Tinted Balm in five lightweight colours for a more subtle lip and 39 natural and long-lasting nail lacquers, from a turquoise tagged ELECTRIC SUBMARINE to a pearly yellow tagged ON MY WAY TO MARS.

ULTIMATTE MATTE LIPSTICK UM105 JACKPOT

EYE SHADOW PALETTE CLASH OUT
NAIL POLISH NC409 ELECTRIC SUBMARINE

What springs to mind is a very happy and mood-boosting makeup range through bright colours and exciting finishes, as relayed by renowned MUA and ZARA BEAUTY Creative Director Diane Kendal, who describes the collection to ELLE UK's Hannah Thompson as 'a celebration of life and of joyfulness,' perhaps taking her cue from a certain world event and the need for fun and cosmetics, particularly as we are coming to the end. Kendal, who once told Allure that she rarely, if ever, wears makeup, puts it perfectly to Thompson: 'I think post-pandemic people are going to want to play and experiment and be open to trying out new looks that they haven’t worn before.' The high street's resident cool girl, part of the Inditex group who also owns Bershka, has partnered with the legendary makeup artist, a favourite with designers such as Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana, on everything from colour combinations to campaign images. Speaking to Vogue, the British-born LCF alumna said: 'Somebody that wants a classic, softer makeup look can find their products, and somebody that’s more experimental can find the colors they need to create that, too. We wanted to appeal to everybody.'


The ingredients are trend-focused as they are 'consciously crafted,' 'carefully chosen' and 'clean,' according to the website, meaning they contain vegan formulas that have not been tested on animals and are free from mineral oils and silicones. The supply chain is also ethical as it 'respects and promotes human rights' alongside 'a tracking programme that allows [Zara] to determine where and how [their] products are being made.' Sustainability is also at the heart of the collection, particularly zero waste and circularity, with the label describing the packaging as 'the SYSTEM' 'that is THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED to be REFILLED and REUSED' for 'BEAUTY that LASTS.' Conceived by leading art director Fabien Baron, the exterior for the eyeliner, eyeshadows and lipsticks consist of an innovative refillable technology that involves lifting out the used product from an unseen magnet and replacing it with the refill at a fraction of the cost. The reusable aspect of the compacts also allows for the wearer to mix and match different shades, tapping into the hot beauty trend of personalisation. For items that can't be refilled, like the lip glosses, lip oils and nail polishes, ZARA have encased these in glass and everything can be recycled in-store via a dedicated Recycling Program. The commitment to the planet is impressive for a fast fashion behemoth, with Vogue writing: 'It is indeed a critical move particularly considering Zara’s immense global footprint,' and The Independent: 'Perhaps most impressively, Zara has managed to launch a colossal first collection with sustainability as a priority.' 


Diversity is also reigning in the campaign images and short films through imperfections like teeth gaps reminiscent of Gucci Beauty who famously featured Surfbort frontwoman Dani Miller in their first-ever campaign, as well as ethnicities like multiracial Binx Walton and Senegalese Maty Fall. Earlier product themes of fun and playfulness come to life as well as the notion of self-expression and individuality — ZARA wants the wearer to experiment with the collection and one can create a subtle look using blush, bronzer and lip balm à la Binx, or go all out with turquoise eyeshadow à la Aaliyah. There are also a series of nine looks captured by iconic fashion photographers including Steven Meisel that show, as Who What Wear UK put it: 'Diverse interpretations of beauty and individual character,' as well as retro inspired short films that have been shared on the brand's social media channels alongside the slogan: #thereisnobeautyonlybeauties. According to Zara Beauty Director Eva Lopez-Lopez to Vogue: 'Our ambition was to create a collection that anyone, regardless of gender, skin color, age, or personal style will want to use.'

📸 By Oliver Hadlee Pearch For ZARA BEAUTY Via Vogue


📸 By David Sims For ZARA BEAUTY Via GLAMOUR UK 

The products have attracted the pens of beauty writers across the globe including YOU Magazine's Edwina Ings-Chambers who sang its praises before hitting the shelves in an article headlined: 'Why I'm ready for a refill...,' The Zoe Report's Kaleigh Fasanella hails the range 'even better than anyone could've imagined — beauty editors included,' Vogue's Fiorella Valdesolo calls it 'a feat of beautiful design and absolute versatility,' and The Independent's Ellie Fry asks: 'Is this the best high street beauty launch yet?' before labelling the lippie as 'revolutionary.' The Guardian's Sali Hughes calls the collection 'extraordinarily good and follows its own path,' but is less complimentary of the brushes, describing them as 'far too floppy and directionless to be useful.' Alex Peters of Dazed also has a few 'misses,' namely that 'nowhere on the products, inside or out, does it indicate a shade name.'


Speaking to Grazia UK's Joely Walker, Diane Kendal says: ‘There are loads more products in the pipeline, including foundations, mascaras.' Zara Beauty Director Eva Lopez-Lopez is also looking to the future to Allure's Nicola Dall'asen: 'We will keep on developing products, thinking about what Diane likes, trends, and really whatever our customer wants.'