When we think of makeup, we often think of beauty pageant girls caking on pounds of foundation and glitter or “goth girls” applying dark black eyeliner and even darker lipstick. However, makeup isn’t, nor should it be, limited to just a certain kind of person or stereotype. Makeup is a fun way for people to express themselves. Some people wear makeup to feel more confident about themselves, while others like to make statements with their makeup. Any reason is a valid and good reason to wear it.
While everyone should feel comfortable to work with makeup, certain brands and collections are more appealing to different people. One consumer that has not really been explored and marketed to directly in makeup is the fangirl. For those who do not know, a fangirl is “an obsessive female fan, especially of something technological or from popular culture.” However, I think “dedicated” is a better word than “obsessive.” If anyone has been to any type of Comic Con or seen photos from the events, fangirls are definitely no strangers to makeup. These girls are some of the most creative and talented when it comes to art of self-expression. Yet, there is no branding done specifically to fangirls…until last month. In September, a special limited edition makeup collection had fans of a certain Sci-Fi film rejoicing.
CoverGirl launched its limited edition Star Wars makeup collection. The collection features lipsticks, mascara (waterproof and non-waterproof!), and nail polishes. The release of the collection is to promote the new film Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens. In addition the products, six looks were released, using the makeup from the collection. Pat McGrath, renowned celebrity makeup artist and the global creative design director for CoverGirl, created these looks, which were inspired by icon characters from Star Wars. There are three “light-side” looks (Jedi, Mystic, and Droid) and three “dark-side” looks (Stormtrooper, Dark Apprentice, and Chrome Captain). These looks range from the wearable “Jedi” to magazine0ready “Chrome Captain.” Furthermore, there is a bonus look “Resistance Pilot” modeled by CoverGirl Janelle Monae. You can also check out an out-of-this-world Tumblr that features interactive how-to videos and face charts on how to create the six looks.
Following the release of the collection, BuzzFeed released a video “Star Wars Fans Try CoverGirl’s Makeup Line,” where four fangirls try the different makeup items that are part of the collection. The girls discussed what they liked about the collection (the metallic lipsticks applied well) and what they didn’t like (colors that worked with different skin tones could be chosen). A unanimous decision amongst all the girls that it was great to see Star Wars and CoverGirl work together to create a fandom product that could be marketed to female fans who enjoy makeup and fashion.
It is pretty awesome to see CoverGirl focus at an audience that it typically does not target. When a film comes out, there is typically tons of merchandise released for sale for fans to buy. In the case of sci-fi films, there has never been a makeup collection released as promotional material. The launch of this limited edition collection allows girls that consider themselves geeks or nerds to have a collection of makeup they can relate to. There are mascara bottles with Star Wars quotes to collect and lipstick colors that characters from Star Wars would wear. This collection is a step in the right direction for companies to target different consumers. While this is the first makeup collection for fangirls, I don’t anticipate this being the last.
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