Inside Lady Gaga’s “Haus Party” to Unveil Cosmetics Line

Lady Gaga toasted her new beauty brand, Haus Laboratories, with a “Haus Party” for 500 guests on Monday night in Santa Monica. The pop star invited influencers and friends to a dimly lit Barker Hangar, where she DJ’d a set and spoke about the power of makeup before debuting the six-product collection, which includes eyeliners, lip liners, stickers and eyeshadow shimmers in various shades, available at HausLabs.com and on Amazon ($16-$49).

As guests approached the venue, where they could take a turn on the black carpet for a selfie, a recording repeated the brand mantras: “Your glam. Your expression. Your artistry. We want you to love yourself.” On the menu were vegetarian sliders with black buns and a choice of two Casamigos tequila cocktails: Casa Warming (with lime and cilantro) and Haus Party (with mint and lemon).

Just after the stroke of 9 p.m. PT (the official launch hour of her Haus Laboratories beauty line), Gaga emerged on a stage, wearing an oversized black patent Kaimin moto jacket over a black bodysuit, with lace-trimmed thigh-high black stockings and black patent platform booties. She later changed into a black “spider jumpsuit” (also from New York label Kaimin’s new spring 2020 collection) and then into a black crystal beaded gown with a high slit by Kuwaiti-based designer Yousef Al Jasmi. Throughout the night, she wore Stefere jewelry by Corina Larpin.

“I have always, even prior to my career, wanted to spread love around the world,” she said. “At first I found that way through music, but it was the discovery of makeup that helped me transform into the artist and person I always wanted to be. It helped me to love myself. No matter what. With the makeup or not.”

Added Gaga: “I’m standing here braver than I’ve ever been. I’m overcoming obstacles. I’m dealing with my own mental health issues around fame. And finally, being able to really show up for the world the way that I want to, in the way that I believe I’m supposed to.”

The Oscar winner said the mission of Haus Laboratories is to encourage fans to love themselves from the inside out: “Although for me, I learned to love myself from the outside in. It was through the power of makeup, and specifically color, that I found the rainbow in my heart.“

Gaga believes a purpose of her line is to encourage self-love through beauty. “You can talk about makeup. You can talk about products. You can talk about formulas. We can do all that. But if you spread that message, that’s what I really, really want. 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,” Gaga told the crowd during her 20-minute speech.

“Yes, I want this company to do well,” she added. “But more importantly, I want Haus Laboratories to succeed because of what we stand for, which is love. … I want people to love themselves. And I want them to see how beautiful they are.”

In addition to the previously announced products Le Riot Lip Gloss ($18), Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder ($20) and RIP Lip Liner ($16), Gaga unveiled three new beauty items at the bash: the Liquid Eye-lie-ner ($20), sticker eye wings called the Eye Armor Kit ($35) and the Armor Masque No. 1 ($25), a lacy sticker for the eyes based on her Super Bowl aesthetic. “They’re perfect for the person that needs to run out the door, which is me,” she joked of the wings.

Gaga also shouted out accolades to her personal makeup artist of about 10 years, Sarah Tanno, who helped develop the line and is now global artistry director of Haus Labs. “We all know who the genius is behind this brand,” said the singer-songwriter. “I mean, this woman has not slept. And quite frankly, neither have I.” (Gaga later clarified that her own title is chairwoman of Haus Laboratories, saying she mixed pigments on her kitchen floor: “My fingerprints are all over this. It’s a crime scene.”)

Then she commended her mother, Cynthia, president and co-founder of Gaga’s nonprofit Born This Way Foundation since 2011, with a mission of inspiring and creating space spaces for young people. “Watching my mom put her makeup on was a spiritual experience for me,” Gaga said. “Although I always thought my mom was beautiful, even without makeup, I watched her become braver and braver as she put it on every morning before work. When I was growing up, I didn’t always feel beautiful. And sometimes I still don’t feel beautiful. … But makeup and my fans, they really changed that for me. I found the same purpose as my mother. My mother wanted to help kids feel empowered and brave and so do I. I want to change the world. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I do what I do.”

The “Just Dance” singer concluded by debuting a mini laboratory in the back of the room with beakers on display, where guests could try out the new colorful cosmetics, adding, “Bring out your artistry and even, for the love of God, get messy with it in there, would you please?”

After her speech, the pop star/actress/entrepreneur descended onto a reserved part of the dance floor and slipped on a pair of white over-the-ear headphones. She settled in to spin DJ sets (including her song “Manicure” from the Artpop album and “Human Fly” by The Cramps) as she danced with friends, including YouTube beauty mogul Patrick Starr, while fans crowded in to snap photos. To officially christen the collection launch, she popped open a bottle of champagne and gleefully sprayed her friends — a signal that the Gaga “Haus Party” had officially started.