While today’s brands are being tasked with reimagining their strategies to accommodate the rise of virtual realms and augmented reality, Bakeup, which launches this fall, will come to market with such technological advancements already embedded into its DNA. 

“There isn’t a beauty without disruption,” said Cristina Carlino, who founded Philosophy in 1996 and has teamed along with her 20-year-old daughter, singer-songwriter Grace Gaustad, celebrity makeup artist Jo Baker, It Cosmetics’ Christine Nevin and fellow Philosophy alumna Sarah Superfon for the creation of Bakeup.

It’s the not-so-classic tale of just the best amount of cooks within the kitchen: Baker, the artist; Gaustad, the muse, and Carlino, Nevin and Superfon, the seasoned strategic masterminds behind all of it.

The self-described “digital-first” brand seeks to spotlight makeup’s potential as a method to precise one’s individuality, fairly than a way to evolve to societal norms — a prevailing trend that British-born Baker said she has long sought to challenge. 

“It’s almost like makeup is anticipated to only be pretty, beautiful, a bit conservative — that may be very much the usual,” said Baker, who has done the makeup of celebrities including Kristen Wiig, Priyanka Chopra and Maude Apatow. “I just felt really suppressed in that world, and I feel like my clients also desired to stand out and be unique, too.” 

Within the case of Gaustad, who’s embarking on a track-by-track rollout of their second studio album, “PLLBX,” makeup is one avenue through which they expresses their artistry as a musician. 

“Before I met Jo, I wasn’t super comfortable with makeup on, but after I discovered that I can mainly wear my emotions and stories on my face, that modified,” Gaustad said. “For me, makeup is all in regards to the recreation of 1’s own persona. It’s self-expression without bounds, a world without parameters — it’s freedom.” 

Preluding the brand’s official launch will likely be the late-August release of its gemstone-embellished eye veil, the Disco Eye Veil Adornment. The veil is the primary of many Bakeup “wearables,” to come back, for which alternate versions will even be available via Instagram filter and within the metaverse. 

To make the latter possible, Bakeup teamed with Tafi/Daz 3D, the creators of the Non-Fungible People (NFP) NFT collection, to create digital makeup that will be worn, traded and sold within the metaverse, with the veil being the primary of many iterations to come back.

“We wish to call it ‘multiverse beauty,’ or, the concept there will be multiple realities you could exist in without delay,” said Superfon, chief executive officer of Bakeup. “You possibly can be in your bathroom with the physical product, or you should use our filters and play on social media, and even have digital wearables to your avatar to take into gaming.”

While it has yet to be revealed what other products the road will entail (although the brand has confirmed a colourful eye palette is on the horizon), each stock keeping unit has been designed to permit for uninhibited self-expression, especially amongst consumers who’ve otherwise felt ignored by the wonder industry. 

“Bakeup is actually a brand for anyone who’s ever felt different for any reason, like they don’t belong or don’t slot in,” Gaustad said. “It’s about creating freedom for each single individual.”

Along with its physical product development, the brand has also been devising strategies to make sure its virtual community is as protected and welcoming a spot as possible. 

“Today, Web3 and the metaverse are mainly where the web was within the late ‘90s or early 2000s,” Carlino said. “And so, I believe Bakeup has a chance to not only be a trailblazer on this space, but to hopefully influence it in a positive way that we didn’t see occur when social media got here to be.” 

With this launch, Bakeup’s founders are in search of to redefine what beauty looks like within the post-pandemic world by prioritizing inclusivity, creativity and community.  

“We’re not using makeup, we’re using Bakeup — we’re cooking up looks, we’re having fun, we’re creating and we’re changing the narrative in the wonder industry,” Baker said.