Getting real with Celeste Barber on her new BOOIE Beauty range at Woolies
Celeste Barber has built a global empire making fun of impossible beauty standards. Now, the comedy queen has become a makeup mogul with the launch of BOOIE Beauty, bringing simple, quality makeup to women who are tired of complicated routines and anti-aging slogans. Here, Celeste reveals why she’s bringing the "bush" back to eyebrows, why busy mums will love finding the range in the aisles at Woolies, and how BOOIE Beauty shows that we actually get better with age.
You built your brand poking fun at the beauty industry’s unrealistic standards. Why launch a makeup brand now?
I realised that most products in the beauty industry now are targeted to 12-year-olds, and anything targeted to over 12-year-olds is like anti-aging serum or anti-aging products. And I'm not about that at all. And I had all these different products that I wanted to put together in one to make it super easy. So, I wanted to create makeup that you can’t eff up, gets you out the door in 5 minutes, and it just brings out the best version of you.
Who is BOOIE Beauty for?
I made BOOIE for me. Essentially, I found myself mixing different products together to get exactly what I wanted. And it's for my audience; it's for my ladies, the ones that come and see me on tour. Women that are, you know, getting older and when it comes to beauty, have been made to feel like we should be invisible. [But] I believe that we get better as we get older. I know I'm getting better as I get older. So, I wanted to create this line to really enhance that.
Why go exclusive with Woolies?
Partnering with Woolies was just a really, really obvious choice for us. There's a screaming baby in a pram over there. And that woman, who is pushing that pram, is my audience. She needs a mascara.
Woolies is a one-stop shop. It's where you come and get your bananas for school lunches; you get tampons for your 13-year-old daughter; and you also get a mascara. Who wants to get out of the car twice? Not me. I never get out of the car. I hate getting out of the car.
What are the BOOIE Beauty products you can’t live without?
Okay, now this is like choosing a favourite child, but I’m good at that. I will say our Base Face range, the five products that we started with, is still my go-to — it's in my handbag everywhere I go.
My favourite BOOIE products would be our Excellent BB Cream as it's got the yummiest ingredients; Bloody Delicious Illuminator because it makes you look like you've slept; and our tubular mascara, called You're Welcome because when you put it on, you're going to be like, "Ah, thank you" and you'll hear me in your head going, "You're welcome.” It's the greatest mascara. Bring Back The Bush, our eyebrow tint is also amazing — because the '90s stole our brows, so we're bringing back the bush. And also Bam! Bam! Bam!. See, I can't do it. I can't choose one. So, buy it all. It's easier.
