Ariana Grande, in a plush pink sweater and her signature ponytail, exudes the essence of Glinda on a Zoom call. The actress, known for embracing “method dressing,” has fully immersed herself in her role as the Good Witch in the upcoming *Wicked* movie adaptation. Today, she’s giving us an exclusive look at her new R.E.M. Beauty x Wicked collection.
This magical line is a testament to Grande’s commitment to capturing the spirit of Glinda. “For this collection, I drew inspiration from the show, the movie, and the books,” she reveals. “I’m a bit of a nerd and like to document everything, like makeup and hair tests and fittings.” Her meticulously kept, pink-hued notebook is filled with notes, evidence of her dedication to the project.
Grande’s transformation into the Good Witch started earlier this year, and she’s been consistently embracing the color pink, favoring pieces from designers like Thom Browne and Giambattista Valli. Now, she’s taking it a step further with her beauty line. The R.E.M. Beauty x Wicked collection features nine unique products, including a pH-sensitive lip oil that changes color.
“We had to add some magic, of course,” she says with a laugh. “I have a funny story about that product. One of my best friends, Doug [Middlebrook], got all the testers because he likes to help me and try everything out. The Glinda lip oil was in his bathroom, and one of his friends saw it and put it on, thinking it would be a nice clear shimmery gloss. A few minutes later, their lips were bright pink!”
Grande’s journey to becoming Glinda has been a process of embracing inspiration from the iconic actresses who have played the role before her. “We wanted to pay homage to other amazing Glinda interpretations, while creating our own version,” she explains. She’s not just focusing on gloss, either. Her skin is subtly glowing through the screen, thanks to the Galinda Illuminating Drops (paired with the Sweetener foundation and concealer from her main R.E.M. Beauty line), Ozdust Eyeshadow Palette, and Galinda Lipstick.
“As a singer, I have very specific features,” Grande acknowledges. “I was able to put those aside through the world of beauty, which also helped me find Glinda.” The first step, she explains, was bleaching her hair. “Even though I was wearing wigs, I really wanted to be blonde.” She also had to bleach her eyebrows, since “Glinda’s light eyebrows really soften her face. My brown eyebrows didn’t work at all.” From there, she worked closely with the *Wicked* beauty team, including Frances Hannon and Gabor Kerekes, to complete the transformation.
Then, of course, came the pink. “Cynthia [Erivo, who plays Elphaba in *Wicked*] and I loved shopping as our characters. I wanted to capture Glinda’s way of thinking, her essence. Now I love pink, it’s part of me. I think I’ll always be connected to it in a very special way.”
The R.E.M. Beauty x Wicked collection launches online at midnight ET on October 1st. It will also be available in Ulta Beauty stores and on ulta.com in early October.
