Makeup Artist Gucci Westman Is Not Into Tiktok Beauty Trends

Deena Campbell

May 2, 2024 at 4:54 AM·7 min read

Gucci Westman with beauty around the clock treatment.

Welcome to Beauty Around the Clock, Marie Claire's weekly peek into the daily lives of some of the most game-changing men and women in their industries. Ever wonder how they get it all done in a day? Here's your answer.

In 2018 when Gucci Westman launched makeup brand Westman Atelier, there wasn’t a bone in my body that was surprised. In fact, I was elated. Westman spearheading a cosmetics company made sense. She’s crafted glowy looks for celebrity clients like Jennifer Aniston, Anne Hathaway, Reese Witherspoon, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Clearly she knows what it takes to make women look and feel good about their appearance.

Fast forward to 2024, and I was shocked to discover she wasn't always a fan of wearing lipstick. Westman not a lipstick lover? How can that be? I thought. “I like makeup, but I never really wore lipstick because of all the petrochemicals,” she tells me over a Zoom call. Westman refers to the chemicals found in petroleum (crude oil) used to make everyday items like nylon, over-the-counter medicines, paints, and cosmetics. For her, the thought of having these chemicals on her skin went against her clean living philosophy that developed when as a child.

Growing up in Sweden, the 52 year old spent several years living at an ashram, where she cultivated a love for healthy ingredients. “My parents made everything from scratch, even cheese and butter,” she fondly remembers. "We didn’t have white cooking ingredients like white flour or sugar. Everything was natural.”

That same ideology remains at the forefront of her mind as she makes healthier beauty choices. Even now, while in the midst of menopause and busy running a popular brand, she's more comfortable in her skin than ever before. Read ahead to discover Westman's clean beauty routine and shop her favorite products.

I have rosacea, so my skin is very sensitive. I only use clean cleansers and I exfoliate weekly. I typically use the strawberry rhubarb dermafoliant from Eminence Organic Skin Care. It’s very gentle and I feel like it gets rid of the pollution and the top layer of grime, you know, the stuff that you don't get off with a cleanser.

I know I'm a makeup artist, but I like to enhance my skin rather look super cosmetic. Really, I don't wear much makeup. But, the new Westman Atelier matte lipstick has made me desire to wear lipstick on a regular basis for the first time. I'm also obsessed with lip liners and creating a shape for your lips. Besides lipstick, I like to make my face a little more bronzy with bronzers and highlighters. And that's it!

I have a phenomenal Reiki and pilates teacher named Trisha. My husband and I love her. But other than Reiki, If I have time, I’ll sit in my HigherDOSE Infared Sauna Blanket for half an hour and then take a cold shower before pilates.

For me, cold plunging is the most long-lasting, energizing thing I've ever done. It changes your mood. It's transformative, to be honest. At the moment, I take cold showers because I'm traveling. But, when I'm at home, it gives me this other level of adrenaline and energy, and I feel mega-ready to go. It's so rejuvenating!

Lastly, I love going on long walks where I multitask and take calls. I walk really fast and it makes me feel great. Living in New York for such a long time makes me walk with purpose.

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A photo posted by gucciwestman on

I don't currently wear a scent because I'm so weird about chemicals, but I do love Henry Rose fragrances. Interestingly, some time ago, I helped Rag & Bone develop their fragrance line. If I weren't doing what I'm doing now, my dream job would be a nose or an interior designer.

I use body products and anything that exfoliates. Currently, I'm using Susan Kaufman's exfoliator, and her body cream is great, too. I also use a very pure body wash called Halo 47. Sometimes, I use a dry brush, too.

I go to David Mallett in New York and Paris. When I'm in Paris, there are two guys I use for hair color. One is Bryce, who's Swedish, and the other guy is Arna. I can also get haircuts on jobs sometimes, which is so nice.

Between cuts, I wash my hair once a week with either Crown Affair leave-in conditioner or Rahula Purple shampoo conditioner. I’m really into David Mallet Vitamin Cream and K18 keratin spray molecular hair repair mask. I met the founders of K18 and love their hair care approach. They're so smart. And, of course, I use a Mason Pearson classic brush and a Crown Affair brush. They’re solid and last forever.

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A photo posted by gucciwestman on

I'm a very, very big fan of face devices. I'll use the Lyma laser because sometimes I like to incorporate more of a vibration or current, which I feel is effective, and I can see results quickly. Being consistent with a device is beneficial.

Eye Tees precision makeup applicators. I cannot live without them.

Ok, I know I mentioned my HigherDOSE Infared Sauna Blanket earlier, but it truly is great. I grew up in Sweden where 75 percent of the population has saunas in their homes. And because it's just as common as having a dishwasher, of course I have one. The winter's there are long and the days are so short. There's so many lakes in Sweden, I grew up on the water. So you spend a lot of time between the sauna and the ocean, and that's sort of something done all year round. And that's something we love to do as a family. So, yes, my HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket is my favorite treatment.

Someone once told me that when you’re consistent with a beauty treatment, it gives you long-lasting, real results instead of doing something as a fad once in a while.

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A photo posted by gucciwestman on

Bleaching my own eyebrows—I couldn’t have looked more horrifying!

My playlist depends on my mood. I play a French jazz channel if I don't want to be distracted. But if I want to feel good and get excited, like if I were on a road trip, I play the Rolling Stones or The Beatles. I also like Bob Marley and hip-hop songs. My favorite hip-hop artists are Snoop, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Jay-Z.

I like how music makes you feel. You forget everything when you hear a song you like. Oh, and I love Bieber and Taylor Swift, too. You can't get away from them!

Tweezing my eyebrows, 100 percent! And tanning.

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A photo posted by gucciwestman on

I don’t see myself being conformed to the really good TikTok trends.

First, I’ll have dinner. I try to eat on the early side. Then, I use the Myse Scalp Lift brush. It's very popular in Japan. You use it on your head and your face and it has two different attachments, so it's fantastic for microcirculation. There's also microcurrent in it, so it's good for redness and inflammation.

Next, I put on slippers. I always wear slippers. I'm wearing these Jenni Kayne ones right now. I can't walk anywhere without slippers. Slippers make me feel really cozy. It's like a hug. Oh my, I sound like I’m 85 years old!

Then I drink sleepy time tea and light a candle to settle down. I'm going through menopause and the lack of sleep is very challenging. I try to take all sorts of different supplements to sleep, like magnesium glycinate. It also doesn't help that I can't sleep when I'm not next to my husband. That sounds really corny, but it's true!