Archived Post

Sneak Peek: Gucci Beauty Photos & Swatches + First Impressions

Gucci Beauty
Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty is now available online at gucci.com, and available for pre-order at Neiman Marcus and Saks. I purchased all the products featured in this post at Gucci.com with overnight shipping (they shipped out within an hour of my purchase, which I was impressed by).  The range is quite massive, which was unexpected for a luxury brand’s initial launch, as I anticipated it being more edited and then the brand adding more shades over time.  (See my original post that details all of the formulas and shades in the range.) The packaging is all plastic, and it feels the same to me as Chanel, Dior, etc.; there’s no real heft (not even with the lipsticks) to make it feel truly luxurious.

The powder products seem to have the right texture–soft, finely-milled, silky–overall, though some are less or more pigmented, some are firmer (but not really stiff).  The single eyeshadows have the best and most consistent quality from what I’ve tested so far.  The lipglosses were disappointing, since they’re described as “intense color,” and the two I have aren’t opaque.  The lip products have a very noticeable sweet vanilla and perfume-y scent and a soapy taste that doesn’t quit.  Fever looks rough applied, and I’ve tried applying it on four separate occasions, and it always looked clumpy and uneven.  Keep in mind, these are my initial impressions (some products I’ve finished testing but haven’t written up, some I haven’t tested yet), and you will see full reviews, photos, and swatches posted soon.  You can also view all the products I swatched here in the Swatch Gallery.

One thing to note:  all the retailers that will carry this range do not have a generous return policy, so you cannot order online, try it, and then return it.  Gucci’s own policy is within 10 days of receipt and must be unopened in its cellophane wrapping.  There are very few stores that will carry the line, so it will be difficult to see it in person for many.   (These are the stores that will have it in October: Gucci New York Fifth Avenue, Gucci Los Angeles Rodeo Drive, Gucci Las Vegas Crystals City Center, Gucci Dallas Northpark, Saks Fifth Avenue New York, Neiman Marcus Las Vegas.)

See more photos & swatches!

Gucci Beauty
Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty
Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty
Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty
Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty
Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty
Gucci Beauty

Gucci Antique Gold Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Antique Gold Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Antique Gold Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Antique Gold Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Iconic Ottanio Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Iconic Ottanio Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Iconic Ottanio Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Iconic Ottanio Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Sasso Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Sasso Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Sasso Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Sasso Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow
Gucci Autumn Fire Magnetic Color Shadow Eyeshadow Quad Magnetic Color Shadow

Gucci Fume Magnetic Color Shadow Duo
Gucci Fume Magnetic Color Shadow Duo

Gucci Fume Magnetic Color Shadow Duo
Gucci Fume Magnetic Color Shadow Duo

Gucci Fume Magnetic Color Shadow Duo
Gucci Fume Magnetic Color Shadow Duo

Gucci Malachite Magnetic Color Shadow Duo
Gucci Malachite Magnetic Color Shadow Duo

Gucci Malachite Magnetic Color Shadow Duo
Gucci Malachite Magnetic Color Shadow Duo

Gucci Malachite Magnetic Color Shadow Duo
Gucci Malachite Magnetic Color Shadow Duo

Gucci Cherry Nectar Sheer Blushing Powder
Gucci Cherry Nectar Sheer Blushing Powder

Gucci Cherry Nectar Sheer Blushing Powder
Gucci Cherry Nectar Sheer Blushing Powder

Gucci Coral Flower Sheer Blushing Powder
Gucci Coral Flower Sheer Blushing Powder

Gucci Coral Flower Sheer Blushing Powder
Gucci Coral Flower Sheer Blushing Powder

Gucci Crushed Coral Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer
Gucci Crushed Coral Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer

Gucci Crushed Coral Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer
Gucci Crushed Coral Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer

Gucci Potent Violet Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer
Gucci Potent Violet Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer

Gucci Potent Violet Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer
Gucci Potent Violet Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer

Gucci Fever Audacious Color Intense Lipstick
Gucci Fever Audacious Color Intense Lipstick

Gucci Fever Audacious Color Intense Lipstick
Gucci Fever Audacious Color Intense Lipstick

Gucci Bitter Grape Audacious Color Intense Lipstick
Gucci Bitter Grape Audacious Color Intense Lipstick

Gucci Bitter Grape Audacious Color Intense Lipstick
Gucci Bitter Grape Audacious Color Intense Lipstick

Gucci Hibiscus Thrill Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick
Gucci Hibiscus Thrill Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick

Gucci Hibiscus Thrill Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick
Gucci Hibiscus Thrill Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick

Gucci Tiger Lily Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick
Gucci Tiger Lily Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick

Gucci Tiger Lily Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick
Gucci Tiger Lily Luxurious Moisture Rich Lipstick

Gucci Iconic Ottanio Impact Longwear Eye Pencil
Gucci Iconic Ottanio Impact Longwear Eye Pencil

Gucci Iconic Ottanio Impact Longwear Eye Pencil
Gucci Iconic Ottanio Impact Longwear Eye Pencil

144 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Christine Avatar

I figured I’d go purple for a bolder, fun shade and then coral since it’s a color that’s well-loved. I prefer to buy in threes for lip products (light, medium, dark), but the price point was just too high to make it feasible given how many formulas they had 🙁

Yana Avatar

I feel the same way. Tiger lily seems a tad bit darker yet in the promo pictures it looks lighter. You would think they would release more dark purples and burgundy colors since fall is around the corner. I know that I was looking to get some of those shades from this collection. Maybe I’ll aim for some nudy pink and mauve colors, those are always in need of.

Gina Avatar

I love the Autumn Fire eyeshadow quad, but the lipsticks and lipglosses look kind of cheap to me. And really the Gucci logo all over reads as cheap to me too. I’m not sure why.

I’ve never had an issue returning at Saks, by the way. I shop online there a lot and take back what I don’t like, including makeup that didn’t work out for me.

Christine Avatar

The lipsticks have a really bulky, lightweight plastic feel to them… I don’t know. It’s nothing compared to Giorgio Armani, Guerlain, or Chanel’s lipsticks. Do you return via mail or in-store?

Saks has always told me no returns except if it’s unopened and unused 🙁

Tugce Avatar

I really really hope this range performs well! I find the color selection to be very well edited, I see nothing I don’t love among the items you picked.

Also, I am usually not so much moved by packaging but for some reason the way this collection looks really appealing to me. This collection might be the one luxury splurge for me 🙂

Looking forward to your reviews!

Ammara Avatar

I saw these in Macy’s on 34th street, New York. I also saw Michael Kors beauty. They don’t carry Nars but the sephora in times square stocks dolce and gabbana, armani and the nars audacious lipstick shades that aren’t stocked at regular sephoras.

Dusty Avatar

Lovely swatches! Didn’t expect that quad to be so frosty tho… Hmm… I felt the same way about the enormity of the launch. They didn’t come out like a luxe bran, they came out like a full fledged makeup compan which felt odd to me. The selection is appreciated but all those options doesn’t make it look like you put enough care into the launch (which is what I’d want from a luxury brand). Gucci has often been a little tacky with their fashion (back in the day when I cared about fashion it was why I liked them so much) – still I somehow expected more than “look at us!” color options, plastic compacts if I may say REALLY odd and inconsistent price points! The return policy is ultimately what kept me from buying. I was curious about the foundations, powders, etc. But they don’t even list ingredients on their website for these things… to offer them with no ability to test because of that return policy and no ingredients listed is just silly… and not very luxurious.

Christine Avatar

It seems like a lot of the eyeshadows are shimmery rather than satin or matte.

And yes, the pricing seems inconsistent! It seems somewhere between Chanel and Tom Ford, but then some things seem too high or too low (like the gloss at $32 but lipsticks at $39 is odd).

Danielle Avatar

Actually I like both. Also, although we are different complexions, I’ve found that corals I like on you, work really well on me. (I bought MAC’s Bite of An Apple because of you.) So I’m looking forward to your review of the coral blush.

kjh Avatar

The only Gucci thing i ever bought was a gorgeous briefcase: sumptuous brown leather, with the red/green fabric stripe + NO LOGOS! I can’t abide overt logo-izing, except Johnny Cupcakes, a case of hometown boy makes good. (It’s tees + sweats, but if they ever made makeup, I’d have to give it a go.) That briefcase was left overnight in grad school, and you guessed it, stolen. Then G went into major logos + forget it! But the very thing i dislike makes it a major status symbol for many. Despite the hefty prices, I think this will be a go, and not just for the Cle de Peau + even higher end buyers.

Stacey Avatar

Malachite was what I was eyeing for…but it’s doesn’t look as intense in color.
A lot of these colors are duplicable from other brands.
I just need the swatches for all the lipsticks.
So looking forward to you reviews…wish they sold it in stores not just Gucci.

Christine Avatar

Why they felt it was necessary to launch like 60 lipsticks at once, I don’t know. The shade range between the two formulas overlap a lot (intentionally, I believe), and they do a poor job of really explaining the differences between the two formulas, LOL! One just sounds… hydrating? What, the other is drying then?!

Brenda Avatar

A few items look really pretty and different, though likely out of my price range! I’d also be less likely to purchase due to the return policy and not being able to try before you buy. It makes it feel more like you’re buying the cosmetics for the brand name, not because they are a great company who want to provide customer service and products to consumers.

Christine Avatar

I was hesitant to purchase sight unseen! The problem is that at this price point, one can’t just buy everything or feel good if it’s just “okay.” It should be excellent, and I’m always disappointed by strict return policies. There are many ways to monitor and control for abuse of return policies.

fancie Avatar

Smh that purple gloss is so disappointing and it’s one of the products I liked the most. The blushes and lipsticks look really promising though. I can’t wait for your reviews! I’ll definitely need to see plenty before splurging since I won’t be able to check this out in stores. I really hate that this isn’t available at Nordstrom.

TheOtherHelen Avatar

Hmmm. I wonder why such limited brick and mortar availability. I need to see, touch, swatch before dropping $40 on a lipstick. The autumn fire quad is gorgeous though. I might have to take a chance on that one, lol.

Christine Avatar

It seems like that is the case with most new brands (same occurred for Burberry, Charlotte Tilbury, Tom Ford) – I think it’s because counter space is VERY difficult to get. There is only so much of it, and so it’s hard to make room for it at every location.

Liz Avatar

I was waiting to see what you thought of these. I got the Cipria lipstick. I loved the packaging and the tube. I thought it was fairly luxurious- I prefer it to Ford, Tilbury, Jacobs, Dior, so to me, loved the embossed tube and it felt hefty to me. IMHO. But absolutely it has the perfume taste that’s really off putting. I don’t know why these companies do that. I won’t buy YSL lippies because of it. I love, love the Autumn Fire quad- love the packaging and presentation. Wish no perfume in the lipsticks but likely will buy another. And want to try the blush and bronzer. I agree from your swatches that gloss is no thanks. Thank you for pointing out that return policy. Didn’t realize it. I don’t get the whole ordering makeup online thing. That’s something you gotta try on. Thanks for another helpful review!

Christine Avatar

What’s the color of Cipria like? Coverage? So hard to know with such an extensive line – bound to be duds, bound to be hits! The taste, though, it’s rough for me. Obviously, taste is SUPER personal and some will barely notice or not find it off-putting.

I find the packaging on say Burberry, Giorgio Armani, and Guerlain to be more luxury to me for lipsticks in particular. I like Chanel’s heft in comparison to Gucci’s, but I think the three brands I mentioned before really do a bang up job on lipstick packaging.

Liz Avatar

Cipria is one that’s more nudey. Very pretty. Hadn’t realized, though, they have an audacious line and the other one. Wonder what the difference is in terms of pigmentation, etc. The one I have is less pigmented to me than Tilbury and more moisturizing, glossy. But the perfume. Wish they didn’t have it. Can’t wait to get a blush!

Andrea Avatar

I was Just placing my order of Fume, amongst other things… Now I’m glad I saw this first. It is lovely, but is not what I expected, so wont. Was on the fence about Autumn Fire too. Too pinkish for my taste.
I knew you were goimg yo get Ottanio! Has ‘Christine’ written all over it.

Christine Avatar

Aw! Maybe I just chose all the underwhelming shades. I wanted to get the Tuscan Storm (I think that’s it) quad, since it seemed taupe-ish (I tried to pick things that I thought would resonate/be interesting for readers, and then a few things I might like), but it was backordered when I made my order.

Andrea Avatar

Fume disappointed me, and I really wanted it. So did Autumn Fire. The orange-y shade is too frosty and so I end up not using frosty shades. I think Tuscan Storm performs really well as I have seen a review, but like you said that one and Cosmic Deco are backordered.
It really really sucks that you cant return. That lip gloss is like nothing…the violet one…sigh… Well, will hold my breath while I wait for your full review, but seriously, I think I can live without.
Malachite seem impressive…reminds me of the new Nars duos, pigmentation and texture wise.
I was going to order Crystal Copper that has copper and taupe…but now I dont know…will wait for some good generous soul to review it. Thank you, love… ❤️

Veronica Avatar

My initial impression is that the powder products and eyeliner look great, while the lip products may need some reformulating. I do like the packaging, though – very chic minimalist ala Chanel.

Kate Avatar

Some of these swatches look really beautiful and I wish the collection weren’t being made by P&G. I don’t go so far as limiting myself to vegan products (although I salute those who do), but P&G’s record of animal cruelty (not just with beauty products- with many of their brands including pet food, sadly enough) is really stomach-churning, even when compared to other companies with a history of doing animal tests. Guess I should be happy for money saved.

Aline Avatar

I was so excited for the lipsticks, but perfume in my mouth isn’t appealing at all. I might pick up a quad once more swatches show up. I hope you like the majority of what you bought since it was so expensive.

snm Avatar

One more designer house make up collection ? Seems like they keep popping out a lot recently don’t they? As much as the swatches so far looks promising, I am not really interested. Surely they are going to have some good formulas but I am digging for more creative,fun,daring and unique stuff as all those recent luxury brand creations feels like glorified copies of one another. Formula-wise I am loyal to my HG brands (like Guerlain) and I need something different in order to be interested at this price point.

Adetoun Avatar

This is going to sound crazy but I kind of wished they came out with a more edited line to start with, then expanded later. Whenever there are too many options for a brand that I’m unfamiliar with, I get overwhelmed and end up not getting anything especially if I can’t see it in person. Thanks for the sneak peek, the purple lipsticks caught my eye as well, I’m disappointed they’re not deeper in color, it’s like Tom Ford’s Violet Fatale all over again.

Tangie W Avatar

I ordered the Gucci eyebrow pencils from Gucci website, 2 of them and love them. The stuff I preordered on Saks I cancelled. I don’t think I’ll get anything else from the line especially with the return policy and not being able to do swatches.

Mariella Avatar

At these prices, I wouldn’t risk ordering sight unseen/untested if I couldn’t return (I always, ALWAYS like to try in person anyway and rarely return anything). Having said that, I absolutely adore the Fume Eyeshadow Duo and the Sasso eyeshadow single. Gorgeous!

Christine Avatar

I’m not a big returner either (even if I wasn’t blogging, I wasn’t before and wouldn’t be) – but I think it’s important to stand by your products and make sure customers LOVE what they have. Especially at this type of price, because you should love anything you pay this much more. It should perform beautifully!

Elizabeth Avatar

Hi, Christine! Do you have any information on the foundation shades? I Am a light /medium gal with yellow to neutral undertones…I’d really like to try the foundation but wouldn’t know how to pick a shade! Also, my cheeks tend to get oily and my mouth area is sort of dry..do you think their foundation would work? Thanks in advance!

Karol Avatar

I ordered a lipstick in Iconic Bronze a week or so ago and am sad to say it’s completely underwhelming, bordering on dismal. It’s chunky, dry, and nearly impossible to apply evenly and neatly on its own. After much experimenting, since I couldn’t return it, I found a successful combination of products that make it work (a matte lip pencil and a very light peachy gloss). Problems aside, I do have to admit the color is gorgeous.

Rachel R. Avatar

Wow: All of these colors are just gorgeous! I wish the purple gloss were more pigmented, though. That’s kind of disappointing, but I’m assuming it will look great swiped over the Tiger Lily(love!) and Grape Audacious lipsticks.

Dany Avatar

Well, I was really excited to see Gucci launched their own line of makeup. And this would be the first time I didn’t wait for the reviews and just went ahead and ordered something. Though it is so hard to choose the right color based on just the pictures online! I was gonna do one or two eyeshadows, one blush and one lipstick, but ended up just ordered the quad Serpentine Envy, as the color combination looked unique to me (and probably the best value!). It’s on the way now, and I will see how the quality is in person before jump on more stuff. Also, sitting on my hands for your reviews, Christine! 😉

Sylirael Avatar

The turquoise liner, the teal blue eyeshadow and the Tiget Lily lipstick all look like gorgeous colours. The soapy taste is a bit alarming, though, as most lipsticks I’ve ever tried (and that I’ve seen you review) don’t usually have so much of an actual *taste* to them. Also, soap taste = blech 😛

I feel like I could probably dupe the purple lipgloss with Revlon’s Sugar Violet (haven’t compared swatch photos) – it really has no business having ‘vibrant’ in the name!

Still, I am actually kind of glad to see a large release – more variety to try, more chances that they’ll get someting right?

Monica! Avatar

OMG! I die for that Malachite duo!! lol
You know Christine? In Mexico we never have had return policies for makeup like, at all. Only sephora allows to return stuff under certain terms, so for us here it has always been an issue, to purchase something that can be awful even if it is super expensive, which sucks really. One feels ripped off 🙁

Sae Avatar

It’s just gucci just KNEW I was in the market for a high-end berry toned eyeshadow palette. Ugh that quad is BEAUTIFUL. Right up my alley! I may just have to throw money at this release.

Nicole O. Avatar

oh , boy .

i was hoping i wouldn’t be into any of the quads since they’re out of my price range , but AUTUMN FIRE is so so beautiful !

i might add that to my christmas wish list this year .

i was looking forward to the lippies , but none of them really wow me . 🙁

i do love the engraving on the on the lipstick tubes , though .

Helene Avatar

I must say I really like the quad, and also the green eyeshadow from the Malachite duo.It will be interesting to read the reviews.
I must add the your photos are so good, I don’t think I ever mentioned that.

Kimmy Avatar

The lipstick in Tiger Lily is pretty. I was initially excited by this release but knowing how limited it is in terms of access is kind of disappointing. I suppose they’ve just come out but it feels restrictive and what you pointed out not being able to return also leaves a bad taste. Not that I’ve actually ever returned makeup save one Marc Jacobs eyeliner last year at Sephora while I was in the U.S. And actually we can’t return makeup where I live but I guess I’ve become accustomed to the great return policies in the States. Anyway, tangent. I may consider one or two items from the Collection.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!