If you’ve been anxiously waiting for the release of the all-new Disney’s The Lion King, we have exciting news to tide you over with until its July 19th premiere. Sir John Barnett, who is often the mastermind behind Beyoncé’s impeccable face beat, teamed up with cosmetics brand Luminess on a collection inspired by the film.
The collection, which includes eyeshadow and sculpting palettes, lipsticks, and highlighter, was an important collaboration for Barnett for several reasons.
Beyoncé voices the character of Nala in the film, so the collaboration with Barnett already made sense. However, Barnett partnered with Luminess because he knew the quality would be on point. “For me, as a makeup artist, it has to be good. It’s the pay-off, it’s impactful. It has to really be dense in colors,” Barnett tells HelloGiggles. He also wanted the packaging to be good enough to be cherished as a collector’s item. “I want it to be memorable 10 years from now,” he says. “Even if you’re hitting pan, you still have the package, you’re still holding on to it.”
There are two palettes in the collection—there’s the Kingdom Sculpting Palette, which includes six shades, while the Can’t Wait To Be Queen Eyeshadow Palette features 12 shades, with some named after the movie characters.
While designing the collection, Barnett frequently traveled to South Africa where he found shade inspiration from the landscape. He described the landscape as having “supernatural neutrals,” which sounds magical for an eyeshadow palette.
Barnett is also proud of the versatility of the collab. “You look at this collection and it speaks to all different complexions,” he says. “I work with all kinds of women, from Harlem to Hong Kong, and so I had to make sure that this was something that was universally flattering. I can’t build to any one demographic or else I’m going to alienate all my other girls.”
The Disney’s The Lion King Limited Edition Collection by Sir John x Luminess will be available starting June 15th on LuminessCosmetics.com. It will also be sold on Ulta the following day on June 16th, as well as Ulta stores on July 1st.
Kingdom Sculpting Palette
$42 Luminess
According to Barnett, sculpting is the 2.0 of contouring—a softer version of the trend.
Can’t Wait to be Queen Eyeshadow Palette
$42 Luminess
Don’t be intimidated by that bold, ’70’s-esque green shade. Barnett says to have fun with it: “Bring a little disco into the daytime.”
Be Brave Matte Lipstick
$24 Luminess
This orangey, fifties red is one of Barnett’s favorites.
Be Prepared Liquid Lipstick
$24 Luminess
We get what he means about wanting to keep the packaging for 10 years.
Circle of Life Highlighter
$40 Luminess
Barnett loves that this highlighter gives a little bit of a luminous quality to the skin without being too glittery. He suggests applying it lower on the cheekbone if you have a lighter complexion, and aim higher if you have a deeper skin tone.
By Marie Lodi
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