Ariana Grande’s beauty brand, R.E.M. Beauty, has just released a 12-piece Wicked x R.E.M. Beauty makeup collection that will transport you to the world of Oz. Last year, Grande released a collection for the first Wicked film, which sold out quickly, with her Galinda set being a top seller and drawing inspiration from her powder pink bubble dress. Now for the highly anticipated NBCUniversal sequel film Wicked: For Good, Grande, who portrays Glinda the Good Witch of the North, is bringing more movie-inspired eyeshadow palettes, pH-adaptive lip oils, and more to us Wicked lovers, and we couldn’t be happier. This limited edition capsule collection features dreamy packaging and creamy formulas that create a beautiful, ethereal makeup look.
Pretty As A Poppy
Sale Price: $13.99
This year, I purchased several pieces from the Wicked x R.E.M. Beauty collection since I missed out last year. I shopped Ulta Beauty’s Cyber Monday sales, which is one of the best times of the year to buy beauty products, and picked up the Ozian Forest eyeshadow palette and the Poppy Plumping lip gloss in shade “Pretty As A Poppy” on a steep discount.
The Wicked collection was discounted 30% on all items, plus you could combine the $10 off $40 coupon, and I applied my $3 Ulta Rewards, bringing my grand total to $46.02. This means I saved $39.58 since the MSRP total would have been closer to $86.60 with tax, and I paid about half that. Plus, I used the Rakuten web extension to recieve $6.45 cash back on my online order.
The Poppy glosses are a part of R.E.M. Beauty’s new plumping gloss line and come in three shades Poppy Punch, Plum Petals, and Pretty As A Poppy.
Pretty Oz-mazing Packaging
Pretty As A Poppy comes in this gorgeous violet color with pearlescent shimmers that give your lips this beautiful high shine. I enjoy how buildable this gloss is, on the first application you get a sheer wash on the lips, but as you layer it on, you get a brighter, bolder lip. It gives the lips a tingling sensation without the burn of most plumping glosses, with a vanilla scent incorporated. The packaging is well-executed, detailed, and thought out.
You get a twist-off poppy cap, which is a nod to the poppy fields Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow run through in the original 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. It’s also an easter egg that is woven into the costume that the Wizard wears in the Wicked: For Good movie. The formula is encapsulated in a clear squeeze tube with the Wicked x R.E.M. Beauty logo etched in gold. The Poppy glosses are lightweight and easy to take on the go. You can toss this into your small clutch or pull it out of your pocket for a pop of color.
The Ozian Forest Palette
If I had to choose one product to get from the Wicked x R.E.M. Beauty collection, then it would have to be the stunning Ozian Forest eyeshadow palette. Inside, there are 12 ultra-pigmented eyeshadow shades with a mixture of buttery smooth mattes, reflective metallics, and shifting douchromes. In the bottom row, you have deep, earthy tones that represent Elphaba, with some of my favorite shades being “The Grimmerie” and “Embrace Your Inner Green”. While in the top row, you have warmer tones that represent different symbols and characters from the overall story. Some of my favorite shades from that row are “Festivate,” which represents Glinda’s lavender bubble dress, and “Oz-Tini,” which represents Boq turning into the Tin Man.
Sale Price: $41.99
Sale Price: $17.50
Along with the weighty eyeshadow palette, I also picked up two of the So Popular pH Adaptive lip oils. The color-changing formula comes in this emerald green wand packaging that’s a nod to the movie moment of Elphaba hiding her green elixir bottle under her pillow at Shiz University. The curved doe-foot makes applying the scentless lip oil easy. On first application, you get a clear pearlescent finish, and within seconds, it starts to turn pink according to your lip’s pH levels. This leaves a beautiful high shine that pairs well with a lip liner.
The Bubbly Glinda-Fied Beauty Sets
The bundle sets from the Wicked collection economically offer the best deals when it comes to the price and the number of items included in each set. I made sure to pick up the Glinda set, the Elphaba set, and the Glinda-fied set. Inside the Glinda set, you get a lavender liquid eyeshadow, rosy pink lip liner, shimmery highlighter, and glittery lip gloss. I like to layer the shade “Festivate” from the Ozian Forest palette with the liquid shadow in shade “Bubble of Brilliance” to achieve a fairy-like makeup look. Then, I use the interstellar glow stick in shade “I Come and Go By Bubble” on the high points of my cheeks to get a dewy highlight. Finally, I finish off my look by lightly outlining my lips using the lip pencil in shade “Toss Toss” and top it with the glossy balm in shade ” Tap To Bubble”.
The packaging for this set is gorgeous, and since it’s made in Italy, it brings a new level of luxury to a capsule collection like this one. From the flower engravings on the handles to the gold lettering etched on each beauty piece, this feels like an elevated makeup product you would proudly display on your vanity.
Sale Price: $27.99
Sale Price: $45.95
Blush Palettes
In contrast to the Glinda set, which feels light and airy, the Elphaba set incorporates a moodier palette. The Elphie set is perfect for women with deeper complexions because of the darker tones in the blush, lip liner, and gloss. You get a bright goldish-green liquid eyeshadow, a deep berry-wine blush that Ariana said was inspired by the purple blush shade that Idina Menzel (Original Broadway Elphaba) wore on stage for her performances, along with a chocolate lip liner and gloss.
In the Glinda-fied set, I tried the highly pigmented Cherry Blossom Blush trio set in the shade pink, which comes in three buildable formulas: a matte, a shimmer, and a marbled mélange (shimmer/blush hybrid) shade. I start by applying my Ami Colé cream blush in a darker hibiscus shade, then I use a brush to sweep two light layers of the babydoll pink matte blush along the high points of my cheeks. For deeper complexions, I recommend using the powder blush trio as a topper over a more vibrant liquid or cream pink blush. The formula incorporates more cool white undertones, so using less is more and helps to avoid a cast.
Whimsical Fragrances & Beauty Eyemasks
When it comes to fragrances, Ariana is no stranger to commercial success with launches like Cloud becoming a cult classic in the perfume space. For Wicked: For Good, Ariana and the R.E.M. Beauty team released two different scents for the two spellbinding witches. I tried the travel-size Bubbly Pink eau de parfum in the Glinda-fied set and instantly fell in love with the fruity, gourmand profile. This fragrance features notes of red apple, nectarine, peony, and tulip, which makes it a more youthful scent. I recently brought the Bubbly Pink perfume with me on a trip to LA and appreciated how easy it is to pack and take with me on the go when I’m exploring a new city.
Price: $30
Price: $42.00
The duo fragrance set offers variety, with both perfumes having good longevity and staying power after being sprayed. In the collection, you also get these skincare-infused holographic beauty eye masks that help prep your undereyes before makeup application or can be used in your day or nighttime skincare routine. The eye patches come in emerald city green, tin man silver, and bubbly opalescent colors that seamlessly tie into the thematic imagery of Wicked: For Good. I use the eye patches to help de-puff and hydrate my undereyes, as they contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and caffeine that help soothe and brighten the area.
A Wickedly Wonderful Collection
From bundled makeup sets to luscious lip oils and glosses, Ariana has given us Ozians a full range of beauty products to choose from that feels collector’s worthy. This wickedly wonderful collection utilizes amazing formulas and storied packaging to bring the tale of Wicked: For Good to life. You can shop this collection now at Amazon, Target, and Rembeauty.com, and hurry before these great deals disappear for good!