Office Hours: How Gucci Westman Finds Strength in Simple Rituals
In work and in life, Gucci Westman doesn’t settle. Eight years after launching her eponymous cosmetics brand Westman Atelier, the makeup artist feels more self-assured than ever. “When it comes to makeup and skincare, I don’t doubt myself—I don’t second guess,” she says. Her vision is backed by her business partner and husband David Neville, and a team equally as passionate about the brand’s growth as she is.
“I felt really strongly that this was a proposition that there would be an appetite for, because I know there are a lot of women like myself who want to look a little like a better version of themselves with very little effort. And they want to also experience some form of joy while doing it. And hey, what about having creating better skin along the way?” The more you get to know Westman, the more you understand why the brand resonates with so many women globally.
Kate Weizman, the Atelier’s chief marketing officer, calls Gucci herself the brand’s secret sauce. “You want to be friends with her, you want to be like her,” and by osmosis, follow her beauty advice religiously. Despite being aspirational in her success and expertise, Westman maintains a certain warmth that allows her to really connect with her audience. “I love making people feel happy and confident,” she says. “I love interacting with people, and seeing the expression on their faces when they look in the mirror [after a makeup consultation]. It never gets old.”
From her early days of working on Vogue shoots with legendary stylist Grace Coddington, Westman became known for creating skin that looked alive; beauty that felt elevated and enhanced, radiant and fresh—contrary to the matte, shine-free glam of the early aughts. “Instead of piling on a new face, she let my skin breathe, mixing and then spot-painting different colors onto every imperfection,” Cameron Diaz previously said. “To this day, no one does skin like Gucci.”
She credits her upbringing to her unique approach to skin-care. “I grew up in an ashram in California when I was little,” she says, citing the presence of spirituality in her family, including Hinduism and Buddhism that emphasized the connection between lifestyle and well-being. “I was always interested in ingredients because of that.” So, when it came time to make something of her own, she knew it had to be performance-driven. Her parameters were clear: no phthalates, parabens, pegs, mineral oils, or synthetics. She stood her ground during the formulation process, when contract manufacturers tried to push back. “Thank God I’m so stubborn,” she jokes.
Westman’s high standards and expectations come as little surprise. “I don’t let myself disappoint myself as it relates to our products,” she says. “Nothing is perfect but it’s pretty excellent.” That is her goal with Westman Atelier: striving for excellence, always being nimble, and listening to the audience. Through her brand, she hopes to create a space for women to share valuable information with each other, in an effort to lift each other up. Community is of utmost priority, when it comes to scaling a beauty brand and in life. “A lot of my inspiration comes from how I grew up, and being able to travel frequently.” These days, she’s between her upstate New York base, Milan (near where Westman Atelier makes many of its products), Paris, Asia, London, Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Rome where she travels for work and leisure.
Her love of learning more about other cultures isn’t the only part of her childhood she still embraces; it also plays a role in how she takes care of herself. Wellness, she explains, was an innate part of her family life. “It was just part of how we lived—being out doors a lot, meditating, exercising, and eating really good food,” she continues. “Even though I didn’t like it at the time necessarily, you learn to appreciate it so much. I’m like ‘gosh, that was so lucky that I grew up like that.’” Nowadays, this means focusing on strength versus aesthetics: “I am quite consistent with exercise, how I eat, how I take care of myself, and I know what I need,” she says.
Let’s take a closer look at what that means, below.
Photo: Courtesy of Gucci Westman
Strong by Design
Westman starts her day like this: She sets her alarm 20 minutes early to meditate, before drinking a glass of water and making breakfast for her three kids. Her ideal scenario is some sort of Pilates or strength trainings before meetings; or at least a long walk with little ankle weights and a weighted vest.
At 55, she’s down for anything that keeps her feeling strong. “I’m obsessed with bone health,” she says, optimizing not only her workout routine, but her supplement one, too. Each day, she drinks a protein shake, supplementing with electrolytes and creatine, which helps her feel “sharper.” She’s also a fan of Cymbiotika’s vitamin C gel sachets, Agent Nateur’s Calm, and the Arrae MB-1 for metabolic support. HealthyCell supplements, omega flaxseed oil, and Bio-K + Drinkable Probiotics are a few others you can find in her medicine cabinet. Westman is equally as passionate about getting a good night’s rest—for that, it’s Ocean’s magnesium glycinate to the rescue.
Cymbiotika
Vitamin C Individual Packets
Momentous
Creatine Monohydrate Powder
Organics Ocean
Pure Magnesium Glycinate with Zinc
Agent Nateur
Calm (Beauty) Spermidine & Taurine Daily Supplement
Photo: Courtesy of Gucci Westman
Skincare Formulated for Sensitivity
“I’m obviously a little bit careful of what I use on my skin because of my rosacea and I’m sensitive,” Westman explains. Fortunately, she’s created a lineup that supports her complexion’s renewal without causing irritation. After cleansing, she massages on her Skin Activator serum for hydration, Suprême C Vitamin C Concentrate for brightening, and Eye Activator Serum to smooth the under eye; then, sunscreens by La Roche-Posay or EltaMD.
Occasionally, she’ll use Karen Bartov’s Peel & Glow Serum for gentle exfoliation, Typology’s 12% Niacinamide to neutralize redness around her nose, and a facial stimulating device by Yaman to quell puffiness. “Know thyself” is her best advice for those looking to better care for their own skin. “I love products that are as potent as they are gentle.”
Westman Atelier
Eye Activator Serum
Westman Atelier
Suprême C Serum
Westman Atelier
Skin Activator Serum
La Roche-Posay
Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen
Makeup, Mastered
Westman’s daily makeup routine is what you would expect from a pro known for using the face as a canvas; she likes to feel put together to prepare for her day. With skin prepped, she goes in with the Vital Skin Complexion Stick in shade 1 or 2 and the Vital Skincare Concealer in shade L3 under her eyes or on areas of redness. Sun Tone bronzing drops add a bit of warmth, ahead of a healthy sweeping powder blush across her cheeks. Next, she adds dimension along her nose and hairline with her Face Trace Contour Stick in the new shade Coco, before highlighting as an “immediate uplifting touch.”
With complexion set, she’s onto brows. “I like to just keep them dark so I don’t have to worry about them,” she says. “And then if they get lighter, whenever, I use my eyebrow pencil in shade Slate.” Lips are last—Westman does not leave the house without liner. “My go-tos are Petal, Je Reve, and Minou,” she lists of her favorite Lip Shape Liner hues. “If I don’t have that, I feel like my lips are disappearing.”
Westman Atelier’s new Hydrobalm Tinted Lipstick is her latest obsession. Designed for sheer, subtle, buildable color, Westman created what she would organically reach for. “I love to feel like something is improving my lip,” she adds. “My lips look younger, they feel younger, and the ingredients are insanely beneficial for your lips.” Inside, hyaluronic acid microspheres and peptides draw moisture into the lips, while botanical butters lock it in; depositing onto lips a cooling, balm texture that enhances comfort. “It’s easy and sophisticated, the kind of thing you just want to put on all the time.”
Westman Atelier
Vital Skin Foundation Stick
Westman Atelier
Vital Skincare Concealer
Westman Atelier
HydroBalm Tinted Lipstick
Westman Atelier
Lip Shape Lip Liner
Photo: Courtesy of Gucci Westman
Hair Without Brass
One thing about Westman, she will always have her hair color done. “I hate when my gray roots grow out or when it turns like a little brassy,” she says. “That’s when I really don’t feel great.” To prevent that from happening, she keeps a standing color appointment and washes her hair only once a week, followed by perhaps a hair mask. Formulas by David Mallet (her preferred colorist in Paris with two New York outpost) are her favorite, plus the Christophe Robin purple mask to neutralize yellow tones. When she isn’t getting a blowout, she reaches for the JVN Air Dry Cream. “[I’m fond of] anything that will make my hair a little softer, and works for real frizz.”
Christophe Robin
Shade Variation Mask
David Mallett
Mask No.2 Le Volume
JVN Hair
No Heat Complete Air Dry Cream
NeuLash
NeuBrow Brow Enhancing Serum
Tailored Style
How Westman styles herself for the day depends on the city she’s in. “If I’m in Paris, I’m for sure putting more effort into my look,” she laughs. Overall, what’s most important to her is fit, silhouette, and quality. “I don’t see myself as being super trendy; but I do like little accents.” Her style, she admits, leans more timeless: a good jean (”If there’s a good jean, I will hunt it down,” she says) or trouser, belt, cotton T-shirts or button-down, and blazer are her uniform. “I’m obsessed with how [clothing] makes you feel.”
Levi's
low slim jeans
Khaite
Danielle jeans
Attersee
The Drift shirt
Toteme
crewneck T-shirt
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