I Got to Zoom with Ariana Grande to Learn All About R.E.M. Beauty — Here's Everything to Know

When Ariana Grande first teased the launch of her very own cosmetics brand, R.E.M. Beauty, I immediately started counting down the days to its launch. Known for her signature cat-eye liner and glossy pout, I knew that Grande's makeup would deliver. So when I got the opportunity to not only test out the line ahead of Friday's launch but also join Queen Ari herself on Zoom with a small group of fellow beauty editors, I couldn't wait to learn all about it.

As each editor entered the video chat, Grande animatedly greeted each of her guests by name ("Oh my god I want to be in New York! I miss it so much," she told me). Then kicked off the vent by sharing how she's been "way too excited" to unveil R.E.M. Beauty to the world.

"I am smiling so hard my cheeks hurt," Grande began, as she talked through each product in R.E.M. Beauty's Chapter 1 drop, launching on Friday at rembeauty.com.

"I'm so proud and grateful, and this is such a special moment for me. We started working on this two years and a couple of months ago — not to be counting the days," she said with a smile.

Joining forces with beauty incubator Forma Brands (which helped create Morphe, Lipstick Queen, Bad Habit and more), Grande started bringing her beauty vision to life during her 2019 Sweetener World Tour. "It was very secretive," she said with a sly smirk, adding that she began testing early formulas onstage during that tour. "The fact that we were able to test the highlight on stage and make notes on the formula was just so cool."

With "so many amazing fellow people" in the beauty space, Grande knew if she was going to develop makeup, she had to do it her way. "It has to feel super intentional, super fueled by passion and feel super authentic to me," she said. "I've spent a lot of time in the makeup chair. Now to redefine my relationship and have my own version of it will hopefully inspire people to express themselves in a new way."

Grande chose to name the brand after her song "R.E.M" from Sweetener for few different reasons. "I feel like that song really encompasses a lot of my favorite parts of my sound phonetically. Also, with rapid eye movement and focusing on dreams, eyes are our most effective communicators," she explained. "You can say more with the way that you look at someone than you can with words sometimes. They're what we use to dream and rest, and so much beauty happens there. We really wanted to focus on eyes for our main drop."

R.E.M. Beauty's first collection includes 12 eye and lip essentials with cheeky shade names diehard Arianators will appreciate: the At the Borderline Eyeliner Marker ($19), At the Borderline Kohl Eyeliner Pencil ($19), Flourishing Volumizing Mascara ($15), Flourishing Lengthening Mascara ($15), Midnight Shadows Eyeshadow Palettes ($24), R.E.M. Dream Lashes ($16), Midnight Shadows Liquid Eyeshadows ($16), On Your Collar Plumping Lip Gloss ($17), Utmost Importance Plumping Lip Gloss ($17), On Your Collar Matte Lipstick ($19), Practically Permanent Lip Stain Marker, ($16) and Interstellar Highlighter Topper ($22).

As Grande explained each product, she jokingly said it felt "funny and foreign" to channel her inner beauty guru while swatching on-camera. "I decided if I have to swatch today, I'm going to do it all as Jennifer Coolidge to make myself more comfortable," she said before gliding her fingers through the three eyeshadow palettes and swatching shades on her arm. "This one's called Boca Mocha. It's a nice, warm shade, beautiful on all skin," Grande said in her spot-on Coolidge impression.

On top of ensuring every formula met vegan and cruelty-free standards, Grande's dream was to create a sleek sci-fi experience with the packaging. "It's futuristic, but also nostalgic. I wanted it to look like it could have been a prop on Star Trek, Barbarella, Star Wars or Black Mirror. I'm a huge fan of sci-fi horror. I like the idea of [the packaging] transporting us to another time," she said.

Though she described the creative process behind the line as "incredibly different" than making music, Grande says she did realize the special symbiotic relationship the two have after working on R.E.M. Beauty for so long.

"They're totally different outlets of storytelling but they hold hands in a weird way. When you're writing a song, [you're] spending time with the pre-chorus to make sure that the notes set up the hook in the proper way. Or making sure that the harmonies aren't fighting with the bells in the background. It's the same thing as putting together these formulas and making sure everything is complementary," Grande explained.

It took time to get each product perfect, but Grande said she can't wait for fans to get them in their hands. "I think I'm most excited for everyone to try my favorite combination: the Practically Permanent Lip Stain Marker and Utmost Importance Plumping Lip Gloss. I was always desperately trying to find the perfect lip stain. When we developed this one, I was really proud."

What sets her product apart is the lip stain's versatility. "You can put a little thin layer of it and it can be like, 'Oh, is she wearing anything?'" she said. "Then you can do more and all of a sudden it's like, woah, Morticia Addams!"

Toward the end of the hour-long Zoom, Grande couldn't help but spill some details about what else R.E.M. Beauty has coming down the pipeline. "I'm going to tell you all the secrets because I'm too excited," she said, laughing.

Throughout this season on The Voice, Grande said she's been wearing all different R.E.M. Beauty products on-camera — including some that won't even be launching until future drops. "I wear them all the time to work, like our foundation and concealer, which is my favorite," she said.

She loves the formulas, but with everything she does, Grande's making sure to tweak them little by little until they're exactly right. "We didn't want to launch with because of course, we spent so long perfecting the formula. There's so much more coming."

R.E.M. Beauty launches on Friday, Nov. 12 at rembeauty.com.