“It all started with the perfect makeup wardrobe—a fast, easy, intuitive lineup of five simple products that gave absolutely anyone the power to create beautiful skin," says Gucci of the clean beauty dream that started it all. Now, it's been five years since Westman Atelier sold its very first product, and Gucci is in the mood to share some founder favorite stories. Here are five things you may not have known about our brand!

The Stick That Started It All!

"Vital Skin Foundation was the first product to anchor our incredible complexion system, and in 2018 the packaging was a real industry anomaly. Our Chief Design Officer, Angela Piner, showed my husband David and I fragrance atomizers at our first meeting, which inspired the slim and portable aesthetic of our sticks. All the fine details from the magnetic closure (the first to be done with a foundation!) to the mixed metal finishes and custom matte pink feel unique and luxurious."

Our French Connection, Explained

“My career began at a well-established makeup school in Paris. I thought, ‘at least if I'm not great at this, I’ll learn French!' Years later, when I became artistic director at Lancôme, I traveled to France twice a month so the culture is a constant source of inspiration. You'll notice many Westman  Atelier products reference French turns of phrase. Favorites include 'Peau de Pêche,' meaning peachy skin, for our best-selling Super Loaded Tinted Highlight. I particularly love the shade names of our Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balms—Chou Chou, Ma Biche, and so on—which wink at classic terms of endearment."

The Vogue Shoot That Sparked a Lip Color

"For Reese Witherspoon's Vogue January 2019 cover, one shot called for a lip that would work on three generations of strong Witherspoon women—Reese, her mother, and her daughter. On set, I mixed up a vibrant tomato red that was so flattering on the trio that I saved it! The color went on to spark our first-ever lip palette that launched in February 2020, right down to the signature glossy red compact."

My Notes on Motherhood

"As a mom of three, my own children have kept me laser-focused on creating safe products during the challenging first years of forging a business. I also became pregnant with my youngest daughter during that time, so clean beauty was a non-negotiable. I wanted my kids to be able to kiss my cheeks and know there weren't any questionable ingredients in my makeup!  No coincidence, I went on to name our first Baby Cheeks blush shade after our little one, Petal!"

How Our Eye Pods Stack Up

"Inspiration for our modular take on an eye shadow palette came from our son, Dash! It was a bit of a happy accident. One day he was stacking and unstacking the magnetic lids of our foundation and blush sticks together in our Manhattan living room. My husband David and I had the lightbulb moment for Eye Pods. I love that you can click them together and apart for easy portability and endless looks. And I have to say, that little snap is incredibly satisfying, don't you think?"

Discover more about the Atelier from our clean beauty promise to our ongoing sustainability mission and our lifestyle edit that continues inspired design.