Celeste Barber wants you to feel seen and heard
An Instagram sensation, actor, stand-up star, national treasure — and, now, beauty founder with her makeup brand, Booie. In her conversation at the InStyle Beauty Summit, she discusses creating something for the people who were left behind.
PHOTOGRAPHY by BRETT CLARKE
INTERVIEW by JUSTINE CULLEN
Celeste Barber needs very little introduction. The comedian, actor and now-beauty founder has built one of the most distinct anti-celebrity celebrity brands with her tongue-in-cheek satirical posts and commitment to authenticity.
After years of sitting in the makeup chair on set, or as she told InStyle Editor-in-Chief Justine Cullen on stage at the inaugural InStyle Beauty Summit — putting her name to products that were just making “other people rich” — she decided to launch her own beauty line, Booie Beauty. Consisting of a tight edit of just five products — an illuminator moisturiser, eyebrow gel tint, mascara, lip balm and a cheek, lip and eye tint — the modus operandi is rooted in simplicity. Teaming up with entrepreneur and P.E Nation co-founder, Claire Greaves, Barber created what she wanted to see in the market: a line that spoke directly to women who she felt were being left behind. “I saw an audience of women who were a certain age, over 35 really, who have been forgotten about and walked over,” Barber said. “It's been in my mind for a really long time to extend what it is that I do, I guess what I’m known for on Instagram, cutting through the bullshit and seeing people that don't feel seen and wanting to celebrate the best version of women as we get older. And by older I mean not 16. There's such value in knowledge and wisdom and age and time. And I just really noticed the beauty industry does not celebrate that."
In her conversation at the InStyle Beauty Summit, Barber spoke about the genesis of Booie, bucking the algorithm and creating something specifically for the people who run economies and households — women.
JUSTINE CULLEN: She’s an Instagram sensation, actor, stand-up star, national treasure — and, now, beauty brand founder with her makeup brand, Booie. You all know who she is, but I'm very excited to chat to Celeste Barber.
CELESTE BARBER: Funnily enough, just in that moment, my bodysuit just snapped. So that’s great!
I am really interested in the idea that you are a bonafide celebrity, a celebrity followed by celebrities, millions of followers, and you didn't need to do this — you could have sat back and enjoyed the perks or been the face of a brand and had someone feel your grapes for you. And, instead, you are now dealing with things like distribution and P&Ls and forecasts and customer service. So, why? How has that been?
Look, it's a good question. I think being a massive celebrity, I don't have to deal with P&Ls, so that's a start. Also, it's fun to know that I learned what a P&L was when I read the questions earlier today. But it's been a really excellent experience for me. I've really enjoyed moving into a business that I run. It’s a very tangible thing, which is something that lacks in my industry, the entertainment industry; it's not tangible at all. You go, you do an audition, it's great, it’s amazing. And you go, oh, I got the job. And then you get invited to the premiere, and I guess I didn't get the job. So there's no control in it. I have really enjoyed stepping into this space, and it was a natural progression for me, in my mind. I started doing the Instagram stuff to cut through the bullshit of beauty standards and to do it to entertain people and make people laugh. And that resonated so well with so many people. And then I saw an audience in that of women who were a certain age, over 35 really, who have been forgotten about and walked over. Which is what happened yesterday in America [when Donald Trump got elected as President] — again, women getting pushed to the side.
So it's something that I wanted to really lean into. It's been in my mind for a really long time to extend what it is that I do, I guess what I’m known for on Instagram, cutting through the bullshit and seeing people that don't feel seen and wanting to celebrate the best version of women as we get older. And by older I mean not 16. There's such value in knowledge and wisdom and age and time. And I just really noticed the beauty industry does not celebrate that. And it's something that's very, very important to me. It kind of goes hand in hand, right, with what I do on Instagram and the work that I do in general. So aside from the P&L, it's been fucking excellent, I love it.
I used to edit another magazine and we had a sister magazine, and we were the younger magazine, for the under-thirties, and they were the older magazine, kind of up to 35. And then there was nothing. Until you got to, you know, the Women’s Weekly which was a lot older. But 35 was kind of the cap if you were a beauty or fashion brand wanting to appeal to women, which in hindsight is truly terrible.
It is really terrible because it goes on a deeper level than that. It's not even just, oh, the beauty or fashion industries don’t celebrate women over 35. That digs deeper into our psyche of women over 35 who go, well, if I don't deserve that, then I don't deserve this. It trickles down in a way that I don't think these industries understand, where it's like, well, I don't deserve all the nice things and the nice feelings and the fancy stuff and I don't deserve love, all of that bullshit. It's so toxic. And now I'm in those industries, like I'm fully in-situ in those industries, I’m going to blow it up. Because we are not a fad. We are not a passing trend. Like, let's make sure we do a little bit of menopause stuff in the next range and get that done. Or, let's put Ashley Graham on Victoria's Secret runway and we tick that box. We’re not a fad — we run economies, we run households. We are not placeholders for our partners and our children or our family and our front. We are excellent humans that are 100% forgotten about in the fashion and beauty industry. And that is very important to me. That's one of the reasons I stepped really strongly into this and completely backed myself financially with Booie Beauty. I really want to celebrate us getting older because the alternative is pretty shit. It’s not great. That was really important to me.
And it does feel like everyone else is going the other direction speaking, not even just to Gen Z anymore, but Gen Alpha…
Who named them?? Gen Alpha, are we really doing that?
Gen Skibidi Toilet! But they’re still not speaking to the customer that, I mean, let's be honest, she has the money.
She has the money and she has the knowledge and she has the power. Julia Louis Dreyfus has a podcast called Wiser Than Me, where she just interviews women who are older than her because there's such a wealth of knowledge in hearing stories from women who are older than us. There's so much space to sit around and listen to men. Like, you know, old uncles tell hilarious stories at Christmas. It's like, you are problematic. But we don't sit down and listen to the auntie stories. That podcast is fantastic. Adele did the same thing with music when it comes to TikTok. She's like, that generation are looked after, the industry feeds it. The beauty industry feeds TikTok. Who's looking after my generation? Who's looking after my ladies, the ones who respond to emails? Who's looking after the older generations are just as important and who have lived?
"We’re not a fad — we run ECONOMIES, we run households."
We say older, but older than what?
Exactly, older than what? Older than 13! My 11-year-old niece has a better skincare regime than I do. You know, again, it is always catered to the young. And I think that is very important. But there's space for all of us. And I think especially industries that claim to be focused on women, we don't see that. We don't see that there actually is enough for all of us. We have to learn that it's not just one, it’s all of us. Just spread it out.
So, what have you learned?
I love that when focusing on a brand, knowing the audience is key and not disrespecting them and not treating them like idiots. For me, that has been key with my personal brand and also with Booie. I'm very, very grateful for my audience. And I know I’m in a unique position, but, you know, I've got a lot of followers and obviously they're not all my mates. But when I do world tours, they spend money, they book babysitters, you know, they take the time. And I've noticed with launching Booie, that has really translated. There's something to be said about respecting your audience and bucking the algorithm. Not feeding an algorithm, but feeding a person, a people, an audience, a mum, a friend, because it is a transaction. Not even just a literal transaction; there's an energy exchange there. My audience really, really matters to me. And I think the biggest thing for me is to be like, oh, I think I kind of matter to them. It's quite a proud moment.
When you say bucking the algorithm, how do you do that? How do you escape from it?
I’ve always said this to my kids about social media: it only has the power that you give it. You don't have to look at that phone. I understand it's an addiction, a full-blown addiction in people, but you can literally put it down. It only has the power you give it. And I feel in a similar way about feeding the algorithm. I don't do trends. I've never done trends. People send me 11 billion photos of the most popular photos going around to parody. And I'm like 50,000 other people have done that. I don't want to do that because I think you have to work hard to buck against something, and that then brings bigger results, that then brings greater joy, greater reward, when you stick to what you know, you trust yourself and you just back yourself.
You've done an incredible job of putting the finger up at beauty expectations and standards. You’ve built a following based off of that. But do you get sucked into it as much as the rest of us? You know, I often think, I'm a grown woman, I know what this is all about, I know that was a highlight reel and I still get sucked into comparison and negativity about what someone else is doing that I’m not, or how they’re looking that I’m not. Do you get sucked into it too?
Absolutely. One hundred per cent. I get sucked into it more on, like, a career-level though. Not necessarily a body image type thing. But a hundred percent, yeah. Even though I know it's all a highlight reel. I know it is, we all know it is. But that's the drug of it. That's the danger of it. That’s the scrolling when you're breastfeeding your baby and going, oh God, I hate myself. That's the drug. No, I absolutely succumb to it. It’s terrifying.
I started [on Instagram] to entertain people. It wasn't by accident; I knew exactly what I was doing. I knew it was funny, I knew I was cutting through the bullshit. And it’s been 10 years since I've been doing this, been carrying on on Instagram. And it was different then than now. It's everywhere.
You could have just put your name to a product, of course, like every other celebrity with a skincare line or an alcohol brand. Why is it important for you to do this yourself and not just throw your name on a product?
It's been something that I've wanted to do for a very long time. I mean, I'm a lot more famous than I am rich, just so you know. Like, there's not much, there's not much going on there. And I got to the point where I got sick of making everyone else rich as well. I work with companies and it would be fantastic for them, and I thought, that's interesting. I'm being completely honest. And this isn’t my favourite word, but I'm probably gonna say a lot, so every time I do, have a drink, turn it into a drinking game: I'm a very authentic human being. And I cannot do something that I'm not a hundred percent in. And I wanted to be a hundred percent into this because I had a very clear vision of what Booie was. It was five excellent products to get you out the door. That brings everyone back into the conversation. It is good quality stuff, it's a reasonable price, and you don't have to watch a 75 minute tutorial on how to put it on. You can just do it. It's not elitist. I was very clear about that. So I'm boots and all when it comes to that sort of stuff. Like I said, it's all my funding, everything. Because that's just how I roll, I can't do anything in halves.
Was the brand, all of those things that you just mentioned, was that already fully formed in your head? When you started, did you know exactly what you wanted it to be?
Exactly what it wanted to be. I knew exactly how I wanted to roll it out, how it was gonna look, who it was for, why I was doing it, and the five products. It was very, very clear in my head.
You're a creative, you have lots of creative ideas all the time, I'm sure. How did it go from being an idea in your head to being something you’re holding in your hands?
[Business partner and PE Nation co-founder] Claire Greaves. That's how it happened. Claire took it out of my head. And I may get emotional talking about this… I’m ADHD and I got to a point with this brand where I had it all written out, and I was prepared to go to parties for the next three years and I was like, I've got a really great idea for a makeup brand. Like, I was prepared that that was just how it was going to go because I did not know how to execute it. And as a creative and someone who is neurodiverse, it is crippling when you cannot execute. And people can come in and manipulate that and exploit that. But then with Claire, we've been friends for a long time, but then we kind of had a lunch together and I was talking about it, just kind of rattling it off, and she was like, I would love to go into that with you; I would love to talk to you about making that happen. I remember going home with my husband and we both were like, I wonder if that's a thing. And I suppose Claire said to her husband, I wonder if that's gonna be a thing. And, a hundred percent, I give full credit to Claire for getting it out of my brain and making it happen. And I’m very grateful that she celebrates and loves me through the whole thing. It was never, like, oh you’re bananas, she was like, this is BANANAS! Loved it. Partnering with excellent people is the most important thing.
Have you found that balancing the sales pitch aspect of launching a brand has at all been in conflict with your very relatable, no-nonsense approach in your public persona? Has anyone questioned that you’re known for smashing beauty standards and now you’re selling beauty products?
No, because, for me, I don't feel that they're mutually exclusive. It was quite a bit of a natural progression in my head and I'm very grateful that it has come off that way as well. People know me for being real and authentic — drink! — and that's what Booie is as well. It's all about being the best version of you. And that's what I've always put forward. My currency is the best version of me, which happens to be my sense of humour. It's not how I look.
And your legs.
Legs and lashes — in between is a big old mess. But it just felt like a natural progression for me. I really wanted, when it happened, for my audience to be like, oh, that makes sense. Do you know what I mean?
Is the feedback that you get on this more satisfying than the feedback that you get for the rest of your work, in the sense that you’re really giving women something that can help them in their lives?
I mean, all good feedback is nice feedback, I’m not gonna lie. But it's been unbelievable. I mean, we knew it was gonna go well, but the fact that we get stopped in the street, like inundated with emails, it's crazy. It's so nice when you put so much into something with purpose. It's a big thing for me, what am I contributing, what is the purpose? That always should align and it really has with Booie and for some of my ladies to eat it up, it is a really proud moment.
Beauty note: Master Celeste’s look with the SHARK SpeedStyle RapidGloss Finisher & High-Velocity Dryer, $299.
You have your five products. Is there anything that you weren't able to include in that capsule range that you would have liked to? Anything that's coming up?
We really launched exactly as we wanted to at launch, five products. They were inclusive products, everyday products. And got to a point where I was mixing products together — instead of using that and that, if I could smush those together, that would be fantastic. And that's what we did with our Bloody Delicious Illuminator. No, we launched it exactly as we wanted to. There's a lot of due diligence that goes into that though. Like, I don't to want sound like, everything's been amaaazing. You should try business, it’s fucking brilliant. There's been a lot of effort that goes into it and building the following to start with really helped. And having them trust me — really, these people would literally follow me into a fire. It means a lot. Is there anything we wouldn't do? Never say never. So now you can’t judge me if in six months time we’re like, and here’s some vibrators! I get sent so many vibrators, you have no idea. I don't know what it is about me that gives off ‘sexual being’ but I cannot tell you how many plastic dicks I have in my house, it's ridiculous. So who knows, we might get into those.
You have built your brand around your voice and your sense of humour, and this industry isn't known as one that really has a sense of humour. If you had the power to change the way the beauty industry speaks to women, what would it be?
Yeah, it would be to stop patronising us. It would be stop telling us what beauty standards are. It would be to stop treating us like idiots. I really feel that it’s the patronising thing, it's that idea of, if you buy this product, then you will be happy. I've never, never, ever subscribed to that idea, and I never will. That if you look a certain way, you can feel a certain way, I don't believe in that. And I think that's something the beauty industry and the fashion industry and a lot of society in general, when it comes to women, needs to back off on — because it’s not getting better. They're just starting younger! It’s my 11-year-old niece who's like, no, I need to do three cleansers and the toner and then a moisturiser or my pores on my skin will be too big — and then I won't deserve love. That is what I would change in an absolute heartbeat. Beauty should be celebrated and should be fun. It doesn't matter how it looks. It should be enjoyable. It shouldn't be elitist and exclusive. And that's something that I think needs to change.
"There's something to be said about respecting your audience and bucking the ALGORITHM. Not feeding an algorithm, but feeding a PERSON, a people, an audience, a mum, a FRIEND.”
Has what was originally a fun, creative outlet, turned into a sense of greater responsibility? Do you carry the weight of wanting to represent beauty in a different way?
Yeah. It's not lost on me that when I post, there's millions of people looking at it. And now, you know, I've got a 13 and 10-year-old son and I've got a stepdaughter in her early twenties. So that's not lost on me. And as I said, when I started doing it, it wasn't by accident. I know what I'm doing. I know I want to entertain people. I want people to feel seen. I want cut-through. I'm very good at all those three things. And it's great that I can wrap it up in an inappropriate, unflattering photo on Instagram. That's fantastic for me. But now that it has kicked off in the way it has, and it's been at this level for me now for quite a few years, I don't take it lightly. I really don't. I'm really invested in representing women — who are brilliant and whose currency has been lost. I take it seriously. It absolutely matters to me. It's afforded me quite a lovely life now. And again, we talk about the purpose, it means a lot to me that women who don't feel seen, feel seen when they see my stuff. They feel heard, they feel entertained, they laugh, they forget about it. It means a lot to me. Purpose is something that's very, very important to me. And I feel like I'm very, very on-purpose.
And now that you've become a beauty mogul, will you continue to do that for us on social media? Will you continue to post the parodies, or is the goal to move out of the public eye and focus on growing the business? Where does it all land in your dreams?
The goal is to try and live one day without anxiety. That's where I'm going. No, but, all of it, multifaceted. When you say about moving out of the public eye, I would give my right tit. That's my good one. I'm not good at it. I'm really not good at it. But I’ll continue to keep doing it. Posting takes a lot though! Influencers, or content creators, that’s what we’re calling them now, sure — it takes a lot to do! Not easy. But I really want to continue. I want to get better at it, actually. I want to post more. I kind of had a little bit of a full circle moment around that where I'm like I want to post more, I wanna just bang out these parodies three times a week and start flooding again. And I want to keep, you know, killing it with Booie Beauty, keep talking to my girls and making it happen. And I wanna keep touring and I love doing live performance. I want to keep doing it all. And I think the more of us ladies that keep doing it all — if that's what we want to do — the better.
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