Muse Genderful Makeup
Muse revolutionizes the cosmetic industry with gender inclusive makeup kits for tweens. Makeup that aids in self-discovery and acceptance.
Dismantling the Gender Binary
The Background
Over the last several years, the beauty industry has been changing with the times to provide access to makeup outside of the heteronormative gender binary. Makeup brands have adopted gender inclusive vocabularies, marketing strategies, and missions, which have proven lucrative in generating profit as well as attracting new audiences.
However, the beauty industry has remained disconnected from a specific audience; tween aged kids are in the thick of self-discovery, navigating gender identity and self expression. Makeup can play a crucial role in developing a tween’s identity, yet the industry doesn’t differentiate between tweens and children with kiddish designs and poor cosmetic formulas.
+ Brand Voice & Naming
+ Market Research
+ Brand Identity & System
+ Brand Positioning
+ Packaging System
+ Illustration
Find Yourself On and Off the Shelf
The Challenge
Muse sees you as an individual, an artist, an intricate being, so you deserve makeup with all the same qualities. We recognize the power of makeup to provide colorful tools to aid in expressing one’s style and self-expression. Muse gives the next generation the brushes to redefine gender stereotypes for a more inclusive, diverse, and accepting world. Middle schoolers are at a tricky age, where they reject being treated like a little kid and are beginning to grow into an older version of themselves.
Muse is challenged with speaking to tween-aged children as individuals on the verge of teenhood, which brings more independence, adventure, and a greater sense of self. Muse is a stepping stone, makeup kits for the cosmetic novice, while still retaining a sophistication of quality formulas and design to speak to a broad range of gender expressions.
Market Research
Existing cosmetics targeted towards tweens and children are extremely immature in design, feminine in positioning, and cheap in construction. The next leap for tweens more serious about makeup are drug store brands like NYX, Maybelline, Elf, etc. However, these brands are truly marketed towards adults, with teens and tweens as periphery demographics.
Consumer Research
The new recruits to consumerism are the 20 million boys and girls in this country aged 8-12. Research shows that they spend an estimated $30 billion of their own money annually and influence another $150 billion of their parents’ spending.
Look and Feel
The Approach
The brand’s electric color palette is paired with a charcoal black to add a sophistication and edge to the young, energetic, and vivacious demographic. Visually, the curvilinear and abstracted graphic forms speak to the theme of fluidity, creating a sense of ambiguity and imagination within the illustrations and photographs. Muse’s high contrast design exudes confidence and character.
Vibrant
Youthful
Funky
