When you gather marie claire readers for an intimate evening with the incomparable Drew Barrymore – magic happens.
On Thursday evening, 300 lucky guests gathered in Sydney CBD for an intimate evening with one of the world’s most awe-inspiring women, to celebrate the launch of FLOWER Beauty in Australia. Barrymore’s beauty brand – available exclusively at Chemist Warehouse stores across the country – has taken seven years to reach our shores, but it was well worth the wait.
Here’s what we learnt from our night with Drew.
DREW BARRYMORE IS THE ORIGINAL #GIRLBOSS
In a world where influencer created brands are at every corner, remember Drew Barrymore was doing it first. Growing up in the make-up artists’ chair, Drew learned a thing or two about beauty and now as a mother, award-winning actress, entrepreneur, producer and best-selling author, she created FLOWER Beauty to share her passion. The brand was founded in 2013 with Barrymore’s straight forward, no-nonsense philosophy of empowerment: that women everywhere deserve the best quality, most efficacious products at an affordable price.
“Sometimes you need to feel scared and do it anyway,” Barrymore told the crowd of her decision to start FLOWER. “That’s life. I was terrified, but you just have to put one foot in front of the other.”
ALWAYS ARRIVE WITH WINE AND MCDONALDS
If you didn’t already think Drew Barrymore was one of the coolest women alive, you are yet to see her arrive at an event with wine and McDonald’s in tow (which was then handed out to the crowd). Will you be my BFF Drew? PLEASE.
BE FEARLESS
Being fearless does not have to be risk-taking and outrageous, but rather the ability to embrace who you are – flaws and all. During the evening, marie claire resurfaced some of Drew’s best beauty looks from over the years and with over three decades in the industry, there was a lot to unpack. From the red carpet to the fresh-faced smoothie run, Barrymore embraces her beauty for what it is – flawed and unique.
“I am flawed,” Barrymore said, “but it is one of the things I love most about myself.”
FLOWER empowers women by developing products that help us look and feel our best in our own skin. It is not made to cover and change, but rather to embrace individual beauty with the support of inspired, luxurious products made with women in mind. That’s why, when it comes to Barrymore’s love of beauty she can embrace the glamorous, and the not so glamorous.
HUMANS ARE “MESSY AND BEAUTIFUL”
For Barrymore, creating FLOWER was about taking power back. “It was taking control back,” she reflected. “We’re all human. Human is the most beautiful, messy thing in the world.”
WE CAN BE STRONG AND POWERFUL (AND STILL LIKE MAKE-UP)
No one knows this more than Barrymore, who as an entrepreneur, mother, award-winning actress, producer and author, happens to love playing with makeup. So often we’re told that women are one thing or the other, that we can’t do this while also doing that. FLOWER knows that’s not true – and lets women be unapologetically who they are.
“A smile is the best make-up, I always say,” Barrymore told marie claire. “We started this ‘Warrior’ line at FLOWER Beauty because I got excited about make-up being this layer of armour that can help you fight the day. It’s a confidence booster and everyone deserves to feel good about how they look every day, but there’s still nothing better than the look of happiness on someone’s face.”
On average, women spend 11 minutes a day putting on makeup and Barrymore encourages us to never, for a single second, feel guilty of that. For many of us, make-up can be something that makes us feel empowered, whether it be the perfect lipstick shade, that perfect mascara (hello FLOWER Lash Warrior) or a dash of highlighter to give the final push we need to take on the day.
We know the latter tactic is a big one for us Aussies, with FLOWER Beauty’s Highlighting Palette being the brand’s best selling so far. “It gives you that disco looking radness,” Drew said.
WE REALLY, REALLY LOVE DREW
Well, obviously, but on Thursday night it was confirmed. In preparation for the FLOWER Beauty launch, we took a trip down memory lane to look at all the times Drew Barrymore had graced the cover of marie claire Australia. With 18 covers under her belt, Barrymore is the number one cover girl of all time. “If I ain’t make the money, I ain’t got the cover, honey”, Drew joked when she was told. “marie claire creates such great conversation with women”, Barrymore said. “And that has always been such a big deal for me”. Barrymore most recently graced the April 2019 cover, opening up on building her empire and keeping it real.
