Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty brand will launch in the UAE this July

Here’s everything you need to know about the cosmetics line that makes a case for mental health and embracing individuality

Selena Gomez's beauty brand will be available in the Middle East this summer. EPA

Makeup lovers in the region will soon be able to get their hands on a much-anticipated beauty brand.

Selena Gomez has recently announced that her cosmetics line Rare Beauty is all set for global expansion. The beauty brand first launched in the US, Canada and Mexico in September 2020, with plans of a global expansion in the summer of 2021.

And it will be hitting shelves in the Middle East – including in the UAE – starting July 1. It will be available exclusively through Sephora Middle East and feature everything from foundations and concealers to lip balms.

It will also be expanding to Australia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Russia and much of Europe.

What is Rare Beauty?

Gomez first announced the launch in 2020, pegging it as a brand that’s all about “breaking down unrealistic standards of perfection”.

She reiterates this in her latest video announcing its global expansion.

“Our mission with Rare Beauty is to help people celebrate their individuality,” she says. “We are all unique and that’s what makes each and every one of us beautiful.”

The idea behind the brand is not about "hiding what makes you unique", but "being who you are."

“Rare is such a special word to me. It’s all about eliminating the need for perfection. It’s about being comfortable with who you are, embracing who you are, loving who you are and accepting yourself. I want all of us to stop comparing and start embracing our own uniqueness,” she says.

Gomez has ardently advocated body positivity and mental health, after admitting that she suffered from depression and anxiety in the past.

"At the beginning, it wasn't easy for me to be open with the fact that I was struggling with depression and anxiety. I felt like there was a pressure to be perfect, as so many people looked up to me. But after I made the decision to seek help and be open about what I was feeling, it was such a relief. I think admitting I am a human being, and not perfect – nobody is – was actually more beneficial to the people that looked up to me," she wrote in an opinion piece for CNN.

The brand will be sticking to its altruistic roots, too; it has announced that one per cent of all sales, as well as funds raised from partners, will be dedicated to the Rare Impact Fund that aims to increase access to mental health resources.

Starting Thursday, July 1, people will be able to shop the collection which includes the Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer, Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Mist, Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, and Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, which are each available in 32 shades to suit different skin tones. The brand also has a Perfect Strokes Matte liquid Liner and a Blot & Glow Touch-Up Kit which is developed for on-the-go use.

The brand is also releasing With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm in eight shades, Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream in 12 shades, Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in eight shades, and more.