From rummaging through her older sister' makeup bag to now launching her own products with Bianca Ingrosso's buzzy beauty brand Caia, here Gine Margarethe speaks to Vogue Scandinavia about why (sometimes) all you need is a lip kit to look good
Oslo-based Norwegian content creator Gine Margarethe Qvale’s beauty obsession started at a very young age, when she would sneak into her older sister’s makeup bag whenever she had the chance. “She is seven years older than me, and I watched her get ready every weekend,” Qvale reminisces. As soon as she stepped out the door, the now-beauty influencer would dive into her sister’s makeup without hesitation. “Very carefully, of course, since I didn’t want to get busted.”
Today, Qvale ascribes her savvy makeup skills to those hours watching her older sister get ready. “I tried to copy her every move with brushes and products,” she says. “Luckily for me she was very talented, so it was like sitting through hours and hours of the best masterclass.”
As a result, Qvale today subscribes to a 'less-is-more' philosophy where you don't need much if you have the right products and use them correctly. “You can look overdone with very little makeup if you don’t place the shadows properly or use products in the wrong way,” says Qvale. “Also – we are all human,” she adds. “With skin that comes with all kinds of personality and history – and we don't always need to cover every thing up.”
Gine Margarethe Qvale. Photo: Gine x Caia
Now, Qvale has achieved a common goal for many beauty savants: the launch of her own makeup products. “First I thought I was hallucinating, you know, maybe wishful thinking,” she laughs. “I rubbed my eyes but the offer was still there so I started crying,” she continues. “I guess I am much more emotional than people think.”
Qvale has been working with Bianca Ingrosso’s Swedish beauty brand Caia since the start of 2023, and she kicked off the partnership with the early stage developments of her very own product. “As soon as 2023 ticked in we got to work with ideas and brainstorming on the menu,” she shares. “But I had already made up my mind. I knew exactly what I wanted to make. What colour, material, finish, everything,” she laughs.
The beauty buff settled on releasing her own lip kit, a duo of products to perfect her signature nude lip: the Silk Balm and the Cashmere lip liner. “It's fun,” says Qvale. “It's my thing – my go-to.” It may be hard to believe, but most days Qvale doesn’t wear any makeup beyond a perfected nude lip. “It's like I am suddenly ‘put together’ when I am wearing a lip.” When it came to the specific shade and finish, Qvale wanted a very “classy tone with a hint of blue in the lipliner.” “An ode to the ‘old money’ style,” she says.
Photo: Gine x Caia
Photo: Gine x Caia
Photo: Gine x Caia
As for how Qvale herself will wear the new makeup, she lists of a multitude of ways. “I have had the duo during spring, summer, fall and now winter. I wear them Monday to Sunday – from coffee shops to galas,” she says. “I see this working for everything, from your Saturday walk in the park to your Christmas party.”
Take the Silk Balm, for example, a tinted lip balm that offers a soft blur of colour. “That means that your own colour will shine through and it will give you a natural nude lip,” says Qvale. But for nights out, Qvale prefers a defined look. “I would either line the lips with the lip pencil or use it all over with the balm on top for the lipstick effect. But the message Qvale most wants to convey is to really immerse yourself in the products. “Play with them, find your routine and I am sure they will become a new favourite.”