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What happens when a beauty creator who already likes a brand tries its newest product and finds something that does not work? For Haus Labs, criticism surrounding an upcoming launch eventually reached Lady Gaga herself. Months after the concerns first surfaced, the singer and brand founder addressed the situation publicly, admitting that decisions made along the way did not reflect how she wanted her company to operate.
The issue began in May, when beauty influencer Golloria tested three of the darkest shades of Haus Labs’ upcoming Sun Dipped Bronzing Veil. Golloria had previously spoken positively about the brand’s complexion products, but this time, she was disappointed by how the new product performed on her complexion. Her review raised questions about whether the planned launch would adequately serve consumers with deeper skin tones.
What happened afterward gave the criticism another dimension. Golloria said Haus Labs asked her to remove her review because the product was still under embargo, something Gaga later acknowledged had happened. Instead of fading away as another disagreement over a beauty launch, the situation eventually prompted a response from Gaga and a reconsideration of both the product and how the criticism had been handled.
Lady Gaga Says Haus Labs Got It Wrong
Four months after Golloria first raised her concerns, Gaga addressed the controversy through a statement shared by Haus Labs. She apologized to the creator and acknowledged that the company had made mistakes. Gaga was particularly direct about the response to Golloria’s criticism, describing the way she had been treated as “unkind” and saying it was not how a creator or customer’s voice should be handled.
The problem, however, went beyond asking Golloria to remove her review. Haus Labs had originally planned to introduce the Sun Dipped Bronzing Veil in six shades. Gaga said moving forward with that range was “the wrong decision,” directly acknowledging the concern at the center of Golloria’s original criticism.
Rather than continuing with the launch as planned, Haus Labs stopped and reconsidered its approach. Gaga said the company held internal conversations about what had gone wrong and how it could prevent a similar situation from happening again. More importantly for shoppers, those conversations were accompanied by a tangible change to the product itself, and the original six-shade plan was no longer going forward.
The Bronzer Is Now Getting a Bigger Shade Range
Haus Labs paused the launch and returned to development following Golloria’s feedback. Instead of releasing the Sun Dipped Bronzing Veil with the six shades initially planned, the company expanded the lineup. Gaga said the goal was to make sure the product launched with options intended to work across a broader range of skin tones rather than addressing the issue after it reached customers.
The revised Sun Dipped Bronzing Veil is now expected to arrive in 11 shades, nearly doubling the original lineup. That adds five shades to what Haus Labs had initially prepared. The change directly addresses the concern that started the conversation: whether customers with deeper complexions would have sufficient options when the bronzer officially became available.
Gaga also made clear that she viewed the episode as more than a product-development mistake. She told Golloria and the broader community that they were right to call out where Haus Labs had fallen short and promised that the company would work to prevent the same thing from happening again. She added a personal commitment to that promise, writing, “Personally, I will see to it.”
The Change Is About More Than Five New Shades
The easiest change to measure is the shade count. A bronzer originally scheduled to launch in six shades is now expected to debut with 11. But the sequence of events matters just as much: a creator raised concerns before the product reached the market, the company initially responded in a way Gaga later criticized, and the planned launch was ultimately paused rather than proceeding unchanged.
That also explains why Gaga’s apology focused on both the product and Haus Labs’ response to criticism. Expanding the range addressed one problem, while acknowledging that Golloria should have been treated differently addressed another. The company said it examined what happened internally, making the episode as much about listening to feedback as it was about reformulating a product launch.
For shoppers, the real result will become visible when the revised Sun Dipped Bronzing Veil reaches the market. Haus Labs has gone from preparing six shades to 11 after criticism of the original range, while Gaga has publicly called the earlier decision wrong and accepted responsibility for how the situation unfolded. The strongest takeaway is not simply that five shades were added, but that criticism arrived early enough to change what consumers will ultimately see on shelves.