SZA just doesn't do things the normal way. While every other celebrity is busy trying to be a "beauty mogul" with a 12-step skincare routine and a generic Sephora launch, Solána Rowe decided to drop a brand called Not Beauty. And honestly? It kinda makes sense. She isn't trying to be your aesthetic guru. She’s just a "certified yapper" who needed a lip gloss that wouldn't vanish after three songs.
The SZA Not Beauty pop up became the white whale of 2025. If you weren't standing in a stadium parking lot in the middle of July, you probably missed it. It wasn't just a merch stand. It was this weird, forest-themed oasis where fans were literally hunting for "logs" of lip gloss.
The Chaos of the Grand National Tour
The brand didn't launch on a fancy website first. It launched in the dirt. During her massive Grand National Tour with Kendrick Lamar, SZA turned the stadium grounds into a testing lab. She told Jennifer Hudson that she's not a beauty connoisseur. She just knows what works when you’re sweating under stage lights for two hours.
The pop-ups were free to enter, which sounds great until you realize thousands of people had the same idea. I saw fans on Reddit talking about waiting four hours in 103-degree heat in Las Vegas just for a glimpse of the "Not Beauty" tent. Sometimes she’d show up. Sometimes she wouldn’t. It was totally random. One girl, Shainap, mentioned that security just started handing out wristbands to a family in line to meet SZA inside the tent. It was pure luck.
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What’s actually in the tube?
People were obsessed with the "lip combo." For years, every time SZA posted a selfie, the comments were just: "LIP??"
The initial drop was tiny. Just three shades of gloss:
- Quartz: A crystal clear shine.
- Strawberry Jelly: That perfect "just ate a popsicle" reddish-pink.
- In The Flesh: A nude that actually looks like skin.
The packaging is what really caught people off guard. It’s made to look like wood—little tree trunks sitting in your makeup bag. It felt very "SZA," very Mother Nature, very much like she just walked out of a forest and handed you a lip tint. They retailed for about $23, which isn't cheap, but it’s cheaper than some of the high-end stuff that doesn't even last through a meal.
Why "Not Beauty" Actually Works
There is a specific feeling to these products. They aren't sticky. That was the big selling point. SZA was adamant about a formula that has "perfect adhesion" but doesn't feel like glue. One reviewer from xoNecole tried the Quartz shade at the SoFi Stadium stop and said it felt like nothing was on her lips, but when she checked the mirror, the shine was still there.
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It uses stuff like Shea Butter, Castor Seed Oil, and Peppermint Oil. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and "Sephora Clean," though it was mostly sold out of the back of a tent for the first few months.
The Mystery of the "Not"
The name is the ultimate flex. By calling it Not Beauty, she basically sidestepped all the criticism people have for celebrity brands. You can't tell her it's not "glamorous" enough because she already told you it isn't beauty. It's functional. It’s for the girls who want to look cute while they’re doing normal, messy stuff.
How to Get It Now
Since the North American leg of the tour wrapped up, the "hunt" has moved online. The official website, https://www.google.com/search?q=notbeauty.com, is the main hub, but the drops are still sporadic. If you're looking to recreate the SZA lip, you usually need a dark liner—something like Juvia’s Place Espresso or Makeup by Mario—and then you layer the Not Beauty gloss right in the center.
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The brand is supposed to expand into lip stains, liners, and creams soon. She’s been teasing these "functional" items that are meant to survive "the show, the conversation, or the date."
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the Official Site: Sign up for the email list at notbeauty.com. They don't spam, and it's the only way to know when a restock is actually happening.
- Track the Tour Archive: If you're looking for limited edition tour merch packaging, check resale sites like Depop, but be careful with "used" lip products—honestly, just wait for the fresh drop.
- Nail the Combo: Get a deep brown lip liner (Espresso shades work best) and apply it heavily on the outer edges, blending inward before topping with the Strawberry Jelly or Quartz gloss for that authentic Solána look.