Gaming is one of the most powerful ways to explore transformation. No one knows this better than actress Chloë Grace Moretz and musician and actress Rina Sawayama, who connected over their shared love of video games, leading to the two teaming up with creative powerhouse Closer Group on GODMODE, a new beauty brand inspired by the world of gaming.
Building off the growing influence of the female gaming community, GODMODE works to infuse IRL beauty practices with the expansive possibilities of the digital gaming world. “Gaming is all about transformation: You log in, and suddenly you're in a different body, a different universe, playing by different rules,” Rina Sawayama tells PAPER. “From the animation we built into the packaging to the AR experience we’ve embedded into the products, we wanted people to feel like they were entering a new world every time they use [GODMODE products].”
“No one really talks about female gamers, so this was a chance to dig into that,” adds Chloë Grace Moretz. “We wanted to create something that we felt represented by as gamers. We also wanted it to feel direct and open and inclusive enough that people who have never gamed before are able to come in and join the universe.”
“Spending time with Chloe in New York, and realising how close our worlds were despite being based so far away from each other, was great,” Sawayama shares. “I'm a huge admirer of her work, and I felt we had this immediate understanding of each other since we’re nerds at heart and both obsessed with the intersection of performance, beauty and play.”
Now the seemingly unlikely duo are at the helm of a new world of beauty and play, launching the brand with Genesis Glow (a radiant highlighter encased in a futuristic metallic egg), Mirage Lip Gloss (which come in three versatile shades) and the Level Up Lip Liners.
“The Genesis Glow is literally the origin story of the GODMODE universe. The egg shape symbolizes a kind of rebirth or awakening: this idea that when you use it, you’re entering a new form. And the glow itself is inspired by the light of our screens, that warm, soft glow that feels kind of magical and otherworldly,” Sawayama says of GODMODE’s new product.
The team has big plans for what GODMODE can grow into, some of which may excite fans of Sawayama’s music, who have been eagerly awaiting new solo music since the release of 2023’s, Hold The Girl (Bonus Edition). “I’d be open to weaving in some of my own music into the brand universe, so that everything starts to feed into itself, creating a sort of a full creative loop. My dream is for GODMODE to be more than a beauty brand. I want it to be a portal,” says Sawayama.
Sawayama and Grace Moretz spoke to PAPER about their new venture, the world of gaming and their hopes for GODMODE.
Many fans of you both will be surprised to hear of your close partnership here. Can you bring us into how you became connected and decided to start GODMODE together?
Chloë Grace Moretz: GODMODE is made up of an incredible group of beauty experts, gamers and creative and business leaders. Rina and I were introduced early on through the GODMODE team,and quickly connected over a shared vision for what this could become. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Rina and the entire GODMODE team as we continue to grow an amazing community around the company. We’re just getting started, and we’re excited to keep building and expanding this world together.
GODMODE is inspired by the gaming world. Tell me about your relationship to gaming? Have you always been gamers?
Rina Sawayama: Gaming has always been my escape, my reset, and sometimes even my inspiration. I love the total immersion of it. It’s like stepping into a universe where anything is possible, and I’ve often borrowed that energy for my own visuals in the past; there’s something so creatively freeing about how expansive and weird games can be. I still keep a running folder of moodboards filled with in-game screen grabs: colour palettes, character designs, glitchy menus. It all fuels the creative machine. Rani, my character from the GODMODE universe, draws a lot of inspiration from games I’ve loved over the years — [characters that are] mysterious, powerful, not quite from this world. She has that avatar energy —otherworldly but still totally me.
Chloë: I started gaming as a young kid with my brothers. I fell in love with the world-building and the many styles of gameplay. Now as an adult, I use gaming as a different form of relaxation. If I want something kind of high octane, I'll do a first person shooter; if I'm wanting something more creative or imaginative, I'll go for an RPG.
How has gaming inspired and shaped GODMODE?
Chloë: Ultimately, I love to use gaming as a way to escape. That was something that influenced the approach to Godmode. Makeup and beauty should be an escape. It should be something where we find fun, and it should not be mundane. It should be playful and exciting.
Rina: Gaming is all about transformation: You log in, and suddenly you're in a different body, a different universe, playing by different rules. That’s the same spirit we brought into GODMODE, this idea that makeup isn't just about enhancement, but about activation.
From the animation we built into the packaging, to the AR experience we’ve embedded into the products, we wanted people to feel like they were entering a new world every time they used it. It's not passive. You’re actively stepping into your power. You're leveling up. That’s what GODMODE is: It’s your cheat code.
We live in an era where there are so many great artist-created beauty brands. What gap in the market did you notice that made you want to start your own?
Rina: The beauty world is bursting with creativity right now, which is so exciting, and I love exploring all the different products out there. But as a gamer and someone who's always loved bold, imaginative looks, I didn’t see anything that really spoke to that part of me. The character-building, the storytelling, the play — GODMODE fills that space.
I also didn’t want a brand that felt like it was just ticking boxes. I wanted something immersive, with narrative and intention, where picking up a product felt like you were entering a new chapter, not just applying a product. GODMODE is the first brand I’ve seen that fully embraces that intersection between digital identity and IRL self-expression.
Chloë: The approach to GODMODE felt unique, namely in our co-creator strategy. It wasn't just one person creating this brand, but multiple minds coming together: Rina's mind, my mind, all the people behind the scenes at GODMODE. It was really all of us coming together to talk about what our personal interests are and how do we find the convergence of those things? How do we manifest that physically in the products and usability of those products? Rina and I have so many similarities, as well as differences, that aided in this creative process. No one really talks about female gamers, so this was a chance to dig into that. We wanted to create something that we felt represented by as gamers. We also wanted it to feel direct and open and inclusive enough that people who have never gamed before are able to come in and join the universe.
You’re starting things off with the "Genesis Glow," a multi-use highlighter in the shape of an egg. What about this product made it the perfect vehicle for GODMODE’s launch?
Rina: The Genesis Glow is literally the origin story of the GODMODE universe. The egg shape symbolizes a kind of rebirth or awakening — this idea that when you use it, you’re entering a new form. And the glow itself is inspired by the light of our screens, that warm, soft glow that feels kind of magical and otherworldly.
It's a fully multi-use product, for example I’ve used it as a cheek highlight, on my lids, on my collarbone. But I love how it feels in your hand: It’s smooth, cool, tactile, almost like holding a game artifact.
Chloë: I love this product so much for the collectibility of it. It's so tactile and has a wonderful weight to it. It almost feels like a little fidget device. The product itself is really beautiful. As highlighting as it is, it's also really skin nourishing and hydrating, which I found hugely important. Not to give too much away moving forward, but the internal contents of the egg will change through the drops we have upcoming. The colors and vibe will change and grow with GODMODE as we roll out new drops!
Starting a beauty brand is a new, exciting adventure, very different in many ways than shaping an album or starring in a film. What’s been your biggest learning so far?
Chloë: The biggest thing for me is collaboration. A film or TV show is made through many rounds of conversations, and having the ability to bring ideas to the table and be heard. That has been one of the leading things for all of us: being able to have open dialogue and lines of communication, to be able to talk through every single piece of it. For me, it was important to be involved from the ground up. I wanted to be hands on with the products, with everything. Obviously creating a makeup brand is different, but there are so many similarities to creating a universe filled with characters for a film.
Rina: The biggest learning curve has honestly been the physicality of it all. In music and film, you’re often working with non-tangible concepts — sound, emotion, narrative. But with GODMODE, we’re making real objects that people will hold, wear and experiment with. It’s electrifying and weird and kind of scary in the best way.
That said, the process still feels very familiar in the way that we’re building a world, creating a character, inviting others into the story. I’ve even started thinking differently about how I want to present future music visuals, potentially exploring more animation, maybe beauty looks that speak directly to the GODMODE universe. It’s all starting to merge, and I’m into it.
What’s your ultimate dream with GODMODE?
Rina: I want people to feel like they’re unlocking something in themselves every time they pick up a GODMODE product. That moment when you swipe on a gloss or dab on the Genesis Glow and feel like you just entered a new state of being — that’s what I want.
I’d love to see a community grow around it, people showing off their combos, trading tips, hyping each other up. Also, I’d be open to weaving in some of my own music into the brand universe, so that everything starts to feed into itself, creating a sort of a full creative loop. My dream is for GODMODE to be more than a beauty brand. I want it to be a portal.
Chloë: My ultimate dream with GODMODE is that people fall in love with this universe and with these products as much as I have. I am genuinely proud of the efficacy and usability of these products. You don't have to be a professional makeup artist to use GODMODE: it is fun and attainable, which was so important to me. I am not the most talented at putting my own makeup on, and I like things that feel approachable. That was executed beautifully here, and huge props to the team and chemists we have behind us at Godmode. I think there's something special in GODMODE, and I hope everyone wants to join the universe.
Photos courtesy of GODMODE
