Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and Lindsay Lohan’s makeup bag.
Included in today’s issue: Albion, Beautyblender, Beekman1802, Bubble Skincare, Byredo, Charlotte Tilbury, Ciele Cosmetics, Clinique, ColourPop, Coppertone, Costa Brazil, Dazzle Dry, Eight Saints, Haus Labs, Kate McLeod, Kylie (Minogue, not Jenner), L’Oréal, Laura Mercier, Lafco, Lemme, Lush, MAC Cosmetics, Maison Psyché, Nyx, Obagi, Olive & June, One/Size, Quickies, Peter Thomas Roth, Polite Society, Revolution Beauty, St. Tropez, Sulwhasoo, Van Cleef & Arpels, Violette_FR, and red wine.
But first…
“There’s no such thing as an ‘influencer bargain,’” said Adeline Leong, but the chief marketing executive at clean-girl makeup label Kosas seems to have gotten one anyway. In October, her team whisked a clique of Extremely Online content creators to Hawaii, then used the trip’s photos in a six-page US Vogue advertorial that ran in the March issue, creating a buzzy brand event and a portfolio of campaign assets at the exact same time.
By merging the voyeurism of an influencer getaway and the legitimacy of a legacy fashion spread, Kosas is managing to create news without launching a product. They’re also testing the impact of print media on a digital-first brand, and doing it at a large scale. Kosas declined to say how much they paid for the entire campaign, but Vogue currently charges $217,305.20 per page for key issues, though brand executives tell me they’ve gotten them for less — think $50,000 — when there’s a last-minute slot to fill during a sleepier month.
The March issue can always command top dollar, though, because it’s a key fashion textbook for spring and summer trends. This issue specifically was a goldmine of “wow!” especially with Sabrina Carpenter on the cover in a custom Dolce & Gabbana bustier dress and makeup by Pat McGrath. Meanwhile, influencer fees for women with 1–2 million followers generally run from $10,000 to $30,000 per project, not counting their affiliate revenue, which is becoming a much bigger driver on things like YouTube tutorial videos. Even with standard “discounts” for bulk page buys, that puts this endeavor at around $1.5 million.
Why spend that much on a magazine starring Sabrina Carpenter instead of a brand deal with a star like Sabrina Carpenter? “It feels like there’s a nostalgia moment happening at a macro level,” explains Leong. “Gen-Z is discovering their version of what, for us, was reading magazines to zone out and daydream. Remember getting excited about opening a magazine and seeing what makeup tips are inside? They want to disappear into something now, and that’s hard with a super-short video clip. Even when the magazines arrived in our office, you could see how excited everyone was to flip through them and read the whole thing.” Leong adds that Vogue, specifically, still carries real authority with Gen-Z.
Kosas’ great glossy experiment features 10 influencers, including Stephanie Valentine (aka Glamzilla), the Ha sisters, and JaNa Craig. Each has over a million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram platforms. They were styled by Ben Perreira, a fashion wrangler for TikTok girlies who also just dressed Addison Rae for CR Fashion Book. Sam Spence, a frequent contributor to international Vogue titles, is the photographer. Leong says Vogue’s content team was “fully” in charge of the imagery, which includes beachy photos of the women in resortwear, plus close-up photos of Kosas products surrounded by rock salt and volcanic stone.
“We’d never, as a brand, put our imagery in someone else’s hands before,” says Leong. “But we like to break formulas. Having all the control isn’t always the end goal.” To that end, Leong didn’t assign her cast of influencers any hard deliverables. “We weren’t like, ‘You have to name our product 10 times on this trip.’ That can seem very fake.”
Today, Kosas hosts a pop-up in downtown Manhattan at the French-inspired café Maman, where coffees and full-size makeup products will be doled out by campaign stars like Ally Ross and Abby Baffoe. On Sunday, they’ll repeat the activation in Los Angeles. “It’s kind of the opposite of a brand trip, where we take the influencers away somewhere,” says Leong. “This time, we’re having them come to you.”
What Else Is New
Skincare
Coppertone’s invisible sunscreens hit Amazon on Feb. 28. It comes as a pump or a stick, includes formulas with bakuchiol or ceramides, and tops out at $15.
Eight Saints debuted its Smooth Sailing Retinol Eye Cream on March 1. It costs $46 and includes green tea extract and vitamin B5, which is also called pantothenic acid and can be found in peas and cheese. (Really!) It is called “Eight Saints” because that’s how many minor gods you have to pray to when you want the bags under your eyes to disappear.
Some brands are just overachievers. Sulwhasoo launched seven new products on March 1, all within its Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Collection. (You’ll never guess what the main ingredient is…) It includes a serum, toner and emulsion, and the brand lore says that way back in 1931, Sulwhasoo was the first beauty label to ever include ginseng in its formulas.
Just in time for rainy season, Peter Thomas Roth has introduced Water Drench Hyaluronic Jelly Moisturizer, a bouncy and invisible gel formula that hit Ulta Beauty on March 1. It resembles a shiny glob of Jello, and dries with a matte finish.
Cynthia Erivo is lit from within, but makeup artist Joanna Simkin did use Clinique’s Moisture Surge Active Glow serum before her luminous Oscars performance on March 2. The product hit shelves for non-EGOT contenders on March 3, and contains lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and 5 percent aloe vera juice.
Welcome to Nordstrom, Albion! The Japanese skincare brand hit the American department store on March 3.
Costa Brazil relaunched its beloved Face Serum and Kaya Anti-Aging Face Oil on March 4. This is good news for the former fashion model I know who tried to keep the originals in her freezer (!) when she found out they were getting discontinued. Someone make this a “White Lotus” subplot, I beg you.
Obagi introduced a Vitamin C serum on March 5 with silymarin, which sounds like a Hogwarts house but is actually just milk thistle extract, which is used in herbal medicine to help detox the liver. It’s $158.
“Professional emo cowgirl” Meg Moroney is the new face of St. Tropez. The self-tanning empire announced their partnership with the 28-year-old country music starlet on March 5, tied to the launch of Sunlit Skin, the brand’s $34 face serum. Moroney got some broader visibility in January, when country fans who didn’t like Carrie Underwood’s politics searched for a new blonde crooner to adore.
Lemme launched on iHerb on March 5, marking the global debut of Kourtney Kardashian’s famous gummies . iHerb distributes to 180 countries, so the next time you’re craving a collagen peptide lollipop in Bhutan, you know where to go.
Kate McLeod’s Dusk Stone is the first bug repellant sold at Sephora. The bug balm is actually natural, smells pretty okay, and keeps mosquitoes from munching you in the woods. (Last summer, I wore it while running five miles through Central Park. No bites!) On March 5, she released it in portable stick form, which is appreciated when you can’t load a softball-sized “rock” of moisturiser into your purse.
Beekman1802 launched its first sheet mask, part of its Milk RX franchise, on March 5. It’s bright yellow and claims to boost collagen production. It’s also got a little “chin strap” to prevent it from sliding down your neck when you’re watching “Severance” while moisturising.
Dylan Mulvaney is Lush’s newest dream girl! She’s dropping a bath bomb called Late Bloomer on March 6 infused with rose petals and a fizzy pink finish. 75 percent of sales after taxes go to trans rights organisations. (Also, do you think Lush bath bombs could be the new Erewhon smoothies? Imagine if every “it” girl with a cause could make their own…)
Pay close attention to Augustinus Bader’s sponsorship of the Chloé show on March 6. The cerulean-coloured skincare brand prepped models like Alexa Chung and Sora Choi for the French label’s runway show with its Face Mist, Face Oil, and cyborg-looking Hydrogel Face Masks, which imbue skin with a dewy bounce. The move creates a clean pipeline from Chloé’s cool-but-rich clientele to Augustinus Bader’s cool-but-rich target customers. AB hired brand whisperer Fanny Bourdette-Donon away from Dior Beauty last year, and it looks like the fruits of that decision are already starting to juice up.
Bubble Skincare’s Power Wave Super Hydrating Moisturizer debuted at Walmart on March 7. The product is “designed to replenish and reinforce compromised skin,” which is fun because Bubble’s most avid fans are 11 years old and their skin is perfect. In all seriousness, while Bubble’s rise has been meteoric, their early appeal with Sephora Tweens might be a tiny bit of a roadblock, since more and more of their formulas address skincare issues that are decidedly adult. It reminds me of a child star who knows she’s got to grow up. Let’s see how Bubble steers through it.
Makeup
Polite Society’s Cabana Club Blurring Bronzer hit stores on Feb. 28, marking the brand’s first foray into the category. (Its founder, Jerrod Blandino, is best known for creating Too Faced.) There are four shades named for holiday hot spots, including French Riviera and Copacabana.
On March 1, Laura Mercier’s Caviar lipstick debuted in a creamy finish, with 12 shades that promise a smudge-proof experience for 16 hours. (But if you’re wearing the same lipstick for 16 hours straight, you may be the title character from “Anora,” and have bigger problems than a smear…)
Nyx dropped eight Buttermelt Highlighter compacts on March 1, including a frosty pink shade called U Butta Work. Nice.
Call it a Big MAC. On March 3, the makeup brand launched four new products, including MACStack Elevated mascara ($29), Dazzleshadow sticks that double as shadow and liner ($28), Strobe Beam liquid blush for iridescent cheek colour ($30), and two pearlescent versions of its classic Strobe Cream ($39) in copper and violet.
Ciele Cosmetics introduced Prime & Protect, a tinted SPF 30 cream, on March 4. The formula has vitamin E and green tea leaf oil, and retails for $38.
First Glossier makes its Futuredew into a solid stick, then Peach & Lily makes a glass skin stick. On March 4, Haus Labs debuted its Bio-Radiant Glassy Highlighter Balm in a series of six gleaming — but not glittering — shades, including a “Pure Glass” that’s clear and glistening… much like the other two. Are they makeup, skincare, or yes?
Revolution Beauty hit 1,878 Walmart stores on March 3 with six of the UK beauty brand’s best-selling items, including a tinted serum and a lip oil.
Last week, Dolce & Gabbana attempted to throw a day rave after its Milan fashion show. This week — on March 4, to be precise — One/Size is rolling out On ’Til Dawn, a glitter-infused setting spray that promises waterproof hold for $36. Next: Can someone just plan an actual dance party?
There are deux new blush shades at Violette_FR: Marnie, a warm bronze, and Maryam, a merlot red. Each are $33, but only one might be named for the most chaotic “Girls” character.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Dark Spot Correcting Radiance Recovery Serum hit stores on March 6. The clinical trial results say it reduces discoloration by 50%, but all I needed to sell me is Lindsay Lohan’s GRWM video from the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
ColourPop dropped six shades of So Juicy Plumping Gloss Balm on March 6. They’re iridescent sticks that retail for $10 each, and have names like Cyber Star and Angel Baby that seem like someone was brainstorming a K-pop band.
Saint Laurent produced “Emilia Pérez;” L’Oréal produced “The Final Copy of Ilon Specht.” The mini-documentary by Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot focuses on the advertising copywriter who coined the phrase “Because I’m Worth It” — and why we don’t know her name, even though we’ve heard her words since 1973. (Hint: Patriarchy… but also, seriously, how many ad copywriters can you name besides Peggy Olsen, who is fictional?) Watch the film now on Prime Video. It’s basically a makeup ad, but a really intriguing one.
Nails
I’ve never watched “Vanderpump Rules” (sorry!) but if you did and you’re excited about former cast member Katie Moloney, her five press-on nail designs collab with Quickies launched on March 4 with five press-on nail designs. Each set retails for $22, and $1 from every order goes to LGBTQ+ support organisations. (Honestly, I would buy them anyway. They’re cute.)
If you’re in Phoenix and need both a drink and a pedicure, Element Nail Bar has you covered. On March 5, the salon in Arcadia, Ariz. added a selection of “high-end wines” to its spa services menu, so even if your organic nail gel is alcohol-free, you don’t need to be.
On March 6, Olive & June debuted Wild at Heart, a rodeo-themed spring collection with seven nail colours, three gel shades, two press-on nail options and one cow-print pouch stuffed with everything for $85.
Dazzle Dry’s Fresh Picked collection dropped on March 7, with five fruit-inspired nail lacquers including Fresh Squeezed, a lemon-line upgrade on the butter yellow trend.
Fragrance
On March 1, Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled Muse de Soie, the new scent in its Collection Extraordinaire range, that blends white musk, neroli and sandalwood. It was developed with Firmanich nose Sophie Labbé, who also developed Kylie Minogue’s Sexy Darling fragrance, and is therefore a legend.
But wait… she’s also a very nose-y professional! On March 4, Maison Psyché introduced Éclat d’Ombre, a perfume that literally means “brilliant shadow” and has notes of chypre accord, rose and cognac. Madame Labbé developed the scent in partnership with Maison Rémy Martin’s cellar master, Baptiste Loiseau. (And honestly, they should just name the perfume “Cellar Master” and do a whole Fifty Shades campaign to go with it, but alas, French heritage houses don’t always enjoy a good smirk.)
Beautyblender has a new lavender-hued sponge that dropped on March 3. To celebrate, they’ve sent some scent advice: “Spritz the Beautyblender with your fragrance and apply it directly to your pulse points or areas where you want the scent. The Beautyblender helps concentrate the fragrance exactly where you want it, ensuring it lasts longer.” Can a makeup sponge truly extend the life of your fragrance? Ehhh. But an attempted crossover into a rapidly expanding category is very canny.
Lafco rolled out a Midnight Cactus candle on March 4 with notes of wild raspberry, cactus fruit and cedarwood. The scent was inspired when founder Jon Bresler planted his own prickly pear shrubs.
Byredo’s Blanche Absolu launched March 6. A deeper incarnation of the best-selling “clean luxury” fragrance Blanche, the potion includes black pepper oil, violet and cashmere wood. Like some other “holy” skincare items, it says it’s “a sanctuary within the everyday.”
And finally…
You know that on March 5, Dries Van Noten showed a sensational collection under new creative director Julian Klausner. But did you know the show invitation featured a giant, gorgeous fake eyelash on the front? Currently, the brand only makes a coveted stash of lipsticks. Maybe we’ll get a little mascara action come September.
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