Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and Margot Robbie’s body oil.
Included in today’s issue: Adidas, Batiste, Bounce Curl, Bridgerton, Clinique, Dae, Dashing Diva, Dr. Idriss, Eos, Goop, Got2b, Humanrace, Kichi Beauty, Kimchi Chic Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, Le Mini Macaron, Maude, Mco Beauty, Milk Makeup, Native, Naturium, Naturopathica, Noyz, Ora Method, Ouai, Philosophy, Salt & Stone, Scentbird, Sisley, Stila, Thome, Typology, Vita Vitae and Drag Race perfumes.
But first…
On college campuses across America, students are handed puffy rainbow stickers lined with tiny raised dots. Called “calm strips,” the decals come with instructions like “breathe in / breathe out” printed on the sides, encouraging overwhelmed teens to recentre themselves and their bodies. They cost $13 a pack at Walmart. “We’re obsessed with them,” said Emma, a 19-year-old at Long Island Merchandising College in central Manhattan. She dug a fresh one out of a beat-up Balenciaga bag for me. “We take extra ones from the student wellness office for our phone case and our laptop.” Emma admitted that the stickers “probably” don’t do anything to alleviate real anxiety, but they helped alleviate boredom and restlessness during classes and subway commutes.
Students at Duke, NYU, Parsons and USC told me they have similar sticker crushes — and so did the data surrounding recent product development trends. Since September, beauty items with “stimming” details like raised dotted textures, dangling charm caps and falling glitter have spiked in both sales and search activity, at least according to online data and the “sold out” banners at Sephora.com. Of course we want our beauty products to make us look good, but now, we also want them to gently distract us from (gestures wildly) all this.
The most popular example is the “cat-eye” nail trend, which uses a magnetic pull to swirl glitter in a deep, hypnotising pattern that simulates a vortex on every nail under light. My Gen X friend Lindsay calls hers “a Magic Eye manicure” because the longer you stare at it, the more shapes you can see — and the less you think about anything else. Google Trends says the term saw a 20 percent jump in December, with further spikes coming around Valentine’s Day beauty content. Likewise, TikTok content around cat eye polish has been tagged “hypno nails” because of its spellbinding effect. It’s an emotional support manicure; a tiny portable glitter jar you can wear on your fingers. And Le Mini Macaron’s gel version is already sold out at Ulta Beauty.
There’s also a category called “beauty-product-as-fidget-toy” — Tarte’s gummy bear charm on its new peptide gloss wand; the bejewelled compacts at Flower Knows; the satisfying little click! whenever you open and close a tube of Urban Decay mascara — that turns the item itself into a type of sensory soother. I remember Phlur founder Christelle Lim making a point of telling me “the cap is a big deal, because when I take it on and off, I want to hear that little ‘click’ like it’s ASMR,” when she first walked me through her Vanilla Skin scent, which is now a best-seller.
Temporary body modification is also part of this trend. We’re seeing it with ear seeding, which ostensibly helps “align” the body’s nervous system but also augments the face with smooth, tiny bumps that are both thrilling and soothing to touch when you’re bored. (“Ear seeds” as a search term has surged 80 percent since November, according to Keywords Everywhere.) Fazit’s new Candy Heart Speckles adds a confetti texture to the cheeks and nose. Half Magic’s self-adhesive body gems can act as the tiny raised dots on a Calm Strip, just shinier and easier to explain at a party — I noticed them, worn in arcs along the wrist, on several New York dance floors this December. The 20-something fashion girls wearing them would absentmindedly trace them when talking to a guy, or standing alone at the bar before getting served, or bouncing to a song they didn’t quite know.
This week at the Bowery Hotel in Manhattan, I made my way up to a cozy suite to hold a prototype bottle of lotion created by a Chanel muse. Instead of a sleek glass bottle, it came in a gummy silicone one that was covered in tiny, smooth bumps. “It’s so calming,” said the anointed fashion entrepreneur with a grin. “Just touch it. It’s calm.”
What else is new…SkincareJan. 21
Who: Naturopathica
What: Calendula Essential Hydrating Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Why: Created for sensitive skin that’s more reactive to mineral sunscreen, this formula includes extra moisture along with calendula, a tiny yellow flower that’s used in European herbal medicine as a healing salve.
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Who: Philosophy
What: Purity Made Simple One-Step Meltaway Cleansing Balm ($38)
Why: Because nothing says “simple” like eight words to describe an emollient.
Jan. 26
Who: Goop
What: Youth Boost NAD+ Peptide Rich Cream ($105)
Why: Of course Gwyneth and her editorial director, former ELLE boss Amy Synott, have been covering the peptide saviour shift for Goop.com. The new cream puts the brand’s own stamp on it with plant-based biometric active ingredients, a “postbiotic” bacteria to lock in moisture, and a photo shoot with makeup-free GP staring with an enviably serene expression that best translates to, “Oh, you should have known this by now.”
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Who: Maude
What: “Wuthering Heights” collaboration
Why: First it was Jacob Elordi’s bath water in Saltburn. Now it’s Margot Robbie’s body oil in “Wuthering Heights,” the literary film that seems like both rage bait and carnal delight. Sexual wellness company Maude is in on the fun with a “Come Undone” kit that features the unscented massage oil along with a moor-scented candle that can be directly poured onto the skin and an exclusive booklet for… um… inspiration.
Emerald Fennell adaptations continue to prove lucrative for beauty brands. (Maude)
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Who: Typology
What: A43 Skin Tightening Concentrate ($45)
Why: They’re calling it “notox,” a 10 percent peptide complex that “limits micro-facial contractions” and claims to smooth lines within five minutes. This will be a fun one to test.
Jan. 27
Who: Beekman 1802
What: Milk RX Dual Eye Treatments ($68)
Why: Evoking Clarins’s Double Serum or the Mentadent toothpaste canisters of yore, this formula uses a double-dispensing package to combine a “microcurrent peptide” serum with a moisturising eye cream for “lifting and smoothing” all around.
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Who: Kichi Beauty
What: Residency at the Dorchester Spa
Why: Is it futile asking to get the skin of Sienna Miller, Marisa Abela and Ellie Bamber? Probably, because: genetics. Still, esthetician Natasha Clancy is opening her doors to non-bombshells. Sessions start at about $1,036.
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Who: Native
What: Partnership with Team USA bobsledders
Why: Gen X and Millennials will love the Cool Runnings memories; aluminium-phobic Gen Z shoppers (and RFK Jr. acolytes) will likely go for the tagline, “the only metal you want touching your skin is gold.”
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Who: Naturium
What: Barrier Bounce Mist ($22)
Why: A cloud of squalane, aloe and ceramides, the spritz is Naturium’s first foray into misting.
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Who: Ora Method
What: LED Gua Sha tool ($269)
Why: The brand combines an ancient facial sculpting method with red and infrared light and a pulsing vibration for added lymphatic drainage.
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Who: Vita Vitae
What: Micro-Needling System
Why: Is it self-harm if it comes with peptides? This at-home kit lets you poke your own complexion with “exosomes, polynucleotides and polypeptides.” Yes, it sounds like a walking “ouch” and also, yes, I would try this out in a heartbeat. Looks like it’s only available in the UK for now, though.
At home micro-needling is the newest addition to the sprawling DIY beauty market. (Vita Vitae) Jan. 29
Who: Thome
What: CPR Serum ($30)
Why: The K-beauty brand brings its 0.01 percent retinal formula to the US for firming and smoothing.
Jan. 30
Who: Salt & Stone
What: Partnership with Team USA skier Alex Hall
Why: It’s a great excuse for the brand founded by pro snowboarder Nima Jalil to build a giant snow sculpture that looks like deodorant? That’s what they did, anyway.
MakeupJan. 19
Who: MCoBeauty
What: Canadian expansion
Why: Because Walmarts that are north of the border deserve Charlotte Tilbury dupes, too!
Jan. 21
Who: Le Mini Macaron
What: Gel Base Coat ($13) and Chip-Free Primer ($9)
Why: As DIY nail routines continue to eat away at salon revenue, the at-home gel manicure brand introduces two formulas based more on product longevity than colour payoff.
Jan. 22
Who: Clinique
What: QuickLiner in Black Honey, Nude Honey and Pink Honey ($25 each)
Why: The classic 1990s shade and its newer sisters are finally available in lipliner form for extended wear and a deeper, more opaque pigment.
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Who: Stila
What: Hilary Duff’s album cover makeup
Why: Is this the beginning of Stila’s Y2K comeback? Makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan used Stila products on the Lizzie McGuire alum’s Luck… Or Something album, including the old-school favourite Convertible Color Palette for cheeks and lips.
Jan. 26
Who: Kylie Cosmetics
What: Pomegranate Lip Butter ($21)
Why: It’s an Ulta Beauty exclusive (and launched with some pom-flavoured gummies from literal sister supplement brand Lemme) but Kylie’s newest fragrance Cosmic Intense also just hit the beauty superstore.
Jan. 27
Who: Dashing Diva
What: The Lover Girl Collection
Why: Apparently, some brands do still believe in romance. The nail company has five new manicure options covered in hearts, sparkles and blushing pink lacquer.
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Who: Dr. Idriss
What: Dessert Lip Baste ($24)
Why: A tinted gloss with peptides, shimmer and a vanilla buttercream flavour, along with some peculiar imagery: The promo graphic is an IV bag full of candy getting mainlined straight into a lip balm tube.
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Who: Milk Makeup
What: Jelly Shimmer ($29)
Why: After the success of its jiggly Jelly Blush, Milk introduces a new glimmery version in five shades, including a white iridescent, a cool lilac and a rose gold. I recently spotted a tween playing with her Jelly Blush at the airport as if it were Silly Putty — these glitter tubes could be equally entertaining to the not-quite-makeup set.
Milk Makeup’s shimmering new offerings. (Milk Makeup) Jan. 28
Who: Kimchi Chic Beauty
What: Balm Chica Balm Balm
Why: Available in six shades (including clear), this tinted lip balm has a “plumping” compound to enhance the pout.
Hair CareJan. 21
Who: Dae
What: Fairy Blaster Dry Texturizing Spray ($30)
Why: I haven’t seen too much messaging around “look like a fairy princess” for adults but this formula draws its inspo from the “bouncy, shiny, touchably undone” vibes of an ethereal nymph. No glitter though. (Sad!)
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Who: Got2b
What: Glued On-the-Go Wax Stick ($7)
Why: The slick-back-bun trend continues with a drugstore formula that promises a “super sleek” hold for 72 hours.
Jan. 23
Who: Batiste
What: Powder Dry Shampoo ($13)
Why: A non-aerosol formula that comes in original, volumising and dark root-friendly options.
Jan. 27
Who: Bounce Curl
What: Weightless Collection
Why: The six products for coily hair include Ceramide Jelly, a ceramide-infused gel with a spongy texture — something that Redken’s new Acidic Bonding Concentrate Hair Bandage Balm and Eva NYC’s Hydra-Jelly Hair Mask also have.
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Who: Hair Rituel by Sisley
What: Blonde, White & Grey Beautifying Haircare Mask ($130)
Why: The rich purple formula was designed to neutralise yellow and brassy orange tones in both natural and colour-treated hair.
FragranceJan. 23
Who: Scentbird
What: RuPaul CollaborationWhy: Amazingly, Drag Race never had a scent partner until this week, when Scentbird built a “fragrance wall” for the competition’s “Werk Room” and released a Yasss Queens Collection of 10 perfumes including D.S. & Durga’s Steamed Rainbow and Jasmine Freak by Room 1015.
Jan. 25
Who: Lake & Skye
What: 11:11 Moon ($105)
Why: The angel number fragrance hits Ulta Beauty stores with notes of Italian bergamot, lemon zest and cedrat, the wrinkled lemon-y fruit also known as an etrog by Jewish kids celebrating Sukkot.
Jan. 27
Who: Ouai
What: Melrose Place Hair & Body Mist ($28)
Why: Rose, lychee, pink peppercorn and a nod to the teenage TV obsession of beauty’s most avid shopper, the Gen X babe.
Imported from 90s LA: Ouai’s latest scent. (Ouai) Jan. 29
Who: Bridgerton
What: Dearest Eau de Parfum collection
Why: Developed with Coty, the Netflix franchise’s fragrance line includes peach, vanilla and hydrangea scents, each labeled with curlicue fonts and rococo engravings and topped with gold knobs. “Oh wow, that sounds like Parfums de Marly,” you may say, and “yes,” we may answer. These guys are cheaper at $60 each, though.
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Who: Noyz
What: Mylk de Parfums ($95)
Why: The brand’s signature Unmute, Detour and Only Human scents are now available as ceramide-infused milky body lotions.
MerchJan. 27
Who: Adidas x Humanrace
What: Evolution Pro sneaker ($1,000)
Why: The footwear’s super-light build and “touch-reactive” design elements align with the skincare brand’s ultra-conceptual focus on innovation and minimalist power. Plus, Pharrell makes great shoes.
Jan. 28
Who: Eos
What: Cashmere cake at GoPuff ($13)
Why: Uh… we’re not sure. But basically, Eos is turning its Cashmere Body Mist scent into an edible cake shaped like a bottle of the Cashmere Body Mist Scent, then running a Superbowl ad with Saturday Night Live star Mikey Day where he… eats the cake. Cool.
And finally…
If you’re in the US striking in solidarity today, good job.
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