Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your weekly roundup of the launches, campaigns and expansions driving the industry forward.
In this edition: Bubble, ChatGPT, Chris McMillan, Claude, Dr Diamond’s Metacine, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Elorea, Fresha, MAC Cosmetics, Nest, One/Size, Rare Beauty, Ritual and Urban Decay.
But first…
In my former life as an e-commerce writer, Reddit was the titan to beat.
ADVERTISEMENT
Before I joined the team at The Business of Beauty, I wrote mostly beauty products reviews for a popular magazine. First-person product testimonials from writers, influencers or TikTok commenters can of course be informative — and in my case not sponsored, thank you very much. But I know as well as anybody else that the place to go for recommendations of all kinds, but especially beauty, is Reddit, the online platform where millions of beauty fans convene to for their unfiltered thoughts on brands, bloggers, campaigns, controversies, anything. On Tuesday, the company leveraged that database into the first-ever People’s Beauty Index, a report showing the top beauty discussions on the platform and, more interestingly, how those discussions can change over time.
“Reddit is increasingly being seen as a safe haven for people, who feel like they’re getting really honest feedback from real people,” said Christina Kothari, the company’s global head of consumer marketing. “As the internet is becoming more AI- driven, it feels like a lot of product reviews are being bought.”
The report offers snapshots into global consumers beauty habits and interests, and some of the findings are more expected than others: Skincare was the most eyeballed category at 6.1 billion views, but, the r/40PlusSkinCare subreddit was one of the fastest growing categories, up 1,330 percent year-over-year.
R/AmIBalding was another standout, up 1,976 percent. Unfortunately for many commenters, the answer was yes, prompting a gold mine’s worth of discussion around minoxidil vs spironolactone vs Nutrafol.
Providing this sort of intel for brands is one of the report’s intended objectives, said Kothari, who added the platform has seen a huge surge of interest from brands for advertisement, but also organic consumer research. For beauty companies, for whom a Reddit pile-on is nothing short of disastrous, the insight is invaluable. As reported by my BoF colleague Lei Takanashi back in February, brands are truly at the mercy of Reddit users, but those who engage with and utilise the feedback to improve can stand to gain big.
Take Glossier. Still a top conversation-driving brand on the platform, its power has waned, with discussion declining 34 percent year-over-year. Reddit’s report shows that overall sentiment on the brand is mixed due largely to dissatisfaction with reformulations such as Cloud Paint’s puff (labelled “puffgate”), new product overwhelm and a nostalgic desire for the brand to return to its OG aesthetic and community-driven identity. As focus groups go, they’re on the money: The feedback echoes the same roadmap chief executive Colin Walsh outlined earlier this year.
Beyond tracking sentiment, Reddit’s index can also act as a roadmap for how brands themselves can show up on a platform that many regard as a minefield. “Think about authentic ways to engage: that could be having a scientist from your formulation community do an Ask Me Anything,” said Kothari. “I hope that this can be a resource to the beauty community, both consumers and businesses, to think about what are those white spaces now where people need help.”
What else is new…
Makeup
Who: Urban Decay
ADVERTISEMENT
What: All Nighter Ghosting Collection
When: August 2
Why: It makes sense Urban Decay snapped up “Off Campus” star Mika Abdalla: After being knocked off the top spot in its former stalwart setting spray category — and then being thoroughly duped — the brand could do with some freshness. The All Nighter Ghosting collection she fronts seems just that, especially the “spray on powder” formula ($34), which I have never seen before.
***
Who: One/Size
What: Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder ($36) and Ultimate Color Corrector Stain ($28)
When: August 4
Why: Along with sprays, I’m borderline obsessed with the boom of the long-lasting category, spanning powders and stains. (I recently charted their grim link to global warming.) One/Size is very much the brand to watch in this space, and has expanded its setting powder into three new colour-correcting shades, along with a matching stain.
ADVERTISEMENT
***
Who: MAC Cosmetics
What: Jean-Michel Basquiat collection
When: August 6
Why: MAC loves a collector’s edition. Its latest drop is in tribute to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and features a six-piece set including a gilded lipstick, face chalk, shiny pigment and artists brush set. (The brand also just put Slayyyter on the cover of MacZine.)
Skincare
Who: Dr Diamond’s Metacine
What: LipLift ($120)
When: August 11
Why: The Business of Beauty Global Awards 2026 winner Dr Diamond’s Metacine is back with a new innovation: a peptide-powered lip plumper. Designed to target lip aging, the treatment is powered by the brand’s proprietary “hyaluron peptide-6 viofill.” This lip filler devotee is curious.
***
Who: E.l.f. Cosmetics and Bubble
What: Makeup-and-skincare hybrid collection
When: August 6
Why: Time for a crossover episode! A collaboration between E.l.f. and Bubble features remixes of each brand’s bestsellers, such as Drop n’ Dunk ($18), which combines E.l.f. skin’s bronzing drops with Bubble’s Slam Dunk moisturiser. They’re each after similar, accessible Gen-Z dollars, so why not?
Fragrance
Who: Elorea
What: Prelude (from $60)
When: August 4
Why: K-Beauty-inspired fragrance house Elorea has introduced Prelude, the first of four scents in its About Love collection. Along with the launch, the brand has hosted a scent and sip experience, creating drinks designed to amplify the fragrance’s aroma via flavour. The gap between scent and food and drink shrinks ever-smaller.
***
Who: Nest New York
What: Cardamom Latte Eau de Parfum ($98)
When: August 4
Why: And while we’re on the topic, Nest has introduced its autumnal-leaning cardamom latte collection, a spicy gourmand that spans EDP, as well as a perfume oil and rollerball. Tell me summer isn’t over yet...
***
Who: Rare Beauty
What: Rare Beginnings Eau de Parfum ($78)
When: August 7
Why: It’s a Rare Beginning — or sequel? — for Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty, which just dropped its second scent. The pear, pistachio and jasmine scent was welcomed to the world with an immersive scent pop-up in Cannes. I’m still a fan of the disability-friendly atomiser, which I wish more brands would do.
Haircare
Who: Chris McMillan
What: The Clarifying Shampoo
When: August 4
Why: Celebrity stylist Chris McMillan has entered the shower with his first shampoo after launching with a styling range last year. The brand’s brand new clarifying shampoo is non-stripping, and leaves a light cooling sensation once applied to the scalp.
Other
Who: Ritual
What: Costco expansion
When: August 3
Why: The vitamin brand has hauled its supplement assortment into Costcos across the US, bringing its total retail footprint —including Target, Whole Foods and Ulta Beauty — to some 6,000 doors.
And finally…
Hello agentic AI. Fresha, the beauty service booking platform, has launched with ChatGPT and Claude. Shoppers using an LLM to research appointments will have access to real-time availability, while any transactions will be handled securely by Fresha themselves. As an increasing number of people report having used AI to research their appointments, it’s a seamless way to avoid ceding market share. I, however, would never trust AI with my eyebrows.
Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day’s most important beauty and wellness news and analysis.
