The Business of Beauty Haul of Fame: The Stunt Beauty Boom

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, the must-read weekly beauty roundup of new products, new ideas and reasons to keep watching Ayo Edebiri.

Included in today’s issue: Beekman 1802, BondiBoost, Ellis Brooklyn, Emily Ratajkowski, GHD, Goldfaden MD, Hanni, Jao, Kaja, Kerastase, Lanolips, Laneige, Mango People, Mara, Maui Moisture, Naked Sundays, Oribe, Paul Mitchell, Quiet Hours, Saie, Saint Jane, Shea Moisture, Sol De Janeiro, Sydney Sweeney, Tarte, Urban Decay, Urban Outfitters, Wander Beauty and Ziwe. But first …

Last September, a powder compact became a viral powder keg. It came from a German drugstore brand named Essence and it was filled with soot … at least, that’s what it looked like. But on TikTok, girls in Rome, Zurich and Frankfurt were dusting the charcoal onto their cheeks, and bam — the powder changed colour and became a flush, post-orgasm pink. Predictably, TikTok went wild.

Four months and 5 million views later, Essence released the black blush in the US. It hit Ulta Beauty as an exclusive on Jan. 10 with a $6 price tag, cheap enough to buy as an after-school shopping dare or an impulse click before Sunday brunch. Doubtless, Essence is counting on it … especially since reviews of the actual product aren’t all stellar.

Stunt beauty seems like a no-brainer for brands, since quick tricks are a fast pass to online spectacle. But while stunt fashion can push a brand message forward (think Alexander McQueen’s spray-paint gown in 1999 or Coperni’s silly string dress in 2022), cosmetics brands are having a harder time. That’s partly due to product obsessives chatting across online message boards, proud of their extra-picky discernment and buoyed by ready access. Most shoppers can’t procure a McQueen corset, much less test and review it online. A $6 blush is a much easier score, even if its consumer buzz doesn’t match its TikTok hype.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped brands from trying to create their own stunt beauty moments. On Jan. 14, Paul and Joe released new lipsticks that look like pastel-striped cats. The very next day, AppleDoll dropped kissy-shaped tubes of cream blush that resemble Push Pop candy. Lancôme’s new L’Absolu Rouge Drama Matte lipsticks are imprinted with tiny, perfect pixelated hearts. On Jan. 11, a Weibo channel in China posted new Hermès lipstick with horses sculpted into the base. (It will be available in the US come May.) And you can’t swipe more than five times on TikTok before hitting one of the Sacheu peel-off lip tattoos, which get painted onto the lip line like nail polish, then peeled off in a satisfying reveal to show a deeper, more defined pout.

The whiz-bang of it all is a stark contrast to Prada, which officially launched skincare on Jan. 15 as a Nordstrom online exclusive. The product quartet includes a cleanser, mist, moisturiser and serum, with ultra-minimal packaging created to convey future-forward beauty and pure, simple luxury. (It also looks a bit like L’Oréal Paris but hey, L’Oréal is Prada’s licensing partner.) The Prada range also has “Adapto.gn Smart Technology” designed to help your skin adjust to its environment, no matter where you are. In that way, it’s not so different from the Essence blush, except you see your skin colour change with the $6 powder right away. The $410 Prada serum will take just a little more time.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

SKINCARE

Shea Moisture launched its first deodorants on Jan. 16 “specifically designed to meet all the needs of rich melanin skin.” Created with input from Black dermatologists and gynaecologists, the line will be promoted by Fisk University’s (amazing!) gymnastics team, with a $25,000 grant.

On Jan. 9, Hanni dropped Good Aura, an “anti-oil” of jojoba, baobab and coconut that promises all nourishment, no grease. The indie body care brand founded by former L’Oréal executive Leslie Tessler also hit Urban Outfitters a week later, which might speak to its Gen Z intentions.

More eye creams! Goldfaden MD released its Eye Defy Radiance Restoring Eye Treatment, an intensive overnight formula with Meadowfoam, on Jan. 16. Meanwhile, Beekman 1802 made Mushroom Milk Eye Cream on Jan. 12. The upstate New York brand is located on a historic working farm, and would you like a fun fact? They also sell Goat Poop Chocolate.

On Jan. 15, Mango People released a Juicy Glow Prep & Hydrate Balm Stick. Its key ingredients are celery and basil, which is why I will be calling it The Salad Stick until further notice.

Sleeper hit Saint Jane dropped its Star Flower Serum on Jan. 14. The formula contains “micro pearls that burst on contact, delivering the freshest actives directly into the skin.” It’s recommended for post-laser recovery, making it part of the “skincare to boost your med spa procedure” trend that’s already surging this year.

The “multipurpose modern apothecary” Jao unveiled a new Skin Salve on Jan. 15. The package and logo look quite a bit like Lanolips Miracle Salve, but the formula gets its moisture from sunflower seed oil instead of lanolin.

Quiet Hours dropped its architectural ice rollers at SSENSE and Violet Grey on Jan. 15. They look like the kind of sleek “objets” that you buy at the MOMA store without ever visiting the actual museum. They will likely be a huge hit.

On Jan. 16, Mara launched the SeaDream Firming Algae Crème Moisturiser, a very dense formula created for dry skin. It joins the “pond scum superfood” trend of 2023, because besides being loaded with nutrients, algae is relatively cheap and low-impact to harvest. Rather stick with hyaluronic acid? Eucerin’s new Immersive Hydration Collection has it in everything, even a facial sunscreen.

GoPure introduced its Superfruit Enzymes Cleansing Balm on Jan. 17. It claims to “do what other makeup removers can’t – it effortlessly dissolves long-wear makeup.” I love a cleansing balm for its moisture-retention properties, but I also want this copywriter to meet Bioderma micellar water because it’s been doing the effortless dissolve thing for a decade.

COSMETICS

Tarte’s new Maracuja Juicy Eye & Cheek Palettes hit Sephora on Jan. 12. The line’s corresponding Maracuja Juicy Lip Balms (which launched in December) were the only makeup item on my too-cool-for-everything niece’s Christmas list. I expect the teens will go big on this product extension, too.

The double-end trend continues! On Jan. 15, Kaja revealed a Wink Dazzle Dual-Ended Eyeshadow Stick so you can delicately spread shimmer into the corners of your eyes without needing a saline wash. Wander Beauty’s Lipsetter pens, which dropped Jan. 16, include a liner and lipstick in one for grab-and-go Uber touch-ups. The formula has a lasting grip, so really stays put once it’s on.

Saie extended its Dew Blush line to include three new shades on Jan. 16: Cutie, Baby and Sweetie. I love the colours, but if you call me any of those words in a DM and we’re not actual friends, you’re automatically blocked. That’s just, like, the rules of feminism.

On Jan. 17, Naked Sundays launched its Cabana Glow SPF 50 Mineral Tints to “blur and perfect” the skin with a radiant finish. Suki Waterhouse wore it at the Emmys, but she’s both pregnant and gorgeous, so it’s hard to know if the glow was coming from the product or just, you know, her.

HAIR CARE

It’s a fun week for tools. Ghd dropped its Chronos hot iron, with “3x faster styling in just one stroke” on Jan. 17. It retails for $329. For something more affordable, BondiBoost revealed an aloe-infused flat iron on Jan. 11 for $119.

Paul Mitchell has extended its Bond Rx range with a Leave-In Treatment and Reparative Oil; both launched on Jan. 15. The duo promise to “reduce breakage by 84 percent and protect hair from heat damage up to 450°F.” If you’re a blonde, try Oribe’s new Bright Blonde Radiance and Repair Treatment, a reformulation that tames dryness and nixes red undertones. It launched Jan. 17.

On Jan. 12, Sydney Sweeney became Kerastase’s newest ambassador. Sweeney has gorgeous hair and an aloof-but-friendly vibe that makes her both a compelling actress and a sell-through beauty face. (Laneige already has her on its roster.) Kerastase tells me current muse, Emily Ratajkowski, will remain a brand ambassador, too, which is smart. Ratajkowski can (and does) turn almost anything into a buyable media trend. Related: Ratajkowski’s BFF Ziwe announced her first big beauty contract with Urban Decay on Jan. 17; she’s the face of their Big Bush brow gel.

Also in the celeb space, it’s cool that Ayo Edebiri paired her Louis Vuitton dress at the Emmys with Maui Moisture shampoo and conditioner, which costs about $8 per bottle.

FRAGRANCE

Body Mists are a thing. As a fragrance commitment-phobe, I support this. Ellis Brooklyn introduced Peaches Body Spray on Jan. 11 and Sol de Janeiro introduced Cheirosa 59 Perfume Mist, which smells like vanilla to me, on Jan. 16.

NAILS

Do people actually want their manicure to match their iPhone? Chillhouse is like “yeah,” and they’ve paired with Otterbox on matching press-ons and cases that dropped Jan. 16. The one issue: You need someone else to snap a pic of your nail-on-case moment, because … uh … you have to hold your phone to activate the trend.