Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Welcome to Haul of Fame, your weekly roundup tracking the new products and ideas driving the beauty industry forward.
Included in this week’s issue: Caldera + Lab, Bubble, DS & Durga, GoodDyeYoung, Kayali, Kosas, Lemme, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, O.piccola, One/Size and Starface.
But first…
The Ordinary doesn’t just want to sell you skincare.
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In the last month alone, The Estée Lauder Companies-owned brand has staged a number of immersive pop-ups sprinkled all over the world, like the “Markup Marché” in locations across the world, a travelling grocery-store-inspired pop-up critiquing luxury markups through the medium of everyday food; a Mini Mart in Osaka recalling Japan’s convenience stores; and a “Pore Playground” in Seoul, complete with an immersive soft play area designed to emulate blocked pores. But its latest announcement is perhaps its least expected: a free bus line connecting two parks in Brooklyn, New York.
Running from May 26 through to June 9, The Ordinary Bus will transport guests between Domino and Prospect Park, one of the city’s impossible commutes. A company press release explains the concept: “Convenience and accessibility should be ordinary.”
For a skincare brand, it’s hard to immediately see the connection. But for The Ordinary, it’s the latest in a years long series of beauty marketing stunts emphasising the brand’s core value of, well, value. While previous activations served as theatrical translations of this proposition — such as last year’s move to sell eggs amidst rising prices — The Ordinary Bus develops this premise into a community-minded service, explained vice president of brand marketing Amy Bi.
“If there’s one thing The Ordinary is about, it’s access,” Bi said. While The Markup Marché made a similar comment — by tagging a banana as a $176 All-Natural Magical Energy-Boosting Bar, for example — the bus activation applies the same logic to public transportation. After all, identifying an everyday frustration and positioning themselves as a practical solution is the brand’s MO.
The Ordinary’s activations work because they borrow from familiar infrastructure — a Canadian grocery store, a Japanese conbini, a Korean playground and now a New York bus route. By creating these immersive, highly local environments, the brand is able to flex its cultural relevance to a new potential cohort of consumers. “Not everyone is going to be interested in talking about glycolic acid, but almost everyone can relate to going into a grocery store,” said Bi.
Globally, the existing activations have generated strong engagement. According to Bi, The Markup Marché drew over 2000 visitors over one weekend in Toronto, with wait times stretching above two hours. And rather than transport guests into the brand’s world, The Ordinary Bus will simply transport them: only the first 100 riders per day will receive product gift sets. Instead, Bi said success will be measured simply by the number of filled seats.
By making the leap from activation to civic service, The Ordinary Bus is by far the brand’s most ambitious project to-date. It begs the question: where do they go from here? With so many brands now playing in the same useful, affordable space — such as mass brands both indie (Bubble, Byoma) and conglomerate-owned (Pantene, Elvive) — being the industry leader requires increasingly audacious tactics. While the Markup Marché is a clear follow-up to the brand’s 2025 Ordinary Eggs stunt, who knows what will come after the fast-and-free bus route. In the crowded media landscape, will the brand have to begin sponsoring its shoppers’ tuition, build an Ordinary Hostel or come up with an even grander way to “problem solve” in daily life?
For now, at least, there is scope for the bus’ run to be extended if it proves popular. Though bigger activations could still be to come, Bi wants today’s focus to be all about how the brand and the bus makes people feel in the moment. “The reward we get from people sharing pop ups of ours is such a wonderful added bonus,” she said. “But for us, it’s really about a visitor walking away with the right message.”
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What else is new…
Makeup
Who: One/Size
What: Oil Sucker Liquid Blotting Paper Spray ($34)
When: May 5
Why: One/Size’s bestselling On Til’ Dawn kicked off a setting spray arms race. This week, the brand is only in competition with itself. Its newest innovation, designed for oily skin, rounds out its trio of setting spray offerings following on from the success of its Powder Melt “dewy finish” spray which launched last year.
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Who: Olivia Jade, O.piccola
What: The Bronze & Glow Balm ($44)
When: May 12
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Why: YouTuber Olivia Jade is the latest celebrity beauty founder. Her label O.piccola — Italian for little, selected to highlight the brand’s minimalist approach — launched with a dual-ended bronzer and highlighter earlier this week.
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Who: Kosas
What: Impressionist Multistick ($34)
When: May 15
Why: To introduce its new botanical-powered, skin-melting multi-blush sticks, Kosas tapped artist and photographer Petra Collins to shoot its creative campaign.
Skincare
Who: Caldera + Lab
What: Nordstrom launch
When: May 12
Why: Elevated, performance men’s skincare brand Caldera + Lab has found its first brick-and-mortar retail partner. Fuelled by the uptick in men’s interest in longevity and skin-health, the brand will sit amongst Nordstrom’s luxury skincare portfolio.
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Who: Starface x Lemme
What: Healthy Skin Gummies ($29.99), Hydro-Stars ($14.99) and Lemonade Star Balm ($7.99)
When: 15 May
Why: Lemme not pop my spots: Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s supplement brand has partnered with candy-coloured Starface. As well as pimple patches, the duo has dropped clear skin supplements, and a branded version of Starface’s lesser-known hero, Star Balm.
Fragrance
Who: DS & Durga
What: Dressing Fumes ($200)
When: May 11
Why: Back by popular demand: cult perfumer DS & Durga’s formerly limited-edition drop, Dressing Fumes, has earned a spot in the permanent collection. The trio of unisex fragrances — Grey Blazer, Golfjazz and Rum Bay Rum — are inspired by classic menswear looks.
Hair Care
Who: GoodDyeYoung
What: Baddie ($19)
When: May 10
Why: Haley Williams’ GoodDyeYoung partnered with colourful creator Miranda Rae on a bubblegum pink hair dye for summer. Part of the brand’s “Creator Colour” series, the mix contains kind to hair ingredients to banish the dryness usually associated by a post-breakup-crisis-dye.
Other
Who: Icon(s): Maison Francis Kurkdjian
What: Documentary
When: May 14
Why: Landing on Prime Video this week is a documentary charting the scents and successes of Francis Kurkdjian. Starting with Baccarat Rouge 540, the film followers Kurkdjian through the career of the legendary French perfumer.
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Who: Bubble
What: American Eagle collaboration
When: May 12
Why: More pro-mall propaganda: Gen-Z beloved skincare brand Bubble has dropped a limited-edition collection of apparel with American Eagle. It follows a similar move from Gap X Summer Fridays, and comes amidst an uptick in popularity of mall brands among younger shoppers.
And finally…
Participation in World Mental Health Day as a brand could risk coming across as gimmicky, but Mona Kattan’s fragrance brand Kayali took a thoughtful approach on Thursday. Every order from Kayali’s website comes with a complimentary three month subscription to the mental health and meditation app Calm — an extra thoughtful touch when considering that Dubai-based Kayali operates from a region affected by the ongoing conflict.
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