Welcome back to Haul of Fame, the weekly beauty roundup of new products, new ideas and a kids’ show that can fill your post-“Bluey” blues.
Included in today’s issue: Clean Mundi, ColourPop, Ebb Ocean Club, Facegym, Fresh, Gntl, Ilia Cosmetics, KIKI World, Kopari, LAFCO, Le Monde Gourmand, Lightsaber, Morphe, Motif, MZ Skincare, Naked Sunday, OneSkin, Ouai, R + Co, Saie, Sidia, Tata Harper, Tower 18, Tula and Netflix.
But first…
When Kate Somerville’s SuperCell Rejuvenation Serum dropped in February, I noticed something new: it had a built-in applicator meant to enhance the product experience. Instead of a normal squirt hole (which is the technical term, yeah?), the serum came through a long metal roller, which you could use to massage and contour skin while spreading the product across the face. Somerville even had a video tutorial embedded into her site for maximum facial stimulation.
ADVERTIsem*nT
Cool feature? Sure — and also, it seems, an emerging trend. Built-in applicators have long been a makeup hallmark; sometimes, like with Surratt Beauty’s foundation wand, they actually make the product better. But adding spa-like tools into at-home wellness products is something else, and it’s really starting to snowball.
In Los Angeles, skincare label Sara Happ introduced a “Lip Elixir” tube in March with a pure rose quartz rollerball. (Rose quartz is the crystal associated with the heart chakra; some more woo-woo facialists also believe it helps reduce inflammation.) Westman Atelier has a similar Skin Activator Rollerball, which uses a metal marble to help massage and de-puff the undereye area through “microcirculation” while applying hyaluronic acid. And Cardon’s Dark Eye Rescue is a tiny little tube with not one but three active metal pressure points.
Built-in skincare applicators are getting a boost from companies like Meiyume, a packaging company with manufacturing footprints across Asia and Europe that introduced a new “skinfinity” range in January. Along with the usual stuff like sponge-top wands for foundation and soft-tip lip gloss tubes, Meiyume has created a line of hair care packaging with built-in combs, and body lotion containers with multi-ball tops that are essentially cellulite rollers. And it’s that promise —lymphatic drainage and body contouring with no commitment or spa date — that’s really moving this fad forward.
Witness Voesh, the New York-based brand that debuted their new Body Roller Cremes on May 13. Their tagline is “Roll Into Confidence” (I know…) and their “firming and refining” formulas come in puffy oversized tubes with bumpy rubber rollers at the tip. You move the rollers across your thighs, stomach, neck and butt, and “improve lymphatic drainage to eliminate toxins, reduce swelling and boost circulation.”
It makes me nervous that these are all single-use products, so we’re trashing even more materials when we’re done with them — a very bad look. It also makes me think this is going to trickle down to major body care brands, and soon. After all, if overworked consumers can find a $9.99 way to pretend we don’t need to invest in real moments of rest, nutrition and exercise, of course we’ll add it to our Target carts.
What Else Is New
Skincare
Rather make your lymphatic moves the old fashioned way? FaceGym has a new collab with artist (and Business of Beauty columnist!) Isamaya Ffrench, including highly designed tools for face and scalp stimulation.
Kopari launched a new Vitamin C range on May 6 with a serum and SPF — but perhaps the moisturiser is most interesting, since it claims to “melt into skin” while fighting hyperpigmentation … and its active ingredient is starfruit!
Naked Sundays is going … uh … more naked. Its latest two sunscreens, CabanaClear SPF50 Water Gel Serum and SPF50 Clear Glow Sun Stick, are completely see-through. They dropped on May 9.
ADVERTIsem*nT
On May 10, Motif launched its Renew Resurfacing Peptide Toner, which blends three acids (lactic, mandelic, and malic) to power-clear the complexion.
Clean Mundi unveiled an Invigorating Body Oil on May 10. A star ingredient is broccoli seed oil, a “natural emollient rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.” A little surprised they haven’t made a “get your veggies” messaging push on social media, but the day is still young.
Starting May 13, bottles of Fresh’s Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence will feature designs by the neon artist Juno Shen, best known for her glowing mahjong tiles and an equally glowing profile in Vogue magazine.
Do you want to put synthetic placenta on your face? Net-a-Porter is betting on it. The luxury retailer debuted MZ Skincare’s Reviving Bio-Placenta Serum on their site this week. According to Italian ingredient sourcer ActiveBox, “Bio-Placenta” is a “combination of five synthesised growth factors (EGF, IGF-1, acidic FGF, alkaline FGF, VEGF), amino acids, and vitamins” meant to mimic the nourishing effects of an afterbirth. Happy post-Mother’s Day!
Sydney Dake used to work at E.l.f. Cosmetics. Now she’s the CEO of Gntl, a “radically minimalist” beauty line with just one offering: Skin Wash. It’s a “multi-use product that functions as a makeup remover, facial cleanser, body wash, hand soap, shaving gel, and bubble bath.” As of May 14, it’s available at Credo Beauty, it’s first brick-and-mortar retailer. For those who believe in the Dr. Bronner’s ethos but aren’t entirely sure about the brand itself, this could be a very interesting swap.
Are you ready for “full body liberation”? That’s what Sidia’s Braless Serum, out May 15, is promising. It’s a hydrating formula, not a perk-enhancer, and includes coconut, clove, and leather in its scent profile.
OneSkin introduced its new OS-01 Body SPF on May 15 which it says is “proven to undo the effects of skin ageing.” That feels like a very tall order for a body cream, but if it convinces more people to protect themselves from the sun, it’s hard to be mad. Still easy to be sceptical, though.
Tata Harper’s new Calming Crème hits shelves on May 16. It’s a highly moisturising formula, and instead of saying it helps ease sensitivity or irritation, it claims that it’s for “highly reactive” skin. I suspect we’ll see more of this language in the future; it sounds both clinical and emotional.
ADVERTIsem*nT
Cosmetics
When ColourPop released its Pokemon collaboration on May 9, shoppers took the “gotta catch ‘em all” mandate a little literally. The products are totally gone from the brand’s website — but Ulta Beauty still has the tinted cheek balm and glitter shadows in stock. Also, if you haven’t yet watched the artful stop-motion show “Pokemon: Concierge” on Netflix, it’s more soothing than any “aromatherapy perfume” I’ve tried, and also beyond cute.
It’s bronzer season! Exciting. Tula Skincare has Bronze Boost Glow Drops out on May 12 with copper peptides and niacinamide along with “rainbow seaweed,” a UK variety known to help sponges “nest” in shallow water. (Cool, no?) Saie rolled out their own Dew Bronze gel on May 13. There’s no algae in their formula, but there’s a little mica for shimmer.
Rather stick with blush? Morphe’s new Huephoric Rush promises “high-impact, dewy results” and comes in a swirly pattern.
Despite a constant patter of press, Julia Fox continues to remain intriguing and not annoying. (The true mark of a New York “It” girl.) For her latest act, she’s loaned her face to makeup artist Colby Smith and his new Cosmic Pearl paint, a purple iridescent highlight made in partnership with KIKI World. Julia is the model, and also the proof that KIKI — a beauty brand that asks its followers to vote on colours and formulas before even producing them — understands social media needs an anchor influencer to really get going.
Tower 28 and Ouai have collaborated on a lip gloss — excuse me, “Lip Jelly” — inspired by Ouai’s new St. Bart’s fragrance. This is a crazy-smart move, as it helps Tower 28 move into “cool adult” territory while introducing Ouai to the North West demographic.
Ten points to Gryffindor, and Ilia Cosmetics, for their new Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon, which comes in 12 soft matte shades, contains zero plastic, and boasts the winning tagline “lip imitates art.” Fantastic.
Hair Care
On May 6, R+Co. introduced a new split-end serum that claims to heal up to 88 percent of breaking strands.
Ebb Ocean Club launched on May 15, with a core collection of shampoo, conditioner, detangling tonic and a deep moisture mask. The range was created by Khalyla Kuhn, a competitive swimmer from the Philippines who is also Extremely Online. (She hosts two popular podcasts and has multiple Reddit threads about her romantic life, which sounds… complicated!) Ebb’s ingredient list boasts a “Marine BioRepair Complex” including various algae. It’s priced around $25 per item, and the website has just the right amount of breezy chat for a podcast babe.
Fragrance
Sol de Janeiro has created a limited-edition trio of fragrance mists for summer: Beijos de Sol, Carioca Crush, Summer E Amor. They debuted on May 10, and it doesn’t matter what they smell like, because every girl who used to shop at Bath and Body Works will buy them no matter what.
Meanwhile, Cirque du Soleil has launched its first-ever perfume (really) with notes of “bergamot, red apple, and cotton candy, iris and freesia, buttery popcorn, and warm sandalwood, vanilla bean, and caramelised amber.” The fragrance costs $195 per bottle, which is about the cost of a ticket to the actual show.
On May 14, LAFCO New York introduced its Star Jasmine scent, which sounds lovely—and also makes me worried for its copy team. Here’s the description: “Star Jasmine is a fragrant journey that begins with a lively citrus dance, meanders through a lush floral garden, and settles into a cosy, woody embrace, leaving an unforgettable trail wherever it goes.” Phew!
Le Monde Gourmand has taken advantage of their TikTok following … by getting TikTok stars to create new scents with them. Smart! The first group of newly-minted noses includes Caroline Stern, Jade Alyce and Ethan Gaskill; you can buy their fragrance collabs on May 17.
And Finally
On March 15, Victoria’s Secret announced the runway show was coming back this fall. The image for the announcement was blonde, slim, smiley Candice Swanepoel wearing tousled hair and sunglasses — kind of a throwback to their OG days of typical bombshells. Let’s see if they start selling glitter tanning lotion again! (Would kind of love it, TBH.)
