A Week In Beauty: Gorilla Glue, Tessica Brown Updates and More
💄💄💄💄
BEAUTY IRL is a newsletter publication run by @darian that covers beauty at the intersection of politics and pop culture. If you’re passionate about this world (and value journalism!), consider a yearly or monthly subscription 🧠⚡️💄
Tessica Brown receives medical treatment, sent home with acetone wipes
I’ve been tracking updates on Tessica Brown, a Louisiana woman whose had Gorilla Glue in her hair for at least a month, via a live post. On Saturday, she appears to have visited a hospital in southeast Louisiana.
There is a trending hashtag, #gorgillagluegirl, but I haven’t been using it. I obviously understand the function and efficacy of hashtag creation for news moments; tweet discovery and finding news easily. It’s just odd to refer to a grown woman as a girl. According to old Instagram posts, it appears she’s 40-years-old, born in October. She lives in Louisiana and runs a daycare. In 2019, she threw a “TLA'S 2019 Coming to America Prom.” Look at the photos. Brown also seems to be involved with a dance team, the Dazzling Divas, that her daughter may be part of.
For the most part, the hashtag is being used for commentary and comical purposes, and it doesn’t match the severity of the situation. If someone does something outlandish, does that mean we get to speak about them as an adolescent? I also just think it’s fine to use her name.
Okay! Now I’m rambling. There was a lot of beauty news this week — from Tracee Ellis Ross to face mask damages. And a story by me in the media section! Get into it.
EXTRA EXTRA
These days, any time Cardi B pops out with a new video, it’s a beauty moment. Each look in “Up” has its own big personality of nails, hair, and fashion. I have questions about how the opening braid was executed 😭 Also into the bold eyeshadow looks in this video and the Barbie head hairstyle. Oh! And the TLC ‘No Scrubs’ inspired look.
Yes To will have to pay $775k in damages for buyers of its Grapefruit Vitamin C Glow Boosting Unicorn Paper Mask. In January 2020, BuzzFeed News reported on the irritation people were experiencing to what was supposed to be a harmless mask.
Pull Up for Change’s Sharon Chuter has teamed up with brands to create black packaging for its “Make It Black” campaign.
Dolly Parton is launching her first-ever fragrance during the Super Bowl.
Tracee Ellis Ross is Ulta’s new Diversity and Inclusion advisor.
More Ulta: The brand’s latest ad features notable Black women from all areas of the beauty world, directed by Joshua Kissi. I think it was rolled out in conjunction with an announcement around its plans to double the Black-owned brands in its retails stores by the end of 2021.
Hailey Bieber is launching a skincare line after her middle namesake: Rhode.
In December it was announced that YouTuber Emma Chamberlain would be the creative director and global brand ambassador for Bad Habit Skincare, and she’s now come out with a 10-piece line.
CVS is buying Shiseido’s personal care unit for $1.5 billion. That includes its shampoo and affordable skin-care business.
This week’s daily dose of unsurprising influencer mess: Beauty YouTuber and influencer Nikita Dragun threw a huge birthday party. She said all guests were tested.
MEDIA DROPS
After noticing a Glossier brand placement at the Ashanti x Keyshia Cole Verzuz battle (and during Monica x Brandy), I wanted to explore why — and other spaces in Black culture they are popping up. By me!
On being a teenage beauty queen. Natasha Ramoutar
It was interesting to read about KAMA, a new sexual wellness app that aims to implement pleasure into a user’s daily routine. Brit Dawson
The big business of lashes and brows. Ryma Chikhoune
Meant to share this last week: From ancient Egypt to Cardi B: a cultural history of the manicure. Funmi Fetto