BEAUTY IRL is a newsletter that covers beauty at the intersection of politics and pop culture through breaking news, trends, and personal experiences.
I've been able to carve this beat for myself because of readers who have bought subscriptions. My goal is to report on the industry in the same ways we see politics, tech, and sports covered. Beauty is a multibillion-dollar industry and deserves to be taken seriously. A yearly subscription to Beauty IRL is $70 for a one-year subscription or $7 dollars per month. — @darian
This Week In Beauty: September 7th, 2020
“This week in beauty” and “this month in beauty” curated round-ups will be for paying subscribers in the future but I’m going to keep it free for a few weeks, to give folks a sense of what it’ll look like. Features and reported stories will always accessible to everyone.
BUSINESS
Coty, Inc. is being sued by its investors. According to a press release sent out by the law firm representing investors, Coty made misleading claims about Kylie Cosmetics and Procter & Gamble’s Specialty Beauty Business to investors.
In 2016 Coty merged with P&P’s beauty line. In 2019, Coty bought 51 percent of Kylie Cosmetics for $600 million. The lawsuit says Coty overpaid for both. Feels relevant to note the investigation Forbes published after they named Jenner the youngest self-made billionaire. Forbes believes the “fine print” of Coty’s deal with Kylie Cosmetics "reveals that she has been inflating the size and success of her business." Press release + Maeve Allsup, Bloomberg Law
Corporate beauty folks are rarely this honest in the public realm: L’Oreal UK’s Vismay Sharma believes makeup sales have fallen so sharply that it may be an indication that people’s “consumer tastes” have permanently changed. Katie Grant, iNews
Glossier has trademarked its pink pouch. Here’s how they made the case to trademark its seemingly generic (but very signature) holding case. The Fashion Law
Neutrogena has dropped 100 percent plant-based face wipe made from compostable fibers. It’s part of a bigger effort. Ellen Thomas, WWD
A ranking of the most influential beauty brands. Cosmetify
ACTIVISM
South Africa’s largest retail pharmacy Clicks closed all of its locations on Wednesday after sparking outrage over a racist TRESemmé hair ad on its website. The ad in question has images of a Black woman describing her hair as dull and frizzy, while images of a white woman describe it as fine, flat, and normal. Both Clicks and TRESemmé South Africa have apologized. The chain said a senior marketing executive has resigned and any employees responsible for publishing the ad have been suspended. For now, Clicks will remove TRESemmé products from shelves.
INFLUENCE
Influencers and beauty lovers alike are very into Selena Gomez’s new makeup line, Rare Beauty. In a world where celebrities are launching beauty brands at a rate that’s hard to keep up with, it’s refreshing to hear and see people be really excited about a new makeup line after testing. And Gomez is going to need that street cred to stand out.
Makeup artist and beauty influencer Ethan Supreme has passed at 17-years-old. While no official cause has been given, his father mentioned his struggle with drug addiction while confirming his passing.
Sign of The Times
Stories that are a nod toward people and moments shaping beauty, directly and tangentially.
Munroe Bergdorf Talks New L’Oreal Job, Debut Book and Using Her Voice — Thora Siemsen for Teen Vogue
Photo credit: The Masons for Teen Vogue
“What Munroe is celebrated for today only brought her trouble when she was a child,” Thora Siemsen writes of model and trans activist Munroe Bergdorf.
Ziwe Fumudoh Is Just Joking — Brennan Kilbane for Allure
Ziwe, comedian and host of the popular show on Instagram Live show Baited, talks about her entryway into beauty: “I love writing about beauty. I love adding my odd sense of humor to the capitalism that is talking about different lip glosses. Makeup is very important to my weekly show.”
TRESemmé Launches Fund for Black Aspiring Hair Stylists — Allison Collins of WWD
Brands haven’t stopped launching efforts to support Black artists and brands in the beauty industry.
Scott Osbourne Will Change The Way You Think About Instagram Makeup — Tanisha Pina, Nylon
Osbourne is truly part of shaping the looks of some of the youngest and brightest names in American pop culture right now.
Sharon Chuter Ignited A Grassroots Anti-racism Movement In Beauty That Is Reverberating Throughout Corporate America — Stephanie Saltzman, Fashionista
This profile of Sharon Chuter does a good job of showing how her upbringing in Nigeria, and her global career in beauty has equipped her to be a disruptor.
Check out this interview with me for Cinnoman Mag AND this podcast episode with Dewy Dudes on Spotify and Apple.