And It Was All Yellow…

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and a tree that smells like Windex. Whoa.

Included in today’s issue: Agent Nateur, Bliss, Boss Fragrances, Byredo, Charlotte Tilbury, Ciele Cosmetics, Clinique, Cocokind, D’lueur Essentiel, Elizabeth Arden, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Glossier, Half Magic, Henry Rose, I’m From, Kopari Beauty, Le Mini Macaron, Luna Bronze, Lys Beauty, Milk Makeup, OneSkin, Olive & June, Phlur, Pura, Qure, Revive Collagen, Saltair, Sacheu, Sweed, Surface Deep, Tarte, Tatcha, The Body Firm, Ulta Beauty, Ursa Major and popsicles.

But first…

It seems that Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s elusive hair colour has become a blonde herring this week.

The snipes started when actress Sarah Pidgeon appeared on Instagram dressed vaguely “in character” as the late style icon. Pidgeon is a Broadway ingenue, who has been playing Mrs. Kennedy in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming American Story franchise. She is a phenomenal talent, but whoever picked her flat, shiny shade of flaxen messed up. They’ve gone for a ‘Barbie’ kind of blonde with no dimension and too much shine, the hair equivalent of cubic zirconia when you were promised a diamond.

Vogue and People and even CNN had a good wince about the whole thing. Instagram’s comments section had a nice little tantrum. But in circles where “Margaux” is a Punky Brewster character and not a Row bag, the blonde getting the most traction isn’t the late Mrs. Kennedy — it’s the ex Mrs. Affleck, Jennifer Garner.

According to data from tracking sites like Keywords Everywhere, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s hair has gotten some modest buzz, especially on June 14, when the Ryan Murphy Productions photos first surfaced. But the volume of those searches was nothing compared to the online chatter surrounding Garner’s blonde highlights, which spiked higher than Lance Bass’s frosted tips circa 1999. The style was created by Tracey Cunningham, the Schwarzkopf Professional creative director and Olaplex ambassador who also handled Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon and Michelle Monaghan’s hair colours on the White Lotus. She took Garner’s chestnut brunette into honey blonde territory on Instagram last week, and the internet quietly exploded. “Jennifer Garner Blonde” became a Google Trends breakout search, seeing an increase of nearly two thousand percent. On TikTok, videos labeled “Jennifer Garner Hair” have over 100 million views per year.

Except for her 2003 Versace dress from 13 Going on 30, Garner isn’t known for her massive fashion moments. (And that one was from a movie, not a red carpet.) The 53-year-old actress has never been a traditional “style icon” or fashion insider. And yet this week, her hair is still getting more attention than Bessette Kennedy, who is the ultimate example of both.

What’s to be learned here? One, as style professionals, we live in a bit of a bubble. Just because our algorithm is chatting about a serious blonde violation doesn’t mean our consumer audience is playing the same game. Two, despite all the blonde talk, a bright and sunny brunette shade is getting all the attention right now. (See also: Reese Weaver, the most-followed dancer in the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.) And three, despite every personal care company simping hard for Gen-Z attention, Jennifer Garner has proven that Gen-X women still move beauty chatter and ultimately beauty purchases, even (and perhaps especially) when they’re not embedded in the fashion system. Analytics alone say the California mom is due for a bottle blonde brand partnership. Garnier x Garner, perhaps?

What else is new…

Skincare

Moisturiser as salvation, take two. On June 13, Agent Nateur introduced Holi (Water) Creme, a “filter face creme” that retails for $165, and claims brightening and firming results.

K-beauty brand I’m From, known for its rice toner, made its US debut at Ulta Beauty on June 15; it’s $28.

Would you like to avoid sunburn on the Jersey Shore? Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi can help you out. On June 16, she joined Bliss to promote the brand’s sunscreen, along with its Laura Geller lip balm collaboration.

Surface Deep introduced Travel Deodorant Wipes on June 16 with glycolic acid; they’re meant to refresh skin after a workout (yes, that includes catching the NYC subway in 90-degree weather) but the brand’s dermatologist founder Alicia Zalka is also fond of swiping them on ingrown hairs or zits in a pinch. $22 for 30.

Spritz happens. On June 16, Cocokind debuted its very first spray, Calming Magnesium Mist. It retails for $20. Meanwhile on the shower front, Qure dropped a faucet filter that claims to make your tap water better for skin. It’s $129, but unfortunately if you buy it, you still can’t use “qure” as a legit Scrabble word.

Saltair’s HA Body Hydrator hit shelves on June 17. It’s a $22 body serum with hyaluronic acid; unlike most of the brand’s drops, this one is fragrance free.

It’s a big week for Goop! On June 17, Linkedin lit up with the news that GP’s skincare brand is now available at Ulta Beauty. Meanwhile, Karla Otto announced it now reps the brand for all PR projects.

Welcome to Ulta Beauty, Revive Collagen! The supplement powder founded by UK reality star Samantha Faiers hit the superstore’s website on June 17, with plans to hit 300 doors in July.

Special attention should be paid when beauty entrepreneurs cop to using someone else’s brand. That’s why I’m very interested in Luna Bronze, the Aussie self-tanning company that counts Yse founder (and Business of Beauty award winner!) Molly Sims as a vocal fan. On June 17, Luna Bronze launched a new “self-tanning jelly” that’s $34, and promises a “gradual, believable” effect. It comes out of the tube as a purple cream before turning clear, a thoughtful touch for TikTok virality.

Before celebrities were describing their plastic surgery enhancements in the comments section, Dr. Svetlana Danovich was doing it on her Instagram. Now she’s doing the same transparent breakdown with her skincare formulas. On June 17, the cosmetic surgeon debuted D’lueur Essentiel, a brand with six products (so far) including cleanser, toner and three different serums based on skin type.

Remember last year, when all those body lotions had built-in massage tools? Add another one to the pile. On June 17, The Body Firm rolled out its Body Firming Serum, which packs an $84 blend of lactic, salicylic and glycolic acid into a revolving massage tube.

On the subject of packaging, congratulations to Ursa Major. As of June 17, the Vermont-based brand announced it has reduced its plastic footprint by 50 percent since last year. Its lingering plastic bits (pump tubes, mostly) are now 87 percent post-consumer waste. Nice.

The success of Tatcha’s best-selling Dewy Skin Cream has been spun off into the Dewy Milk Moisturiser, promising the same glowy benefits without the winter-proof richness. It hit shelves on June 17 with an ad campaign starring gymnast and Olympian Suni Lee.

Special Lip Gloss with SPF Category

On June 17, Kopari Beauty unveiled three tinted lip balms with SPF 30, plus a shimmer-based clear balm with a vanilla scent. They’re $24 to $26.

OneSkin also debuted a lip SPF on June 17, with peptides and antioxidants, along with one of those beloved metal tips.

And in the wise words of Stella Bugbee, “three is a trend.” In this case, it’s Naturium, with a $13 formula that hit June 20 with five shades — clear, pink, nude, berry and red velvet — and SPF 45.

Makeup

Is Sacheu’s viral peel-off lip liner enough to sustain an entire brand? Let’s keep watching. On June 12, the LA label introduced Liquid Glow Stay-N, a highlighter in six shades available for $34.

Looks like Ben Gorham’s last Byredo launch is… lip balm. On June 12, the brand dropped four tinted shades and a clear one called “chromophobia” (fun) created with makeup artist Lucia Pica.

Tarte’s next target is Dunkin’. On June 16, the unstoppable makeup brand debuted three shades of Maracuja Juicy lip balms inspired by Dunkin’s fruity Refresher drinks. Each balm comes with a gold hook for easy bag-charm conversion, and retails for $27 at Tarte.com and Ulta Beauty. As a Boston native, I must admit, the shades are wicked pretty.

E.l.f. Beauty wants you to rise and shine. On June 17, the mega-label launched Halo Glow Skin Tint SPF 50, a range of 18 tinted sunscreens with a melt-y serum texture and an $18 price tag. On Instagram, the products sure do look like they’re hitting the Rhode…

Elizabeth Arden introduced blush and highlighter on June 17 that follows the old-school format of buildable, powder formulas packed with a tiny mirror and a free (equally tiny) application blush. The compacts are $29 each but the nostalgia is free.

The best PR that Popsicle ever got might have been on Mad Men, but turning its most popular flavours into limited-edition lip glosses could be a close second. Popsicle Pouts dropped on June 17 with orange, cherry and grape shades; they’re about $6 online.

Related-ish: Milk Makeup released its $18 Balmade Electrolyte lip glosses on June 17 that promise the zing of a Gatorade swig with pop star shine. Cute.

Half Magic took its best-selling Blushing Lizard eyeshadow and turned it into a lip glaze on June 17. The brand by makeup artist Donni Davy also added a shiny “No Fux Fuchsia” shade to its Magic Drip Gloss line.

Charlotte Tilbury debuted its Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick, a spinoff of the super-popular Unreal Skin Tint, on June 18 with six shades and a buildable balm formula that comes with a hint of glow.

Ciele Cosmetics introduced Berri Blush & Protect on June 18 with SPF 50 and a cream-based formula. It’s $34 and you only need half a drop for your whole cheek.

Olive & June hit Amazon Beauty on June 18, so if you’re boycotting Target, you can now buy your favorite plastic press-ons at another totally ethical big-box retailer instead. Yep.

We can’t shop our way to inner peace, but don’t tell LYS Beauty. On June 20, the brand debuted True Enlightenment, a “soft focus” powder with a pearlescent effect in five shades, including Motivate (Light), Harmony (Medium), Courage (Medium/Tan), Strength (Dark) and Worthy (Deep). As usual, founder Tisha Thompson is having the best time using them on her Instagram, and her enthusiasm is pretty contagious.

On June 20, Clinique answered the question, “What if your high school Goth Lite phase came with a naked dress?” by introducing Nude Honey, a take on its famous Black Honey franchise that swaps the deep blackberry base tone for something closer to a striptease. It’s a $25 Ulta Beauty exclusive and honestly very pretty.

Body

On June 12, Sweed Beauty debuted its Hair Serum, a $95 roll-on formula with biotin, peptides and keratin said to stimulate hair growth. It was inspired by the Scandi brand’s Lash Serum, which has a cult following among Hollywood makeup artists.

Do I need to do an entire column about how current nail polish trends align directly with self-soothing behaviours? I do. Until then, pay attention to how Le Mini Macaron is diving into the “hypnotic cat eye” lacquer trend with its June 17 launch, which includes three swirl-and-soothe shades for $13 each.

Fragrance

Why buy a mansion if you can’t make a perfume for it? On June 7, Perfumehead released 1272, a scent inspired by the Palm Springs estate of its founder Daniel Patrick Giles. The juice blends a concentrated extrait with a citrus-forward cologne; they’re calling it a “coltrait.”

“Frangipani” sounds like a pastry, but it’s really a flowering succulent plant you can find in Mexico and the Arabian Peninsula. If you’d like to stay closer to home, the perfume is also in Aegean Bronze, the Korres perfume that debuted on June 12. It’s also got cedar, burnt sugar and freesia.

Yes, chef < Yes, Boss? Depends on your celebrity crush. On June 16, Boss Fragrances announced Bradley Cooper, Maluma and soccer star Vinicius Junior as its new ambassadors.

If you are a ‘90s nerd, you might think Henry Rose’s new scent, Windows Down PCH, is meant to evoke the scent of a high school computer lab. If you are a famous person, like Henry Rose founder Michelle Pfeiffer, you know the name is about revving up a sports car, driving along the Malibu coastline and telling your agent to cancel all your meetings. The perfume hit on June 16. It smells like perfect cheekbones.

And more eau de Palm Springs: If you’ve ever hiked through the desert town, you know that Joshua Trees have a smell that many people find… uh… peculiar. Described as a cross between Windex and mushrooms, the smell confounded botanists so much that, eventually, they did a whole study trying to explain the weird odor that comes from U2’s favourite tree. Pura is apparently undeterred. The home scent brand released a Trees of the West collection on June 17 including spruce, evergreen and “Joshua in Glow,” which has notes of jasmine, “dewy greens” and the tree itself. If you’re brave enough for this $24 blind buy, LMK.

Special Hair and Body Mist Party

Phlur’s hit parade now includes Vanilla Nectar, a hair and body spray that retails for $38 and comes with notes of papaya, apricot and peach.

Maison Louis Marie created its first-ever hair and body mists — Fleur de Vanille, Fleur de la Passion, and Fruit de Dragon — out June 17.

Glossier’s Orange Blossom Neroli body spritz launched on June 17 and it smells so good, they should make it an eau de parfum stat. Meanwhile, the brand’s sleeper scent You Doux has been gaining traction among beauty editors as an IYKYK choice at parties…

And finally…

Merit enlisted the CFDA-nominated bag charm brand Don’t Let Disco to adorn some of their branded tote bags this week. Like hiring Laurel Pantin as an early model and figuring out that we don’t actually want blush to creep into our hairlines, the brand really just gets it.

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