The Business of Beauty Haul of Fame: The Sephora Exit Polls

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and a giant hug from Elmo.

Included in today’s issue: Allies of Skin, Beachwaver, Bond No. 9, Cool Girl Brands, Dolly Parton, Gen See, Marc Anthony True Professionals, Maybelline, Neom Wellbeing, Nu Skin, Phlur, Remedy Place, R+Co Bleu, Solawave, Tower28, Wonder Valley, and more.

But first…

It’s been 23 years since cosmetics titan Leonard Lauder coined the “Lipstick Index,” a theory that makeup sales can predict the economy of a nation, and therefore, a big chunk of its happiness.

But that theory only works if women want to look “pretty,” or at least want to be looked at. If you’re trying to avert, confound or actively thwart the idea that your appearance should be agreeable to those around you — especially strangers, especially men — makeup might not make your Asana task list. And while beauty has always been used as a tool of resistance, so has the “ugliness” championed in grunge, goth, and punk subcultures, all of which erupted during peak conservative administrations. Anger is also an aesthetic.

Maybe that’s why on November 6, when I strolled through various beauty retailers in blue-voting Manhattan, the sales floors were surprisingly empty. “Nobody’s feeling it today,” said a young woman manning the skincare lock-down cabinet at an uptown Target, which: fair. Online, Google searches for beauty’s most popular categories (“Best Lipstick,” “Best Foundation,” “Best Mascara”) were the lowest they’d been all month. You know what was ticking along, though? The grunge staple “black eyeliner,” along with the search term “grunge makeup” itself. Black nail polish, which normally craters post-Halloween, is also trending up.

Also trending up: The amber waves of Melania Trump’s hair, which is experiencing a serious search engine spike nationwide. Ditto Ivanka’s yellow-blonde mane. The curiosity isn’t surprising, given the kickline of manicured women at the Republican post-election rally. That look takes a lot of beauty products, along with a hair colourist who knows to use a pint of Bud Light instead of a photo of Gwyneth as the ideal reference point for your specific shade of Heartland Blonde. (I have done this, BTW. It really works.)

It may seem petty to try and gamify some beauty trends in the wake of a bitter, exhausting, and dirty fight for the future of America. But how we want to look is a crucial component of who we want to be. The shadow box of gender, the false protection of privilege, and the fight over who is called “pretty”? Those things aren’t a distraction from American power. They are starter topics for how the beauty industry upholds American power.

Victoria Beckham’s $34 black eyeliner is “just” a makeup splurge, after all… until it replaces lipstick as a symbol of what we think is worth wearing tomorrow, even when we’re not sure what “tomorrow” is going to mean. Let’s figure that part out, together.

What Else Is New

Skincare

Welcome to Soho, Remedy Place! On Nov. 1, the spa chain debuted a new space in downtown NYC, featuring “AI Bodywork” to customise your massage. Will report back.

Solawave continues to push into topicals. On Nov. 1, the brand most famous for its electronic skin mask debuted Bye Acne zit stickers, which claim to use microdart technology to press green tea, niacinamide, and salicylic acid directly into blemishes. If you’re still not over Dr. Jart getting rid of its brilliant Focuspot micro-needle patches, this might be a $20 fix.

Allies of Skin introduced a Vitamin C & Omegas cleansing balm on Nov. 1 that’s $49 and formulated for skin that gets extra-dry or reactive in the winter. It’s also a nice option to remove your makeup if you’re on a double-cleanse routine.

Nu Skin introduced a Lip Mask on Nov. 5 that’s meant for overnight pout recovery. It’s $25 and comes with sunflower seed wax and coconut oil. You can also try a tiny swipe over some lip colour during the day for a super-shiny effect in photos.

Makeup

Cool Girl Brands know the way to our hearts is through shiny, happy lip gloss. On Nov. 1, Topicals launched its Slick Salve Lip Balm in a new maroon Acai hue. Then on Nov. 4, Tower28 introduced its newest shade of Lip Jelly, a sparkly deep pink called Iced XOXO.

L’Oréal introduced its Lumi Le Glass highlighter stick for $13 on Nov. 4. It comes in six shades, but my money is on the blushy “Pink Ballet” hue, because #balletcore is still a main goal out there.

Dolly Parton’s Dolly Beauty lipstick is probably the closest we’re gonna get to bipartisan beauty. Four new shades debuted on Nov. 5, including a deep matte red and a Barbie pink. They come in bedazzled gold lipstick tubes, because of course they do. $20 each.

Rather do a liquid lip? On Nov. 6, Maybelline introduced its Super Stay Teddy Tint at Ulta Beauty, which features a soft, slightly matte effect in 10 shades.

Haircare

R+Co Bleu launched its Ultra Dry Texture Spray on Nov. 4. It’s $49 and also works as a dry shampoo thanks to zeolite, a pure white crystal that’s also said to “release toxic energy,” according to a yoga studio I used to live near in Boston. I mean, right now, couldn’t hurt.

Also on the zeolite train: Marc Anthony True Professionals. The brand debuted a dry shampoo on Nov. 1 with the mineral; you can buy it at Amazon.

The California olive oil company Wonder Valley has introduced refillable aluminium bottles of sandalwood yuzu shampoo ($36) and conditioner ($38), along with a hinoki body wash ($32). We’ve had vineyard beauty for a while now thanks to Caudalie and Vintner’s Daughter; olive oil hasn’t completely caught up in the space yet, but this feels like an approachable-lux entry.

Beachwaver will introduce a new 1.5 inch-barrel curling iron on Nov. 10. That size corresponds to the type of big, loose curl you see in pageants and drag shows; the tool is $119.

Fragrance

On Nov. 1, Bond No. 9 released Gold Street, a $490 fragrance with top notes of vintage French leather. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that on Vestiaire Collective, you can buy vintage French leather for less than $490—this bag from Dior is $317, for instance—but then you’d miss the other ingredients like blueberry, pink pepper, and jasmine absolute.

Neom Wellbeing introduced its Perfect Night’s Sleep range at Ulta Beauty on Nov. 4. The British brand has B-Corp certification; its bedtime formulas include a magnesium bath milk ($48) and body butter ($43), plus a “sleep mist” for $23.

Smoking is bad for you. Vanilla Smoke is good for you. So declares Phlur, with a first-ever candle trio, which also includes balsam and currant candles. They dropped Nov. 4 and cost $45 each.

And Finally

Have you seen E.l.f. Cosmetics being used as a case study for the Alinea investment app? Makeup as stock trading argument: amazing.