Is it a slow news month? It definitely feels like it! On to the most important beauty news in March: Sephora goes to the UK, Estée Lauder launches a new brand, sunscreen sticks aren’t all that and the best relationship advice.
(The reason why this is a bit late is my vacation to Spain, btw – sorry about that!)
Beauty News
Sephora finally landed in the UK (with one store, in Westfield, London), and Boots boss admits to trying to sabotage the launch. (Cosmetics Business)
Maybe he should’ve thought of better sales tactics instead, though, as Boots owners Walgreens is thinking about selling the drugstore chain. (Cosmetics Packaging)
Estée Lauder launches a new mini brand called Nutritious, with three skincare products, at Ulta (USA). Supposedly aimed at Gen Z, here’s my take: it’ll tank – come on! It’s a face cleanser for $27! (Glossy)
Unhinged: North West (Kim Kardashian’s daughter, aged 9) will launch her own skincare brand.
Product launches I didn’t see coming: MAC launches a mascara that’s supposed to be dry shampoo for your lashes (no, I don’t make this up!), Olaplex releases a lash serum right on the heels of their latest law suit, and Lush releases a combo product that’s part fragrance melt and part bath oil. Oooookay.
Beauty Stories
Inside the complicated world of fragrance dupes. Another excellent and broad story from Allure, and another hot take from me: it’s not marketing, it’s pricing.
Chinese beauty brands reclaim spaces formerly appropriated by Western brands. (With all due respect: a gua sha won’t make your jaw line slimmer. Deal with it.) (Fashionista)
Older post, but well worth the bookmark: 19 vacation spots with sunscreen filter bans as of January 2023. (Imabeautygeek)
And in other sunscreen news: you might rethink your new-found love of sunscreen sticks as a main form of protection. (Lab Muffin)
What do brands think about de-influencing? (Glossy)
So Isamaya Ffrench released a penis-shaped lipstick awhile ago (NOT a sentence I’d thought to write here someday), and the wonderfully funny Theresa reviewed it. All proceeds from that video go to Planned Parenthood.
Life, Love and Everything Else
The best marriage advice, from readers who know. (This is very sweet.) (Girls of a certain age)
How to dress in your fifties (I’m taking all the advice I can get as the day looms ever closer). (This has nothing to do with ‘not wearing mini skirts’, thankfully.) (Guardian)
Drew Barrymore’s hot flush (LaineyGossip). It must be a kinda horrifying situation to have your first premenopausal hot flush ON CAMERA, but everyone involved was rather sweet, and also, the ensuing conversation great.
The world of clothing returns. It’s not a surprise that it brings with it a plethora of problems, but the very balanced article shows more than you might expect. (The Guardian)
On the Blog
Reviews galore: First up – Allies of Skin’s hyped-up eye cream. Not my fave. Second: Acnemy Zitcontrol SPF50 – a good sunscreen. Third: Elizavecca CER-100 Collagen Ceramide Coating Protein Treatment review – the one of TikTok fame. And yes, I absolutely do get it!
Then, I’m sure you’ll be interested in the results of my mini test of three different pimple patches from drugstore to high(er) end, the (many) problems of American sunscreen, and my March favourites. Although – not gonna lie! – my absolute fave thing in March was my vacation in Andalucia. 10 out of 10, would go back in a heartbeat and don’t think about anything beauty related in two weeks. HIGHLY recommend.
Did you see that I updated our Sunscreen Cheat Sheet? You can browse ALL sunscreen reviews from 2021, 2022 and 2023 there AND MORE!
