Spiders, pyramid schemes and beauty spells?! Beauty news in December were seriously unhinged. (Also, with a lot of new brands and launches, that ‘meh’ feeling and Christmas jumpers.)
Beauty News
This wasn’t on my 2023 bingo card: Does Sol de Janeiro’s body cream attract spiders?! (NYT, gifted link)
DID Marlena Stell (formerly MakeupGeek) launch a pyramid scheme?! (YouTube)
Pantone Color of the Year is Peach Fuzz.
Now-bankrupt company Amyris has either sold or auctioned off its brands, including JVN haircare, Rose Inc., Biossance and more. (Retaildive)
Actress Lili Reinhardt will launch a beauty brand?! (TeenVogue) Maybe? But: Balmain definitely will launch a makeup brand (Fall 24), there’s already the IG channel.
Other launches: Geek & Gorgeous at drugstore dm (Germany), and Rare Beauty launches a mini skincare collection at Sephora. (Elle)
Shopping sprees: Unilever buys haircare brand K18, while Shiseido acquires Dr. Dennis Gross.
Urban Decay shuts down UK website for good.
Beauty Stories
2023 was the year when beauty trends died by becoming ubiquitous and unescapable, says Allure.
And Glamour gives us some trend projections for 2023, so whatever?! (And here’re some skincare ones, courtesy of – Allure lol)
This is adorable: A makeup tutorial with Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa. (YouTube)
A handy primer (at least if you’re in the US; because we have slightly different laws in the EU): What Beauty Product Testing Claims Really Mean. (Fashionista)
A new generation of ‘Made in China’ brands helped one author counter anti-Asian hate. (Glamour)
Is Drunk Elephant skincare for kids?! (Beautyindependent)
Life, Love and Everything Else
Some enterprising reporter at the Guardian bought a ‘make me beautiful’-spell and lived to tell the tale. (Yes, a ‘real’ magic spell. From a ‘witch’.)
Dupe culture is a serious problem for fashion designers. (Above the Law)
The EU passes a new law, making it illegal to destroy returned, unused clothes. (Reuters)
That lingering ‘Meh’ feeling has a name (it’s me!). (NYT, gifted link)
Um, here’s how your fun, cheap Christmas jumper was made. (Guardian)
On the Blog
Still have some Christmas money to burn? Why not check out my gift guide of weird and wonderful things?
Quick makeup hack: eyeliner smudging? Do this!
Also, my favourite winter sunscreens, ten of the best one-and-done eyeshadows, my new AM/PM skincare routine for sensitive skin while using Tretinoin, and finally, The summer I stopped trying to fix my flaws (aka the great summer skincare crisis of 2023). And, of course, my fave December beauty finds, featuring also a LOT of books.
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way! Twindly is an independent blog, and our reviews reflect that. Sometimes we’ll use affiliate links that will be clearly marked. Affiliate links mean that if you choose to buy a product through this link, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost for you. If you decide to do that, thank you for helping to keep the blog afloat! (No matter if the link is affiliate or not, the reviews will always truthfully reflect how any product performed when I tested it.)
