The Business of Beauty Haul of Fame: A Crisis for Hollywood Makeup Artists

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas, and a lot of “Babygirl” energy coming from product marketing teams right now. Wow.

Included in today’s issue: Australian Gold, Biossance, Cocokind, Dr. Jart+, Dune Suncare, Eighth Day, Elizabeth Arden, Eucerin, Fazit, Flower Knows, Hairstory, Kiss, Kosas, Lancôme, Lanolips, Nette, NuFace, Origins, Power Fol, Prada, Skinfix, Skintimate, Starface, Sunday Riley, Timeless Skincare, Typology, Urban Decay, YSL Beauty, and a scrunchie revival.

But first…

On Jan. 9, the acclaimed actress and human glass of chardonnay Jean Smart delivered an Instagram challenge in the wake of the tragic Los Angeles fires. “I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider not televising them,” she wrote, “and donating the revenue they would have garnered to the victims of the fires and the firefighters.”

Smart’s plea was a genuine move to encourage those with real power — namely, billion-dollar movie studios, TV networks, and the huge corporations that can advertise with them — to prioritise community help over inflated bottom lines. But shortly after the missive was posted, glam squads began to mobilise in Smart’s comments section — and later, in their private group chats.

“This is a terribly privileged take,” wrote Joanna Simkin, the award-winning beauty pro who helmed Cynthia Erivo’s makeup looks for the “Wicked” press tour. “Surely you know how many people rely on this time of year to make the bulk of their income … The last thing the countless artists who lost their homes need is for work to dry up.”

“Awards season provides essential work for so many makeup artists, drivers, stylists, etc.” added Benjamin Puckey, the global colour director for Clé de Peu beauty who also tends to the faces of Suki Waterhouse and Sadie Sink. “So many of us are struggling,” echoed fellow artist Ashley Donovan, who readied the “Nobody Wants This” actress Jackie Tohn for the Golden Globes. “Please reconsider.”

The debate about how — or if — awards season should proceed has exposed the all-or-nothing economy of the red carpet industrial complex, which is most intense from January until March. Like the holiday shopping period for retailers, awards season can net a working “glam squad” member up to 70 percent of their yearly income, according to Lilly Keyes, a makeup artist for Tate McRae, Emma Chamberlain, and imminent Oscar nominee Mikey Madison. “I’m lucky, because I also have clients in music and fashion,” said Keyes, who recently did the retro-glam makeup for Kim Kardashian’s Skims campaign with Dolce & Gabbana. “But for people whose primary focus is film and television actors, January through March represents a whole year of work.”

That’s because movie studios and television networks pay for their stars to look incredible — it helps sell their films and shows, after all — while makeup brands also sponsor artists in hopes of additional PR. “You can often have four sponsors on one Oscar or Grammy look,” Keyes says, including cosmetics, skincare, makeup tools like brushes or red-light gizmos and eyelash brands. The Oscars themselves command the most revenue, but additional opportunities like the Golden Globes and the famed Vanity Fair and W magazine soirees can also generate big paydays.

An agent for A-list makeup artists shared that Oscar Sunday alone can generate “up to $40,000” for their clients, provided they post sponsored content on social channels as the evening unfolds. Even junior artists depend on Oscars weekend, when they’ll charge their highest yearly rates.

Denika Bedrossian, a makeup artist for Awkwafina, Justine Lupe, and Kaley Cuoco, says that fires are exposing other holes in the red carpet industry. “My income has been cut in half since 2019,” says the LA native. Hollywood has operated in fits and starts since the Covid-19 pandemic, and weathered an actors strike and a writers strike in 2023. The explosion of TikTok also shifted opportunities from longtime “career” makeup artists toward younger content creators, many based outside of California. According to multiple sources, a standard studio day rate for a Hollywood makeup artist was $1,500 in 2019. After Covid-19, it became closer to $500. Last month, Bedrossian was approached by a major studio to work with the star of a hit television show. “They wanted $350 for the day, for a major celeb,” she recalls. “When my agent said that was below my rate, the studio said, ‘You know we could just find someone on TikTok, right?’”

Bedrossian’s skill and reputation have allowed her to continue booking jobs, but she says instead of those $1,500 commissions, the new studio standard is a less-lucrative “do-and-go”— a makeup look without touch-ups. Of course, those are also on hold out of necessity. “I had 14 jobs booked in the next two weeks,” said Bedrossian. “All of them have been cancelled. That’s the right thing to do right now. But why is awards season cancelled and not postponed?” For many working makeup and hair artists, along with other Hollywood workers like nail technicians, chauffeurs, set constructors, camera grips, and sound and lighting technicians, the difference between cancellation and postponement is the ability to make a rent payment.

Besides the practical loss of income, Keyes is worried that rolling up the red carpet would also lead to a loss of hope. “Entertainment is the primary industry of Los Angeles,” she says. “If we can’t work when it’s safe to do so, then that industry can’t exist. I think it’s really important that we keep up some semblance of the glamour that we’re known for, so everything that makes our city special doesn’t just crumble before our eyes.”

Bedrossian has a starker view: “It feels wrong for studios and record labels to say, ‘Hey Los Angeles, we’d like to support you in your time of need by taking away your income.’” There has been talk of turning the Oscars into a fundraiser, with proceeds from ads going to fire relief instead of back to the broadcast partners. Keyes and Bedrossian endorse the idea. “We can come together and dazzle the world again,” says Bedrossian. “Then the drivers, the caterers, the cameramen, the hair and makeup teams — we get to go back to work.”

What Else Is New

Skincare

Starface is stepping up. The brand’s newest balms, which launched Jan. 15, are sending proceeds to LA recovery funds. Profits from Mango Mania will go to the YMCA LA, So Strawberry donates to the Boys & Girls Club LA, and Coconut Blast gives back to the LAUSD Education Foundation. They’re $7 each.

More dairy queens! On Jan. 8, Origins launched Plantscription, a lightweight “face milk” that claims to hydrate, tone, and visibly reduce fine lines in two weeks. Then on Jan. 9, Dionis dropped a goat milk lip polish ($22) made with sugar cane and castor oil. The lip scrub fits neatly into the anti-vegan beauty trend, and comes from Bucks County, PA, which was declared “a rival to the Hamptons” by the New York Times. (It’s perhaps more of a rival to Woodstock. But anyway.)

Biossance introduced Squalane + Firm and Lift Dual Serum, a $68 formula for “visibly firmer, lifted, and sculpted skin.” It has bisabolol, which is a floral extract from the yellow parts of the chamomile flower. It hit Sephora stores on Jan. 9.

Elizabeth Arden is tackling hyperpigmentation. On Jan. 13, it launched its Visible Brightening line, including “spot-correcting” capsules ($99) and a cream ($80) that claim a 79 percent visible reduction in discolouration after two weeks of use.

Eucerin also has a brightening line out Jan. 13. Called the Radiant Tone collection, it includes a cleanser, serum, SPF 30, night cream and eye cream. You can find it on Amazon Beauty.

NuFace introduced a micro-wand on Jan. 14 that uses low-level microcurrents to target fine lines, plumper lips and less puffiness around the eyes. The family-owned brand enlisted Patrick Ta to debut the device, and I’ll admit, when I used this $195 gadget, my skin was a bit firmer and more defined. (That, or I just think it’s fun to zap myself in the name of being pretty… Discuss.)

If you’d rather tackle fine lines the old fashioned way — with a satisfying glop of cream — Eighth Day debuted its Night Cream Treatment on Jan. 14. It has “peptide-rich plasma” and Retinal XR, a compound developed by Dr. Anthony Nakhla that claims 250 percent more strength than regular vitamin A. It retails for $450.

Peace Out launched an oil-control roller on Jan. 13 to “help clear pores and prevent blackhead formation.” It’s $28 at Sephora and looks like a super-fun way to treat blemishes, but I wish the packaging weren’t so bulbous. We don’t need more stuff to throw away.

It is summer Down Under, which explains why Australian Gold dropped its After Sun Cooling Mist on Jan. 14 just as temperatures in New York hit 14 degrees. The spray has hyaluronic acid and aloe vera, and retails for $9.

Oars + Alps rolled out its Whole Body Deodorant Cream on Jan. 14. It claims to “apply like a lotion, dry like a powder,” and costs $14.

Sunday Riley has expanded their CEO franchise, which amps up Vitamin C in its formulas. On Jan. 15, the brand dropped a Brighten + Tighten Body Butter on Sephora for $52.

Cocokind has an Electrolyte Water cream that launched as an Ulta exclusive in December. On Jan. 15, it went into the wider retail market for $20.

On Jan. 15, Skintimate introduced a 2-in-1 shave oil and moisturiser for $8. It comes in coconut and fragrance-free versions, and feels smooth but not oily.

Iris & Romeo’s Lip Cocoon Barrier Peptide Balm came out on Jan. 15, with Bulgarian rose oil and shea butter. It’s $28 and meant to be a compliment to the label’s nicely effective Skin Cocoon serum.

Timeless Skincare dropped three mini facial sprays on Jan. 16 in cucumber, lavender and rose. They’re $25 and useful as a pre-spritz before putting on your morning skin cream in cold, dry weather.

Skinfix launched its Barrier+ Exo + Ectoin Intensive Repair Baume on Jan. 17. The tiny jar with a very long name has arnica, bitter melon extract and a patented compound that the brand calls “our version of the skin barrier, bottled.” It’s $69 at Sephora, and the brand is offering a 30 percent commission on affiliate sales to outlets that give it “a dedicated feature.” Interesting! Beauty commerce editors, LMK how that goes for you.

Makeup

Give it up for Simihaze Beauty. This week, the label from twin sisters Simi and Haze Khadra will donate all sales of their cosmetics to the GoFundMe accounts of Black and Latin American families displaced by the fires.

On Jan. 9, Kosas debuted Revealer Extra Bright, a $32 liquid concealer with caffeine, hyaluronic acid, and a heavy pigment lode that blends easily, but definitely counts as full coverage. (Should a concealer be called a revealer? Eh. Still, I tried this formula after an alarm clock accidentally woke me up at 4 am. It did the job.)

Remember when “beauty balm” was a thing in the early 2010s? It’s having a resurgence, because everybody wants more efficiency in their skincare routines — and even though “tinted moisturiser” is a perfectly fine product, saying “beauty balm” is just more fun. Dr. Jart+ was the first BB cream stocked in US Sephora stores. Now it’s re-seizing the moment with two additional shades of Premium BB, which go for $48 and include niacinamide, glycerine, and SPF 40. It’s at Sephora starting Jan. 10.

Does Fazit have legs beyond Taylor Swift’s glitter freckles? On Jan. 13, they rolled out Snowflake Speckles, which replace metallic flecks with tiny holographic sparkles meant to mimic falling snow. They’re $18 for six sheets.

Typology’s $40 tinted lip balm hit shelves on Jan. 13, with a refillable tube and four shades including plum, baby pink, reddish pink and clear.

Lanolips made a phone-holder so you can “snap on hydration anytime.” It’s a $22 Ulta exclusive and comes with one of the brand’s best-selling strawberry balms, but technically, you could try it with any standard-size lip gloss tube.

Kiss debuted an LED lamp for gel manicures on Jan. 15 that costs $15 and lets you do four nails at once — in just one minute. High school sleepovers will never be the same.

Kat Guevara is the official makeup artist for the Saudi royal family … and for Nicky and Kathy Hilton, which feels right. On Jan. 15, she launched a collab with Flower Knows called the Strawberry Cupid Collection. It looks like someone ripped the light fixtures out of Versailles and turned them into lipstick and powder compacts, and costs between $20 and $40.

Guerlain’s Year of the Snake collection includes a $42 limited-edition lipstick shade called Mystic Red with a satiny finish and swirling scarlet tones. It’s very “Wednesday Addams goes to prom” coded and dropped Jan. 15.

Can Olivia Rodrigo get Gen-Z into mascara? Her new campaign for Lancôme’s Idôle Flutter Extension debuted on Jan. 15. This mascara has a very thin, precise wand that makes it feel special and even a little artful during use. It’s $30, which feels expensive for her young fanbase, but these Sephora Teens also buy Drunk Elephant, so…

YSL Beauty’s Make Me Blush launched on Jan. 15 with seven shades in powder compacts, each boasting the designer logo. They’re $45 each.

Looks like someone took our BookTok advice. On Jan. 16, ColourPop introduced its Shadow of Secrets collection, including a $23 eyeshadow palette made to look like a romance novel, plus $10 glosses, $10 lip and cheek balms, and a liner-and-lipstick kit for $16.

Urban Decay’s Face Bond blush hits shelves on Jan. 17. It promises a “suede” feel and comes in seven shades, including “Situationship,” a sheer brick red. Glad to see those copywriters are watching “Babygirl.”

Hair Care

Does your shampoo need a supplement? Hairstory is testing the concept with Bond Boost, an $18 tube that’s meant to be added into the brand’s New Wash cleansing cream for added strand strength. There’s also a $44 Bond Serum that pulls double-duty as a head protectant and a leave-in deep conditioner. The duo is out Jan. 15.

Maya Chia’s Power Fol line debuted on Jan. 16. The shampoo has kombucha (really!) and amino acids; the conditioner has biotin and pea peptides. Both are $48.

Fragrance

Skylar’s Nude Skin fragrance dropped on Jan. 17. The California brand from Honest Company veteran Cat Chen has notes of tiger orchid, vanilla, and amber; it’s meant to be “a more elevated direction” for the label, which began in 2017.

And Finally

The market research firm TMR issued a wild memo on Jan. 15 that claims “the scrunchie market is projected to reach $4.3 billion by 2031,” with a CAGR growth of 5.9 percent. The report pegs the rise on “evolving fashion trends and the rising population of working women,” which is vague and weird. Want us to drill down? DM me. Otherwise, let’s just blame it on Prada’s brazen market play, along with the rise (and rise) of Sandy Liang.

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