The Business of Beauty Haul of Fame: How to Tell Oprah She’s Wrong

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and Katseye, the Netflix reality show K-pop band that could sell a lot of lip gloss.

Included in today’s issue: Alpyn Beauty, Armani Beauty, Augustinus Bader, Biossance, Blake Brown, Bubble Skincare, Cartier, DS & Durga, Fable + Mane, Guerlain, Hermès, Huda Beauty, La Mer, Kiehl’s, Kleos + Klea, Kulfi, Lancôme, Lottie London, Mara, Moroccanoil, Naturium, Oars + Alps, Redken, Saie, Trinny London, Victoria Beckham, Wyn Beauty and that sand tiger from “Aladdin.”

But first

In May, Katie Sturino sat across from Oprah Winfrey and told her she was wrong.

“I’m done with women feeling bad about their bodies for no reason,” said the Megababe founder and CEO, who was a guest on Oprah’s questionable weight-focused TV special. Sturino was taking the mogul to task for “inspiring” millions of women to crash diet, sometimes for decades. In her view, large bodies aren’t the problem — bias in healthcare and thin-worship from beauty and fashion brands are the real dangers.

Sturino has harnessed this belief in her popular #SuperSizeTheLook social media posts, where she recreates celebrity fashion looks with plus-size options. On Instagram, she has 812,000 followers; on TikTok, she has been tagged over 2 million times.

That mega-reach also helped Sturino in starting Megababe, a personal care brand that specialises in making body “problems” cute, in 2017. Got back zits? Use its adorable “body acne mist” with tiny magic rabbits on the bottle. Scared of sweat stains? Try a pale pink “dust puff” covered in smiley clouds.

“The purpose is to make you feel less alone and eliminate shame about body issues,” says Sturino. The brand is most famous for its Thigh Rescue, an anti-chafing stick so undeniably useful to women that it is stocked everywhere from Anthropologie to Goop.

On Sept. 12, Megababe will launch Butt Stuff, a new $28 tightening cream meant for haemorrhoids. It is packaged in an avocado green tube (“It’s the colour of a Vespa I saw in Italy,” Sturino said) with cheery pink swirls up the side. The cream counts popular skincare ingredients like aloe and calendula, plus 5 percent lidocaine and phenylephrine, which help numb nerves and constrict blood vessels.

Devoted readers of Allure and Cosmopolitan know that haemorrhoid cream is also a “beauty secret” to reduce puffy under-eyes. Sandra Bullock claimed it was her big hack on Miss Congeniality; makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic has used it on Kim Kardashian before a big photo moment. “I would be thrilled to see it in a makeup artist’s kit,” Sturino admits. “But of course, that’s not the intended use.”

Still, the implication that you might be buying Butt Stuff for undercover skincare instead of for a sore toosh is there, which might make it even easier for people to purchase without feeling embarrassed. (There is already a test case for this: Megababe’s Le Tush, a mud mask for your rear end, is also used by many as a face mask.)

This August, revenue increased 50 percent year-over-year, and Sturino made a mega-decision for Megababe. “The goal is acquisition now,” she said. “I wasn’t always sure, and I don’t want to leave the company! But we’re self-funded. We’re profitable. We have no debt. And I know a lot of other brands out there are looking to get acquired, but I don’t see them as competition. There is not another skincare brand out there that can do what we do.”

What Else Is New

Skincare

We begin with the OG luxury beauty brand, La Mer, which introduced its Rejuvenating Night Cream on Sept. 1. It claims to use a new “sea-born renewal complex” to target eight key situations: fine lines, plumpness, softness, radiance, firmness, smoothness, texture and wrinkles. It costs $450, so you’re paying about $56 per promised benefit. The jar is a deep jade with a satisfying shimmer finish.

Like “Cobra Kai” via “The Karate Kid,” Kiehl’s has revamped its existing Ultra Facial Cream as a body product. It costs $49.

On Sept. 2, Alpyn Beauty dropped a Clarifying Facial Oil for $56. It contains two forms of retinol, including one made of pink algae. You know what that means: Pond Scum Beauty Ingredient Watch is back! Huzzah.

Moroccanoil introduced a Shampoo, Conditioner, Scrub and Tonic on Sept. 1 that promise “bioactive ingredients” meant for a healthier scalp. I keep imagining tiny versions of the “Veggie Tales” heroes making my hair shinier. This is not an unpleasant thought.

Welcome to the world, Kleos + Klea! The skincare line by Tammy Demos promises to “embrace ageing skin” instead of fight it. It launched Sept. 5.

Naturium’s AHA Exfoliating Face Mask hit stores on Sept. 6. If it’s as good as the Vitamin C cleanser, expect Target to be cleared out by Sunday.

Bubble Skincare is launching its first lip balm, called Tell All Juicy Secret, on Sept. 5. It comes with a pink ball chain so it can dangle from your backpack. This is Gen Alpha candy for sure, and I know the cleanser especially is a big hit in homes with primary-school age girls. But I’ve tested the balm myself, and it’s a perfectly serviceable adult product, too, especially in summer, when you want some moisture but not a super-thick slather.

Oars + Alps launched its Anti-Everything System on Aug. 29, which includes acne-targeting face wash, serum, lotion and body wash. If you have guys in your house who say their skincare routines are “no big deal, seriously,” then you already know they’re gonna buy it.

Makeup

What’s with all the lip liners? On Sept. 1, Wyn Beauty introduced Starting Line Peptide Infused Lip Liner, which promises a “firmer” pout. Saie Beauty’s Lip Liner 101 dropped on Sept. 5 in five shades.

Gloss is also staying strong for fall. Mara’s newest Sea Silk Lip Balm hit stores on Aug. 30. It’s a creamy coffee shade called Sea Latte, which sounds like a great recipe for Erewhon’s test kitchen. On Sept. 3, Biossance launched Pro Peptide Lip Perfector, a tinted glossy balm that comes in deep berry, bubblegum pink, or shiny clear. Each tube costs $18, and I bet they look super-glamorous when smeared on one of the brand’s rose gold status straws.

More of a lipstick girl? Trinny London’s Just Joyous, a high-shine formula, hit shelves Sept. 5. It comes in 11 shades and claims to plump lips, too.

It is also “concealer season,” and Victoria Beckham is playing to win. Her new Concealer Pen with TFC8 is a collaboration with the wealth creamery Augustinus Bader that blends high-pigment coverage with smoothing and tightening effects. It comes in 16 shades, cost $68, and is maybe the most spot-on collaboration of the year. Looking to spend less? Ciele Cosmetics rolled out Conceal + Protect concealer on Sept. 3. It has SPF 50+ and comes in 20 shades. It’s $36 at Sephora.

Some retail news: Kulfi Beauty expands into all Sephora doors this September. This is major for an indie beauty brand, and it means your teen niece might start asking for some Black Cherry Staining Lip Oil. (It’s $24, so just expensive enough that her mom will never buy it for her…) Meanwhile, Lotte London hit Amazon Beauty on Aug. 30, which means its $8 Superfake Mascara can come in the same delivery as your Swiffer refill packs. Nice.

Huda Beauty released Easy Blur foundation, $37, and Easy Blur primer, $29, on Sept. 2. Both are excellent if you want high-coverage glam, but if you’re going for the foundation, get a shade darker than you think you need. My first swatch attempt was a little less “beauty editor” and a little more “Mischa Barton in ‘Sixth Sense.’”

Armani Beauty is very smart to hire Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart for its Venice Film Festival invasion. The young actresses are brimming with talent, fun and true affection for each other. It’s a kind of Blair-and-Serena wish fulfilment for Millenials, plus a “Riverdale” reunion for Gen-Z.

Hair Care

Redken re-released its Stay High mousse on Sept. 1. The brand says the product is “back by popular demand from 500 stylists.” Will those stylists use this foam during Fashion Month? Please stand by…

Fable + Mane cast Mean Girls: The Musical bombshell Avantika Vandanapu as its “goddess of hair care” for a new campaign, which highlights the brand’s HoliRoots hair oil. She seems great, and the campaign is funny, without losing sight of its main goal: To make you want shiny hair.

Blake Brown is now pitching its “masking system” to beauty editors and influencers without any mention of its founder, Blake Lively. Interesting.

Fragrance

Hermès has a new fragrance called Barenia Eau de Parfum that debuted on Sept. 2. It promises hints of lily, ginger and patchouli. The bottle is based on the label’s Collier de Chien bracelet, which translates to “dog collar.” I remember Jessica Alba and Emma Watson wore the cuffs pretty enthusiastically circa 2012.

Also in scented luxury goods, Cartier’s La Panthère Elixir hit stores on Sept. 3 with notes of jasmine and musk. The bottle has an etched panther face at the front, which is gorgeous and also reminiscent of the magical “Cave of Wonders” sand tiger from the mesmerising animated “Aladdin” film of 1992. You can almost hear the glass hissing, “Who dares disturb my slumber?!” when you stare at it. It’s really great.

Guerlain’s new perfume, Patchouli Paris, debuted Sept. 3. It’s billed as “a game of contrasts, where the immediate freshness of the banks of the Seine leads into the intoxicating warmth of the Parisian theatre… like skin a-tingle.” Oh my. While I’m sure smelling like the Seine would indeed be tingly, Guerlain’s scent smells like “patchouli, iris, vanilla, ambergris and musk” instead of le rive. Phew.

DS & Durga’s Big Sur Eucalyptus first launched as a limited-edition “Studio Juice” in November of last year. It sold out in less than a day, and now the brand has created a more permanent release, out on Sept. 3. The $210 fragrance also comes as a $70 candle or a $60 pack of air fresheners for your car. It smells like “deep spicy green groves on the cool California coast.”

MCM Diamond dropped on Sept. 3. It’s $79, with notes of espresso, lavender and sandalwood, and comes in a teeny — but sadly fake — MCM black backpack. I am once again asking MCM to make the backpacks detachable so you get a fragrance and keychain-size accessory all at once.

Lancôme is launching its new La Vie Est Belle L’Elixir perfume with a travelling sample truck that hits New York on Sept. 6-8 before making stops in Miami and Los Angeles. The pop-ups tie into a commercial, starring Julia Roberts and directed by Damien Chazelle. I would love (x10) to see Julia Roberts surprising people by handing perfume samples out of a truck in Soho. TikTok will certainly surface the evidence if it happens, perhaps even faster than Lancôme can.

On Sept. 4, LoveShackFancy uncapped three new body mists: Sugar Blush, Velvet Sun and Berry Kiss. They look like the Strawberry Shortcake shampoo I used to beg for as a small child, and will likely sell out in seconds. But if you’d rather smell like honey than a pack of wealthy teen girls, Gisou has a new Honey Infused Lavender Berry hair perfume that came out on Sept. 4.

And Finally

Netflix’s international K-pop band, Katseye, has booked an American Eagle campaign. This is great for the all-girl group, but curious because their big single is called “Pretty,” with lots of clips showing its stars posing in a lipstick-smeared mirror. So here’s a fun game to play as you get bored at Fashion Week parties: Which beauty brand should claim these kids first? (Also, obviously, justice for Emily.)