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lush cosmetics

Beauty, Body, Fashion, Hair, Makeup, Skin

#BeautyBookmarks: The News You Need to Know

There’s so much happening in the industry that I can’t possibly cover them all! But to keep you informed on what’s shaking, I’m serving up the biggest beauty and fashion headlines of the day right here!

Photos via Bustle and Glamour, respectively.

The Fenty Effect shows no signs of slowing down as new and established brands are bolstering their shade ranges. In fact, Revlon has partnered with Allure’s founding editor Linda Wells to launch Flesh, a new beauty brand with inclusivity at its core and foundation sticks that comes in 40 shades (Fenty’s magic number, which has now become industry standard for complexion products). The line is expected to hit Ulta stores exclusively on June 24th, so mark your calendars now, kittens! [Teen Vogue]

Another brand following in Fenty’s footsteps: Tarte Cosmetics. After its latest foundation and concealer launches were criticized for having a limited shade ranges, the brand went back to the drawing board to expand the Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Foundation from 25 to 40 shades and the Creaseless Concealer from 14 to 30 shades that just hit shelves. And it’s not stopping there, as the brand plans to do the same for other formulas in the line, stating, “We are excited to share that our shape tape matte & hydrating foundations, shape tape concealer & Rainforest of the Sea water foundations will get shade extensions this year.” [Bustle]

If you’re already on the hunt for Father’s Day gifts (it’s June 17th, but it will be here before you know it), Lush has got you covered. Forget the ties and grilling gear, the brand is serving up a batch of bathtime and grooming goodies, including a solid beard oil and a handlebar mustache soap you might want to snap up for yourself. [Allure]

Sure, we might use Spotify to listen to some of our favorite podcasts (The Read, Unladylike, and Fat Mascara quickly come to mind), but Tidal is taking streaming to a different level. The platform announced on Wednesday that it will add beauty content with an entertainment alongside some of its music-related shows. The first to hit small screens is Get the Look (hmm, that sounds familiar) in which various beauty vloggers will channel stars like Nicki Minaj and Rihanna in some of their hottest music videos., so if you don’t have an account, don’t forget to create another email account to score a free trial and check them out. [The Cut]

We’ve all been eagerly anticipating any new news on the upcoming Aaliyah x MAC collaboration, and we’ve finally got a better look at what’s expected to hit beauty counters this summer. The roster will include an orange-toned lipstick, a deep plum lip gloss, a bronzer embossed with the late singer’s signature as well as the nude lipstick and dark eyeshadow palette we’ve previously had a peek at —all housed in glossy, burgundy packaging. And we won’t have to wait much longer as the collection will become available online on June 20th before hitting stores the next day. Set your alarms because this one is sure to sell out ASAP! [Bustle]

But that’s not the only collaboration coming soon — far from it! L’Oreal is rocking the runway by linking up with Valentino to produce prestige beauty buys and fragrances for the brand that has already birthed a number of successful scents (I remember when Valentina and its second iteration first launched!). But if you’re looking for something with more sheen, Pinrose has partnered with Sephora to unleash a slew shimmery, holographic glosses, highlighters, and even a rainbow-hued brush set to ensure you can be seen from space all season long. [PopSugar, Elite Daily]

Since Memorial Day, everyone’s been looking to splash into summer. And it looks like mega model Hunter McGrady is making sure each beach body (because every body is a beach body) is ready with a line of sexy swimwear that budget babes will love in partnership with Playful Promises. With cute keyhole cutouts, little bits of lace, and a splash of sequins on a variety of sultry silhouettes, you can expect temperatures to rise (and pulses to race) as soon as you step onto the sand. [Glamour]

Beauty, Body, Hair, Makeup, Skin

10 Egg-cellent Beauty Buys To Add To Your Easter Basket

Embed from Getty Images

To be honest, I almost forgot that Easter was upon us since I’m so used to it falling around the middle of April, not on April Fool’s Day. (I can only imagine what kind of crazy pranks will pop up on social media this weekend!) But the holiday brings back a wave of memories of my mom getting me dolled up in pastel frills for a few photos before heading off for Easter service and then a slew of Easter egg hunts, with the youngest of us popping open all of our collected plastic eggs to scoop the trinkets and treats housed inside.

Many might think that Easter baskets are just kids’ stuff, but why should the little ones have all the fun? I figure it’s a fun opportunity to treat yourself, especially during Mercury retrograde. In keeping with the spirit of the celebration, I’ve found a slew of beauty buys that are sure to soothe and tighten skin, pump up the volume of your locks, and make your beauty look absolutely egg-cellent (you knew that was coming!), using the power or inspiration from eggs themselves. After all, egg whites are a classic DIY mask ingredient thanks to the albumin’s ability to help tighten pores for a smoother-looking visage. And according to Refinery29, the yolk comes packed with proteins, vitamins, and fatty acids to help nourish skin and hair and hang onto hydration. So whether you’re want to start small on the egg trend or splurge on something extra special for your skin, there’s a little something for everyone. 

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Beauty, Body, Hair, Skin

#OnMyVanity: The Mega Moisturizers That Helped My Skin Survive Winter

A post shared by Val’s Vanity (@valsvanity) on

I receive a slew of samples, and when I find something I like, I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Proper hydration is essential in maintaining the health of your skin and hair no matter the season. But the winter’s high-speed winds, chilly temperatures, and the subsequent use of dry heat to keep warm can make dry skin anywhere on the body feel extra parched. It’s something my skin has dealt for years, sometimes drying out to the point of splitting (yeah, ouch!). Since I started writing about beauty, I’ve slathered on a slew of serums, lotions, creams, butters, and beyond to keep my skin and strands supple season after season on a mission to find formulas that not only deeply nourish but also pass the doorknob test (you know, when you’re trying to turn a doorknob after moisturizing).

Sure, Spring (and my birthday) are only a few weeks away, but we’ve faced a pretty weird winter filled with fluctuating temperatures, plenty of blustery, grey days, and dry indoor heat. With a slew of moisturizers on the market at the moment, I decided to roll up my sleeves to slather on a slew of samples to see which beauty buys could sustain the suppleness of my skin throughout the harsh season.

Let’s take it from the top (to toe), shall we?

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Beauty, Body

Lush Launches A Campaign to Champion Trans Rights

via TeenVogue.com

Lush might be best known for its eco-friendly approach to the beauty and body care, not to mention its array of eye-catching bath bombs. But the brand has a long histroy of using its platform to advocate for social change. And its latest campaign is lending a hand in the fight to secure trans rights.

via Lush.com

As part of its 14-day #TransRightsAreHumanRights initiative, Lush has released an exclusive bath melt called Inner Truth that comes in the shape of a blue and pink heart, meant to evoke the complexities of gender, that swirl together in the bathwater into a beautiful shade of purple that has come to represent LGBT+ equality. The bath buy retails for $5.95 with 100% of the proceeds (save for taxes, of course) benefitting the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity in the hopes of raising $450,000 for the organizations. And according to Bustle, the funds will be used to support high school-based race and gender justice training for teens in the U.S. while the donations in Canada will fund resiliency training and community-building camps for trans youth.

The brand, which was recently named one of Forbes’s  Best Employers for Diversity, saw the campaign as an opportunity to amplify the voices of employees and colleagues who shared the discrimination they face. “We are a diverse group of people with one thing in common — advocating for human rights,” Carleen Pickard, Ethical Campaigns Specialist at Lush Cosmetics North America, told Teen Vogue“As an inclusive employer that champions equality, we simply couldn’t stand by. We needed to shed light on these daily discriminations and work to advance and secure their basic rights.”

And they’re not stopping there! Lush is also looking raise awareness by swapping out the vibrant bath and body buys in their stores’ windows for quotes and stories about gender identity, which come courtesy of its staff’s own experiences. Some of those stories are included in a recently released video about the campaign, which is part of a series of documentaries that feature trans allies discussing how to build a more accepting society. Plus, it plans to hand out 75,000 “How to Be an Ally” manuals to cisgender shoppers, host community events at 16 select shops in the United States and Canada, and use its Snapchat to share tips and resources for trans and questioning youth throughout the campaign though it will also mainatain a Trans Rights hub on its site an additional resource.

“What’s really special about this campaign is that our transgender and non-binary colleagues have genuinely impacted every aspect of it, from providing guidance and sharing personal experiences to educating us on how to become better allies to the community, ultimately creating a safer and more inclusive environment for all, ” Pickard said.

And that includes securing some of the most basic elements of life: freedom from harassment and violence, a safe place to live, and a secure job. One of the problems is that many trans people are faced with privacy violations, harassment, and even physical and sexual violence on the job — if they’re even able to get one, as some are refused employment because of their gender identity, which lead many to turn to sex and drug work to make ends meet.According to United States Transgender Survey (USTS), one in three trans people become homeless at some point in their lives because of violence, discrimination, and even rejection by their own family. One in four trans people have dealt with housing instability or discrimination, like getting being evicted from their homes or denied housing altogether. Worst of all, the survey found 300 reported cases of transgender people were killed by violent means, including at least 26 in North America. And the thing is these rates are much higher for trans people of color!

So if a bath melt can help open up eyes and educate others to join the fight for equality, all I can say is power to the purple and to the people!