The Business of Beauty Haul of Fame: Kourtney Speaks!

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and an “Emily in Paris” branding bonanza.

Included in today’s issue: Act+Acre, Baccarat, Calista, Clinique, Inhibit Collection, John Masters Organics, Kaja, Kylie Cosmetics, Lancôme, Lake & Skye, Le Mini Macaron, Mara, Naturium, OneSkin, St. Tropez, Tatcha, The Rootist, Tower28, Trixie Cosmetics, Ursa Major, Youngblood and Mayonnaise.

But first –

Last month, I realised Lemme was a big deal. I was on the New York City subway, where tons of wellness brands advertise. But Lemme doesn’t need to, because bouquets of women — mostly young, mostly chicer-looking than I can manage on a sauna-y subway platform — were popping the recognisable swirl-patterned gummies from Williamsburg in Brooklyn to the Upper West Side. I even spotted several discarded Lemme wrappers overflowing from a subway garbage can in SoHo.

Perhaps this is not surprising. Lemme was founded in 2021 by Kourtney Kardashian Barker, after all, and though she is the chillest of the megastar sisters, she is still so famous that her Instagram followers outnumber the population of Brazil at 222 million.

This week, Kourtney Kardashian Barker called from the tour bus of her husband, Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, while stopped in Minnesota. She was phoning to talk about Lemme’s first steps into wearable wellness.

“Wellness” is a fraught term, of course. And just like the grating practice of models championing inner beauty, very wealthy and beautiful women speaking of a heightened wellbeing is tough and sometimes hurtful. Staying well relies so much on access to clean food and trusted medical care, and the reassurance that your body is valuable. Supplements help us feel like we have more agency over our health, but there’s no replacement for systemic care. And I cannot speak to whether chewable ashwaganda aligns with a higher quality of life.

I can, however, speak to cool girls and Kardashian Barker may soon have them in a lock. She’s debuting a gummy-holding charm necklace with the Brooklyn-based indie jewellery brand Haricot Vert, which she fell for on Pinterest. “I always carry a ton of supplements with me,” said Kardashian Barker when we spoke by phone last week. Instead of a clinical pillbox or pharmacy vial, she wanted to “do something that kept wellness playful.” Each necklace holds one gummy — Lemme makes eight kinds, including Lemme Sleep with melatonin and Lemme Glow with biotin. The piece retails for $199.

In a way, Lemme’s new drop plays into the trend of accessory-led beauty that’s currently being mined by Hailey Bieber’s Rhode lip case and LoveShackFancy’s Stanley Cup collaboration. But Kardashian Barker sees the project not as a category extension, but as “a one-off” that speaks more to making wellness more fun. “How can we make taking care of ourselves more of a treat? To me, that’s always the goal. At the same time, I’m not going to make a new product just because it’s new. Every launch, even smaller collaborations like this one, has to serve a purpose.”

Kardashian Barker is smart to align Lemme’s sassy-but-mainstream brand identity with the artsy Gen-Z girls who flit through Haricot Vert’s kitschy wonderland. And certainly, the tiny accessories label will be buoyed by the (extremely cute) collaboration. But KKB also understands Lemme’s appeal is part of a bigger world-building exercise, one that lets everyone think they can have a tiny piece of Kardashian Barker’s unbothered allure.

“I think of Lemme’s world like Candyland — we actually call it ‘Lemmeland’ — where it’s supposed to be fun, over-the-top, but also calming,” she explained, with pastel-clad ‘60s girl groups and ‘80s starlets wearing frosted lipstick serving as muses for the “Lemmeasthetic.” On August 1, Kardashian Barker posed in a pink feathery bodysuit with a teased-out Bardot bouffant to launch Lemme Glow lollipops for $12 per pack.

“But look, I have a baby sleeping on me right now as I talk to you,” she said. “I understand the balance of that fun fantasy with the reality of being a very busy person.” Kardashian Barker’s youngest child, Rocky, is nine months. She’s also mom to Reign, 9, Penelope, 12, and Mason, 14. (“He’s starting high school this fall. High school. I am definitely not okay!” she said laughing.)

The balance she speaks of, brand-wise, happens when “Lemmeland” collides not just with wellness, but with actually feeling better. “As my wellness routine evolves, I think of new things that could be cool for Lemme. But we have to back up our ingredients with science. We have to be laser-focused on innovation. We have several new launches in the next few months … but we never release a product until the quality and effectiveness are clear.” Otherwise, she says, you lose people’s trust — something Kardashian Barker says she’s “proud” to have earned from shoppers.

I guess that one of her future launches will be a functional fragrance. “It’s such a good idea,” she said. “But the formula would have to be a hundred, million percent clean. Otherwise, I couldn’t do it. There’s other really special things coming, though. You’ll see.” So will 222 million people on Instagram — and then many will click to buy.

What Else Is New

Skincare

The Lede Company is a heavyweight PR firm that represents Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter and Ashley Park. Now it also represents Clinique, and yes, I’m already dreaming of (their client) Addison Rae starring in an Almost Lipstick campaign. Bring it.

When Oneskin introduced its $54 OS-01 Body SPF this summer, it vowed the formula could “undo the effects of skin ageing.” So I tried it. My skin is not younger (sorry!) but it is indeed more supple, and unburned despite several long beach days. I am actually impressed.

Ursa Major’s Green Slate Mineral Polish hit stores on Aug. 15. It counts volcanic ash, birch sap and aluminium oxide as ingredients. It seems like a satisfying scrub if you like a little mud. (I really do.)

St. Tropez Self Tan Express Tropical Colada Mousse hit Sephora on Aug. 14. It’s got the brand’s normal formula, along with an exclusive coconut-y fragrance that makes me wonder if Sol de Janeiro has thought about launching a proper self-tanner.

On Aug. 16, Mara launched Clear Skin Mineral Milk, a salicylic acid solution formulated with anti-ageing benefits that targets those with adult acne and dryness. This seems canny — many Millennials (including me!) have skin that’s too sensitive for Stridex swipes. And perimenopausal acne, while often discussed, doesn’t have many targeted solutions.

Inhibit Collection debuted High Definition Lifting Cream, a tightening and plumping moisturiser, on Aug. 15. The product’s claim is pretty lofty — it will “defy the effects of gravity and define the lower facial third” — so if you’ve spent the $400 to get it, please DM us @businessofbeauty and share your thoughts.

If you see a Tatcha truck stationed outside Sephora in NYC today, get your free samples of Dewy Skin Cream and Water Cream. It’s part of a new seeding campaign to boost the products’ visibility online and IRL.

Is Walmart’s beauty stash getting really good? Last week, Futureyouth launched there. On Aug. 13, so did ITK, with a new Blemish Spot Cream + Gentle Retinol Serum.

Make-Up

Lancôme’s Teint Idole bronzer launched Aug. 13. It was developed partly by makeup maestro Lisa Eldrige, who has her own excellent beauty brand.

Is apple cider replacing pumpkin spice as fall’s beauty flavour? Some new evidence: Kaja’s Juicy Lip Glass Oils added an apple cider colour on Aug. 13, along with Cherry Cola and Fig Smoothie, which is perhaps the only flavour of smoothie you cannot find at Erewhon.

On Aug. 14, Le Mini Macaron debuted a Y2K collection, including tiny nail gems and a hot pink box that says — in “burn book” letters — “You’re like really pretty!” I guess I could say something snarky about this blatant “Mean Girls” reference, but whatever, I’m getting cheese fries.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics introduced its One-Swipe Gel Eyeliner on Aug. 13. There are three shades — copper, brown and black — which retail for $26 each. The tip is a little wider than the Valentino gel pencil, but smaller than Bobbi Brown’s, so you can expect a nice smudging effect, but not exactly a full smoky eye.

Trixie Cosmetics unveiled a new range of lipsticks on Aug. 13 called the 9-to-5 Collection. Inspired by Dolly Parton’s epic 1980 office comedy, the range features a matte mauve shade called HR Hunny that’s pretty delightful.

Kylie Cosmetics has a Lip & Cheek Blush Tint launching Aug. 13. It comes in six shades, including the dusty mauve “She’s It,” and costs $26. Speaking of blushing, I’m embarrassed because last week, I said Kylie’s birthday was on Aug. 7. Fans corrected me: She was born Aug. 10, 1997. Thanks, Kylie-verse!

It’s also John Masters Organics’ 30th birthday — older than Kylie! — and to celebrate, there’s a limited-edition Birthday Lip Calm collection, featuring two cake-and-raspberry scented balms. The set of four retails for $29, and is packaged with similar imagery to a Kylie Lip Kit. Leo Season brings out the drippy pink graphics in us all, I suppose.

Attention, Ulta Beauty shoppers: Naturium has restocked its best-selling Phyto-Glow Lip Balm in all five colours. They cost $10 each.

Tower28′s new GetSet Blur + Set Pressed Powder was unveiled Aug. 13. It comes in four shades, with kaolin clay to help mitigate shine.

Hair Care

Calista’s Jousse Styling Elixir hit shelves on Aug. 13. It’s a “3-in-1 product that helps smooth like a cream, control like a gel, and plump your hair like a mousse thanks to ingredients like wheat protein and collagen.” The 3-in-1 spray costs $26 — so, like $8.66 per function.

The Rootist has a new Densify trio — serum, shampoo and conditioner — hitting Sephora on Aug. 16. The products come just as consumer trend firm Spate reports a 67.4 percent spike in Google searches about hair loss, year-over-year. For a more personal take on hair loss, I recommend this excellent beauty interview with Elle fashion features director Veronique Hyland.

On Aug. 19, Act+Acre’s Daily Hydro serum became available. It promises to relieve dry, itchy scalps while promoting hair strength, and leans into the “scalp care is skincare” messaging with its hyaluronic acid.

Fragrance

On Aug. 13, Hellman’s Mayonnaise unveiled Will Levis No. 8, “the world’s first parfum de mayonnais.” Please excuse me while I scream into the void.

Baccarat perfume may be an actual plot point on “Emily in Paris,” but Literie Candles has its own branded EIP scents flaring up on Aug. 15: the gourmand Pain Au Chocolat, the floral Berets and Bouquets, and the vanilla-scented More French By the Day. Cute!

Lake & Skye launched 11 11 Vanilla on Aug. 9, exclusively at Ulta Beauty. It retails for $98, but perhaps the brand should do a special $11.11 promo for the first few bottles. You know, for luck.

And Finally

Lemme isn’t the only wellness supplement with news this week. On Aug 13, SoWell launched their GLP-1 Supplement Support, the first-ever packet of powder designed to reduce the side effects of Ozempic. Oh my.

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