May 16, 2025: Beauty News to Know
Finally, more celeb beauty brands and fragrance mists no one asked for! Plus, acquisitions, shirtless men, and a really bad sales report from one boozed-up beauty brand.
Hello, hello!
We are in the final wedding countdown and despite a two-day breakdown last week, I’m doing okay, which I’m taking as a win. I have a hard time with anticipation, especially for big events, so I’m just trying to take these next few weeks in stride and do whatever it takes to make sure I’m feeling my best. What does that entail? Near-daily workouts, so much water, hitting my 10K steps (I know the science behind that number is iffy, but please let me have this), prioritizing vegetables and protein, a bajillion wedding meetings and fittings, a very extensive skincare routine, gua sha and ZIIP sessions, and a 10-minute wedding arms routine I found on Google that was posted on my birthday, which I weirdly took as a sign it was meant for me. There will also be ample massages—lymphatic and otherwise—as well as at least two more facials.
Given all this, I’ve been a bit MIA in the beauty world and will continue to be until after the wedding. I have to be honest, taking a step back has been really hard. At first, I felt a lot of anger over the fact that my wedding was, in some ways, hindering my career. Saying no to event invites over and over again is scary; I don’t want to hurt the very-important brand and press relationships I’ve made. And I really do love to write; I miss the grind, and cutting back on my monthly articles means my name is out there less. But ultimately, this minor, brief step back is for the sake of my mental health, and I keep telling myself that my talent will outweigh a few months out of the loop. I’m not sure if people are interested in all this inner turmoil—I have a lot more thoughts if you are, though.
On an unrelated note, if you like my work, please consider subscribing to Glossed Over or perhaps upgrading your subscription to a paid one. I’m looking at all my subscribers with corporate email accounts—expense it! This is business, baby! Plus, I’ll gladly consider it your wedding present:
Even if I’m not out and about, I’ve been able to keep up to date on all the big beauty news from the comfort of my home office, and there’s been no shortage of it these last few weeks. Ahead, we’re talking acquisitions, more celeb beauty brands no one asked for, a skincare legend’s forthcoming biopic, and NAD+.
Beauty’s Biggest Headlines
Touchland sells to Church & Dwight for a cool $700 million (Beauty Independent)
TLDR: Touchland, a brand best known for its status symbol hand sanitizers, has been sold to Church & Dwight, owner of Arm & Hammer, Trojan, Batiste, Nair, TheraBreath, and Hero Cosmetics. That last brand is perhaps most interesting in this case. Church & Dwight bought Hero Cosmetics in 2022 for $630 million—around $70 million less than it will pay for Touchland. And the sale could go up to $880 million if the brand hits its sales goals for 2025. Touchland is number two in the hand sanitizer category, behind the ubiquitous Purell, and still growing, with sales seeing a triple-digit percentage increase last year. Michael Appler, vice president of marketing at market intelligence software company Trendalytics, says the purchase “is less about hand sanitizer and more about buying access to the highest value beauty demographic: gen Z. Despite decades of market dominance and deep pockets, big CPG players have had mixed success building brands that feel authentic to younger consumers. Touchland, however, has home-grown a cult following through sleek, design-forward packaging, viral social campaigns and a modern brand voice that resonates across TikTok. Rather than build that kind of cultural relevance from scratch—a task that has proven elusive for many conglomerates—Church & Dwight took the faster, safer route: acquisition.”
The Glossed Over Take: I was critical of Touchland’s recent fragrance mist launch, noting how similar it looked to the brand’s hero-product sanitizers. For what it’s worth, I was right—I’ve been meaning to share this TikTok from a user who used one of the fragrance mists as a hand sanitizer for four days before realizing her mistake. But a bad packaging decision (one sources close to the brand tell me they fought) does not make a bad brand. And Touchland makes really great hand sanitizer. Even still, I’m a bit surprised it sold for so much more than Hero Cosmetics, which, at least in my mind, felt more culturally relevant at the time of acquisition than Touchland does right now. Perhaps it has something to do with the price differences—after all, Touchland is available in Sephora. I’m particularly intrigued by Appler’s quote. We’ve discussed how hard Neutrogena is fighting to get back into the spotlight with younger consumers, and it still has quite a ways to go. With that perspective in mind, Touchland seems like a real get for Church & Dwight—cultural cache, clean hands, and all.
Patrick Ta’s first pop-up had over 2,000 attendees and a 1.5-mile-long entry line (Glossy)
TLDR: Patrick Ta Beauty held its first-ever pop-up shop, dubbed the House of Glow, from May 3 to May 4 in West Hollywood, with fans camping overnight in line to secure access. Some people waited as long as 17 hours. According to Jacqueline Barrett, senior vice president of marketing at Patrick Ta Beauty, several fans flew in for the event, and one person even proposed to their partner there. The pop-up didn’t even sell any actual product, though the team saw a 28% increase in Sephora sales and a 49% increase in direct-to-consumer site visits during the first day alone. Attendees of the event, which cost around $500,000 to put on, received a free foundation brush or blush, lip gloss, and one of two baseball caps of their choosing. The first 100 guests each day also received a free full-size body oil. On top of not selling products at the event, the brand also chose to do no in-person data collection—meaning customers weren’t asked for their email addresses, phone numbers, or even names. Ta himself was there, signing autographs, posing for selfies, and chatting with fans throughout the two days. And, of course, in classic Patrick Ta Beauty fashion, there were those beautiful, jacked shirtless men lubed up to the gods.
Photo credit: @PatrickTa/Instagram The GO Take: Pop-ups are a dime a dozen in the beauty space. Off the top of my head, I can think of three different ones I was invited to in the last week and a half. But I’m not sure I’ve seen one quite like this—both in terms of fanfare and the brand’s decision to neither sell product nor collect consumer data. I think it was really smart. Anyone willing to wait in a 1.5-mile line for hours on end is obviously already committed to the brand. And I saw a ton of videos on TikTok chronicling the snacks, games, and products given out to those waiting, which both helped lighten the mood in the moment and boosted consumer perception after the fact. I’ve been a longtime fan of Ta as a makeup artist and brand founder—he’s thoughtful, and revered yet approachable in a way that others on his level fail to achieve. I wonder if this was a one-off event or perhaps part of a larger country-wide (maybe even world-wide) tour.
Not one, not two, not three, but four new celebrity beauty brands are launching (WWD, Instagram, WWD, WWD)
TLDR: On May 7, Paris Hilton unveiled Parívie, a six-product skincare line, as the first output from her media company’s beauty division, 11:11 Beauty. The line, which ranges from $38 to $125, includes an exfoliating cleanser, an AHA-laced “skin-perfecting elixir” (so, another exfoliator), a plumping antioxidant serum, a firming neck treatment, and two creams (or, as the brand puts it, “crèmes”), one for barrier support and the other for “overnight repair.” Two days later, Victoria’s Secret Angel Jasmine Tookes announced Brunel, a three-product body care brand combining fragrance, wellness, and body care. This quote from Tookes made me laugh: “I always wanted to make sure there was a purpose for bringing a beauty brand into the world, and we’ve found this incredible white space—now is the right time.” Shakira took to Instagram on May 14 to tease her forthcoming hair care line Isima. As of now, there isn’t much information online beyond a waitlist you can join for early access. The brand’s Instagram bio shares what seems to be the brand’s motto of “más es más,” or “more is more.” I’d also like to point out that it says the brand is “ignited” by Shakira. Totally. And finally, yesterday, Savannah James, wife of NBA star LeBron James, introduced Reframe, a “luxury and clinical” skincare brand. The three-product lineup underwent clinical testing at Howard University’s College of Dermatology to be inclusive of all skin tones—perhaps the most interesting sentence I’ve written in this blurb so far. It was launched with the help of Nick Axelrod of Necessaire and Eyewitness Beauty, and formerly of Glossier. This is a man who knows beauty. The brand launched with a $115 brightening serum, $95 daily moisturizer, and a $135 night cream.
The GO Take: Is Tookes’ incredible white space in the room with us now? I hate to be a downer, I’m just so over these late-to-the-game celebrity beauty brands. I feel like if a celebrity really loved beauty, they would’ve already launched a brand at this point—or at least had the foresight to work with a beauty brand in a different manner instead of launching the 87th subpar celebrity brand in Ulta. This isn’t to say the four brands are inherently bad; I haven’t tried any, and there’s a fair chance each has at least one solid product. (After all, the white label labs often used for these celeb beauty brands are simply repackaging pre-existing formulas with proven track records.) Anyway, I’m bored. The only interesting thing here, at least in my opinion, is James’ Reframe. She has some serious industry heavy hitters on her team, and I like the collaboration with Howard University. Credit where credit is due.
Amid rumors of the founder exiting the brand, Drunk Elephant reports a 65% decrease in sales year-over-year (BoF)
TLDR: Shiseido’s first quarter earnings revealed an 8.5% drop in net sales, with Drunk Elephant, the pastel-hued clean beauty brand it had acquired back in 2019, taking a particularly hard hit with sales down a whopping 65% year-over-year. This comes on the heels of reports that founder Tiffany Masterson, who isn’t without her own controversy, is said to be stepping down from her day-to-day duties. After launching in Sephora in 2015, the brand was quickly embraced by fans thanks to its bold packaging, results-driven promises, and super-clean skincare. Early hits included its C-Firma Day Serum ($79) and TLC Sukari Babyfacial ($80). But since then, there’s been plenty of unsavory and outright bigoted moments from the brand, one being its lacking accountability when it comes to consumer complaints—usually blaming any negative skin outcomes reported on other skincare products or consumer failure to follow instructions. The brand saw somewhat of a resurgence in 2023 when teens (and tweens) fell for the brand’s bright colors and fun names. This, however, only served to further hurt the brand’s reputation—not only have the teens moved on, but Drunk Elephant’s strong association with Sephora’s younger customers seemingly lost the brand credibility among older consumers. Both Drunk Elephant and Shiseido have declined to comment on the latest findings.
The GO Take: There are a handful of Drunk Elephant products I really like, but its ethos—and weird ethnically questionable, cherry-picked branding—has always left a bad taste in my mouth. I mean it really is the stereotypical “clean” beauty brand I so deeply detest, complete with its no-no ingredient list and green-washing propaganda. It feels quintessentially 2013 to me. Again, a couple really great products, but the strange legacy that surrounds the brand is harder to ignore than ever before. Such a huge hit in numbers can’t just be from tweens moving on, can it? To be fair, I’m not sure the brand was doing all that well before the Sephora Teens.
Ole Henriksen, founder of the eponymous skincare brand, announces “The Glowing Man” biopic in Cannes (WWD)
TLDR: Somewhere in the Cannes harbor, at what’s described as a “boat party” (is that many boats all meeting up in one area or just a party on a single boat?), Ole Henriksen shared news of his forthcoming biopic. The film is being backed by executive producer Niels Juul, who’s behind several Martin Scorsese projects as well as Michael Mann’s “Ferrari.” The somewhat wacky Henriksen is perhaps best known for his skincare brand (called Ole Henriksen), but 73-year-old has had a long career as an author, TV personality, esthetician, gay rights activist, and one-time singer—he’s featured on “Dope,” by Danish duo Puls, which became a hit in his native Denmark in 2011. And yes, the song will be featured in the movie. At the boat party, Henriksen shared his battle with U.S. immigration authorities for legal status to remain as an openly gay man at a time when it was illegal and grounds for deportation. This will also be chronicled in the movie. But don’t mistake this for a drama. The movie will apparently have a “feel good” vibe with “musical touches and a strong soundtrack featuring song from gay icons of the times.” Apparently Juul already has a specific A-list actor on his radar, but given that the project will be shot 30% in Danish and 70% in English, the actor will need to learn Danish for the role.
The GO Take: I initially chose to report on this because it sounded silly—Henriksen is a notoriously larger-than-life character with a flair for the dramatics. I didn’t realize he was also a serious bad ass, especially on the gay rights front. This movie has all the buzzwords that make for a Dani Cohen favorite: skincare, gay, and musical. (Yes, that’s pretty much all it takes to pique my interest; I’m a simple girl!) I’m dying to know the A-list they have in mind—my mind oddly went to Eddie Redmayne, though I’m not sure he’d be considered A-list.
Fresh on the Shelves
Youth to the People Youthscreen SPF 60 ($30)
Release Date: Available at Sephora and Youth to the People’s e-commerce site May 19th.
What It Is: Youth to the People’s first sunscreen was teased today, and I just got the go-ahead from the PR team to share the news (it’s currently 3:10 pm on Friday). Exciting! This is a broad-spectrum, chemical sunscreen with SPF 60. According to the brand, the sunscreen has no white cast and is suitable for both acne-prone and sensitive skin. And, of course, it features some of the superfood skincare ingredients Youth to the People is known for: kale, green tea extract, dandelion root, vitamin E, jojoba, bisabolol. The sunscreen has some seriously impressive clinical testing results, with an 115% immediate boost in moisture upon application, a 97% improvement in moisture retention, and a 23% increase in defense against pollution adhesion. Given that this is quite breaking—is this Glossed Over’s first exclusive?!—I’m going to reserve my judgement for now. I’ll be testing immediately post-wedding.
Sofie Pavitt Fridge to Face Blemish Defense Mist ($38)
Release Date: Available now at Sephora and on Sofie Pavitt Face’s e-commerce site.
What It Is: Formulated with a skin-balancing post-biotic and two forms of vitamin B, this noncomedogenic mist helps calm, hydrate, balance, and chill the skin while minimizing the risk of heat-induced dark spots. An undisclosed cooling agent helps soothe and refresh skin without irritation. It’s hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, fragrance-free, and vegan.
The GO Take: This is one of two cooling facial mists that’ve launched recently, the other being Peter Thomas Roth’s Water Drench Ice-Facial ($30), and as a Very Sweaty Person, I’m really jazzed. I love Sofie Pavitt, both the person and the brand, and really trust her formulations. After all, there’s a reason they call her the Acne Whisperer. I love that she launched a mist with a purpose, something that feels really targeted. I might even break my no-new-products-before-the-wedding rule to try this one, because I think it could be good for when I get overwhelmed on my wedding day. I’ll keep you all posted.
Vacation Body Mists in Vacation, After Sun, and Grand Cuvée ($24 each; $65 for all three)
Release Date: Available now on Vacation’s e-commerce site.
What It Is: Featuring the “world famous” signature scents of Vacation Sunscreen Company, these three body mists are built for light wear and on-the-go spritzing. The slim bottles feature “no-loss” lids for easy transportation. Vacation (the fragrance, not the brand) is Vacation’s (the brand, not the fragrance) signature scent, featuring notes of coconut, banana, bergamot, pool water, sea salt, pool toy, and swimsuit lycra. After Sun is the scent of the brand’s After Sun Gel, with notes of aloe vera gel, green tea verjus, line-dried open-weave linen, and minibar gin. Grand Cuvée is inspired by the brand’s Chardonnay Oil SPF 30. Note include argan, amber, vanilla bean, peach eau de vie, sun-kissed skin, and sun-washed sails.
The GO Take: Maybe I’m too old or perhaps not enough of a fragrance-head, but I am so bored with body mists. It’s just perfume, without any of the long-lasting, strong-throw benefits. What’s the point? I am seriously asking. That being said, Vacation is one of the very few brands that could make me re-think that stance. Vacation takes branding to the next level—it creates an entire experience, one you can feel just from looking at its products. These body mists are chic and thoughtfully packaged; bonus points for the “no-loss” lids. And the notes are absolutely to die for. I mean, pool toy, minibar gin, and sun-washed sails? Come on, it’s just too good. It goes back to that branding. Do I know what notes of swimsuit lycra actually entail? Absolutely not. But it creates such a vivid picture (or, in this case, aroma). I passed on getting PR samples, because I just don’t have the room for three more body mists I won’t use, but god, does Vacation make a good-looking product.
Timebeam Beauty Moisture Melt Serum Balm ($38); Skinbeam Milky Serum ($42); Bounce Mode Healthy Pixie ($49); Reset Mode Healthy Pixie ($54)
Release Date: Available now on Timebeam’s e-commerce site.
What It Is: Timebeam Beauty is a new doctor-founded, science-backed brand blending skincare and wellness, with a focus on “holistic skin longevity.” Founded by integrated medicine doctor and longevity expert Dr. Lamees Hamdan, the brand utilizes the buzzy NAD+ “to make skin longevity fun, easy, and accessible for all.” The brand launched with four products. The Timebeam Beauty Moisture Melt Serum Balm (which is quite the mouthful) is an balm-to-oil face serum formulated with ceramides, resveratrol, squalane, calendula, and chamomile, meant to soothe the skin barrier and visibly smooth and even skin tone. It has a moon on it which, based on my investigative skills, seems to suggest it should be used at night. The Skinbeam Milky Serum, which has a sun (for day use), features and NAD+ booster, hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamin C, and niacinamide to improve hydrate skin and visibly reduce lines and wrinkles. The Bounce Mode Healthy Pixie is a powder supplement powered by that NAD+ booster, hyaluronic acid, and electrolytes. The brand claims it delivers clearer, firmer, brighter skin, as well as boosted energy and focus. It features a fast-melt formula that melts on the tongue, so you don’t need to mix it with water—or you can, if you want, the brand specifies. Finally, the Reset Mode Healthy Pixie is bedtime supplement formulated with ceramides, resveratrol, and magnesium, meant to “deliver replenished, glowing skin and the dreamiest sleep.” It’s also got that cool melt-on-the-tongue technology.
The GO Take: If I were a betting woman, I’d put a couple hundred bucks on us seeing a whole lot more longevity-based skincare lines. This one seemed to launch without much fan fare, but that doesn’t mean it won’t do well. NAD+ has been a hot topic for the last several months, and Timebeam offers it at a relatively affordable price point. I’m intrigued for sure. I like the idea of the balm-to-oil serum, that sounds nice, though I don’t love when ingestibles have skincare-like claims—the science just isn’t totally science-ing, if you will. I’m curious!
Most Valuable Product
Makeup by Mario F4 Dual-Ended Foundation and Face Brush ($32)
Why It Stood Out: I’d like to start this off by congratulating Makeup by Mario for being the first brand to get multiple Glossed Over MVP shoutouts. I can only imagine this is what Mario Dedivanovic has been working toward all these years. A heartfelt congratulations to the entire team. Anyway, this is just a really great brush. You can use it for pretty much any base makeup, though I primarily use it for contour and bronzer. It’s one of those brushes that makes blending an absolute breeze. The bristles are densely packed, but not so dense that you can’t use it for powder (though I probably wouldn’t myself), and the shape perfectly cups the contours of my face. And it offers a lot of control, making it great for beginners and professionals alike.
Final Thoughts
Not to take a hard left turn out of beauty, but what songs do you hate hearing at weddings? And how many times would you be willing to listen to “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates in a night?
Okay, toodaloooooo my sweet, sweet subscribers! Xx