A good hot tool—be it a hair straightener, blow dryer, curling iron, or one of the new hybrid multitaskers—can transcend routine and become a quiet revelation. Even air-drying diehards, wary of heat-induced damage, would be wise to reassess the category, given the technological innovations that make it that much easier […]
Tag: beauty
In Collina Strada’s Butterfly-Sprite World, the Medium Is the Message
Monarch butterflies, over the course of a 2,500-mile migration, rely on thermal cues and shifting air currents to reach their destination. A human en route to a fashion show in an unfamiliar corner of Brooklyn calls upon a similar set of tools: Google Maps and a squinting Uber driver and—if […]
Hermès Beauty Launches Complexion, Dior’s Garden-Fresh Cream, and a Twist on Chanel Tweed
When Émile Hermès took the reins of the family’s saddle-making firm in the interwar years, a spirit of leisure class joie de vivre hung in the air. He ushered in handbags and swimsuits; a circa-1930 advertisement shows a beach-going flapper shaded by a striped parasol. “Pour le sport, pour le […]
11 Best Body Serums to Brighten, Smooth, and Hydrate Skin All Over
Among the many innovations to arrive in the body-care realm—celebrity-backed shower essentials and sleep-enhancing tools among them—few are as indicative of this expanded scope of attention as body serums. This fast-growing category sets out to address skin issues on the back, arms, and legs, with the help of attuned formulations. […]
12 Best Setting Powders, According to Makeup Artists, Musicians, and Fashion Insiders
The very mention of setting powder carries a whiff of an earlier era, when jeweled compacts in tiny evening bags allowed for discrete touch-ups. But in a world where “glazed donut” is the internet’s shorthand for the ultimate skin, is powder still on the menu? The answer, of course, is […]
12 Elevated Scalp Treatments for Soothing Dryness, Flakes, and Beyond
The scalp is often overlooked, literally and figuratively, in favor of all that happens on top. The market is full of products promising shine, length, and volume—but caring for the foundation is integral for strong, healthy hair. The scalp can also become a problem zone if signs of imbalance are […]
For La Bouche Rouge, the Road to Sustainability Begins With Desire
Lately a sphinx-like riddle has been making the rounds in beauty circles. What is the most sustainable brand? The answer: The one that does not exist. That counter-intuitive notion—success by sitting out the game—came to mind on a recent afternoon in Paris, as I arrived at the storybook department store, […]
Kaia Gerber on ‘The Office’ Memes, Summertime Scents, and the Genius of Carol Burnett
Kaia Gerber is in a flourishing, long-term relationship, you might say: with sun-warmed fields, gauzy white dresses, and Marc Jacobs Daisy. When the model signed on as the fragrance face in 2017 (ten years into the perfume’s blockbuster run), it was an inspired choice. Who better to personify the feeling […]
Gwyneth Paltrow Is Here to Fine-Tune Your Bedtime Routine
Gwyneth Paltrow, figurehead of aspirational living, has a great many things under control. Her wellness empire, her abdominals, even the imprint of time itself, as suggested by her 50th birthday arriving September 27. (Paltrow is a Libra, which Susan Miller’s Astrology Zone sums up in two words: “Socialize, Beautify.”) But […]
Julianne Moore on the Fallacy of “Anti-Aging” and the Covid-Era Resonance of ‘Safe’
Julianne Moore, master interpreter of uncanny domestic life, is smiling at me from a facsimile of her home. “This is a rental, but still all the same stuff,” the actor says over Zoom, gesturing to the Thomas Struth photograph behind her, depicting a primeval, vine-strewn forest. It used to hang […]
16 Beauty Leaders on Reimagining Packaging for a Sustainability-Conscious Age
This may sound like a familiar scene: You’ve reached the final pump of a beloved serum or the last inky swipe from a mascara tube, and before you go to chuck the vessel, you take a look and wonder, “Can I recycle this?” For many beauty products, the answer is […]
Zendaya on Her Cultural Impact, Partnering with Smartwater, and the Y2K Styles She’s Happy Haven’t Made a Comeback
It’s Zendaya’s award-winning world, and we’re lucky to be living in it. In the last few years, the actor has made strides in the film and TV stratosphere, starring in blockbuster films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and HBO’s Euphoria, while simultaneously becoming the face of several fashion and beauty […]