The Business of Beauty Haul of Fame: Your Boundaries Are Big Business

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and the tiniest temptation to ask JD Vance if he’s wearing guyliner. (He is… right?)

Included in today’s issue: Addiction Tokyo, Amika, Coach, Doré, Fendi, Gucci, Lancôme, MakeUp Eraser, Naturium, Olive & June, One/Size, Paula’s Choice, Rare Beauty, Voesh and Minions! Yay Minions!

But first…

In 2019, a new phrase began climbing on Google Trends: “skin barrier.”

Until then, the term — which basically just refers to the top layer of our skin — was a snoozy descriptor usually only heard in the dermatologist’s office. But as TikTok de-fanged scientific terms while widening their reach, that all changed. Sleeper brand CeraVe harnessed its gentle approach to the skin barrier to become a viral sensation. Calm-but-firm skin-fluencers like Hyram Yarbo and Dr. Muneeb got millions of views on TikTok posts explaining its importance. And brands that seemed miles away from the term — like the rave-fuelled Milk Makeup — began using it in their marketing materials.

Today, searches for “skin barrier” are higher than ever before, with nearly a 400 percent spike in just the past two years. You know what term has nearly the same trajectory? “Emotional boundaries.”

Just as “the skin barrier” became a cheat code for TikTok views about beauty, “emotional boundaries’' soared as a social media buzzword about mental health. As “boundaries’' became an online catch-all to define everything from petty annoyances to outright abuse — not to mention fodder for Reddit’s “Am I the A***hole” thread and restraining order requests alike — beauty brands like Dove, Glow Recipe and Lashology have all incorporated the term into their marketing speak. There’s even an “empath shield perfume” from indie brand Sage Goddess to help the wearer “maintain better boundaries.” Really.

As science and psychology become further flattened on social media, here’s my prediction: Boundaries and barriers will be further conflated and thus, further hijacked by brands looking to tap into their customers’ heads. A damaged skin barrier will continue to grow as a symbol of all the things invading our physical space — pollution, extreme heat, crammed aeroplanes, aggressive flirts — and eventually become a stand-in for personal boundaries themselves. Watching the news and feeling like we have so little control — over our bodies, our financial savings, our political future, our planet’s health — we’ll keep clinging to tiny pieces of agency as a way to stay sane. (And to stay well-moisturised, because in most creative industries, looking competent and being competent have never been more inseparable.)

Perhaps we cannot put a barrier up to shield ourselves from toxic fumes or toxic friendships. But investing in a skin cream or a mascara that claims to respect our personal space, and help protect our bodies from disruption? Sure.

What Else Is New

Skincare

On July 16, Paula’s Choice introduced Pro Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment — don’t get dizzy from all the words, it’s just a wrinkle cream. They’re saying it’s better because their retinal absorbs into the skin faster and more effectively than regular retinol, supercharging results.

Body and foot care brand Voesh debuted some fascinating “Gua Sha” Cleansing and Shampoo Bars on July 16. They’re solid soap bars, but shaped like lymphatic massage tools, so you can stimulate the scalp and skin in the shower, without buying anything besides the actual cleanser. By the time it melts down to a stub, you won’t get the massage benefits anymore — but you won’t get the clutter of “one more thing in the shower” either, which feels significant.

In retail news, e.l.f.-owned Naturium rolled into Ulta Beauty on July 16, with 43 products total. Three of them — Barrier Bounce moisturiser, Vitamin Bright eye cream and the new product Glow Getter body oil — are exclusive. Meanwhile, their $19 Vitamin C face wash continues to be the most effective summer cleanser I’ve ever used on sweaty skin. I’m annoyed with how good it is.

Also on the store floor, congrats to Doré, the skincare brand launched by photographer and all-around ace human Garance Doré, for launching in Ulta Beauty on July 17. The brand claims a 50 percent revenue growth since 2024, with just over $4 million in raised capital. I like their Botanical Cleansing Water better than Bioderma, even though that was the clear inspiration!

And Naked Sundays hit Ulta Beauty on July 18, with new shades of their CabanaGlow Drops.

Makeup

Rare Beauty’s Soft Touch Setting Powder and Baking Puff Duo — a powder and fuzzy pink applicator — hit Sephora shelves on July 17.

Shopping at Credo instead? LYS Beauty unveiled their Triple Fix Loose Setting Powder there on July 16, with seven shades. I’m a big fan of LYS founder Tisha Thompson because she’s managed to brand her “clean” beauty line with ultra-glam imagery that sometimes borders on camp, instead of the traditional plants-everywhere vibe that’s typical in the category. Her makeup feels like a party instead of an assignment.

Speaking of synthetic puffs, MakeUp Eraser’s new Minions collection dropped July 16, with seven little cartoon sponges. MakeUp Eraser claims they’re better for the planet because you can use them over and over — not nothing, considering all the disposable wipes out there! — and the press release for these guys came with the phrase “mom-hack,” as in, “mom-hack your way to less sticky skin, use these sponges with water on your kids after meals.” Interesting!

Lip liners continue to come in hot. On July 16, Lancôme introduced Lip Idôle Lip Shapers, a range of 12 matte lip pencils that claim waterproof, 8-hour wear.

One/Size launched Oil Sucker, its mattifying primer, on July 16. It promises to rebalance an oily complexion while mattifying, with 12 hours of wear. My favourite part of the product is the instructions: “For best results, allow the product to dry for 3 minutes while remaining expressionless.” Extroverts, the gauntlet has been thrown.

Addiction Tokyo introduced its Lip Balm Glow Tint on July 15. It’s a sheer lip tint available in 9 shades. My favourite is “Date at Opera,” which sounds like an Andrew Lloyd Weber stage direction, but is in fact a deep maroon gloss.

Speaking of gloss, here’s a weird one: On July 18, nail brand Olive & June rolled out a Lip Gloss Mani Collection, a new range of six nail polish shades inspired by the trending makeup product. How is it different from regular shimmery, shiny nail polish? Still unclear, but the shades — especially a slightly lavender hue called Passionfruit Gloss — are very cute.

Hair Care

Amika’s Bit Hit collection of volumising shampoo and conditioner launched on July 16, along with a new Rising Star volumising spray. If you’ve been watching the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader documentary on Netflix — or the women speaking at political rallies for either party — you know that bouncy barrel curls continue to dominate many American mood boards.

Fragrance

Would you like a $540 perfume? Meet Amouage Guidance 46 Extrait, which claims to be “a study in light and shade, fragility and strength, subtlety and ostentatiousness.” (As usual, I want whatever LSD these copywriters are on.) The fragrance claims its formula is 46 percent perfume oils, and says it comes from a “High Perfumery House,” which is an interesting attempt to align scent with high jewellery.

On July 14, Auden Lueur introduced its new candle scent, Maris. They say it’s “a scent that transports you to a cliff’s edge where the ocean meets the sky,” which is great, because after watching the news this week, the edge of a cliff is exactly where I want to be.

Jayson Tatum is the new face of Coach Men’s fragrance. The brand announced the deal on July 16, with a press release that used the word ‘basketball’ exactly zero times. That’s weird, because Mr. Tatum is the star power forward for the Boston Celtics. Anyway, as a Massachusetts native, I have no choice but to stan for this collab.

And Finally

Merit Beauty and Allyson Felix really smashed it with this treadmill beauty tutorial, huh?