Breaking Beauty Podcast

Episode: 2025 Beauty Year-in-Review: Best (and Worst!) Products, Viral Celeb Moments and the Creator Wars Taking Over the Group Chat

Hosts: Jill Dunn & Carlene Higgins
Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this energetic, insider-packed 2025 year-in-review episode, veteran beauty editors-turned-podcasters Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins reflect on the year's most memorable beauty product launches (and flops), pop culture moments, shifting industry trends, notable creator drama, and the evolving landscape for expert- and celebrity-led beauty brands. The episode offers equal parts snarky commentary, genuine excitement, and critical industry analysis, making it a must-listen (or read!) for anyone curious about what shaped beauty this year and where it’s headed next.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Reflections on 2025: Guests, Growth, and Staying Relevant

• Jill and Carlene recall standout guests from the year, including Lisa Eldridge, Bobby Brown, Chris McMillan, and Ash K. Holm. Lisa's episode remains a fan favorite, even if "people say they hate my voice on YouTube with Lisa, but they love her. And I'm okay with that because they still got to share couch time with Lisa." (Jill, 01:01)
• They celebrate nearly a decade of podcasting and reflect on the ever-expanding beauty news cycle:

  "There's never a shortage of things to talk about. We could do a daily episode, honestly." (Jill, 01:36)

2. Drugstore Innovation & Hair Shedding: Pantene’s New Launch

• The hosts discuss a Pantene press event and meeting trichologist/content creator Abby Young, who praised affordable solutions for hair shed:

  "This serum in particular helps to, like, you can basically bypass the seasonal shed with this serum." (Abby via Carlene, 04:52)

• Jill teases a future episode with Pantene scientist Dr. Jenny Thomas to explain "how drugstore products are actually legit and really good because they have popped off in the past couple years." (Jill, 05:20)

3. Biggest Beauty Moments & Viral Trends (09:35 - 13:55)

The “Cunty Little Bob” & Pop Culture’s Haircut of the Year

• Jill's favorite beauty moment:

  "...It was the cunty little bob. It married all my favorite things: pop culture, beauty, Hollywood red carpet experts, viral moments. And it was—it had a life of its own." (Jill, 09:56)

• Shoutout to hairdresser Chris McMillan and Leslie Bibb for the style, and to the longevity of expert-led trends.

Rise of the Expert-Led Brands

• Carlene introduces the “Year of the Expert,” a notable trend:

  "This year it really was about the actual glam squad. Not the celebrities, but the people actually doing the hair, doing the makeup—Hung Vanngo, Chris McMillan, Mary Phillips." (Carlene, 11:15)

• Discussion on rising consumer trust for products from makeup artists/hair stylists versus traditional celebrity brands.

Waning Celebrity Beauty Brands

• Noting the decline of celebrity lines: Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Gwen Stefani, JLo, Kate Moss.
• Jill: "Now, in order for [Kylie] to make any kind of inroads...everybody's like, let's go back to the King Kylie era and the pink hair and sell a few lip kits, because she doesn't have the innovation or the expertise." (Jill, 13:07)
• Carlene: "Not everyone needs a skincare line, guys." (Carlene, 16:13)
• Disagreement over the legitimacy of celebrity beauty ventures, with Jill defending their business acumen under capitalism and Carlene labeling money-grabs as "weak."

What Makes a Brand Last?

• The importance of solid teams, marketing, and holistic approaches:

  "Ideas are free. It's the execution and the marketing. And if nobody knows about your idea, good luck." (Jill, 19:14)

4. The Biggest Flops & Industry Shifts (20:16 - 25:53)

The DEI Backpedal

• Jill’s "biggest flop" is the industry's retreat from DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) commitments:

  "The complete backpedaling on DEI—I think it is so problematic. I think it's bad for business." (Jill, 20:20)

• Cites Target’s financial losses and shuttered BIPOC-founded brands like Ami Colé, Youthforia.

Brand Turmoil & Legacy Brand Struggles

• Discussion of large conglomerates offloading iconic brands (Coty selling CoverGirl, Kenvue selling Neutrogena/Aveeno, Unilever dropping Kate Somerville).
• Jill: "Even MAC—oh my God, MAC can't get arrested now. ...They actually are hemorrhaging money and so is the parent company, Estée Lauder." (Jill, 25:12)
• Perfume and skincare seen as the new industry growth engines: "The growth—it's writing on the wall. Every big conglomerate thinks it's perfume." (Jill, 25:36)

5. Bright Spots & Surprises: Ami Colé’s Jara Joins Skims

• Carlene highlights a positive surprise: Jara joining Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Beauty as EVP of beauty and fragrance.

  "It just has put this really likable gloss onto Skims Beauty. It's actually a genius move." (Carlene, 27:28)

• Acknowledges the Kardashians’ enduring centrality in beauty culture.

6. The Gen X Movement & Influencer Evolution (31:29 - 32:34)

• Shoutout to products and content aimed at Gen X women, with Carlene's own brand Cassatt and Sarah Creel’s products seeing wider acceptance and success.
• Carlene: "There's still like room to grow...lots of room to grow" among Gen X influencers. (Carlene, 32:33)

7. Transparency & Cosmetic Surgery Normalization (32:51 - 37:17)

• Growing trend: creators and celebs openly share their surgery/facelift experiences on TikTok and elsewhere (the "Guadalajara facelift lady," Simone Biles, Kylie Jenner).
• Jill applauds the normalization: "The girlies are sharing their secrets. ...If people are interested...more knowledge is power." (Jill, 35:54)
• Surgeons like Dr. Steven Levine become household names as celebrity procedures gain visibility.

8. Beauty Marketing in 2025: The Good, The Bad & The Overexposed (37:18 - 44:45)

Egregious Product Placement

• Jill calls out over-the-top beauty product placements in scripted TV (e.g., Estée Lauder in "Nobody Wants This"; Oribe in "All's Fair"):

  "...It wasn't like, cool...this was like, close up shot, dropping the bottle, naming the product, putting it on." (Jill, 38:41)

• Discusses double standards in ad disclosure versus influencer content.

The Return of Creative Advertising

• Carlene celebrates a resurgence of artful, creative ads ("like the Ordinary's Periodic Fable," Fern perfume's playful campaign, Charlotte Tilbury with Celine Dion):

  "What I like about it is this return to creativity...there needs to be something richer going on." (Carlene, 42:38)

• The push towards emotion and artistic vision that goes beyond “soulless" scientific branding.

9. The Creator Economy: Drama, Evolution, and Substack's Rise (46:55 - 51:07)

• Dissatisfaction with Instagram/affiliate-hype; tension between influencer loyalty and their role in brand marketing.
• The “creator wars:” callout rows between prominent educators and chemists like Charlotte Palermino, Dr. Michelle Wong (Lab Muffin), Jen Navakovic (The Eco Well) become "schoolyard yucky."

  "It feels like a little schoolyard yucky...the best thing is...stay focused on what you're doing. Don't worry about what other people are doing. Stay focused on what you're doing and let people make their own choices." (Carlene, 50:27)

• Substack hailed as a return to thoughtful, magazine-style commentary over the snarky, rapid-fire commentary of social media.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On viral haircuts:

  "It was the cunty little bob. ...It really is the antidote to like a lot of the Mormon wives hair that we also see out there. It's very liberating to cut your hair off into a bob." (Jill, 09:56)

• On the glut of celebrity beauty:

  "Not everyone needs a skin care line, guys." (Carlene, 16:13) "I think there's nothing wrong. We live in capitalism. ...Why would you say no? If a thing is coming across your desk, it's just another business venture." (Jill, 16:38)

• On the DEI backslide:

  "It's bullshit when a retailer makes promises and then acts like they never happened and people are going to go elsewhere." (Carlene, 21:08)

• On the beauty influencer landscape:

  "Instagram can feel like one big ad on occasion. ...It's eroded the trust and I think there's a lot of people on, like, no buy missions as a backlash." (Jill, 47:06)

• On creator drama:

  "It feels like a little schoolyard yucky...let people make their own choices. They're not dumb. Period. Period." (Carlene, 50:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment / Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:00 | Reflecting on top guests and nearly ten years podcasting | | 03:00 | Pantene event, Abby Young, accessible hair-thinning innovation | | 09:52 | Jill’s beauty moment: “cunty little bob,” rise of stylists and expert creators | | 11:15 | Celebrity brands vs. expert-led lines; the “Year of the Expert” | | 20:20 | Biggest flop: DEI backpedal, brand closings | | 25:12 | Legacy brands struggle—MAC, Estée Lauder, perfume/skincare boom | | 27:28 | Bright spot: Ami Colé’s Jara heads to SKIMS Beauty | | 31:29 | Gen X influencer and product market grows | | 32:51 | Transparency in cosmetic procedures among creators and celebs | | 37:18 | Product placement in scripted TV—"Nobody Wants This," disclosure double standards | | 41:08 | Return of high-impact, creative ad work in beauty marketing | | 46:55 | Influencer fatigue, substack’s rise, creator feuds in science/education circles | | 50:27 | Carlene’s advice: "the cream always rises to the top...don’t worry about others" |

Concluding Thoughts

The 2025 beauty landscape, as chronicled by Jill and Carlene, is volatile and compelling: icons fall, experts rise, authenticity and integrity are market differentiators, and the most memorable movements happen at the intersection of pop culture, influencer drama, and genuine creativity. Whether you're nostalgic for the King Kylie era, obsessed with bobs and facelifts, or just looking for your next #DamnGood beauty product, this episode distills the year’s biggest conversations into bite-sized brilliance.

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