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- [00:01]
A
The following podcast is a Dear media production. Welcome to Breaking Beauty the podcast. All about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty. We're your hosts, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins.
- [00:22]
B
Welcome to Breaking Beauty Podcast, everyone. I'm your co host, Jill Dunn and I'm here alongside Carlene Higgins. How are you, Carlene?
- [00:29]
A
Hello. I'm doing great. Thank you.
- [00:31]
B
And happy nine year anniversary to us.
- [00:35]
A
I know. Almost ten years, Jill.
- [00:37]
B
Yeah.
- [00:38]
A
I can't believe it.
- [00:39]
B
We've done it.
- [00:40]
A
We are pretty much married now.
- [00:41]
B
Yeah, I. I'm happy with that.
- [00:43]
A
We're friends for life.
- [00:44]
B
Although I do have. I do have another ring that I'm going to talk about a little later today. Didn't come from Carlene, though. Okay.
- [00:50]
A
I love it. It's on your right hand, though.
- [00:53]
B
Yeah, it is on my right hand. I did need to clarify that.
- [00:56]
A
I was like, what? Don't.
- [00:59]
B
Nothing. No, just married to technology, apparently.
- [01:03]
A
I love that our anniversary is always on the first day of spring.
- [01:06]
B
Yeah.
- [01:07]
A
That's when we launched our podcast New Beginnings. And it means that I never, ever forget.
- [01:12]
B
Yeah, that's great.
- [01:13]
A
Yeah.
- [01:13]
B
That was like, not really by design, but it kind of worked out.
- [01:16]
A
Yeah. I'm not. I'm never gonna miss our anniversary. And it's so exciting that spring is coming, by the way.
- [01:20]
B
Yes. In a couple of days. And so, you know, of course, if you're tuning in for the first time. We are two longtime magazine beauty editors turned beauty podcasters. We have had our podcast for nine years now. We've had an incredibly busy spring. We've had a couple of live events. It's always so great to see our listeners in person. Like it never gets old. And it's fun for us to flex a new muscle, do a live event.
- [01:44]
A
Yes.
- [01:44]
B
And we have more coming this year, in case you did miss out. Very exciting. We're going to do more, but we've had so many guests on the show. Everyone from Haley Bieber, makeup by Mario, Lili Reinhart recently was amazing. And you know, if you want more of us, Carlene, you have something coming up, don't you?
- [02:02]
A
Yes. So two things. First of all, our next live event is with Neutral.
- [02:08]
B
Oh, yes.
- [02:09]
A
At the American Academy of Dermatology. We're coming on March 28th in Denver, Colorado. So we're going to be doing a live event there. So if you are planning to attend, there's probably going to be a lot of familiar faces.
- [02:24]
B
Yeah, there's a lot of brand founders, from what I understand. It's like the. It's like Disneyland for derms and skincare brands. We've never been, but we will find out. And yeah, if you are there, be sure to say hi. I know we have a lot of industry people that listen to our show.
- [02:39]
A
We're there Saturday the 28th, so come on by, say hello. We're going to be doing our usual where we're going to be walking around and picking up on what the trends are and also speaking to a dermatologist who's going to tell us what's next in 2026. So we know that you guys love these, like, trend reports on what's next, what's coming. So we're going to deliver that and that will be an episode that you'll get to hear as well, even if you're not attending. And then secondly, as some of you may know, I have my own skincare brand. It's called Cassatt Beauty, and the is one hero product. It's called La Pomade. And it, it takes a little bit of education to understand La Pomade because I really wanted to create something that wasn't already out there.
- [03:28]
B
I'll tell you what it is, guys. It's a slugging balm with retinol. There you go.
- [03:31]
A
That's right. It's a retinoid in a bomb format. So it does require a bit of education. So I'm having my chemist. Ooh, having my chemist come on an Instagram live. It's going to be on March 24th at 12pm Eastern Time. So grab your lunch, throw it on, and you'll get to hear from my chemist. Her name is Kenna Whitnell. She is amazing. I'm so excited to introduce you guys to the. The chemist, the brains behind the formula. And so she's going to be answering questions in a Q and A about everything to do with, like, the level of retinoid to how she likes to put it on as well. We kind of put it on in different ways, so it's going to be really fun. And be able to tune in on my personal Instagram account, it's at Carlene Higgins. So that's at C A, R L E N E H I G G I N S at Carlene Higgins. And if you're on the west coast, that'll be 9am so you can grab
- [04:35]
B
and join a breakfast and learn or a lunch and learn. This is what I'm hearing. So I'll be tuned in for that. So those are our little housekeeping notes. And today's episode is a hashtag. Damn good episode. You Know, we have really, I guess, created a little, like, mini franchise within breaking beauty. Where are reviewing products, putting on our editor hats, and just letting you know what's really worth your money in terms of new launches. Because the onslaught of new launches in beauty, it never stops. It never sleeps. And we are here to help you kind of cut through the clutter with what's new for spring.
- [05:08]
A
Yeah, absolutely. Now, are you going to tell us about this ring or what?
- [05:12]
B
Oh, my God. Yeah. Very quickly. I. Yeah. Well, you might remember a couple of months ago, I guess it was, we had Sif Hider on the show. Yes. And we were talking about sleep essentials. And then right at the end, I was like, what do you think of the Oura ring? And she had it on with all of her, like, very expensive, gorgeous, gorgeous designer jewelry. And she was like, oh, I'm obsessed. It's, like, changed my life. And I'm like. I'd been kind of thinking about, like, ditching my Apple watch and getting into it.
- [05:36]
A
Right.
- [05:36]
B
So I've only been using it for, like, maybe five nights now, but I'm also obsessed with it.
- [05:41]
A
What are you learning? Okay. Are you sleeping? This is what I feel like. Most people are shocked when they see their sleep.
- [05:47]
B
Yes. I. I have always been a pretty good sleeper, but I guess my REM sleep isn't enough time. And it's very much it. Very much gam it for you. So you're gonna try to, you know, be, like, tonight I want to, like, you know, scale back on my caffeine, like, right at 11:00am so, like, tonight I have no caffeine in my body, and I get those REM hours or what have you. And I am somebody typically Carlene, where, like, when I go to bed, I can't have any jewelry on. Like, so I was a little worried about that.
- [06:14]
A
Right.
- [06:15]
B
But I don't even notice I have it on okay. At all. And you don't have to really charge it either, which is brilliant.
- [06:20]
A
Yeah.
- [06:20]
B
Because. Because I became, like, a slave to the apple watch, you know, charging, getting
- [06:25]
A
a CPAP machine and joining the C club. I. I am a proud member. You can see my CPAP lines probably on both cheeks. I was, like, cold rolling before we got in here.
- [06:35]
B
What I think about is interesting, what I think you would like about the aura ring. I was thinking of you because it gives you every day a readiness score, how ready you are to take on the day. And then a couple of. I haven't experienced this yet because, knock on wood, I have not been sick or had a cold since September of 2024. That's a story for another day. But, but a bunch of people I know, they say their aura ring will tell them before they get a cold like right before. And they're like, this is a little freaky, right? But it's accurate crazy. So I don't know if it has to do with like heart rate or just general. Like it's it gets to know you and your habits.
- [07:12]
A
Well, we know that our listeners love our damn goods episode. That's what we are delivering today. Best of spring 2026. What's coming ahead? We have news from the lipstick lesbians who have launched their own brand. Jill is going to unpack what it's about because it is not your typical launch that you're going to just find on the shelf at Sephora. We're going to talk about Summer Friday's first foray into fragrance and we're actually going to talk about some other fragrance innovations and news, including the milks that are blowing up. We've got bronzers, We've got more news on the long wear lip liner liners that we've been seeing.
- [07:55]
B
And we are on YouTube everybody. So please join us. Subscribe. It's free and video is everywhere in podcasting so you might as well jump on board with us. And you'll get to see everything that we're talking about because we are looking at it all right now here on a table in the studio. So join us at Breaking Beauty Podcast and share it with a friend. Get them to subscribe as well. So let's dive in. Carlene oh. Saave is one of our show partners this week. Major self care update. Suave is now available in Canada. We've been loving their affordable self care lineup including deodorant with the 48 hour sweat and odor protection and hydrating body washes made with glycerin and vitamin E. Shop the full lineup and find your favorite scents for just $3.97 exclusively at Walmart. Once again, shop the full lineup from Suave and find your favorite scents for just $3.97 exclusively at Walmart. Hi, I'm Lobozworth Natali and I'm so excited because I'm a first time mom. Over the last decade I've built wellness products for millions of women at my company. Love Wellness. But nothing has rocked my world quite like having our miracle baby. Not even close. Tell Me I'm a Good mom is my new podcast about navigating motherhood in real time in a culture where we obsessively document our kids, but quietly sideline mothers. Motherhood comes with endless advice, but very few honest conversations. Conversations about how it actually feels to be a mom. So that's what we're going to talk about because we deserve more than parenting tips. We know we're not bad moms. If our kid cries while we take a shower, frankly, we deserve a rebrand. We deserve context, language, and a place in the culture. This is. Tell me I'm a good mom.
- [10:09]
A
Okay, Jill, we're gonna kick it off with news about Leaked Lab. So, curious to know what the lipstick lesbians have launched. Of course, they've been guests on our show. We will link to that episode. We love them so much. So what have they dreamed up?
- [10:24]
B
So if, in case you all aren't familiar with them, they are married. And Alexis was a product formulator and she started making these videos, going into Sephora, reviewing products, talking about textures, and she, like, could look on a shelf and say, I know the exact factory in. In Milan that this pencil is made at. Or this. This creamy bronzer. See how this lays down? This is because of this. And people fell in love with that insider info.
- [10:50]
A
Yes.
- [10:51]
B
So the. Their whole brand is based on that, Bringing insider info to the masses. Right. So what they are doing is they are taking formulas that are introduced at a Cosmoprof or any of these makeup shows that are around the world.
- [11:08]
A
Right.
- [11:09]
B
They are taking formulas that the big guns are not jumping on because they are considered maybe a bit too much of a big swing. So formulas that are really intriguing, interesting, maybe never been done before, but the lauders of the world and the l' oreals of the world, they're just like, yeah, I'm going to pass. Because it's too big of a lift to get people to understand.
- [11:34]
A
Right.
- [11:35]
B
So. So that's the whole premise. So she's taking direct from the labs. She's going to curate. They're going to curate these groups and focus groups that are going to give real time feedback. They're going to work directly with the labs and then roll the product out. So it is a very different concept. Yes, it is a big swing.
- [11:52]
A
Yep.
- [11:53]
B
And I'm. I'm really hopeful that they're able to pull this off. So there's going to be multiple drops, and it could be anything from eyeshadow to. I don't know if eventually they'll get into skincare. I imagine they will. So their very first product, I my hands here. So what you're going to feel right now, Carlene, is called the flexible powder.
- [12:11]
A
So actually I'm opening the tin and showing you what's inside.
- [12:15]
B
So actually, go ahead. No, no, go ahead. Dump it into your hand. Trust me here.
- [12:20]
A
The whole thing.
- [12:21]
B
Y. Okay, so there's four little. They look like coins.
- [12:25]
A
Yeah.
- [12:26]
B
Eyeshadow.
- [12:26]
A
They're discs.
- [12:27]
B
Yes.
- [12:28]
A
And they're floppy, but they have serious weight to them.
- [12:32]
B
They are. Yeah. They're called the flexible flexi powder. Eyeshadows. Oh. So it's really a very unique texture.
- [12:41]
A
Yeah.
- [12:41]
B
That you have never seen before. And you can like squeeze it and kind of, you know, like hold it together and it doesn't break.
- [12:49]
A
Wow.
- [12:50]
B
It is a flexible powder. And there's no pan. Everybody, if you're not watching.
- [12:54]
A
Yeah.
- [12:54]
B
It is absolutely bonkers.
- [12:57]
A
It looks like it doesn't break down.
- [12:58]
B
Yeah.
- [12:59]
A
It looks like it's something that. So when I put my finger on it, it's giving me this glossy gleam.
- [13:05]
B
Yeah.
- [13:06]
A
Kind of like the balm essential from Chanel. But it looks like it's not taking away any of the product. Like it's gonna. It's gonna stay there. And it's. You constantly just wipe it.
- [13:20]
B
Right. So there's playtime involved with this, which is really fun. And where it actually shines, Carlene, is when the idea is you can use it wet or dry. So I. Do you have a napkin?
- [13:31]
A
No.
- [13:31]
B
I think I do.
- [13:33]
A
I forgot my wipes here. We need a company to sponsor our damn goods episodes just with the wipes.
- [13:42]
B
So what they say is, is that it's a shape shifting water activated pigment disc.
- [13:47]
A
Okay.
- [13:48]
B
Amplify flex a powder and it challenges the definition of powder itself. And it's engineered to bend, ripple, activate with water or setting spray reform delivers everything from a sheer wash to sculpted high impact payoff across eyes, cheeks and lips. I used it on my eyes today. This is their first product and the idea is that they will continue to innovate all these different. And so on the lab.
- [14:13]
A
Do you be. Do you tell me about what you're buying? So are you buying a lab sample or are you buying a membership to get access to these lab samples? How is this working?
- [14:25]
B
So they. They say it's a four step system. There's creation. So formulas and concepts are curated and developed by Alexis in close collab with the chemists and artists and innovation partners. And then there's a release. Products are released in limited quantities as controlled leaks, allowing innovation to reach consumers without waiting for traditional brand timelines. Then there's real world evaluation. So performance is observed through real life Users like me or whatever or their focus groups across diverse routines, climates, and application styles, and then refinement or archive. So they will select the formulas that may evolve into an expanded release. So they're. They're saying up front some things will be, you know, love them and leave them, and some things will be popping off, and l' Oreal will probably come by, talking to them and want to buy it. Right.
- [15:14]
A
So do you pay for the lab sample or do you buy it? Okay, so you're paying one time for the lab sample, and then you take part in this journey with that. Okay, so how much is it?
- [15:26]
B
That is a good question.
- [15:28]
A
Well, it's interesting. I mean, I think it's quite niche, I'm being honest.
- [15:32]
B
That's, you know, a big swing.
- [15:34]
A
Yeah, you have to want to. You have to be a real beauty hobbyist to want to kind of join this club. That's why I ask about whether you're actually buying the sample or whether you're paying to be maybe more of a member. Like, I think what would make sense is if you were kind of a member of this panel, and then you. Maybe you paid an annual rate, and then every month you got these dropped leaks versus sort of buying one lab sample.
- [16:05]
B
To answer your question, Carlene, it's $34. Okay. For the product? Yes. Okay.
- [16:10]
A
And you're buying. That's $34 for the lab sample.
- [16:13]
B
Correct. But I. I'd be very curious to see what the next drop will be, too.
- [16:18]
A
Will it always be this innovative? Is.
- [16:21]
B
Yeah.
- [16:22]
A
Remains to be seen.
- [16:23]
B
That's right. Interesting concept.
- [16:25]
A
Yeah.
- [16:25]
B
Right.
- [16:26]
A
Absolutely. Okay, well, speaking of innovation, I do feel like we're making some serious strides in some areas, one of them being fragrance. And we know that fragrance and body care is. It is the category right now, that girl everybody is talking about. That's all retailers carry about. I've been told retailers are looking to stock with body care and fragrance right now, specifically. Yeah. I think they all read the same WWD article, and that's what they're going with. So one of the biggest innovations that I have seen currently is this idea of milk perfume.
- [17:07]
B
Yeah.
- [17:07]
A
Okay, so Noise has just launched Milk de Parfum.
- [17:12]
B
Yes.
- [17:13]
A
And I'm holding it here. It's a fine fragrance, milk. And when I first saw this, it immediately reminded me of Dior, which you talked about back in the day. Dior. J'. Adore. Because when I saw this and I saw the press release, they had said that this is a first to market milk to Parfum. And I thought, well, no, it's not, that's not fair to Dior who launched that product, you know, probably five years ago now. But really when I dug into it, I do think that there are some not so subtle differences. So one of them is that this one is not a spray. So you open the cap and you actually pour it out and it pours out kind of like a, like a skincare milk that we've seen with, with serums and toners. So this one is in the fragrance Only Human. And I tried Only Human in the solid and I really loved it. So this is an extension of that. They have two other scents as well. This one in Only Human is a skin hugging gourmand. So it has a bit of that, you know, that vanilla, that sweetness. And it's 95 US so it does ship to Canada as well, but it's 95 US. So again, I think it's a bit of a higher price point than you would expect. But it's also 5 fluid ounces and it does have that sillage, if you will, that the same equivalent to an eau de parfum.
- [18:47]
B
Now I need to ask you though, like, literally, how do you put that on? I don't want that all over the palms of my hands. I'm very sorry. Yeah, to the noise people.
- [18:55]
A
Yeah. So I actually really like it. But this is something that I think is a bit confusing because if you go to their website, what it says is to apply it to your pulse points and where you would want to have your perfume and then you can actually layer. I personally think that this makes no sense because it is actually quite potent. Like when I wore it the other day, I applied it all over my arms.
- [19:21]
B
Yeah.
- [19:22]
A
And I was smelling it all day. I really don't think that you need to layer this product. And if it is that intense, why would you? The other thing that doesn't make sense to me is that it is a pour on fragrance milk. But they say that, they say that you should apply it as a first step or a primer, like, but again you don't need to and you wouldn't apply it. The pour over implies that you, you put it on like a lotion.
- [19:50]
B
Yeah.
- [19:51]
A
So this actually has 15 times the scent power of a body lotion. But what I like about it is that it does have skin care ingredients in it as well. And that's what I think makes it so unique. It has hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil. So when you apply it, it really does feel like One of those milky toners. If you think about like the road one, what have you, it is a lovely, lovely consistency and I personally do prefer it to a body lotion. I love the texture that this is and it does give you so much more fragrance. So I think it is a cool innovation. I'm into it. The only thing that I would say is that for people who are, again, if you're sensitive or you just have a lot of allergies, the number two ingredient is the parfum. First is water, then it's parfum. So if you have a lot of allergies or what have you, like, I'm not sure that you're going to be able to. I mean, I guess you could say the same might be true for a body lotion, but because it's so potent, I don't know.
- [20:59]
B
I think of this being fragrance first, skin second and the opposite. True. With a body lotion. Body lotion is skin first, fragrance second.
- [21:07]
A
Yeah, exactly. So it's an interesting mix. I really like it. I will put it on my legs in the summertime.
- [21:15]
B
Yeah.
- [21:15]
A
And I think it's very cool. I like the pour out milk concept and I love the sense of these noise ones as well. So I'm, I'm a fan.
- [21:25]
B
Yeah. Yeah. This seems to be like a very cool, like Gen Z brand. Yeah. All of the girlies are talking about
- [21:31]
A
it and it really is merging and this is the trend that we're seeing. It really is merging the fragrance and the body care together. So I think this is going to be a hit. Yeah. Today's episode is brought to you in part by R and Co. So this spring, Jill and I, we are traveling here, there and everywhere. There's so many live events and talks that we've been invited to do panels. We're so excited. I'm getting all of my outfits planned and I'm really thinking about my hair and my glam and just upping it. And when it comes to hair, R and Co is the brand that I've just ordered some products from. If you don't know about this brand, it was founded by a collective of world renowned hair stylists. One of them being Garen, who I remember as a baby beauty editor, like growing up reading his column in Allure magazine. And so R and Co is really about combining that high performance ingredients with modern technology. So one of the items that I ordered is the mycellar powered dry shampoo. I'm so exc because it uses micellar technology to like pull the oil from your hair instead of just clouding it with powders. They also have weightless volumizers, heat protecting styling bombs. Really designed to be layered and customized to give you like that editorial look that the founders are known to have done. And R and co formulates with vegan Leaping Bunny certified gluten free and color safe formulas. And they don't contain any parabens, sulfates, mineral oil or petrolatum, which is nice too. So I'm so excited to get them. And we have a promo code. If you guys want to try an RN code for yourself, visit rnco.com and use code BEAUTY20 at checkout for 20 off your first purchase. That's R-A-N-C o.com Use code BEAUTY20 for 20 off your first order.
- [23:29]
B
Qualia is one of our show partners this week in 2026, I've definitely stepped up my supplement game. I have my essentials for daytime and essentials for nighttime and one thing at night that I swear is the Qualia Magnesium Plus. So a lot of people know that magnesium, it's critical for sleep, but some forms help muscle recovery, brain function, heart health, bone health, mood and over 300 functions in the body. That was definitely news to me and that's why I appreciate that the Qualia Magnesium plus is the only product to combine 10 bioavailable forms of magnesium with more than 70 trace minerals that help to fuel magnesium support. So when I take Qualia before bedtime, I notice that I'm sleeping deeper. It helps you think sharper, recover faster, and it's really supporting muscle strength, giving you a steadier mood, helping with stress response and just better energy metabolism. So it's really just not a sleep supplement. It's a full body magnesium system so you feel your best every day. And so if you'd like to try Qualia for yourself, we have a special promo code experience the most trusted magnesium for purity, potency and performance. Plus it's non gmo, vegan and gluten free, making it a choice you can feel good about. So go to qualialife.com beauty for 50 off. That's right, 50 off you guys. And here's a bonus. Use the Code Beauty for an additional 15 off your order. So that's spelled Q U A l I a life.com beauty and use code BEAUTY. Thanks to Qualia for sponsoring this episode. We'll link to this offer in our show notes and on our website. Now back to the show. Earlier in the year we talked about what we thought was going to Be popping off in 2026. That was in January. And we talked, talked quite a bit about Summer Fridays and just how they were killing it, like Gap collabs. And they had come out with. With those like, limited edition sets at the holidays, which, like, flew off the shelves at Sephora. And they just feel like kind of unstoppable right now. And Summer Friday's Butterbomb was the number one skew at Sephora last year. Like insane.
- [25:47]
A
Yeah, they're selling it.
- [25:49]
B
They are coming out, everyone with a fragrance. It just dropped yesterday and we got a sneak peek of it. And I think that this is really tapping into what I'm calling, like, the quiet gourmand trend. So this is called the Summer Fridays sunlit vanilla eau de parfum. There's two different sizes, and it's US$85.110 in Canada. That's for the 50 ML. And then it's $40 for the 10 ML. So they do have a smaller size. It really does feel so on brand for this, for this brand. You know, with Mariana, she's gonna always have something very tastefully curated. And, you know, people who are listening or watching our show right now, they might remember that Summer Fridays did come out with a limited perfume in 2021.
- [26:40]
A
Do you remember that? No, I didn't know that at all.
- [26:43]
B
They had a limited edition vanilla rollerball perfume oil that they came out with those year, many years, say five years ago at this point. Long before gourmand scents were trending, which is true. Once again. Mariana did it first, and they said that they were maybe a little ahead of their time. So they've always had, you know, people asking them to bring a fragrance into the mix. And obviously so much of their brand is about scents and flavors and the. Take me away, you know.
- [27:13]
A
Yeah.
- [27:14]
B
With the whole notion of being Summer Friday. So top notes is bergamot. How do you say that? Is it bergamot or bergamot?
- [27:22]
A
I don't know. It probably depends on whether you're speaking French or English.
- [27:27]
B
I always say bergamot, but I. I truly think, think I'm not correct on that. But I do love any fragrance that has bergamot in it. Heart notes are caramel and coconut. Base notes, vanilla, creamy musk, tonka bean and amber. I do feel like it lasts. It has a good sillage and it feels very vintage. The bottle itself is like. What would you call it? It's like not ribbed, but ribbed for
- [27:52]
A
your pleasure in design.
- [27:53]
B
It would be called something fancier.
- [27:55]
A
Yeah, well, it is. It is sort of ribbed and it's. It reminds me of old school Estee Lauder. Like, I'm sure that they had a fragrance that had this kind of like ripping on it.
- [28:05]
B
What the heck was.
- [28:05]
A
And you know who else is. Is this is maker doing this type of a bottle. It's giving maker vibes a little bit.
- [28:11]
B
Yeah, this feels a little bit more. It feels a little bit more of a throwback. This bottle like this could. This shape and style of a bottle could have been on like my mom's vanity in the 80s.
- [28:20]
A
Absolutely, absolutely. Right now I will say, just having taken a whiff myself and I know you're saying quiet gourmand and maybe it is, but. But this definitely is giving like Sol de Janeiro giving it a run for its money.
- [28:34]
B
Oh, I don't think so.
- [28:35]
A
But just there's something about it where I feel like everybody's going after the Sold de Janeiro dollars. You know what I mean?
- [28:42]
B
I do think them putting the word caramel in here is indicative of definitely people wanting that, like a more sophisticated
- [28:50]
A
version, a more Mariana Hewitt version. But I still think it's probably, you know, Cat trying to capture that audience.
- [28:58]
B
Yeah, that's very.
- [28:59]
A
So I would say it's like the noise one too.
- [29:01]
B
Yeah. A little bit warm and spicy, but not over. It's still very much like a girl's girl perfume. But I, I do think it lasts. That's always number one question I get is like, does it last? Whatever. So I thought that it does. And I'm sure it's going to be a runaway hit. Just like their lip stains are.
- [29:19]
A
If I had to guess. I bet body care in that fragrance is coming out.
- [29:23]
B
Of course.
- [29:23]
A
I mean, that would just make all the sense in the world, of course,
- [29:26]
B
to Summer Fridays is giving in this current moment that they're. They must be going to be up for sale soon. Like. Yeah, because they're just coming out with so many launches. They're all huge hits.
- [29:38]
A
Yeah.
- [29:39]
B
They're so big. So I think, you know, it must be imminent because I feel like they've ramped up their launches and that's always kind of an indicator, in my opinion.
- [29:48]
A
Now let me tell you why some people may not be in love. Love with the Summer Fridays lip flush. And same thing for the Nyx product that I talked about in the last damn Goods episode. There's something about these marker style lip stain liners where when they dry down, they go hot pink.
- [30:09]
B
Okay.
- [30:10]
A
It's something about the chemistry in them where even though, because I'm wearing the summer Fridays one probably in almond as well, it's the most. It's the beigiest one that I could find. But when they dry down, they go to this hot pink. And so that's the one drawback to keep in mind. Now what I have found and I have been loving and I think is the perfect kind of like solution to that challenge is this is the Kulfi Lassie lips staining lip liner. It's $24 US, $36 in Canada. There's seven shades of it. And when I saw this right away, I was like, girl, if you do what you are saying you're gonna do, you will be my best friend forever. And the reason for that, if you are not watching this on YouTube, is that this is a staining lip liner. That is a crayon pencil. It is not the marker at all. So when you apply it, I just put it on my hand.
- [31:11]
B
So it's a lipstick, It's a lip liner.
- [31:12]
A
Yeah, it's a, it just looks like a regular crayon lip liner. Yeah. But it's a hybrid. So it is a lip stain. And you're like, how is that possible?
- [31:23]
B
Right.
- [31:23]
A
But I have tried it many times. I would say it lasts about six hours. It's not going to last like all day.
- [31:31]
B
Yeah.
- [31:31]
A
And if you think about it, Joel, remember the Maybelline? I feel like these are all.
- [31:35]
B
Yeah.
- [31:36]
A
From the Maybelline.
- [31:37]
B
We talked about that in the.
- [31:38]
A
Those ones for sure. It was hot pink. After you had it on for so much time, it would let leave this hot pink stain on your lips. So that's what I love about this one, especially if you think about ki. The brand is that they are very brown skin, black skin friendly. So the shades are mostly beigey toned. It's meant to be like a nude lip liner effect. And so I love that because it kind of sidesteps this hot pink issue. And the chemistry clearly is different because it's a crayon.
- [32:10]
B
So.
- [32:10]
A
So I've been super into this hybrid. It has vitamin E and peptides in it, so it doesn't give you that dry out effect that you and I have just been talking about. It launched in February. It goes so well under a gloss. A bomb.
- [32:26]
B
Yeah.
- [32:27]
A
And this is something that, like, when this episode is over, it is staying in my makeup bag.
- [32:32]
B
Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I think they've, they've done a good job with that brand. They. To your point, they're really. They do even Looking at the shade names, it's like, there's, like, the warm rose or there's cool taupe. It's like, there you're able to choose based on the undertone that you want, which I think is unique in the offering. For sure.
- [32:49]
A
Exactly. It's just one of those things that when I tried it, I was like, all lip liners should be this, like, a longwear crayon lip liner. They're. And they probably all will be now. And that's why indie brand. Let's support them. Kofi did it first. Get it?
- [33:08]
B
It's hashtag damn good.
- [33:10]
A
Yeah, exactly. All right. Anything else in the lips category, Jill?
- [33:14]
B
Oh, two things that I want to shout out, and they both happen to be from Canadian founders. Yeah. And so the first product that I want to shout out is from Hung Van Go Beauty. He has come out with really beautiful lip hues. Let me get the exact name. It's the Hung Van Gogh Beauty glossy lip hue, hydrating lip shine with hyaluronic acid. It's US$26 and 36 in Canada 12 shades. It's a hybrid of a gloss lipstick and a balm.
- [33:45]
A
Oh, interesting.
- [33:47]
B
It's really good. I'm obsessed with them. The color they sent me New York red, which is, like, his signature red shade. They sent me nothing to lose. And then they sent me a more pink one, which is called Worth every Penny, I do believe. Yeah. This is the one I put on today. It is just so comforting to put on. It has, like, a cooling tip, kind of like the hourglass lip oil does.
- [34:14]
A
Yeah.
- [34:14]
B
But I find that it is. It really is that perfect hybrid, because I'm not really one to wear a lot of lip gloss. Okay. But this I have been wearing because I just feel like it gives your lips. It's not that goopy, tacky. Yeah. Like, stuff where I'm worried that it's, like, going all over the place. I'm just, like, obsessed. If you want to swatch a couple of the colors. And interestingly enough, Hung Van Gogh, of course, is a makeup artist. He works with Rose Byrne. He works with Selena Gomez. And when we chatted with him, he said his lip sticks have been, like, the number one selling product.
- [34:49]
A
Yeah.
- [34:49]
B
Remember? And we thought it was going to be those blockbuster eyeshadows because he came out with eyeshadow palettes. Eight of them.
- [34:55]
A
Eight of them. The bang.
- [34:56]
B
So I'm not surprised that he. This was now, after his big initial launch, that he's gone back to lips.
- [35:03]
A
Yeah.
- [35:03]
B
And I think this is a Very unique product in the mix. And it's kind of like a good transition product from winter into spring, where you want a bit more moisture still and. Or if you're wearing these lip stains and you want to put them on. On.
- [35:15]
A
I'm gonna. I'm gonna do a beauty editor flex right now. Yeah. Hung and I were DMing each other.
- [35:21]
B
I love him.
- [35:22]
A
And he was talking. He mentioned something about this new launch, and I said, well, I can't wait for your other new launch, which I'm not gonna say what it is. And I said, I cannot wait to try it. And he wrote me back. And he's like, who told you? And I was like, hung, you told me. Yeah, you know, he thought there was, like, a leak somewhere on his team.
- [35:44]
B
I was like, yeah, we had lunch with him at his event. I can pretty much guarantee you I know what that is, too. But anyway, love him. Keep supporting him and fellow Canadian. And I'm going to shout it at another Canadian who's back in the beauty mix.
- [35:59]
A
Honestly, Canadian beauty is just making its reputation right now.
- [36:04]
B
Yeah, we've got Cassatt, We've got Hong Van Gogh. Guess who's back? Back again? Suzanne Langmuir. She is the founder of Bite Beauty, which unfortunately no longer exists. However, their lip labs exist. I was just in Palm Springs last month. They just opened a Bite Beauty lip lab.
- [36:20]
A
Yeah, it's growing.
- [36:21]
B
I was in. We were in Brooklyn, where we stayed. There was one right around the corner. And you can also make cheek colors there now. Now as well know that. Yeah, I'm not here to promote that, but whatever. That's the legacy that's left from Bite Beauty. So this brand is called Lixer L I X R. And. And what Suzanne is so extremely skilled at is, like, she formulates like nobody else. And a lot of people loved the Bite Beauty lip mask, the Bobby lip mask. Well, she has brought a new iteration forward of lip masks. This one I'm obsessed with Carlene. It's called Napa Cherry. Here, let me swatch a little for you, because I've already put my finger in this one.
- [37:03]
A
Okay.
- [37:04]
B
I'll put a little on your hand if you want.
- [37:05]
A
Okay. Okay. Ooh.
- [37:07]
B
So she's brought back the lanolin. Everyone o she's brought back went there, and. But I think she has improved upon it.
- [37:16]
A
Really, I do.
- [37:18]
B
And I don't think, knowing her, I don't think she would bother doing this again unless it was better.
- [37:25]
A
Right.
- [37:26]
B
Don't you think?
- [37:27]
A
Yeah.
- [37:27]
B
Why would she do that? And I was reading an article where she was introducing the brand and she said that she called up the buyer from Sephora. Suzanne did. And said, these are the best formulas. These are my best formulas yet, and I would regret not showing them to you. And then she got on a plane.
- [37:42]
A
Yeah.
- [37:42]
B
And here we are. So it's launching in Sephora.
- [37:45]
A
That's the big news. Because li are we talked about.
- [37:48]
B
Yeah.
- [37:48]
A
Maybe two years ago and they had launched with a freestanding store on Queen. And the big news was the customizable foundation.
- [37:57]
B
Yeah.
- [37:58]
A
So this is sort of a relaunch, is it?
- [38:00]
B
I guess, I guess it's more like making it official and making it more of a, a comprehensive range versus her tinkering in a store making custom foundations.
- [38:09]
A
Is there still custom foundations available?
- [38:12]
B
By the way, everybody, if you're like Jill and Carlene, the biggest news of 2026 is all the foundations being reformulated. And you haven't mentioned it once. We're doing a whole episode about that.
- [38:21]
A
Yes.
- [38:21]
B
Next month. There was too many to cover here. Bear with us.
- [38:24]
A
And lots of news and everything. So we're reviewing them all.
- [38:28]
B
Trust. She is bringing the, the Complexion product to Sephora, but it's not custom.
- [38:33]
A
Oh, interesting.
- [38:34]
B
Right?
- [38:34]
A
Yeah. Well, I'm sure that it's just impossible to scale. No, thanks.
- [38:38]
B
I'm sure. Exactly. But anyway, if you loved the original Bite beauty mask, they have a clear version and they have these tinted lip masks.
- [38:47]
A
Yeah.
- [38:48]
B
And I do think she found any. I was like, there's so many lip products. We have enough. I think she found a niche.
- [38:55]
A
Yeah, well, she did. I love the shade.
- [38:57]
B
Obsessed with the Napa cherry.
- [38:59]
A
Yeah. It really, it reminds me of the red blush trend that we've been talking about. You know what? The shade is very similar to Benent.
- [39:09]
B
You think?
- [39:10]
A
Yes. The original Benent was that beautiful, like popsicle red.
- [39:15]
B
Ooh.
- [39:16]
A
And that's what this cherry reminds me of. Except not drying the way that Benent is drying because it's in this, this sort of gloss format. I love that. I need one of those.
- [39:27]
B
And I, I am excited. Yeah, I know. I, I, she sent me all of the colors. I, and she lives around the corner from me. Invite me over. Let's get in the lab. But I love Suzanne and I'm happy for her. And I think that it's just a no brainer.
- [39:41]
A
Yeah. Love it.
- [39:42]
B
Yeah.
- [39:43]
A
Okay.
- [39:43]
B
Canada.
- [39:44]
A
I have one last lip product before we move on. It's the Merit Signature Lip Lightweight lipstick blush. It's $28 US, $38 in Canada. It is a balm plus matte. And this is a category that we have been seeing. A lot of formulas is like this.
- [40:03]
B
Yeah. Oh, my God. We've seen. What have we talked about today? Glosses, mattes.
- [40:07]
A
Oh, my gosh. It's all about textures. America, North America is obsessed with textures now inspired by K Beauty. And this is definitely one of those categories. Everybody has been taking a bite out of K Beauty. And I actually don't remember if I've talked about this category on the mic or not yet. This Matte plus bomb. And the reason for that is because it's a love it or hate it product. It truly is. And so I think I've cut it from a lot of episodes because I'm like, you know, we only like to talk about the things that are all the way thumbs up. But the reality is, is that some products are love it or hate it. Absolutely. Okay. Right. For everybody.
- [40:52]
B
Some of my favorite ones you hate and vice versa.
- [40:54]
A
Exactly.
- [40:54]
B
Yeah.
- [40:55]
A
So this is what they're saying. A a next generation sheer matte lipstick for effortless everyday wear. It was first launched in Merit's limited edition 2023 holiday set. And people want. The fans wanted it. So it came back as a permanent collection of eight shades. So what they say is that it's got the ease of a bomb delivering a soft, blurred wash of color. It's all about that blur, but it's giving you this, this, this kind of matte soft effect. Okay, so this is what I mean where if you think back to the Mac, you know it was matte, but it was. That's really silicone. And rare has rare beauty. Did it. So many brands have done this. It had this really slick silicone feel. So it's all about this lip blush. Now here's what I would say. It goes on again, quite kind of like sheer. I don't need a mirror to put it on, which I love, but it does get drying. I won't. It's not like a bomb where I like what you're talking about there with Lixer, where I'm like, oh, it's a one and done. It's a hybrid that way. It's really more about the finish that we're talking about, where you get this beautiful blushy look. And that's where I think Merit is winning. This shade is called September. I'm obsessed with it. It's just like this beautiful brick red.
- [42:22]
B
Yes. In our 90s.
- [42:23]
A
I think the shades are curated so, so well. And that's why I love this product. But because it is matte. You need to do the old school makeup artist Matt trick. So if I knew I wanted to wear this look, let's say, out for an evening, I would use an exfoliating balm in the morning or maybe a washcloth. You got to try to get those dry bits off, because this sheer formula, it's kind of an uneven application. So if you have flakiness, it's going to darken only in that spot. Yeah. And then everything else will be lighter. And that's the kind of flaw that you run into with this. With all of them. All of the ones that I tried, that's what happens. And some of them are worse than others when it comes to this uneven approach, like the Violette one. I was like, I wanted to talk about it, but I was like, I can't get an even shade. Like, I had to smush my lips together so many times. So some brands are doing it better than others. The reason I'm talking about this now, I think merit is doing it better than others.
- [43:27]
B
Yeah.
- [43:28]
A
And the shades make it a winner to me.
- [43:30]
B
Yeah.
- [43:30]
A
It gives you pigment without the pow. I don't know how else to explain it. It's like your lips aren't walking into a room before you, but you still it. You can wear that red because it's kind of sheer, but not in a glossy way. So I've talked about this before. I love matte. I don't care that it dries out my lips. It gives you this, like, perfect pigment. And the gloss just doesn't suit me when it's really pigmented. So that's why I love this.
- [43:56]
B
Okay.
- [43:56]
A
Yeah.
- [43:57]
B
Yeah. Well, they do lips. I think the bat of all the categories that they do, my opinion is that they do lips the best, and I'm not surprised that they have another new lippy in the mix. Okay.
- [44:09]
A
Be all right. Well, we have to talk about skin care. Of course. And to me, the biggest winner of the season, I have a feeling you're going to agree with me. Jill is the Sophie Pavitt screen time non comedogenic hydrating sunscreen SPF 30. It's 38 in the US and because it's a sunscreen, and we know Health Canada has different rules.
- [44:30]
B
Yeah.
- [44:31]
A
It is not available in Canada as of yet.
- [44:33]
B
Sophie isn't. Her whole brand is not available in Canada yet. Yet. So.
- [44:37]
A
So something. If you're crossing the border, Sophie Pavit is a thing to stock up on.
- [44:42]
B
Absolutely agree.
- [44:43]
A
Yeah. Now they're saying it's an everyday sunscreen. Safe for acne prone skin. And I think it actually says either in the press kit or on the website that it's a first to be proven to be acne safe.
- [44:56]
B
It's on the label acne safe and I think it's genius to put that on the label.
- [45:01]
A
I do think, and I've said this before, there's something to be said for clear labeling and sometimes an innovation can be just choosing the right wording. There might be other acne safe sunscreens out there, but there's still so much confusion that it's not been made clear.
- [45:19]
B
And I, and I think kind of a pun on the word clear the way that they get around that is Neutrogena use the word clear.
- [45:25]
A
But that could also in the consumer's mind indicate that it's clear on your skin.
- [45:30]
B
That's right.
- [45:31]
A
It doesn't leave a white cast.
- [45:32]
B
That's right.
- [45:33]
A
I think a lot of the them maybe have focused on oil free kind of, you know, which makes you think, okay, that's probably oil free, non comedogenic, that's probably going to be safe for my acneic skin. But going all the way and saying that it's safe for acne prone skin is to me what's going to make somebody buy it off the shelf. If you're prone to acne. But you have to be able to back that up.
- [45:58]
B
Yeah.
- [45:58]
A
That is a bull bold statement. To be able to say definitively that this is not going to break you out is bold. It has been clinically proven to be acne safe. So I think that's where they get that confidence to be able to, to claim that.
- [46:14]
B
Yes.
- [46:14]
A
And it probably just costs a different amount of money to run that type of test. Now in addition to that, it is of course non greasy, it's lightweight, it doesn't leave a white cap past. It's non competogenic. And we know that Sophie Pavitt has that ingredient checker on her website. Yeah. That you can check if your ingredients are non comedogenic. I've, I used it for myself when I was formulating for Cassatt to make sure it would pass.
- [46:42]
B
By the way, Sophie Pavitt is an esthetician here in New York City. She's been on our show as well. So that's the other thing she has going for her is that she has act. She's known as the acne whisperer. Right.
- [46:54]
A
Yes, of course. And so when the acne whisperer herself comes out with a acne proofed sunscreen, that is just a runaway Bestseller. Like, I think this is going to be a massive hit. This is considered a chemical sunscreen, just so you know. It has homo salate, octisalate, avobenzone, which are the proven top rated ingredients for. For sunscreen. But just so you know, it's not a mineral sunscreen. It also has, of course, skincare ingredients, not uncommon. Ectoin, niacinamide, and vitamin E. I find the finish is dewy, but not that glossy where it's gonna make my makeup slip around.
- [47:37]
B
Yeah.
- [47:38]
A
So I really appreciate that and I. I would think you've tried it and you have oilier skin than I do.
- [47:44]
B
It's. It's not. It's not matte that.
- [47:47]
A
Yeah.
- [47:47]
B
At all. Yeah, it's hydrating, but it's not the super go goop disco ball face either. And so I actually wore it under makeup. I thought it lasted really well. My big thing, when I'm testing chemical sunscreens on my face, did it make my eyes sting? It did. This one did.
- [48:03]
A
Not Anything in the, in the skincare realm that you must mention, Jill, really
- [48:07]
B
what I wanted to bring on this trip was the you Beauty bio barrier mist, but I didn't get it in time.
- [48:13]
A
Yes.
- [48:14]
B
And I just love, love the you beauty formulations. They agree with my skin because whenever we travel, my barrier, my barrier gets wrecked, basically. So it's the bioactive mist and it's really meant to be a spray on serum.
- [48:28]
A
Yeah. I feel like spraying on a mist makes so much sense. You can do it on a plane.
- [48:33]
B
Okay, everybody, that's our hashtag. Damn good episode. Every single thing that we mentioned, we're going to list over on our website. You can shop through our links if your heart desires. And we're going to also be showing everything on YouTube, so join us there. There. Yes.
- [48:45]
A
Thank you everyone for joining us and we will see you next Wednesday. Thanks for listening. You can find details on every product mentioned in today's episode, along with our exclusive promo codes on our blog@breaking beautypodcast.com.
- [48:59]
B
while you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Every episode will be delivered directly to your inbox, so you won't miss a
- [49:05]
A
single thing and get social with us. Let us know what you think of the episode. You can follow. Follow us on Instagram at Breaking Beauty Podcast.
- [49:12]
B
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- [49:17]
A
You can even leave us a voicemail at any time with questions or feedback at 1-844-227-0302.
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B
And don't forget to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast fix Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts, where you can show us some love by writing a review.
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A
See you next Wednesday. Please note that this episode may contain
- [49:55]
B
paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services.
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A
Individuals on the show may have a
- [50:00]
B
direct or indirect financial interest in products
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A
or services referred to in this episode. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with a name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates.
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