How Life Has Changed for Susan Yara After that Major e.l.f. Acquisition

Summary

Gloss Angeles Podcast Summary: "How Life Has Changed for Susan Yara After that Major e.l.f. Acquisition"

Release Date: November 13, 2024

In this insightful episode of Gloss Angeles, co-hosts Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan welcome back special guest Susan Yara to discuss her transformative journey following the major acquisition of her skincare brand, Naturium, by e.l.f. Beauty. The conversation delves into Susan's personal and professional life changes, her approach to managing online presence amid drama, emerging beauty trends, and the significance of inclusivity in skincare marketing.

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1. Welcome and Reunion

[00:38] Susan Yara joins Kirbie and Sara, marking her return to the podcast studio after a significant period. The hosts express genuine excitement about having her back, highlighting their longstanding friendship and professional rapport.

Notable Quote:

Sara Tan [00:40]: "I am so happy to be here. Actually, I've never been in studio with you, so this feels actually very special and different."

---

2. Life and Business Transformation Post-Acquisition

Susan details the rapid growth and expansion of Naturium following its acquisition by e.l.f., emphasizing strategic launches in major retailers like Boots UK, Ulta USA, and Shoppers Drug Mart Canada.

Key Points:

• Expansion into New Markets: "We've recently launched in Boots in the UK... over a thousand doors in the United States."
• Global Scaling: "Because we are working on expanding globally and just expanding the brand in general, it's just been a lot of travel to all these different places."

Notable Quote:

Susan Yara [20:35]: "It's been so fun to be able to, you know, just see them kind of. My mom took up, like, she's starting to play violin now. She's going to the gym."

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3. Personal Life Changes: Retirement of Parents and New Beginnings

Susan shares heartfelt moments about retiring her mother, allowing her parents to enjoy newfound leisure activities. Additionally, she opens up about her recent divorce, embracing her single life and co-parenting responsibilities.

Key Points:

• Retiring Her Mother: "I like everybody. She just like, okay, fine. Ruin the fun. Fine."
• Embracing Singlehood: "I just felt like it was time for probably us to move on... entering my hoe era."

Notable Quote:

Sara Tan [21:03]: "I just am so, so in awe of everything that you've done."

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4. Navigating Online Drama and Maintaining Privacy

The discussion shifts to Susan's past experiences with online drama during the lockdowns, how it affected her podcast, and the measures taken to address negative comments and misinformation.

Key Points:

• Handling Negative Feedback: Susan acknowledges the challenge of addressing comments taken out of context and the importance of maintaining integrity.
• Privacy Concerns: "I don't know what the future holds... it's creepy as hell."

Notable Quotes:

Kirbie Johnson [11:47]: "But what I also think is that you really just truly don't know what is going on."

Susan Yara [27:27]: "That to me is creepy as hell. So I don't want my kids to have every single milestone."

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5. Emerging Beauty Trends: Tablet Beauty and Sustainable Packaging

Kirbie introduces the trend of tablet beauty, where beauty products come in tablet form for sustainability and convenience. They discuss brands like Wanology, Blue Green, and Olay Melting Tablets, exploring the viability and consumer readiness for such innovations.

Key Points:

• Sustainability Focus: Products in aluminum tins and freeze-dried formats reduce packaging waste.
• Consumer Behavior Shift: Challenges in altering established skincare routines for new product forms.

Notable Quote:

Sara Tan [29:20]: "I think if anything, with all the saturation in skincare and beauty, it's cool to see somebody doing something at least different."

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6. The Rise of 40+ Makeup Brands

The conversation highlights the emergence of makeup brands specifically tailored for women aged 40 and above, discussing their unique approaches and the importance of targeted marketing.

Key Points:

• Sarah Creel and Maxine’s Revenge: Brands that focus on the needs and preferences of mature skin.
• Inclusivity in Marketing: While some brands niche down, Sarah Yara argues for thoughtful, inclusive marketing without overly segmented target audiences.

Notable Quote:

Kirbie Johnson [41:31]: "It's really cute. And then I learned that when they photograph and do any of their marketing, they don't use women under the age of 40."

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7. Inclusivity and Universal Marketing in Skincare

Susan emphasizes Naturium's commitment to inclusivity by creating products that cater to a diverse demographic without targeting specific groups, thereby fostering a sense of belonging among users.

Key Points:

• Genderless Products: "It's complete, it's totally genderless."
• Diverse User Base: "We have 40 men use Naturium, which is huge, especially because we're not targeting men."

Notable Quote:

Susan Yara [47:45]: "We want everyone to look at it and just be like, oh, that brand was made for me and not feel like it was made for you because we targeted you."

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8. Naturium’s New Multi-Peptide Rich Moisturizer Launch

Susan unveils Naturium's latest product—a multi-peptide rich moisturizer designed to compete with luxury creams by offering high-quality hydration without the exorbitant price tag.

Key Points:

• Product Features: Thick texture with a "water break," infused with copper peptides for enhanced skin hydration and lifting effects.
• Affordability and Efficacy: Aimed to rival expensive creams, making effective skincare accessible.

Notable Quote:

Susan Yara [50:56]: "We wanted it to really, you know, when you think about all the, like, luxurious creams on the market and how expensive they are... it's a beautiful moisturizer."

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9. Conclusion and Future Teasers

As the episode wraps up, the hosts express admiration for Susan's achievements and hint at future collaborations, reflecting on the deep connections within the beauty industry.

Notable Quote:

Kirbie Johnson [52:31]: "We need a part three about two years after the last time you were on."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Gloss Angeles offers a comprehensive look into Susan Yara's evolving life post-acquisition, her strategies for maintaining authenticity amidst online challenges, and her forward-thinking approach to beauty trends and inclusive marketing. Listeners gain valuable insights into the dynamics of scaling a beauty brand, the importance of targeted yet inclusive product development, and navigating personal transformations in the public eye.

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Notable Mention: At the beginning and end of the episode, Ryan Reynolds features a promotional segment for Mint Mobile, which is seamlessly integrated and promptly skipped by the hosts to focus on the core content.

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For more episodes and beauty insights, visit Gloss Angeles on Acast.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. Recently, I asked Mint Mobile's legal team if big wireless companies are allowed to raise prices due to inflation. They said yes. And then when I asked if raising prices technically violates those onerous two year contracts, they said, what the are you talking about? You insane Hollywood. So to recap, we're cutting the price of mint unlimited from $30 a month to just $15 a month. Give it a [e-mail] switch.

[Kirby]

$45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only.

[Sarah]

Taxes and fees. Extra Speed slower above 40 gigabytes. ET. Details. G L A M. Los Angeles.

[Susan Yara]

Hi, Kirby. Hi, Sarah.

[Sarah]

Welcome to Los Angeles.

[Kirby]

All right. We don't usually do repeat guests, but we make exceptions.

[Susan Yara]

Sometimes we do for the special ones.

[Kirby]

She was gonna be in town, so we figured, let's get her in the podcast studio. We got Susan Yara back with us.

[Sarah]

I am so happy to be here. Actually, I've never been in studio with you, so this feels actually very special and different.

[Kirby]

Isn't this so nice?

[Sarah]

It's so nice. It feels. It feels like we're just a big family.

[Susan Yara]

She literally just hopped off the plane.

[Sarah]

To be with us. I did.

[Kirby]

It looks like this.

[Susan Yara]

I know what I did.

[Sarah]

Stop at my hotel, and they surprisingly had my hotel room ready. So I was so pumped. I felt like this was exactly blessed.

[Susan Yara]

It was just meant that never happens.

[Sarah]

Yeah. I got to change, put on a little more makeup.

[Kirby]

I was like, yes, yes, you do look amazing. You look glowy and beautiful, but we also need to know what's on your face.

[Sarah]

Okay, so can we start with the skincare? Because that's always the most important part to me. So I have sunscreen on. Do glow sunscreen from our. From Naturium, my brand. I always put that on underneath my makeup just because I feel like it brings out that glow. And then after that, I really keep it simple in the mornings. And then after that, I put the makeup forever. HD Glow. I'm all about the glow. Everything's going to be glow. So it's like HD Glow Foundation.

[Susan Yara]

I love that foundation.

[Sarah]

I do, too. It's so good. The hourglass concealer. Lately, you know what? I've been doing less is more with concealer, and I feel like it's making a big difference. Like, I'm just putting, like a little dot here on the inner corners of my eyes and then just kind of spreading it out and not putting it where my crow's feet are and better.

[Kirby]

Love.

[Sarah]

So Much better. Bring it just down and not to the sides and it's not getting into the creases. So that's been. That's been good. The Patrick. No, a one size Patrick Star. Patrick Star. I was gonna say different name, but Patrick's. Patrick's one size. Like that pink powder, that one I've been using. I'm really bad with the names right now. I'm realizing I don't know the name.

[Kirby]

Of that one either. But we know what you're talking about.

[Sarah]

Yeah. The pink powder, I've been loving that. I feel like it really brightens. Ilia sent out this, like, holiday palette. Did you guys get that?

[Susan Yara]

I don't think so.

[Sarah]

It's really pretty. I just got it, so I threw it into my bag.

[Susan Yara]

Eyeshadow palette.

[Sarah]

It's like a blush bronzer palette and it's really pretty. So I that on my face today too, which I'm not usually powders I can see. Yeah, it's like more powdery, a little bit more luminizing. I'm into it Kosas. I always have something from Kosas on. I put their. The eyeshadow. They're like browns palette.

[Kirby]

Oh, yeah, that's a good palette.

[Sarah]

It's such a good palette. I even did my eyeliner with it. What?

[Kirby]

Mascara?

[Sarah]

Rare beauty mascara y. I'm usually tower 28 all the way, but every once in a while I and I think they know this. I cheat my boyfriend. Tower 28 mascara. And I go with the rare beauty one.

[Susan Yara]

And then eyebrows.

[Sarah]

Eyebrows. I have the got 2B clear gel and then the make beauty. They have like a new nano pencil and I'm obsessed with it. I love a little tiny pencil for my brows.

[Kirby]

What are your lips?

[Sarah]

What is on my lips? I have the Persona. It's one of the Persona lip liners that rev.

[Kirby]

She kills it. Those liners are incredible.

[Sarah]

I love it. Yeah, I love it. I love her makeup. I love a lot of the stuff that she creates and puts out there. And then this is Naturium Love lip balm. Phyto Glow lip balm in latte.

[Susan Yara]

Yum.

[Kirby]

Oh, my God. I love a Phyto Glow.

[Susan Yara]

I feel like Persona is like an underrated brand.

[Kirby]

I mean, is it underrated, though?

[Sarah]

I actually think that maybe it's like we think it underrated because it's not like this massive corporate brand. Right. But for her, I feel like she's really killing it.

[Kirby]

She is. Yeah, she is. I only say underrated because I feel if I were talking to my girlfriends in Texas. They would not be familiar.

[Sarah]

The masses.

[Susan Yara]

Yes.

[Kirby]

Persona.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah. But people who know, like, they know, like, beauty. Yeah.

[Kirby]

And we've talked about her products several times on the pod. I just think those liners are excellent.

[Sarah]

Yeah. And I. And I'm like a Stan for Teddy. The Persona blush. The cream blush Teddy. I wear it. Oh my God. Actually, I always have that, like, as a base blush. Like, it's. See, I don't even say it anymore because it's just like part. It's like it's made on my face. Like it's just there.

[Kirby]

Yeah, it's standard.

[Sarah]

Yeah, it's a standard.

[Susan Yara]

Still makes it. But she made this, like, eyeshadow palette a long time ago that was made for, like, people with brown eyes. And I swear I used it to like, the very. I hit pan on every shade. She just, like, knows, you know, she's amazing.

[Kirby]

Yeah, she's great. Okay. So Susan has her own podcast now.

[Sarah]

I do, I do.

[Susan Yara]

Competitor.

[Sarah]

It's called. It's not really. No, I know.

[Kirby]

It's actually really interesting because I was like, what is this podcast going to be? And it really is about. It's called My Life Online.

[Susan Yara]

Okay.

[Kirby]

And it really is about, like all of the trials and tribulations of being online. She has had some really cool guests. I saw Ali from the digital department.

[Sarah]

Uh huh. She's a manager, CEO and creator. Manager.

[Kirby]

Yep. And she also is known probably most famously as being Becca Tilly. People think she and Becca Tilly are related because they.

[Sarah]

They look alike.

[Kirby]

They look alike. But she's Becca's manager and also like, BFF bestie. Oh my gosh.

[Susan Yara]

That's so funny. Susan, how long have you been online, like, sharing your life?

[Sarah]

Okay, so mixed makeup. My YouTube channel is 10 years old. Okay. But before that, I started, like, the digital world when I was in Publications in 2003.

[Kirby]

Whoa.

[Sarah]

I know. So my first, like, online video was in 2003 at Forbes magazine.

[Kirby]

No way.

[Sarah]

Yeah. So I've been. Was it about. I mean, I used to do lifestyle, so it was like, about fancy cars, yachts. I even went to, like, Trump's house and like, like, did a whole tour of like, this crazy house. At the time was like, the most expensive home on the market. Yeah.

[Kirby]

Whoa, how times have changed. Now you're like, you couldn't pay me to go to Trump's house.

[Sarah]

No, I wouldn't know. And that's. Everyone's like, how do you know you don't like him? Because I know. I worked at Forbes magazine. We talked to him all the time.

[Kirby]

Right, right, right, exactly. So she's gone. There's been several clips that have gone viral. I thought it. I thought it was really great. Because you also. People don't know this about Susan, but you have your own agency. Essentially.

[Sarah]

I did, which is why Ally. Okay.

[Kirby]

Because they merged. Right, Okay.

[Sarah]

I went ahead and merged the agency with. With the. The digital department. Yeah.

[Kirby]

So she was a manager. Would you call yourself a manager?

[Sarah]

Yeah, I manage talent, and I still mentor a lot of the talent. I'm more of a consultant now on that end of things, but for the last four years, I managed talent with my team, and the team now has gone over to tdd and it was really fun to mentor and help them grow and everything and just see how the creator economy has changed.

[Kirby]

So then did Naturium sell to ELF around the same time that your agency sold?

[Sarah]

There was a little conflict of interest in me being a talent manager and knowing what's happen and everybody else's, but.

[Kirby]

I was just thinking, like, it's crazy that all of that happened around the same time for you. Yeah, very cool. But Ali had a clip, and it was about what they should be getting paid or if they even need a manager. And I thought it was so helpful because on threads especially, so many creators are like, do I need a manager? Do I need to pay somebody a commission to do these things? And the comments are always all over the place.

[Susan Yara]

And what was the takeaway? What was her advice?

[Kirby]

What did Ali say? She said she was like, if you were at a certain level, do you need one? Was that right?

[Sarah]

I think she said something along the lines of, like, if you're at a certain level. But also I think it depends on your engagement, what you're looking for. Like, if you're looking for somebody that's gonna help you grow and help you take off, you know, the admin aspect of being a creator and let you flourish, then that's probably your time to go look for a manager.

[Kirby]

Right. And she was all. Cause also, the thing that kind of stuck with me was I remember thinking, why do I need to have a manager when I have all these connections and I'm bringing them everything. They're not doing everything. But my manager, Bradley, who is literally an angel sent from heaven above, handles my calendars, and he is, like, actively going after things that I say that I want to accomplish that I just a don't have the capacity to do or I don't have the contacts to do. So I think that was. It was a really. I Loved that episode. I thought it was great.

[Sarah]

You know, I think a lot of people don't realize when it comes to management too, like, okay, so maybe you have all the inbound emails that are coming from brands, pitching, you know, some kind of sponsorship or something, but your manager is going to kind of go through all of these emails, figure out which ones are by talking to them, figure out which ones are worth your time first off, and then do all the back and forth and negotiations get you better rates. Sometimes if they can't get you a better rate, they're going to get a better deal for you on the back end. Maybe it's not as much content that you have to create or maybe you don't have to, you know, let them license it for too, too long or something. They're going to do stuff that is going to help you. Right. And I just think that it's. It's always really, really helpful to have a good manager that you get along with. And that's what I tell people all the time. If you're looking for a manager and you can't decide someone that you click with, I mean, at the end of the day, I don't think managers do that much. They're not that different in what they do. It's really who you're clicking with and their style and the vibe that you have going on because they're like your. They really are like a bestie. They're in your day to day. Yeah.

[Kirby]

They're in your business. They know everything. So I went on my life online, really just I think as moral support. And I think that Susan likely had me on because, remember, we went to San Vicente Bungalows and Susan told us the story of what actually happened. And notoriously, when all of her drama was happening, I told her to get a lawyer. I didn't ask how she was or how she was doing. I said, get a lawyer. And I have to say, I think that is a good thing a friend should do.

[Sarah]

I think so too. I think, you know, I think it's very like classic of you. So I think of classic get on Kirby Sarah's are this one. It's very like practical, you know, like advice. Right. From you and I. And I. And I respect that. So.

[Kirby]

So she took us to San Vicente Bungalows and I remember going, okay, when was that?

[Sarah]

That this was. I mean, I guess we weren't in lockdown anymore, that's for sure. So 2021.

[Kirby]

Yeah, it was 20. Maybe 2021, I think, because you were on the podcast after that.

[Susan Yara]

And were you still in LA at that time?

[Sarah]

I was living in Los Angeles, yeah. And so it had been, like, a year since I had had online drama, and we hadn't really because of lockdown. That's the weird thing about what happened was I was in like everybody else. We were all locked down in our homes, and there was no way of, like, meeting up with people to explain yourself, talk things out, like, see people. Everybody was just stuck inside. And so it's just. It's funny because it wasn't until like, a year later that I started seeing people and then explaining the story.

[Kirby]

I remember when the drama happened because we covered it on the podcast, and I remember being like, we don't have the information. And I think I said something like, this doesn't look good. Like, this is scary. And I remember Sarah was like, we know Susan's a good person. Like, we know we know her. And I was like, yeah, you're right. Okay, like, let's, like, really, like, roll it back here. We know this person. We've known her, and we've known her integrity for a while now. So I think the thing that's so crazy to me about that whole situation is could things have been done differently? Of course.

[Sarah]

Oh, yeah, of course.

[Kirby]

But I also think that you really just truly don't know what is going on. And despite optically what it looks like, people are gonna make their decisions, even.

[Sarah]

If the truth is what's funny is kind of telling the story and getting feedback from people that listen to it, that hadn't heard it, like, just followers. And, you know, people in my community, I think a lot of them are like, that was it. Like, that was what was going on. It's funny because you create this whole thing in your head, and then you don't want to talk about it because you're like, well, that's embarrassing that I acted like a child.

[Kirby]

Right? And I. I think for me. So on the. I did go watch the video when it came out, and of course, I looked at some of the comments as. As we do, and I did see that one of the comments that was most popular was about something that I had said. And I do want to kind of walk that back, because I would never want. Even if I did say something and it came off a certain way, I would want. I am a writer. I am a reporter. I take very. A lot of pride in what I do. Of course I do my job. Of course I do my job. I think that's the thing that kind of surprised me about Some of the.

[Sarah]

Comments on that video, I think. Well, first off, I think we should point out, because it's easy to focus on the negative comments, right? And this is something I really learned, is that it's easy to focus on negative comments. People are more likely to comment when it's a negative comment too. Right. Most people aren't gonna be, like, full of positivity and just, like, flooding your comments. Right. There were a lot of really nice comments, and I got a lot of really nice DMs. And what you're addressing is, like, so small and probably not a big deal, but I understand wanting to address it.

[Kirby]

It's only because I feel that it was taken out of context in a way.

[Sarah]

What did you say exactly? So that everyone knows.

[Kirby]

Okay. I should have written it down, to be honest. But we were talking about how I was taking. I took a step back, I said, I'm one of the adults in at this point. And I used to be so online.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

To the point where it was affecting my mental health and to the point where it was causing our podcast to suffer, because I did not. I was totally terrified of saying something that could Been. Could be taken in a way that I would never want it to be taken. And I was spending hours editing the podcast, like, well, should we include this? Should we not include this? Like, I'm scared. And I finally was like, you know what? I'm not going to know everything about every. And when I was saying that statement about it's giving stalker, it's giving whatever, maybe it wasn't funny. And I'm so sorry. I did not intend to offend anybody. But what I was bringing up is there are people that do deep dives and they present the information, and it's up to you to make the decision based on the information at hand. But then it's also important to also, if more information is brought up, what do we say? Strong opinions loosely held. If more information is brought up, you have to consider that. And that's like one of the number one rules of journalism. You can't just go with the story. I mean, people do. It's not good journalism. But if a story happens and you get more context, it is your obligation as a reporter to include that, to make sure that people also have those takes so they can formulate their own opinions for it. And initially, when Susan was going through her drama, I did not have that context, and I thought, oh, shit, my friend is in trouble. She did something. She made a mistake, and she's in trouble. Getting more of the context and you getting more of the context. We were like, this was not even close to what was being presented online. And so I did want to say, I wrote down this note like, I am a reporter. I did stop reading everything online because I'm getting DMs from people when I'm talking about products. I love going, well, did you know that she didn't drop off her kid at the whatever at this time? And then it caused this whole. And I'm like, how does this have anything to do with her business? And, like, why I love this product? You know what I mean? Like, there are so many elements.

[Susan Yara]

And how are these people finding out these, like, new details about people I know?

[Kirby]

So that's what I was saying. The minutiae. That's what I. I'm holding your hand. I'm like, that's what I was saying is, of course, when there's a public drama, of course look into it. But the minutiae of what Susan was getting, saying her children should be taken away.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

I mean, there were, like, crazy things that were happening, and that's why I did say those things. That it's giving stalker. It's giving whatever. Like, they should not know certain things about Susan outside of this cancellation, if you want to call it that, or drama or whatever. But I do my job. My job was not to investigate Susan. That's actually a conflict of interest because she is my friend. So, like, no matter what, nobody was ever going to hire me to investigate that. And now we know what we know. And I think the takeaway for me personally is apparently Sarah got an email that we no longer have a subscriber because I'm a Susan apologist. And I'm so sorry. I am. I'm sorry, because I know Susan and so does Sarah, and I love that I'm the Susan apologist I know and not you.

[Susan Yara]

But it was because of. It was because you went on her.

[Sarah]

It was because I appreciate it. And I'm so sorry that you have lost this follower.

[Kirby]

We're going to be okay.

[Sarah]

We're going to try my hardest to find you a new follower. Thank you for that.

[Kirby]

Please. We welcome. We welcome people who love beauty and want to see, you know, want facts.

[Sarah]

And, you know, listen, it's. We're having a good time. This is. It's always just funny to me, you know, like, everyone was kind of like, why didn't you talk about your drama and the true story? Like, what happened behind the scenes? Because when you hear it, you're just Kind of like, what? This sounds kind of funny. Like, this is like, so totally, like, dumb what was going on behind the scenes and everything. Why didn't you talk about it? It's like, you know, at some point you start to realize you can talk about it. Hence, four years later, five years. How far along are we now? Five years later. And I finally, like, give some details of what was happening behind the scenes and we kind of like laugh about it. So much time has gone by that, like, of course I'm not gonna like, start breaking down and crying at this point. It's years have gone by, right? It's like you still, you still get the people that are like, wow, I'm going to like. And they just like, take your story and then they turn it into a whole other story. And you're like, okay, this is why I don't talk about it. Because it doesn't matter. Because the people that, that, that want to move on with you and that like, want to be part of your community and be with you, they've already moved on. They don't need to keep hearing about it. Whereas the people that don't want to move on, they're going to just decide whatever it is that they've decided.

[Susan Yara]

Exactly. This person, this subscriber that we lost, which I'm sorry that you felt you feel the way that. But like, they already going into listening to the episode with the two of you, knew how they felt. It was not. Whatever you said was not gonna change how they felt. And also, I am also a Susan apologist I guess too, because I thank.

[Sarah]

You for being an apologist for me.

[Kirby]

I think it's just a bummer.

[Sarah]

Thank you for being my friend, ladies.

[Susan Yara]

That's what it is.

[Sarah]

I love you too.

[Susan Yara]

Bottom line, we know you are a good person.

[Sarah]

Well. And we've known each other for years.

[Kirby]

We have, and we have a history. And so there's a lot of context there. I say too, if you loved Sarah and I and were listening to this podcast because you trusted us and you liked that we present fact based approaches and we have opinions on things, and then that episode is what made you decide that you can't. For me, I'm like, well, then you.

[Susan Yara]

Never, you weren't really a listener and.

[Kirby]

Cared about us in the first place. I think about all of the people that I respect in the industry that are friends with you as well. And I don't think that if those people felt some type of way about you that they would be seen in public with you, that they would be congregating with you on panel with you. Yeah, exactly. Like, they're like, there are so many people in this industry who love and respect you and now know what was going on.

[Susan Yara]

And then also, when the news came out that you had sold Naturium to Elf, like, everyone was rooting for you. Everyone was congratulating you. I don't think I heard anything negative, honestly, from anyone.

[Kirby]

Okay, wait, hold on. Let's talk about. Let's talk about selling to Elf. Because first of all, we love Elf. We love Elf.

[Sarah]

I do, too. I love Elf.

[Susan Yara]

At this point, it's like, might as well be presenting sponsor.

[Kirby]

No, literally, I'm like, just present the podcast at this point. We love that. We think they're so smart. And it was probably the most genius acquisition. How has your life changed?

[Sarah]

Excuse me?

[Kirby]

She's like, let me clear my throat.

[Sarah]

No, no, no, no, no. Yeah. How has my life changed? Well, we're about just over a year out from the acquisition. I feel like we've really very quickly integrated into Elf, and we've kind of gotten where we're at. We're starting to grow the business just like we had planned to with them. We recently launched in Boots in the uk, which is huge for us. We are looking at other retailers. I mean, since the acquisition, we've also launched in Ulta. Every single Ulta door in the United States.

[Kirby]

How many doors is that?

[Sarah]

That's over a thousand.

[Susan Yara]

Wow.

[Sarah]

Yeah, it's over a thousand doors in the United States. And then we've also launched Shoppers Drug Mart, also over a thousand stores in Canada. And we're, you know, continuing to accelerate the brand, just like we plan to when we joined with Elf.

[Susan Yara]

Wow, that's.

[Sarah]

Yeah. So that's. That's been a big change. I travel a lot. I'm in.

[Kirby]

I was going to say. I was like, she's very little.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

It's like. It's so funny because I used to be in LA all the time because our. Our main office is here for Naturium, but because we are working on expanding globally and just expanding the brand in general. It's just been a lot of travel to all these different places that we're gonna be seen or are seen right now.

[Kirby]

Okay, wait, can I bring up something?

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

This was online, so I feel comfortable saying it. You retired your mom?

[Sarah]

I retired my mom.

[Susan Yara]

That made me cry. Honestly, I was crying.

[Kirby]

That's the dream.

[Sarah]

That was the dream come true. Yeah. That was like, you know, when you. When you're a little kid, especially when you've. You have immigrant parents, right? And you know that they've. All the sacrifices they've made to get here and the things that they put on you as the first daughter also, right? I've got the first daughter, the immigrant mom, like, that kind of stuff going on.

[Susan Yara]

So much.

[Sarah]

So much pressure. But I always knew that I wanted my parents to stop having to bust their asses every single day as they get older, working for other people just to get by check, like, paycheck to paycheck, you know? And it's the best feeling, honestly, to be able to be like, you know what, mom? Go in there and be like, fuck you. Fuck you, Fuck you. And my mom was like, oh, no.

[Kirby]

I can't do that.

[Sarah]

I like everybody. She just like, okay, fine. Ruin the fun. Fine. It turns out you like everybody. So I did. I got to retire my mom. My dad actually was, like, semi retired because of the industry he was in. Was just kind of. He was in the, like, satellite industry, and it's like satellite TV is just not a thing anymore. So he was already starting to take a step out. But it's been so fun to be able to, you know, just see them kind of. My mom took up, like, she's starting to play violin now. She's going to the gym. We got her on some Ozempic. She's like, maybe I want a nose job. I'm like, you know what, Mom? You do? Do you do whatever makes sense.

[Kirby]

She's earned it at this point.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Susan Yara]

This is.

[Kirby]

Oh, wow. And then Disneyland was a part of that. Disney World.

[Sarah]

Disney World, Yeah. I took my whole entire family to Disney World for. For the holiday.

[Kirby]

I'm like, did you say the Four Seasons Orlando?

[Sarah]

No, we did not. The baby came out after we had already done the Disney trip. But had I known there was a.

[Kirby]

That baby stealing my thunder.

[Susan Yara]

Kirby's number one enemy is literally.

[Kirby]

I'm like, this baby's getting a free trip to Four Seasons Orlando. It's my favorite hotel of all time.

[Sarah]

I had no idea it's your favorite hotel.

[Kirby]

I Don't even get me started.

[Sarah]

I really need to go back.

[Kirby]

Yes, you do.

[Sarah]

Wait, by the way, my life has also changed because I'm now a single lady.

[Susan Yara]

Oh, okay.

[Kirby]

Wait, is this news? Is this news?

[Sarah]

Actually, I'm breaking the news. I'm breaking the news here because I've, like, kind of soft launched it in, like, little comments here.

[Kirby]

I know. I was gonna say I did see a few little comments. Oh, she's leaving morsels. But that's what I did too. I think when you're in a long term relationship, you want to be respectful. Obviously this is your ex husband, children. You want to be respectful of everything.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

But like I would casually leave a comment, you know, on somebody's something and then people are like dming me. What happened? Are you okay? I'm like, it's been months. I'm good now. I'm fine. And you're fine.

[Sarah]

I'm great. Wait, listen. So I mean there was nothing dramatic that happened. I was with him for like 15 years, both dating and marriage. We have beautiful children together that were co parenting together and you know, I just felt like it was time for probably us to move on and I think that it's great. Yeah. So I'm entering my hoe era so I'm excited about it. We'll see, we'll see how this goes. I don't know, I was really good at it in my 20s. So let's see now. Now in my 40s.

[Susan Yara]

I can't imagine you're like more powerful. You're hotter, you're richer.

[Kirby]

Yes. Here we go.

[Sarah]

I don't want to wife anybody. Yeah.

[Susan Yara]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

Have you watched like Ali Wong?

[Sarah]

Have you watched Ali Wong? So that was one of my soft launches was there was like a clip where she was like, she was talking about how she has range, right. It's like the 24 year olds all the way up to like the 50 something year olds. And then she was talking about how they're all attracted to her divorced mom energy. Yes. And I commented, I feel seen. And then there were all these comments underneath like aren't you married? Like what's going? Are you okay? Like that kind of stuff and all that.

[Kirby]

You're like read between the lines, Read between the lines.

[Sarah]

Great love.

[Kirby]

Okay, love to hear that. So you're here and. Oh wait, did you want to.

[Susan Yara]

Oh, I just wanted to ask. So okay, so obviously the drama happened then like all this like positive, you know, things happened in your life. Did it make you're still very much online? Yeah, maybe not as much as before but like did it make you like want to pull back at all? Like you know, like things that are happening right now in your life. Do you like, let's say you meet someone, like do you want to share that or like.

[Sarah]

Yeah, no, I pulled back a lot and I'll, and I'll say, listen, you lose a lot of your engagement when you're not sharing every aspect of your life, which I think is fine. Right. Like I'M at peace with that. I, there are probably things about me right now that I'm like, oh, I kind of want to like post a little bit more. I want to feel sexy online now. Like this is my new era, right. Like I, I don't know, there's like a part of me that's, that's, that feels that way, I suppose. But after all that drama. But also just the way the industry has moved, right. And technology has moved. I stopped posting about my kids a lot. You know, I used to post about my, my son, especially when I was pregnant the first time I was, you know, posting about all the things that I've learned and everything.

[Susan Yara]

And I watched all those videos.

[Sarah]

Yeah, A lot of. And people still walk up to me and say, you know, I sleep trained my child because of you. And it's amazing, right, to be able to have shared that information and help. Helped people. But at the same time I think that even more so drama aside, I like that definitely made me think twice about it because there were people that would bring up things about my personal life within that drama. Right. That had nothing to do with it, but they bring it up anyway. But I think what I've seen is that especially with your children, people are always like, oh, you don't post them because of predators and stuff, right? And yes, predators are crazy and scary. But what I think is scarier online is that we don't know what the next next five years of like AI technology is going to be. What, you know, just even like algorithm targeting is going to be like and everything. So imagine we this and this is like not just influencers, right? Like people who are just everyday people who have their accounts on private, who put like, like emojis over their kids faces. That doesn't matter people, because you are posting your kids on a platform, right? And that platform is now gathering information. So from the day that you announce you're pregnant to every single milestone for the rest of that child's life by the time they're an adult.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

The amount of milestone information about that child is now online. And imagine what we can do with that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Whoa.

[Sarah]

What a brand can do with that, what a platform can do with that information. And that to me is creepy as hell. So I don't want my kids to have every single milestone. So I don't post even if I want to. Because sometimes you want to. You're like, oh, my kids are so damn cute, you know, and it's like.

[Susan Yara]

Oh my God, and your kids are so cute.

[Sarah]

They're pretty damn cute and I want to post them all the time, but. But I don't. I always hold back because my fear is I don't know what the future holds. I really don't. None of us know because we've seen how quickly things have changed. Creepy.

[Kirby]

I've never thought about it that way, but that's actually a really good point.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah, that's really scary.

[Sarah]

That's all I think about.

[Kirby]

Scary times. Scary times. Okay, let's talk about trends.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

We. We actually don't do this a lot with guests, but I figure we're 32.

[Susan Yara]

We need to do it.

[Kirby]

We can do it.

[Susan Yara]

Yes.

[Kirby]

So there is this. I'm starting to see this trend in terms of tablet beauty. Where I was recently I met with a very popular fashion hairstylist. He launched a brand called Blue Green or Green Blue. One of the other. But a lot of the stuff that he makes is very sustainable. So it comes in like an aluminum tin. And then your shampoo and conditioner are these little tiny tablets that you mix with water. They're great for travel. Then I saw this story on Beauty Independent and it's called Sarah, how would you pronounce this? I would say one ology, but there's an accent over the E. I hate.

[Sarah]

When they throw an accent. You're like, what? Why?

[Susan Yara]

You're not French, are you?

[Kirby]

It says Wanology wants to make freeze dried skincare the next big thing in beauty. And basically this brand, Wanology Soft launch last year direct to consumer. It also was at that happier grocery which is like the Erawan of New York City. Okay, okay. It sells only one thing which is 32 tablet blister packs called Megadose with freeze dried tablets that are vehicles for tried and true serum ingredients like niacinamide, retinoid peptides and alpha arbutin. And it says that you just dissolve the tablets with five to 10 drops of drinking water, a facial mist or a water based serum and then you smooth it onto your face in a gel like solution. I'm very fascinated by this because I'm wondering if we're gonna start seeing more tablets pop up. Are you familiar with bite? The little tablets that you chew that are toothpaste? One of my girlfriends created that brand and I think like we saw in the wellness space, but we really haven't seen it convert that much in beauty.

[Susan Yara]

That's so funny. Someone approached me at the API beauty summit and they have a brand and forgive me if I can't remember, it's like Alka something And it is basically vitamin C and you add distilled water.

[Kirby]

Distilled water.

[Susan Yara]

You add distilled water and then it creates like, its own mist. And the idea is that it's more potent. But yeah, that's really, really interesting. We're starting to see this trend of.

[Kirby]

That because we have seen this idea of. Okay, I'm curious because Susan's making a face. Susan's making a face. She's looking. She's looking a little smug.

[Sarah]

Unimpressed.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah. Okay, so tell us why, like, is this really innovative? And even is the consumer ready for something, Something like that?

[Sarah]

Okay, so innovative. Yes. You create a different category. Totally innovative. Right? And I think that's kind of cool. I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't judge anybody for doing that because I think that if anything, with all the saturation in skincare and beauty, it's cool to see somebody doing something at least different. Right? So credit where credit's due. But changing consumer behavior, especially when it comes to skincare, we have only gotten people to start wearing sunscreen, okay? Like, barely. We've only scratched the surface according to, like, studies and statistics. We still have a long way to go to get people to start wearing sunscreen, right? So changing a consumer behavior is a whole different thing, right? And this is changing consumer behavior, right? Like, think about, like, face sheet masks, right? Those were around for years and years and years before they became a thing. And even at that, they're pretty straightforward in how you use them, right? So now think about these tablets. You got to add something to it. You got to use distilled water. Because if you use your tap water, I mean, God forbid you use tap water on your face, right? Right. It might feel sticky. You might forget that you have it. It's just not easy to access. Even though it seems easy to access, right? And so I just think that that changing these consumer behaviors is a very, very hard thing to do. And you have to already be a big brand to do that, if you can even do it. Right? So I think, yes, we might see a trend of people attempting this, but that doesn't mean that it's going to stick.

[Kirby]

I think that for me, the way that Oneology is kind of of marketing this is that it's more potent than other products out there. Am I crazy as a consumer that I don't give a fuck if something is more potent? Like, I just wanted the convenience of.

[Susan Yara]

Knowing you don't care if something like, if a retinol or a vitamin C is more potent in one like you wouldn't reach for one. No, no. Okay.

[Sarah]

No, I think it has to work because there's so much more that goes into it, right? Like, you can have. I'll give you an example. Actually, vitamin C serums, right? Pure, like, L. Ascorbic acid serums, right? We saw a trend for a while there where it was, like, it went from like, 10% ascorbic acid to, like, suddenly 15%. Now 22% ascorbic acid. The reason why they're doing that is because. And they're calling it more potent, but they're doing that because it's a very unstable ingredient. So by the time you've opened it up, that 22%, who knows? It might have totally disappeared and oxidized and it might not be potent at all. You might be working with, like, a 1% at that point, if it's even getting to your skin. Now we got to talk about penetration. Does it actually penetrate your skin? Do you enjoy the experience that you use it every single day and get the actual benefits from it? Do you like. I don't know. There's just like, all these nuanced things that are happening, right? So more potent doesn't matter. Does it work? Does it penetrate your skin? Does it stay stable? Does it not irritate your face? You know, that kind of stuff is going to be. Do you like the consistency of it? Does it feel convenient?

[Kirby]

Does it smell good?

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

I personally leave it to the pros. I would rather you package it for me and tell me how often to use it. I feel that way with retinol. I think a lot of people want to have, like, the strongest retinol possible. And for me, my skin does not tolerate retinol at all very well. I think I fully almost given up on it. In essence, like all retinols, I think.

[Sarah]

Oh, no. Yeah.

[Kirby]

Because my.

[Sarah]

Too strong.

[Kirby]

I mean. And like, Joanna Check prescribed me. That's in quotes, this Environ product. And I remember I used it, and then next day my skin was just coming off in sheets and it was. That is a product that. And a brand that I think makes incredibly beautifully formulated products. But my skin just can't tolerate it. I don't know if I would be reaching for this higher percentage of a retinoid over something else just because it's higher.

[Susan Yara]

No, I agree with you. And also, yeah, the delivery system of this all, like a vitamin C mist, I'm like, is that really penetrating your skin?

[Sarah]

Well, and it's not just that. It's like. So it's Potent wallets. Just like a powder form or a tablet form. Right. But then you add the water and then suddenly it's exposed to air.

[Kirby]

Yes, yes.

[Sarah]

And sunlight.

[Kirby]

So the brand that I was referencing, the hair brand, it's called Blue Green. It's spelled B L U Green. It's like very ocean centric. I think for them it's not even about potency, it's really about convenience. And also seems sustainable. Sustainable in terms of like getting eradicating packaging altogether for the most part. And I do think it's a brilliant. I mean, I travel with them and they really do lac beautifully in the hands. It's kind of like plus that Julie Shot created with those body wash sheets, which I personally love. And I use them all the time still.

[Susan Yara]

I just learned that, you know the Olay melting. Oh, yeah, those little things, apparently those are like super, super viral. And Jackie Kilakita, our deputy beauty director from the UK, is here for BeautyCon and she's like, I need to stock up on these. Oh, when she. Yeah, she's here in LA and she's like, I need to stock up on these because they're going so viral in.

[Kirby]

The UK and they launched around the Olympics. Yeah, they were like.

[Susan Yara]

And I was.

[Kirby]

Product push at the Olympics, to me.

[Susan Yara]

Honestly, I wasn't like super impressed by the idea. I'm like, great for travel. Sure.

[Sarah]

This is like soap, right?

[Susan Yara]

We're talking about like a tablet cleanser that you just add water.

[Sarah]

That's interesting to me. That's a little bit more interesting. My serums and my Actives, I'm not sure. But for a cleanser, that's. That's kind of interesting.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah, agreed.

[Kirby]

Okay, we got to talk about Pat McGrath. Yes, Dane. Pat McGrath. So I don't know if you guys have been seeing this, but she launched a product and. And if you screenshot some of these videos, it's called like Glass Skin Peel Off Mask and it's supposed to recreate the dolls from the Margiela show that went completely viral this February. And I want to talk about this because I have thoughts. When this happened, I was like, what product did she use to create this? And the Pat McGrath Labs team would not confirm anything. It was like, here's how you created the look. But when it came to the shiny stuff, they would not. Same thing. Then Erin Parsons creates a whole series about how she thought she created it. And then that was somewhat verified by Pat, even though during her live she didn't even really show what was used. It was just some kind of concoction in an airbrush that was spritzed on the face. And the whole time I'm like, is she not saying anything because this product is already in development and it's coming out soon and they don't want to spoil it? Or is it that they saw that this went so massively viral that they were like, okay, we got to create our own version of this. How do we do it? I would love yalls. Thanks.

[Susan Yara]

I think it's the latter.

[Sarah]

I'm gonna go with ladder.

[Kirby]

Really?

[Sarah]

Because if they. Yeah. You don't want to lose your moment as a brand. Why would you not launch it if you're already developing it? You would launch it coinciding with the moment that you think it's gonna go viral. It happened to go viral. They probably took whatever she used, benchmarked it, told them, let's put a step on this, right? February till now, almost end of year to launch this. That's plenty of time to launch a product if you already know what the product benchmark is. Right. And she wasn't trying to do anything innovative. It's not like they're trying to create something that's like, completely different from what they were already using. So that's plenty of time to have created this product.

[Kirby]

Okay, that's. I feel validated because that's. That's what I thought I heard that.

[Susan Yara]

What she actually used, like, left you not being able to move your face. And it is different from this product that she is launching.

[Sarah]

I'm sure it's a little bit different. Right. Because again, a benchmark is what you're going off of. Like, this is kind of what we're trying to achieve. And then you go back to the lab and you're like, but we need it to do X, Y and Z also.

[Susan Yara]

Right? And it was like, you know, that's for Runway, that's for fashion. This is supposed to be for day to day, but are you going to use this?

[Kirby]

But this is. Okay, so this is the context, though. So initially people thought it was Kryolan liquid glass. That's what every professional makeup artist said that she used. She commented on a TikTok video and said, basically, babes, no, that's not it. Whether it was or not, she said it was not. That's what propelled Erin Parsons, who used to assist Pat McGrath, to do the series of mixing basically this green $5 peel off face mask with something else. Maybe water, I don't know, thinned it out enough and then sprayed several layers on her face with an airbrush to literally recreate it.

[Sarah]

And she replicated it. Right.

[Kirby]

And it was an exact replication and it worked. I don't know if Pat actually confirmed that's what it was either. I think she maybe commented, but I don't think she. And then I missed the live that she did. But people were saying we never got to see what the product was. So that's why in my head, I'm thinking maybe they didn't realize this was gonna go as viral as it did. And now they're going, we need to make our version of this and we're not gonna promote all these other products to achieve it.

[Sarah]

Yeah. The thing is, it's just that just doesn't seem like a very commercial product to launch at all. Like maybe around Halloween, maybe for like, special circumstances, that kind of thing, like stage makeup, something like that. But it's not gonna be a mass product, which is a little interesting for the, you know, for Pat McGrath, the brand.

[Kirby]

Right, Totally.

[Sarah]

So I don't know, I think it's definitely interesting, but I see them like trying to capitalize on something and definitely take it.

[Kirby]

And to that point, it is a peel off product because when I screenshotted it, it says, like, peel off. I couldn't read a couple of the words, but it says peel off. So I don't know if it's being marketed as wearing everyday, but I mean, it's. The people that are getting the opportunity to try it are literally being made into the Margiela dollar and they're peeling their face off at the end.

[Sarah]

Yeah, that's fun.

[Susan Yara]

It's made for. It's made for Instagram.

[Kirby]

And I like that. I actually, I think that's like a part of the artistry of her brand. Right. Like, there are the products that you can wear every day and that we love, but I also, I love that she's like, this did something. Let's figure out how to put it in our own mind.

[Sarah]

Yeah. And you know what? I wouldn't doubt if they're like, we don't need to make a ton of these, like, bottles of it or something and sell. It's not gonna sell that much. Maybe at first it will, but it's not gonna be like our hit seller. Right. So I imagine that it's really a big marketing push, like, keep the momentum going.

[Kirby]

Totally.

[Susan Yara]

Yeah. Okay, let's talk about another trend that we've been seeing, which we're like, you know, very excited about. There's this rise of like 40 plus makeup brands or brands that Are geared towards, you know, 40 plus people. For moi and us, almost.

[Kirby]

We're almost there.

[Sarah]

Don't make yourselves older. Come on. Stop it. You're not, though.

[Susan Yara]

But we love these brands. Okay, so, like, Sarah Creel. Have you tried?

[Sarah]

I have not.

[Kirby]

Susan.

[Sarah]

I know.

[Kirby]

She's amazing.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

And the brand is my. Like, I'm obsessed with it.

[Susan Yara]

Beautiful.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

I went to a brunch recently and got to meet her, and I learned so much more about the brand. That made me love it even more in terms of the packaging, because one of the criticisms of the brand was that it's not cohesive. It's like everything looks different. Like, her sunscreen is, like this little orange circular component, and she's like. Like, it's a sunscreen. We want it to look like the sun.

[Sarah]

Aww.

[Kirby]

And then she has an essence, and it looks like a glass of water.

[Sarah]

I kind of love this.

[Kirby]

No, it's amazing. And it looks beautiful. It looks chic. It's elevated. It's kind of like 70s. The mascara tube, it's also modern. The mascara tube is, like, silver. It's really, really cool.

[Susan Yara]

And she came from, like, Victoria Beckham Prescriptive.

[Sarah]

Wait, but what makes it. What makes it 40 plus?

[Kirby]

Okay, so she literally made this brand because she felt like she wasn't being talked to. She's 54. And all of the marketing of this brand is 40 plus. So if you go on their website, it says makeup for women, 40 plus. Their tagline is we're youth obsessed, but the th is marked out, and then they.

[Sarah]

You obsessed. Love it. Aww.

[Kirby]

It's really cute. And then I learned that when they photograph and do any of their marketing, they don't use women under the age of 40.

[Sarah]

Well, okay, so I love that. Okay. I don't love. I don't think a brand can go far if they. If they're like, we're only gonna, like, niche down. We're gonna be like, only for 40 plus or only for this, you know, people of color only for, you know, curly hair. Like, I think that whenever you're just too niche, you'll never be able to be a commercial success. Right. But I love that the conversation is around women that are 40 plus, because one, we spend the money. Two, we actually really enjoy all of our products. Like, we. We really need it. We need somebody talking to us. It's amazing that there aren't more people speaking to us in marketing. Right. And I think about this all the time, and I think that there's definitely a need for it. And I love that she's doing what she wants, because. Do what you want. Geez. Like, you don't have to follow the damn rules.

[Kirby]

Yeah, she. I wrote a story for Allure last year about why are makeup brands scared to say, we make makeup for women for 40 plus? Why are they scared? And, you know, there was the point that you made, which is it could be too segmented, and brands are scared to say that. So instead, they'll say, wear makeup for everyone. But when you look at the marketing, it's like, it's bright colors, and it looks like it's for children. And the models are young. The models are like literal kids at some points. And so you feel like you're not being spoken to. I think of it in this aspect. Growing up, I wanted to use the products that my mom used because they looked cool and elevated. And so. But then there were some aspects of that brand, the brands that she used that did cater to a younger demo, like Juicy Tubes from Lancome. Okay, so Lancome was not made for me as a teenager, but Juicy Tubes were something that was my entry point. And I think that, Sarah, even though the whole marketing around it is 40 plus, and they're. I think it. I really, truly resonate with it, because I'm not even 40 yet, but I want to. I want to look like her. I want to use the products, and I will. But I think, like, the mascara will be an entry point. She has this lip balm that helps keep your lipstick from feathering when you start to develop lines around your lips. And I could see a lot of people gravitating towards that. Her lipsticks are for everybody. I mean, you could use them, but the names are really. She was like, there are things that women our age have dealt with for decades, like mansplaining and stuff like that, so there's fun entry points for everyone. And I guess the question that I was gonna bring up about this trend, because it's not just her. Maxine's Revenge is an indie brand that created a product called the French Face.

[Sarah]

Oh, I got that. And she sent me a cute. I ordered it on TikTok shop because I'd seen a woman who was in her 50s talking about it. And then I ordered it, and then Maxine sent me. Actually, her name's not Maxine.

[Kirby]

I don't think so.

[Sarah]

No, it's not Maxine. But she sent me a little handwritten note, and I just haven't gotten around to using the product. But I thought it was really interesting.

[Kirby]

The reason why they're made for women 40 plus is because they're a thinner formula that is a little bit more moisturizing but sets really beautifully. So I have them, they're gorgeous. I made a video about them and how I think they're really special. And she was beyond thrilled about it. I'm glad I was able to do that for her. But there's also 1999 beauty, which that one is more all encompassing. You can be 19 or 99, whatever there's.

[Sarah]

Or graduated in 1999 when I graduated from high school as a 40 something.

[Kirby]

Yes. So there's, there's a lot we're starting to see this. So I'm curious, do you think we'll see more segmented marketing when it comes to launching a new brand?

[Sarah]

I don't think around the new brands. I do think that most people who are launching brands and you've talked to a ton of founders, right. You're trying to scale, especially if you take investment right. Like you, you have no choice, but you have, you have to scale. So you have to be a brand for everybody. But making sure that you're more thoughtful about your marketing is really important. I think we're seeing more and more communities online that are women who are 40 plus. I think it's a really important conversation to be having as well. I mean, Even in my 30s, I was called old. When I started my YouTube channel.

[Kirby]

Oh my God. That's like when Tati Westbrook was on a VidCon panel that I did and somebody wanted me to ask her a question. At 32, how does it feel to be old on YouTube?

[Sarah]

I tell people this, I literally tell people this story all the time. When I, I quit my job at New Beauty magazine, I was 31, 32 years old. And I was like, I thought maybe I needed to get investors because I was going to try to pop sugar it. I was going to try to make a little media company and I went around to these investors who were all bros, like tech bros and stuff and finance guys. And I was telling them my idea that I was going to talk about cosmetic treatments and skin care and, and I'm actually a woman who is starting to see signs of aging. And so I feel like there's nothing out there for us, especially when it's like really highly produced content and content with real experts like dermatologists and plastic surgeons. And they were like, yeah, but it's YouTube and so you should probably find somebody much younger, like 18 to be a co host or something on the channel with you because you have gotten a little old. And I think back on that now because, like, I actually think that all my opportunities and all the sponsorships and everything came to me because. Because I was the oldest person online talking about this stuff and showing this stuff on YouTube at the time. And it's because these brands would come to me and they'd be like, well, this is supposed to be an anti aging serum or anti aging moisturizer. And you know, it's great when a 19 year old talks about it, but she doesn't have any kind of wrinkles or stress in her life or anything. Like she hasn't experienced any of this. Exactly. And so that's where a lot of my growth came from with my career online.

[Susan Yara]

And that's what I think. Like, what Naturium does so well is that it is meant for everyone. Like, it's complete, it's totally genderless, right? Like, my husband doesn't like, he's. We talked about this. Like, when there's like a product that has like pink packaging, he's like, is this for me? Can I use this? I'm like, you can use whatever you want, but like Naturium, we use it in, you know, the shower, like all the things. And then like, like the marketing, it's like for everyone, like everyone feels included.

[Sarah]

Yes. And that was from the start. I've said this story so many times, especially last year when we were going through the acquisition process and trying to explain like, why we're not targeting just like very specific demographics and everything I talked about all the time. I grew up being the token, right? Like, it didn't matter how hard I worked, whatever I knew how smart I was, whatever I could do, it did not matter because I was always just hired as a token, right? And then I would have to work even harder to prove myself because everyone thought I was a token hire, right? And so I hated being the token. I hated being the only person like myself, half Mexican, half Asian, half Korean, which sometimes it was like, I'm just Asian to some people and I'm just like Latino to some people, right? I hated that feeling because I felt like I was there and I belonged there because I had earned it, right? And I just hated that, that feeling that it was, it was like, they're only looking at me as a, as a demographic, right? So we've made this brand to be, to take that conversation out of the whole. The way we create it. It's that we want everyone to look at it and just be like, oh, that brand was made for me and not feel like it was made for you because we targeted you, but made for you because we were just being thoughtful about everybody. And so it's something that we've been really proud of and it has actually paid off for us. Us. You know, we have. We did the study like a year ago, so it's a little bit outdated. And I'd be curious what the numbers are now because I'm sure that they've grown even bigger. But we have a 40. At the time it was 40 men use naturium, which is huge, especially because we're not targeting men. Right. So 40 men. And then our actual demographics, when it came to different ethnicities and everything, and different, like, income levels, everything that you can think of in a household, we are like, it's amazing to see the array of differences. Like, there are just so many different demographics that are using the Naturium. And it makes me so proud that we have so many different people from so many different backgrounds using the products and just loving skincare. And that was the whole point. Right. So I. I just feel like it's a big accomplishment and. And I love that.

[Susan Yara]

Totally. Okay, tell us, can you tease anything?

[Sarah]

Oh, from Naturium?

[Susan Yara]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Let's see. Well, we just. Just recently launched a new multi peptide rich moisturizer, which is amazing. It's a cream. I wanted that one to. To really, you know, when you think about all the, like, luxurious creams on the market and how expensive they are, and I tell people this story all the time too. When I first got into journalism as a beauty, especially in beauty, you start getting all this free print and you start getting all these expensive skincare products that are hundreds of dollars. And I remember I gathered a bunch of them and I went home and I took them to my mom and I was like, mom, these are for you. You're gonna love these because they're expensive. I actually said that to her. They're expensive, so that makes them better. Right? In my mind, that's what I was thinking. I come back, like, two months later to visit my mom, and these moisturizers are just sitting on her dresser untouched. Like, she has not opened them. She has not put them on her face. And I'm like, why aren't you using these? These? I got them for free, so don't worry. Like, don't you. You should use these up? And she goes, well, you said they're expensive, and I don't want to waste them.

[Kirby]

Oh, yeah.

[Sarah]

And I. That just, like, broke my heart. Because that is how we, we feel a lot of the time. If we spend too much money on our skincare or any kind of product, we feel like we don't want to waste it. But then you don't see the results. Then you don't have nice skincare, you know, routines at night time and you're not consistent and then you're like, oh, that product didn't work for me. Well, because you didn't use it right. Because you felt like you were wasting it. You shouldn't feel like you're wasting anything on yourself. You should be going hard and using that product on yourself. So when we were creating this, this moisturizer, our multi peptide rich cream, I really wanted it to rival these luxury creams on the market. So when you scoop it out, it kind of has this like thick texture to it, but then it breaks really nicely. Yeah, it's got like this, this really. We call it water break. Yeah, it has a really nice water break break to it. And then you apply it and it'll be reminiscent to some of the expensive moisturizers.

[Kirby]

I know I'm thinking of one.

[Sarah]

So I'm like, okay, it'll be reminiscent to that. But on top of it, we put really amazing ingredients, like copper peptides in it. There's just ingredients that really help to hydrate your skin and make it feel super, super, super nourished. And it makes your skin feel like it's lifted after you apply it. It's a beautiful moisturizer.

[Kirby]

I can't wait to try it. Sounds amazing. Okay, Susan, that's a wrap. We're done.

[Sarah]

It's too easy to talk to you right now. I know. This is like going to lunch with you.

[Kirby]

We need a part three about two years after the last time you were on. So then we'll have to have you back in another two years. It's gonna be like that Billie Eilish video from Vanity Fair where she goes on every year and they look back and they're like, okay, this was Susan four years ago.

[Sarah]

This was Susan six years ago. I love it. I love it. Well, maybe I'll have like a boy toy at that point.

[Kirby]

Oh, yes.

[Sarah]

No husbands, no thank.

[Susan Yara]

Thank you for coming on. Thank you. We're like, I just am so, so in awe of everything that you've done.

[Sarah]

Thank you. Same with you, both of you. I love seeing your growth and, and the path that you guys are always on. It's amazing to watch you grow.

[Unknown]

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