Is This Celeb Brand Officially Dead? Plus: What Beauty Predictions We Got Right in 2024 and a New Bond Repair Product That Glosses the Hair

Summary

Gloss Angeles Episode Summary: "Is This Celeb Brand Officially Dead? Plus: What Beauty Predictions We Got Right in 2024 and a New Bond Repair Product That Glosses the Hair"

Release Date: January 7, 2025

In this engaging episode of Gloss Angeles, co-hosts Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan delve into a variety of topics ranging from personal anecdotes and Broadway reviews to in-depth beauty product analyses and industry predictions. The conversation is rich with insights, humor, and expert opinions, making it a must-listen for beauty enthusiasts and pop culture aficionados alike.

---

1. Alaska Trip and Reindeer Sanctuary Experience

The episode kicks off with Kirbie sharing her recent trip to Alaska, highlighting a unique and humane experience at a reindeer sanctuary. She provides fascinating insights into reindeer biology and addresses common misconceptions.

• Reindeer Facts: Kirbie explains, “All of Santa's reindeer are women because they don’t lose their antlers” ([02:05]).
• Sanctuary Details: She emphasizes the humanitarian aspect, stating, “Everyone there is either a musher or a reindeer expert... It was not animal tourism” ([02:52]).
• Family Activities: Kirbie recounts cozy winter activities such as making Christmas cookies and enjoying hot toddies, painting a vivid picture of her Alaskan adventure.

Notable Quote:

"To tell you that you just got to go with your gut." – Kirbie Johnson ([04:07])

2. Holiday Gifts and Little People Toys

Kirbie and Sara enthusiastically discuss their love for collector's toys, particularly the NSYNC and Britney Spears Little People figures. They share their excitement over gifting these items to their children, despite knowing that kids like Zoe might initially resist wearing them.

• Gift Highlights: Kirbie showcases the NSYNC and Britney-themed toys, noting their intricate designs and appeal ([06:53]).
• Parenting Insights: They humorously anticipate their children’s reactions, balancing the joy of gifting with parental practicality.

Notable Quote:

"They look like wood, but it's like keratin, you know?" – Kirbie Johnson ([02:24])

3. Broadway Musical "Wicked" Review and Predictions

The hosts transition to discussing the highly anticipated second part of the musical Wicked, analyzing character developments and plot twists. They express curiosity and excitement about how the sequel will handle body horror elements and character arcs.

• Character Analysis: Kirbie defends the character Nessa Rose, highlighting her struggles and unfair treatment within the story ([13:26]).
• Performance Insights: Sara shares her experience attending the show, praising the cast and the emotional depth of the performances ([15:12]).

Notable Quote:

"Bach is the real villain." – Kirbie Johnson ([14:10])

4. 2025 Beauty Predictions: Brand Acquisitions and Trends

Kirbie unveils her beauty predictions for 2025, reflecting on which of her 2024 forecasts were accurate and presenting new insights into upcoming industry trends.

• Summer Fridays Acquisition: Kirbie correctly predicted the acquisition of Summer Fridays, noting the brand’s shift in ownership and its impact ([35:10]).
• Kosas and Glow Recipe: She speculates on Kosas’s potential acquisition by L’Oreal and discusses Glow Recipe’s expansion into makeup ([35:27]).
• Etsy’s Rise in Beauty: The duo forecasts Etsy becoming a major player in the beauty sector, especially for custom press-ons and wigs ([38:43]).

Notable Quote:

"Glass shine while repairing damaged, broken and over-processed hair in just 60 seconds." – Kirbie Johnson on JVN Hair Product ([26:41])

5. Overdrive Defense: Innovative Drug Test Strips

Kirbie introduces Overdrive Defense, a groundbreaking company founded by Julie and Brian of Starface, which offers discreet and stylish test strips to detect fentanyl and other contaminants in recreational drugs.

• Product Utility: Sara commends the practicality and aesthetic appeal of the test strips, emphasizing their potential to save lives ([43:03]).
• Social Relevance: They discuss the importance of harm reduction tools in today’s social settings, highlighting the product’s significance for both young adults and parents ([43:55]).

Notable Quote:

"It's so freaking genius because... it looks fun, like orange, it’s bright, it looks cool to use." – Sara Tan ([43:03])

6. JVN Hair Revive Rapid Repair Bond Gloss Review

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to reviewing the JVN Hair Revive Rapid Repair Bond Gloss, a new product designed to add shine and repair damaged hair simultaneously.

• Product Features: The gloss is silicone-free, enriched with Proplex Plus, and promises salon-level shine in 60 seconds. It’s suitable for various hair types, including color-treated and heat-damaged hair ([26:11]).
• Usage Experience: Both hosts appreciate the product’s ease of use and immediate results, though they note some packaging drawbacks related to the pump design ([32:09]).
• Customer Reviews: They read and react to positive testimonials from users who praise the gloss for making their hair feel softer, smoother, and shinier ([30:19]).

Notable Quote:

"I felt like, I really enjoyed using it. It was really easy... my hair looked healthier." – Sara Tan ([27:35])

7. Reflection on 2024 Beauty Predictions

Kirbie reflects on her beauty predictions made for 2024, acknowledging which ones came true and discussing the factors influencing these outcomes.

• Accurate Predictions: She praises the accuracy of predicting Summer Fridays' acquisition and Kosas’s ongoing negotiations with banking partners ([35:27]).
• Missed Predictions: Kirbie admits that the shift towards bar soaps for skin and hair didn’t catch on as expected, citing consumer reluctance ([38:58]).

Notable Quote:

"Brands did this, but I don't think the consumer is ready yet." – Kirbie Johnson ([38:58])

8. Prediction on Celebrity Beauty Brands Shuttering in 2025

Kirbie predicts the closure of three celebrity beauty brands in 2025, using Give—a brand co-founded by Gwen Stefani—as a case study.

• Give’s Decline: The hosts discuss the withdrawal of Give products from major retailers like Sephora, leading them to believe the brand is discontinuing operations ([47:46]).
• Brand Misalignment: They critique the brand’s marketing strategy, suggesting it didn’t align with Gwen Stefani’s established image, contributing to its downfall ([49:37]).

Notable Quote:

"She needs to have a reunion tour with No Doubt or something." – Kirbie Johnson ([49:37])

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Conclusion

Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan adeptly navigate through a diverse range of topics in this episode, offering listeners a blend of personal stories, critical reviews, and forward-looking beauty industry predictions. Their candid discussions and expert insights provide valuable takeaways for beauty enthusiasts, industry professionals, and casual listeners alike.

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Stay Connected: For more in-depth beauty discussions and the latest trends, tune into future episodes of Gloss Angeles hosted by Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan.

Transcript

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[Kirby]

Glam Los Angeles.

[Sarah]

Hi, Kirby.

[Kirby]

Hi, Sarah. Welcome to Los Angeles.

[Sarah]

Okay, so this is like the week, the only time where I can actually ask you, since you're older than me. Wow. Absolutely.

[Kirby]

What advice do you have? Foul. Foul vibes.

[Sarah]

What wisdom do you have as the older, wiser Capricorn?

[Kirby]

Thank you. Thank you. Since I am your elder. Yeah. I will say that if you're going to Alaska, make sure you pack base layers, but do not pull people on Instagram stories because everyone's gonna tell you you're not packing warm enough.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

And I packed enough way too warm.

[Sarah]

Oh, too, way too warm.

[Kirby]

Like, it was negative 7 degrees. But we weren't like, you're not packing through Alaska.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

Like, you were outside my brother's home.

[Sarah]

Probably for like an hour max.

[Kirby]

The max that we were outside was I surprised my family with this experience to meet these reindeer that looked amazing. It was so dream cute. They were adorable. And they were all male reindeer. And by the way, if you guys don't know this, all of Santa's reindeer are women.

[Sarah]

Oh.

[Kirby]

Because they don't lose their antlers.

[Sarah]

Oh.

[Kirby]

They keep them. Males lose theirs. So my guy Pilot, who I was walking around, he had lost one of his antlers.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

It'll come back. And then they also lose, like, the skin on their antlers. Cause, like, people think antlers are wood.

[Sarah]

Yeah, right, Right.

[Kirby]

Just like by default.

[Sarah]

Right, Right.

[Kirby]

Cause you see them on a wall.

[Sarah]

Totally.

[Kirby]

They look like wood, but it's like keratin, you know? And there was. We got this. All this, like, science sciency information behind the scenes about, like, how the way that their antlers replicate or similar to cancer cells. And so they are studying that to see if there could be.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

So it's. It's very, very interesting. And by the way, for anybody that may be criticizing me for doing this, this was a humane experience.

[Sarah]

What were people criticizing?

[Kirby]

Yeah, yeah. Like, I got like, why would you do this? This is animal tourism. And, like, I specifically picked this place.

[Sarah]

Because it was like, a animal sanctuary or a reindeer.

[Kirby]

Yes. And the place doesn't even own the animals. Like, they go off site to their sanctuary and live a free life, but then once or twice a day, they bring over three different of the 10 reindeer. They also have sleigh dogs. Sled dogs.

[Sarah]

So cute.

[Kirby]

And everyone there is either a musher or a reindeer expert. Like, they devote their lives to these animals. So it was not animal tourism. I was very specific about this. They had Sarah. They had a little baby yurt dog that was a little Jack Russell terrier. It was, like, this big. I was freaking out.

[Sarah]

It looked so, like, Christmasy.

[Kirby]

It was so fabulous. I highly recommend Alaska during the winter. I know some people think I'm crazy for saying that, but I have. It was very much my vibes. I wanted to be cozy in a cabin with snow. Just beautiful. Huge trees with snow everywhere. We saw reindeer, we saw sled dogs. We drank hot chocolate and hot toddies.

[Sarah]

Amazing.

[Kirby]

Made Christmas cookies. So that would be. Don't listen to people on Instagram stories. I think that's actually my tip for you.

[Sarah]

Love that.

[Kirby]

Because everybody has an unsolicited opinion, even though I did solicit opinions, and a lot of them were wrong.

[Sarah]

So the more you know, I'm here.

[Kirby]

To tell you that you just got to go with your gut. And by the way, I brought fashion to Fairbanks.

[Sarah]

She really, y'all said I couldn't do.

[Kirby]

It, and I did.

[Sarah]

Do you see that beanie?

[Kirby]

Thank you. Chanel posted. I say that. Sorry, but I mean, let's be real.

[Sarah]

Okay. It's a small birthday gift. The top is actually for Quinn, but it's also. Okay, you can wait to open it.

[Kirby]

No, no, I'm going to open it. And by the time this runs, you will also be 38.

[Sarah]

Yeah. But for the time being, I'm younger.

[Kirby]

For the next three days, you're a baby. Okay, let's open up. Okay. First one for Quinn, which she should.

[Sarah]

Have brought to Pittsburgh with her. Well, that one is.

[Kirby]

Oh, my God. Okay, so Quinn will hate this, but I will personally love this as her mom. A job.

[Sarah]

It's like giving Marc Jacobs. Daisy. It's so cute.

[Kirby]

The cuddle collab.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

How cute? The sunglasses. Oh, my gosh. If I could have.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

Quinn will not wear sunglasses, but this.

[Sarah]

Whole show will wear that. It's, like, as big as she is, but.

[Kirby]

Okay. Now I have to find something matching to wear with her and then we go get professional portraits together. Like she's my actual child.

[Sarah]

Exactly.

[Kirby]

Love this. Oh, my God. She is gonna look so cute in this. I'm. Put it on immediately when I get home.

[Sarah]

This is what I'm excited about. She's gonna hate, though.

[Kirby]

No, no, she's gonna hate it. R. You kidding me?

[Sarah]

It would have been so good for Pittsburgh. I'm kind of bummed I didn't give it to her.

[Kirby]

Not Pittsburgh. Not Pittsburgh. Fairbanks. Oh, Fairbanks.

[Sarah]

You're right.

[Kirby]

You're right. Oh, wait. She was in Pittsburgh. I thought you forgot that Patrick and I weren't together for a second.

[Sarah]

No.

[Kirby]

You said Quinn was in Pittsburgh. Yeah, Quinn was in Pittsburgh through the shared custody.

[Sarah]

Cold in Pittsburgh.

[Kirby]

Oh, my gosh. She would have.

[Sarah]

Yeah, she would have hated it.

[Kirby]

She would have hated it.

[Sarah]

She already was hating it.

[Kirby]

She is going to hate this. She hates any type of clothing. She used to love being in clothes, and now she wants to be free and naked.

[Sarah]

She can keep her ears down, but, you know, it'll be cute on a nice little walk.

[Kirby]

I want this.

[Sarah]

I know. They didn't make matching ones for the adults, which is, like, annoying.

[Kirby]

A pom pom.

[Sarah]

I mean, a whole human head.

[Kirby]

I mean, it might be slightly too big for her, but I'm actually.

[Sarah]

I know it's the smallest size.

[Kirby]

I mean, she'll just want to play with it.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kirby]

Okay. This is so cute. Did you get this at Target?

[Sarah]

I did. It was like the Cuddle Collab. Cuddle Collab. And when it came out, I was like, oh, my God, it's all gonna sell out. I have to buy it. If this was, like, three months ago or something.

[Kirby]

Yes. I bought a fanny pack.

[Sarah]

Oh, you did?

[Kirby]

Yeah. To put poop bags. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Okay, good.

[Kirby]

I wear it all the time.

[Sarah]

Thank you.

[Kirby]

Oh, my gosh, I can't wait to.

[Sarah]

See Quinn in it.

[Kirby]

I cannot wait to put this on Quinn. I hope it does. Literally. Oh, my God.

[Sarah]

Did you get this already?

[Kirby]

No.

[Sarah]

Okay, great.

[Kirby]

You literally love. I only buy. I. I love little people.

[Sarah]

All my money goes to little people.

[Kirby]

I also love little people. We're talking about the toy, the collector's toys. Sarah got me an NSYNC Little People gift when NSync reunited at the VMAs a couple years ago. And now Britney. Wow.

[Sarah]

Britney Spears. Okay, so we have. Okay, we have Baby one more time.

[Kirby]

Correct.

[Sarah]

Then we have. Oops, I did it again.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Okay, my personal favorite slave for you. Look at the snake with the boa and the, like, detailing on the Jeans.

[Kirby]

I mean, incredible. And then we have Toxic. She has a little phone.

[Sarah]

So cute. With her earrings. I mean, she. Look, it's uncanny.

[Kirby]

I mean, now I need to see her so she can sign this.

[Sarah]

Yes, yes.

[Kirby]

Oh, my gosh. And I love that this is for children. Let's see the lyrics that they put on the back of this.

[Sarah]

Oh, yeah. Let's see.

[Kirby]

I think I did it again. Oh, baby, baby, yeah. Little suggestive, in my opinion. I just want to dance next to you probably the best.

[Sarah]

I just want to dance next to.

[Kirby]

You probably the best part. Actually, not the best part, but the most PG part. Yeah.

[Sarah]

The most pg. Yeah. Yeah.

[Kirby]

And you're toxic. I'm slipping under. Oh, I don't think the children will understand that.

[Sarah]

No, they won't.

[Kirby]

It says content age, grade 13 plus.

[Sarah]

Oh, okay. So this is an older little people.

[Kirby]

It's for children. But, like, you won't get it until you're 13. No, no, I respect it.

[Sarah]

Yeah. I won't let Zoe touch the NSync ones. Even though she asks. You said not.

[Kirby]

That's mommy's toy collectors. I know mine is up in display in my office, but I love.

[Sarah]

I like the makeup she's wearing, too.

[Kirby]

I know.

[Sarah]

It's so cute.

[Kirby]

She has eyeshadow.

[Sarah]

Oh, my gosh.

[Kirby]

And they all. There's different. The last three have wings. And then when she was younger, she doesn't have a wing.

[Sarah]

Wow. So cute.

[Kirby]

So cute.

[Sarah]

Happy birthday.

[Kirby]

Thank you. I love them. I love them.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

I have a gift for you, but it's mostly gonna be for Zoe. It could be potentially for Kade, but in Alaska, we went to the North Pole. There is North Pole, Alaska. And you can go to, like, for real? Yes.

[Sarah]

Wow.

[Kirby]

And you can go to Santa's.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

I thought it was gonna be way more of a spectacle than it was, but it was really cute.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

Made my family take me there.

[Sarah]

Was it, like, busy? Was it Fairbanks? Wow.

[Kirby]

It was poppin. It was poppin. Cause we went on Christmas Eve, so there were a ton of people there. You can buy ornaments. You can buy all these different things. Sienna comes and you can go and talk to him and sit on his lap. But the line was very long, and we're all adults, figured that was not kosher. But I was like, okay, I wanna get something for Zoe slash Cade, but what can I get them? And then I was like, should I write them a letter? Like I'm Santa Claus and have Sarah gifted to them? But then I was like, I don't know if that's gonna traumatize them or not. And they're gonna be like, why is Santa Claus reaching out to us after Christmas? Okay. So anyways.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

So you can gift this to them. It's North Pole cocoa.

[Sarah]

Cute.

[Kirby]

So you can say that Kirby went and met Santa Claus.

[Sarah]

Oh, yeah.

[Kirby]

And got this North Pole coco.

[Sarah]

You can make some hot chocolate. I'm obsessed. Oh, my God, she's so cute. With Rudolph.

[Kirby]

I know. With the OG Rudolph.

[Sarah]

Rudolph. A girl. Supposed to be a girl.

[Kirby]

Yeah. And now it makes me sadder. It makes it so much. Oh. And it's like, she's a lesbian.

[Sarah]

Yeah, she's a lesbian.

[Kirby]

She's a lesbian. Based on the movie, like the little film when that little girl comes over and is like, I'm gonna be a friend. Also makes me more sad that she's a little girl and they're all making fun of her.

[Sarah]

Yeah, I know, little boy.

[Kirby]

It's like, you toughen up. Get over, little girl. You're like, I am traumatized.

[Sarah]

They got it wrong. Factually incorrect.

[Kirby]

Wow.

[Sarah]

Well, thank you. She's gonna love it. I was, I think last year, like, I wrote a note as Santa.

[Kirby]

Did you?

[Sarah]

Like, after. You know what I mean? Left it with the cookies. But then I was like, I'm not gonna do that. Because this year. Because then I might have to do it next year and the year after that. So I'm just gonna.

[Kirby]

And you'll have to. The handwriting. If she ever sees it. It could be a little.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

So I just.

[Kirby]

A little too much. They did have this thing at the North Pole where you could go and get a official Santa letter where it's basically a template.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

You put in a name.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

You fill in a certain thing, and then they mail it for you with this decorative.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

It was like $50.

[Sarah]

50 every year.

[Kirby]

They're really breaking it. I know. And then what if they don't send it again?

[Sarah]

Right? And then she'll be like, I fucked up.

[Kirby]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

She's like, definitely not getting toy too much.

[Sarah]

Yeah. So we just do cookies.

[Kirby]

Yeah. Cookies and milk. Call it a day.

[Sarah]

He ate some of them. There you go.

[Kirby]

What kind of milk?

[Sarah]

Whole milk.

[Kirby]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Great. Okay.

[Kirby]

Love that. We're not doing.

[Sarah]

Jonah's not drinking oat milk.

[Kirby]

No. Absolutely not. No, no.

[Sarah]

Oh, my gosh.

[Kirby]

No. No. And cookies? Did you make them?

[Sarah]

Our neighbors gave us cookies, and I was, like, done leaving these for Santa.

[Kirby]

100%.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

Share the wealth.

[Sarah]

Share the wealth. Share the wealth.

[Kirby]

Santa is a neighbor cookie. Another important thing happened.

[Sarah]

Yes. Over the break, I finally figured out what happens in part two, or act two, I should say of Wicked also. Spoiler. If you do not know what happens and you don't wanna know what happens, then fast forward.

[Kirby]

So do you understand now why I think there should be body horror elements?

[Sarah]

Oh yeah. It's a very, very dark.

[Kirby]

So now you know why I keep asking. How are they going to do this second part without it being grotesque?

[Sarah]

And also like, what is Jonathan Bailey gonna look like as a scarecrow? It has to be good.

[Kirby]

Was it a little mind blowing when you were like, oh, they're all characters.

[Sarah]

Yes. Yeah. I just like, it's so genius. Obviously had a lot of questions like how she stays alive at the end.

[Kirby]

Yeah, yeah. So this is a, this is a big part of Wicked talk where people are going, I hope that they change some elements of the play because on.

[Sarah]

Screen, Broadway, it's like everything happens so quickly and you just need to like, it just happens, you know, it's like, it's not like they're gonna like explain it long windedly how she was able to like stay alive and escape. But I have questions.

[Kirby]

Yeah. So I think that may be explained a little bit more.

[Sarah]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kirby]

I'm curious. Did you put together some of the things that Fiyero sang about in the first movie with. With his character change?

[Sarah]

No, I didn't really pay attention.

[Kirby]

So in Dancing Through Life, it's like almost a. I was, when I was watching it, I'm like, is this just not a dead giveaway now? But I remember people haven't seen it.

[Sarah]

The brainless part.

[Kirby]

The brainless.

[Sarah]

Okay. Yeah. That's like. Yeah.

[Kirby]

The whole song is about being brainless and not thinking.

[Sarah]

Right.

[Kirby]

So and then.

[Sarah]

Yeah, so sm.

[Kirby]

I know. And then for Bach.

[Sarah]

Yes. Wow. Bach is gonna be.

[Kirby]

We're scared.

[Sarah]

Yeah, we're scared. Nessarose and Bach.

[Kirby]

Oh my God, Nessarose is really getting it on TikTok right now.

[Sarah]

Oh really?

[Kirby]

People do not like Nessa Rose. They're so mad at her. They're mad at Nessarose because they're like, you are going to your sister who has beef with this woman because this woman set you up with an munchkin.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

And you're telling her basically, get over your beef. And you didn't defend her.

[Sarah]

Right.

[Kirby]

When she defended you.

[Sarah]

Right.

[Kirby]

And basically you treat her like an outcast. And I'm like, can we just remember that Nessa Rose is in a wheelchair. She has her own problems. She doesn't care that her sister was born Green.

[Sarah]

Right, right, right.

[Kirby]

She's literally like, shut up.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

I cannot walk.

[Sarah]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kirby]

Get over it.

[Sarah]

Right? Yeah.

[Kirby]

I'm gonna defend Nessa.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

Nessa Rose has really. I feel like she's gotten the short end of the stick.

[Sarah]

Yeah. I mean, obviously, it's not bad.

[Kirby]

It's easy to blame her. You love Elphaba, but, like, Elphaba girl.

[Sarah]

Also, Bach is like.

[Kirby]

Oh, Bach. Bach is the real villain.

[Sarah]

He really is.

[Kirby]

He's the real villain.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

There's not one decision in that movie.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

Or play. That makes sense.

[Sarah]

No.

[Kirby]

When it comes to Bach.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

They're all mean. It's like, all mean decisions.

[Sarah]

Like, the real life. His, like, actual.

[Kirby]

That whole thing. I know. It's almost like life imitating art. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's. It's so hard. It's a shrinking of the heart. It's hard. It's really hard.

[Sarah]

And then the wizard being the dad. So does that mean. Does Jeff Goldblum sing? Yes, that's him. So, okay. Did you miss.

[Kirby]

Did you leave? Sentimental. You left.

[Sarah]

I did. Sentimental man. Yeah. Yeah.

[Kirby]

That is worse.

[Sarah]

But now I have. I know.

[Kirby]

Everyone hates.

[Sarah]

Yeah. My sister was like, it's mid at best. You can leave.

[Kirby]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sarah]

But we. We bought the movie, so we watched it.

[Kirby]

Okay. Okay.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

So Jeff Goldblum. I thought this was pretty obvious in the movie, but when they're doing the callback to, like, she was. She had a mom and a dad. That's Jeff Goldblum.

[Sarah]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. I know. And I don't think. Yeah, no, I don't think a lot of people catch that. Yeah, yeah. Because you don't really think about it.

[Kirby]

Yeah, but that's definitely. That's her father.

[Sarah]

Yeah. But no, if you're in la, the show runs until February, and the cast was great. Fiero is hot.

[Kirby]

Actually, do we know this man's name?

[Sarah]

Xavier McKinnon. Look him up. He's tall and, like, great voice. He played like, Aladdin on stage.

[Kirby]

Oh, hot.

[Sarah]

And then Glinda was incredible. And Elphaba was really great, too. But, yeah, like, you know, defying Gravity was like. Zoe was just like.

[Kirby]

Was she so excited to see it?

[Sarah]

Yeah, it was amazing. Yeah. But. Okay, so you're not allowed to go to Pantages or you're not allowed to attend the show. Maybe this particular show, unless you're five. And I didn't know that until, like, right before we got there. And Zoe was like, zoe, if they ask you how old you are, you say you're five. She's like, why? I'm four. I'm like, so you're five? And so then we walk in and then the lady goes, how old are you?

[Kirby]

And she's like, four.

[Sarah]

And I was like, no, she's five. And then we just like kept going. And then another lady stopped us and she was like, how old are you? And of course, asking the kid. And then Zoe was like, four. And then I was like, no, she's five. And then she's like, how old is she? And I was like, she's five. And she's like, okay. But we get a lot of complaints because it's really loud because, you know, it could be scary. So I understand. But I was like, Zoe is like a very mature four year old. She'll be fine. And she was fine. She sat through the whole thing and she loved it. I can understand how it could be annoying if there's like a child that's like screaming or something.

[Kirby]

Right.

[Sarah]

But I think everyone would, like, pick their child up and leave.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Honestly, the little girl sitting behind us, she was probably like 7 or 8. And she was like singing along and her mom kept shushing her. I felt so bad.

[Kirby]

I mean, good for the mom.

[Sarah]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then she screamed at one part and her mom got mad at her. And I was like, she's like being more disruptive. Yeah, Disruptive than Zoe was. But yeah, it was like. Like she was like mad at me for lying. I mean, you know, I lied. It's fine. But Zoe was like, I'm four.

[Kirby]

One thing about Sarah Tan that people don't realize is she will do what needs to be done.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

Everyone's like, oh, so sweet, unassuming, like, plays by the role. Sarah Tan. I've seen this woman do things. Okay, so just saying.

[Sarah]

Done. I know. Matt loves to tell people that too. He's like, no, she will.

[Kirby]

No, no, no, no, no. Don't even. I am. I'm a scaredy cat, this woman. No, she's like, no, we're doing this. We're doing this. I'm like, okay, okay. So the mastermind over here is Sarah Tan. Just saying. Throwing it out there.

[Sarah]

Anyways, it was great. And I cannot wait to see what happens.

[Kirby]

How zonchu. I need to know. I'm so curious how they're gonna do everything.

[Sarah]

And okay, on your predictions for 2025, I hadn't even. I didn't see it. And I was thinking the same thing too, where I was like, God, I just want to see Cynthia and Ariana do this on stage. If they do, like, how much money are we gonna spend to try to, like, get those seats?

[Kirby]

That's why I'm saying I almost do these predictions in hopes that brands do just take them. It's kind of like this girl on TikTok who she makes these predictions every year and she says, I'm never wrong. And I'm convinced she's never wrong because brands go, yeah, this is a good idea. And then they use it. And I'm like, I hope they're compensating her. And people were like, I hope that these brands are giving you some kind of fe for like making these ideas happen for them. Because my whole thing on predictions was Ari and Cynthia will do a one week only stint on Wicked on Broadway to promote the second film. And then REM Opi, who did a lot with Cynthia's nails, and then Tarte, because they have the money, will go all in to rent the entire theater for one performance or maybe a matinee in an evening. And it'll be an influencer event. That will be the influencer event to get into.

[Sarah]

And we better be invited.

[Kirby]

And listen, I don't know who it's gonna be because Tarte, I guess we get more information now than we did five months ago. REM we were pretty hard on them at the beginning.

[Sarah]

Yeah, but they still invite us, include us.

[Kirby]

Listen, I have said that they have turned it around now that it's no longer under morphe. Good for them. Yeah, I think I use some of their products. So it's the, you know, an OPI.

[Sarah]

Big Apple Red forever.

[Kirby]

Listen, I do gel only at this point, but like.

[Sarah]

Well, this is the gel version.

[Kirby]

That's the. That's the gel version of Big Apple Red.

[Sarah]

It looks really good. Thank you.

[Kirby]

It's beautiful.

[Sarah]

Anyways, we better be there if that happens. I'll be.

[Kirby]

I need to see. I need to see it.

[Sarah]

I want. And do you think they're gonna perform at the Oscars?

[Kirby]

I don't know. Because they don't have an original song.

[Sarah]

Right. And it's so random.

[Kirby]

It would be very random. It would also.

[Sarah]

But I hate to hear them.

[Kirby]

But the Oscars want people to watch. And this movie has over $600 million.

[Sarah]

Right.

[Kirby]

People are now buying the DVD and they're buying it on streaming to listen to the commentary, which I have not done literally since A Walk to Remember back in the day. I mean. Cause it's Ari and Cynthia talking through the whole movie.

[Sarah]

Oh, my God, I need to do that. I haven't even seen the deleted scenes.

[Kirby]

Yet, but I need to do that same.

[Sarah]

Gosh.

[Kirby]

Okay, so I wanted to talk about this because I thought it was really interesting.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

These are the top gen z gifts of 2024.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

TikToker Casey Lewis watched over 1000 Christmas haul TikToks and calculated the top 15 gifts.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay.

[Kirby]

And there were eight that were beauty products on the list.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

I want you to guess as to what you think made the list. Made the list.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

Let me pull up my note. Cause I didn't put it in. Oh, here we go.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

I didn't put it in the doc, so you couldn't choose.

[Sarah]

Okay, Great, great, great. Okay. Summer Friday's lip butter.

[Kirby]

No.

[Sarah]

What? Rhode Peptide lip tint.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

Rhode was number three.

[Sarah]

Road was number three.

[Kirby]

Mostly the peppermint lip.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

Peptide lip tint. Our lip products.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

But all road.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

Any peptide lip treatment, any skincare. The travel sizes. That was the number three gift. And it was the only beauty product in the top three.

[Sarah]

Oh, okay. Oh, this is top gen zk. Okay. I thought it was just beauty.

[Kirby]

Well, out of the 15.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Kirby]

It was the only one in the top three.

[Sarah]

Got it, got it, got it, got it. But there are other.

[Kirby]

But that's the top beauty.

[Sarah]

Got it. Okay. Okay. Sol de Janeiro.

[Kirby]

Yep. That was number four.

[Sarah]

Okay. Was it a specific scent?

[Kirby]

Yes. 62.

[Sarah]

62.

[Kirby]

And there were set. The. There was a bunch of sets that you could buy.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

So she was saying that people were obsessed with getting sets. And that 62 was Succession MacKenzie.

[Sarah]

My niece wanted 68, which I didn't get her. Which I felt like a really bad aunt. Cause I just didn't plan correctly. And I got her 62.

[Kirby]

Well, 62 was the one that a lot of people wanted.

[Sarah]

Okay. What else?

[Kirby]

So you have number one and number two in terms of beauty.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay. And I'm just guessing beauty, right?

[Kirby]

Yep.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Okay. Glow recipe.

[Kirby]

No. Here's a hint on one of them.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

It was a part of Los Angeles Confidential.

[Sarah]

Ooh, Recently.

[Kirby]

This past year.

[Sarah]

Amika.

[Kirby]

No.

[Sarah]

What did we do this year? Oribe. No, that's too expensive. Well, JVN hair. No.

[Kirby]

Think of this summer.

[Sarah]

This summer. Okay. Oh, day hair.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

The. Which one?

[Kirby]

The styling wand.

[Sarah]

No way.

[Kirby]

It was a huge stocking stuffer and people were really excited to get it. Oh, my God. Cute. That's crazy. Oh, no, sorry. That was the number five beauty product in the list.

[Sarah]

Good for them.

[Kirby]

So now you have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Okay, five more.

[Sarah]

Did Tower 28 make it.

[Kirby]

No, no.

[Sarah]

Looking at these, are they bigger?

[Kirby]

Like, I think that there are brand names, but I don't know if you'll necessarily get them because they don't feel. I feel like Day and Road and Sol feel younger, skewing, like almost Gen Alpha E. Okay. The rest of them are truly Gen Z. Like, you could drop a couple hundred dollars on some of these.

[Sarah]

Oh, okay. And are they. Is there a skincare one?

[Kirby]

There's makeup, fragrance. One is kind of a weird category. Charlotte Tilbury, no tools. And then something. Something else you're not gonna get in Australia. Shark Flex Style Infusion.

[Sarah]

Whoa.

[Kirby]

She said that last year Dyson was the big get, and this year it.

[Sarah]

Was the Flex Fusion.

[Kirby]

It was Shark and flexstyle and Flex Fusion. Both equally asked for and received.

[Sarah]

Wow. Way to go, Shark.

[Kirby]

So that one is the number three. Okay, so just to recap, we have Rhode Sol de Janeiro, Shark Flex Style or Flex Fusion. We don't have number four yet. And then the day Hair Styling wand rounds out the top five.

[Sarah]

Oh, Rare beauty.

[Kirby]

No, rare. Number four is a vanity desk. People were asking.

[Sarah]

Oh, my gosh. That's what Katie got. That's my other niece got.

[Kirby]

People were asking for vanity desks or mirrors to go on their desks.

[Sarah]

She got a whole new vanity with the lights.

[Kirby]

Yep. Important Touchland Hand sanitizer.

[Sarah]

Oh, my God. That was also on Kenzie's list.

[Kirby]

A really big one for stocking stuffers. So crazy. So random. Then we have fragrance. Any.

[Sarah]

Was it noise?

[Kirby]

No, no. There's one that I was surprised by, but not because of the packaging. There's one that I thought was interesting and then one is a celebrity.

[Sarah]

Ariana.

[Kirby]

No.

[Sarah]

Okay, tell me.

[Kirby]

Okay. Love Shack Fancies Perfume. Whoa. A very ornate.

[Sarah]

Yeah, those are beautiful.

[Kirby]

They're beautiful. Did I have not smelled them? I have neither, but people were losing their minds. Yeah, Glossier. You the original.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay.

[Kirby]

And Billie Eilish.

[Sarah]

Oh, Billie Eilish.

[Kirby]

Coming up strong.

[Sarah]

I haven't smelled that.

[Kirby]

I have it and I haven't.

[Sarah]

I think I have it, but I don't. I haven't smelled it.

[Kirby]

Same. I have it displayed, but I haven't tried a full.

[Sarah]

Yes. Wow. Good for you, Billie Eilish.

[Kirby]

And then the last one is the one size setting spray.

[Sarah]

Oh. Oh, my God. I lost mine recently in like the Shuffle and I'm like, I don't know what to do without it.

[Kirby]

Isn't that crazy?

[Sarah]

Yeah. Good for you, Patrick Starr.

[Kirby]

Yes. So the top three Gen Z gifts overall out of the 15. Number one, a digital camera. Most people got a Sony, but throwing it back to early millennium.

[Sarah]

Yep.

[Kirby]

Everyone got a digital camera.

[Sarah]

So funny.

[Kirby]

Number two, Ugg Minis.

[Sarah]

Okay. Yes. Yep. Kenzie got this.

[Kirby]

Not the platforms, the minis.

[Sarah]

Yep.

[Kirby]

That is crazy. That Kenzie. Kenzie's. We should have Kenzie on podcast.

[Sarah]

I have her. I have her Christmas list. I can tell you what else she wanted.

[Kirby]

And then number three was the road. Any. Any road product or case or whatever that makes it.

[Sarah]

Wow. Oh. You know what she wanted was the tower 28 charms to go with like the lip. But I. Yeah, I. I didn't get that. I'm looking at it anyways. Yeah, I felt bad, but I mean, they got a lot of good stuff. Wow. Digicams. I should have saved mine.

[Kirby]

Same.

[Sarah]

I had a hot pink one.

[Kirby]

I have had a hot pink bedazzled leopard print one. Whoa. I'll. I. I have it still. You do?

[Sarah]

Oh my God. You should use it again. I should.

[Kirby]

I should. I need to get a battery.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

All right. We're back in the new year with a new woif. Or in this case, what's that? What's on our hair?

[Sarah]

Is it in your hair?

[Kirby]

It is.

[Sarah]

It's in my hair too.

[Kirby]

I'm wearing it right now and I brought it right out of my shower.

[Sarah]

Okay. We are talking about the JVN Hair Revive Rapid Repair Bond Gloss. Say that five times fast. It's a two in one intense shine and bond repairing treatments. It's $36. Smells incredible.

[Kirby]

Yes. And this was a part of Glos angelos confidential. So 150 glams got to test this product before it launched. They didn't know what they were signing up for. We told them it was a new gloss and repair treatment and then they got sent the full size product.

[Sarah]

So cute.

[Kirby]

Here it is right here. Straight out of my shower. It claims that it adds a instant glossy like glass shine while repairing damaged, broken and over processed hair in just 60 seconds. And it is silicone free. It is driven by Proplex plus to deliver salon level shine and strength right in your shower. It's perfect for everyone, especially those with color treated, bleached, texture treated and heat damaged hair. And the way that you use it is very different from some of these other bond builders. They say it's a bond building product. I don't know if we necessarily received any proof that it does actually bond or repair the hair in that way. So I don't want to speak to that. But I will say my hair is Shinier and softer and feels great after I use this product. But you put it on after conditioner.

[Sarah]

Which is really interesting because usually you skip that step.

[Kirby]

Yep. Usually with bond builders, it's your last step. So you just do your hair as normal shampoo conditioner. You leave it on one to two minutes in the shower one to two times a week, and then you rinse and you hop out and you style your hair accordingly.

[Sarah]

Yes. I felt like, okay, I really enjoyed using it. I felt like it was really easy. I love that it claims that it works in 60 seconds because I feel like with a lot of the these treatments you have to wait longer than that. And who has the time? Who wants to, like, be in the shower for that extended period of time if you don't need to? I said this already. It smells so good. I kept wanting to pump it because I was like, oh, my God, I can't get enough of this. And then, yeah, I really feel like my hair felt softer and smoother and looked shinier, like immediately after. Totally. I don't know. I can't really speak to the split ends and breakage, but I guess it does look. I mean, it looks healthy.

[Kirby]

Yeah. And it says that the hair concerns, this is for split ends, frizz, color damage, heat damage, breakage and dullness. The scent is what you were loving. The vibrant bergamot and sumptuous summer fruits combined with warm woods, amber and cashmere musk. That's why it smells really, really nice. And as mentioned, it's made without silicones sulfates. It's cruelty free and vegan. The glams have already reviewed this product and it's out now. So if you do want to get some opinions before you purchase outside of our own, you can go to sephora.com, you can go to this products page and search Los Angeles Confidential. And you should find over 100 at least 150 reviews on sephora.com and here's some fun facts about these testers. So half of our testers had never tried JVN hair products before testing this. 75% of testers said that they would purchase the product themselves and that the price was fair based on how much you get and how often you're supposed to use it. And I have to agree. I think that this is a fair $36 for. This is a fair price.

[Sarah]

I feel like if I were to genuinely use that one to two times a week, it would last me like a couple months.

[Kirby]

Right? Yeah, agreed. And I think this is more affordable than some Other bond building products that are currently on the market. I also really do like that you use it after conditioner because sometimes, even though I am a big fan of the main bond builders out there, I do feel like sometimes it's harder to get through my hair using it as the conditioning component. So I liked that I could do my normal shampoo and conditioner and add this for like an extra punch up when it comes to how my hair looks.

[Sarah]

Totally. Yeah. Should we read some of these reviews?

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay. So this person said I have super fine hair and a lot of bonding products weigh my hair down. This did not. I loved the consistency of the product and how lightweight it was. After one use, I felt and saw a difference in my ends. I have color treated, damaged, heat styled hair, so I'm always looking for a product that will help keep my hair looking healthy in between salon appointments. The glossing aspect of this product is an added bonus. After I used it, I was asked multiple times if I had just gotten my hair touched up. I was very happy with the results. Wow.

[Kirby]

Yes. And this one says it made my hair feel like I had a professional blowout, which is not easy for me to achieve at home.

[Sarah]

Oh, I love this. I love that it's both a gloss product and a bond hair treatment in one. Plus it actually works. I have tried other glosses and this one works much better. I'm 63 years old and it gave me young girl hair.

[Kirby]

Super, super. I think that's amazing.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

So there are some critiques with any product. That's why we do Glosangelos Confidential. I think this was very helpful, not only for the brands but for other people who are considering purchasing it. There were some testers that this work for or they didn't feel like they saw enough of a change in their hair, which is perfectly fine. But a few of the other critiques to note were as a new mom, it was an additional step in my routine and it was just hard to embed. So she didn't like the act of having to do that third step after shampoo and conditioning. Also, the aluminum bottle got slippery when using with wet hands and also changed the size and the font. White on pink is really hard to read in showers. I totally agree with this. My biggest critique of the product overall is the packaging. I know that it's in the aluminum packaging for a reason. So that's just very standard for jvn. They're very conscious of, you know, sustainability. However, this product is very liquidy and I did not like that it was in a pump. It made it very hard to gauge how much I should be putting on and how much I was actually using.

[Sarah]

Totally.

[Kirby]

And then so I would do it in my hand at first. It would run through my fingers, and then I feel like I wasn't getting enough. So then I started just pumping it directly on my hair. And then I felt like I was using way too much and I didn't know how much I was using. I think this would be better suited in a dropper form or if it had a nozzle.

[Sarah]

Oh, a nozzle. Yeah. I like the ones where you can actually just almost apply it like you're coloring your own hair. I will say the same. So the instructions on the bottle say that it says to apply a few pumps. And I feel like it makes it vague because it obviously depends on how much hair you have and you should be the one to determine how much you need. But I also agree I didn't know how much I actually needed and how much I was putting in my hair. But after, like, I think I probably did it. I did it three times because I wasn't sure and it worked, you know. But I think, like, now going back and doing it again, I'll probably be a little bit more aware of, like, how much I actually need. But it is a little confusing.

[Kirby]

Yeah, it does say pump generously. So it wasn't that I was worried I was using too much. It was just I didn't even know how much I was using because I couldn't even see because I started pumping it directly onto my scalp versus through my hands because I just felt like I was wasting it. And I think that's a big part of why people use products. They don't want to waste it.

[Sarah]

Yeah. And it's lightweight enough, which is good that people like that. It didn't weigh their hair down, but it's lightweight enough where you don't really know. You're like, I don't know. I don't feel it.

[Kirby]

Yes, I did see some comments from testers saying maybe this should have been thicker if it was going to be in the pump form so that it didn't slip through your fingers when applying it. But I do think that they could solve this just by putting a nozzle on top or making it a dropper so that you can control how much you're apply applying to your hair. But I have personally been enjoying it and loving it. I've used it ever since we got it in the beginning of December. And if you want to read anybody else's thorough reviews of the JVN Rapid Repair Bond Gloss. You can go to sephora.com and search gloss Angeles Confidential in the review section. And if you would like to be a part of Los Angeles Confidential, everybody is welcome. You just have to join our Slack channel and we put out sign up at least once a month, if not more about new products that are launching. Sometimes we tell you the brand because they let us. Sometimes we keep it completely confidential. And then the only thing that you have to do in exchange for getting a full size new product is leave an honest review when we tell you to. And that's it.

[Sarah]

I just want to add too. I feel like if you haven't tried other JVN hair products, like this is like a really good intro into the brand just in terms of like the experience and like the smell. Like the JVN hair products all smell so, so good. Yes. Like, I feel like Jonathan really knows like scent really well, him and Teresa. And it's just like I every. Like the shampoos all smell really good. This like, obviously I loved it. So yeah. I encourage you all to try other products from the brand. You will not be disappointed.

[Kirby]

Okay, let's. So let's go back to 2024 a year ago.

[Sarah]

Real quick.

[Kirby]

I don't know. These are my beauty predictions. I know that we talked about some beauty predictions on this podcast, but I couldn't find the document that came out. So I'm just using my own screenshots from my own Instagram and I thought we should go through them because I thought it was interesting.

[Sarah]

You were right for so many of them.

[Kirby]

I got a lot of them. Right. And I also got one that I didn't think. Right. Right. Based off of something that a couple of people told me. Okay. So the Beauty predictions for 2024 were that summer Fridays Glow recipe or Kosas would get acquired. Glow recipe did not get acquired. I think Kosas is talking to a banker. And my prediction for 2025 is it will be acquired by L'Oreal in late.

[Sarah]

Oh yeah. Based on some sleuthing.

[Kirby]

But apparently Summer Fridays did get acquired.

[Sarah]

You know what's weird about that is that it's like the language around it and I don't like. I'm not.

[Kirby]

They intentionally did that. I was told.

[Sarah]

Really? Okay. Cause when, OK. When I interviewed Mariana and Lauren on stage at BeautyCon, one of my questions was being an independent brand and I remember they sort of like paused when they answered and I was like, oh, are you not like you're. Technically, they got bought Out.

[Kirby]

Yes. Okay.

[Sarah]

I'm not a finance bro. I don't understand.

[Kirby]

So when I posted the beauty predictions for 2024, along with mine for 2025, saying I've actually gotten a lot of these right here' what I think is gonna happen in 2025. I got several DMs from people going, you got Summer Fridays. Right. And not just randos on the Internet, people that understand what has happened and what's going on. And said, Summer Fridays was acquired. That brand is no longer independent. Mariana and Lauren are very happy, handsomely rewarded. Mariana was in Aspen and I think so was Lauren. So, like, read between the lines there. I. I just. I don't know what to think because the person. One of the people that wrote me said they were very specific to not include language that said acquisition bought anything. And it was a very specific thing that they did.

[Sarah]

Is that because they. Well, obviously they're still very involved. Totally. And they probably are, you know, retaining. Well, I don't know if they have, like, majority stake in it anymore.

[Kirby]

I would need to go back and look at the. Not the documents, but the stories.

[Sarah]

So it was a private equity group. What is the right term? Yeah, what is the right term? Like, there was a cash infusion or they like.

[Kirby]

Well, that was the whole thing. They said cash infusion. So I'm like, well, if they're taking money, then it's into the business.

[Sarah]

Right.

[Kirby]

But it apparently meant.

[Sarah]

Right, but what I heard was that both Mariana and Lauren, part of that deal was that they were given whatever lump sum of money.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

But they were still involved in the company. And I think that based on the contract, like, the success of the company in whatever five to 10 years, that impacts, like, how much money they will get paid out. Maybe, like. Yes, I think that's what I. I don't know, though. I'm so confused.

[Kirby]

I've heard very similar things. I think we're on the same page.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Okay.

[Kirby]

But I guess we can say that the first prediction happens.

[Sarah]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Kirby]

Accordingly.

[Sarah]

And I think that you're definitely correct about Kosas and I think that Glow recipe. I think they're trying to get into the right company's hands, but they obviously want to make it the right partnership. But I think that that's something we can look out for in 25 too.

[Kirby]

Bar soap will become the hot product to launch From Skin to Hair. We discussed this heavily on the pod in 2023, but I think. I think brands did this. But I don't think it caught on. No, I Don't think the consumer is.

[Sarah]

They're not ready yet. Especially like hair, like shampoo, bar soaps. Not ready.

[Kirby]

Yeah, they're not ready at all. So even though brand wise and industry wise, it became a thing, the consumer has not caught up yet, or they don't want to catch up. They don't care. So that was a miss for us or for me, I guess. I don't want to lump you into this.

[Sarah]

No, you, I think. Well, I mean, we talked about it. I agree. I think, you know, I agreed with you.

[Kirby]

Alix Earle to launch her own line. So this did not happen in 2024. But she did tease that she's working on something which I'm really curious about what that's gonna look like. Is it gonna be makeup? Is it gonna be skincare? She's very open about her skincare struggles and that she uses filters and things like that. And I think that the way that this past year has happened for her in terms of lifestyle content and just being everywhere, I think she's set up really nicely to launch her own brand.

[Sarah]

And I think you had mentioned this either on the pod or somewhere where you said, like, her get ready with me's have become less like, look at this specific makeup product that I'm using and more just like her talking.

[Kirby]

Totally.

[Sarah]

So like you said, it's like setting her up for this line that we will hear about, I'm sure.

[Kirby]

Yes. Also, she did something really genius recently when she was home for the holidays. She asked why her hair always looked better when she used her, I think Pantene Pro V or something at home from that was leftover versus her nicer products. And if she should go back to using Pantene Pro V. And I'm like, this girl is gonna have a Super bowl commercial with Pantene so strong. I'm just throwing it out there. Etsy will become a major player in beauty, including the rise of custom press ons and lashes, wigs, et cetera. We talked about how popular Etsy is and will continue to be, especially for independent artists and nails. Okay, this one I did not count as a win. But so many people were like you, you nailed it. But I did it in a very specific ways. And I'll explain. Facelifts will jump as a top cosmetic surgery or at least consults for women 35 to 50, according to the ASPS, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Facelifts were the talk of the town last year.

[Sarah]

Yep.

[Kirby]

However, we don't have the information yet from the ASPs on whether this actually translated to people going in and getting them in this demographic.

[Sarah]

Yeah, we're not gonna get that until next year.

[Kirby]

We won't get it until this year. Yes. Yeah, we won't get it until probably February or March of this year. But I also have seen the stats from the past few years, and while facelifts have been trending upwards, it's not a significant jump from someone in their 60s or 70s to somebody in 35 to 50 prioritizing that. It's still very much a boomer surgery.

[Sarah]

Right, right. Yeah.

[Kirby]

In my opinion.

[Sarah]

And I think it also. That is based on, like, the money of it. All.

[Kirby]

Right. You have to have the funds. I mean, facelifts aren't a $5,000. It's not a blepharoplasty.

[Sarah]

No, totally.

[Kirby]

It is a 20, 30, $100,000 surgery, depending on who you go see and what you're paying for.

[Sarah]

Yeah. And it's like a long recovery, and.

[Kirby]

There'S often a lot of other things that happen at the same time.

[Sarah]

Right. But you were totally right in the fact that everyone was gonna be talking about it.

[Kirby]

I mean, it's something that people, I guess, are at least considering now, which I think is interesting. So Julie launched a new brand called Overdrive Defense, and this New York Times article is really great. It says, where some see taboos, they see opportunity. The founders of Starface took the shame out of blemishes. Now they're hoping to make it less risky to use recreational drugs and alcohol.

[Sarah]

So Overdrive Defense is the company, and the first product that they're selling is this orange box of test strips that can be used to check cocaine, heroin, and other drugs for contamination with fentanyl, which we know you know, is a really, really deadly opioid that we're seeing, like, kill a lot, take a lot of lives. And I just think it's so freaking genius.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

It's so, so smart, because I was talking about this with Matt and some of our friends from college, and, I mean, I. I didn't partake in a lot of that activity, but some. And I know that, like, Matt did with his friends. And I just. Like, thinking about being 21 or not even 21 now, like, 18 now, going to a party, and, like, not being able to, like, know whether or not you're doing something that is actually going to kill you is so frightening just to think about. And then also now as a parent, I'm like, oh, my God, what are we going to do? So, like, thank God that a cool brand like this exists. And it's like, it looks fun, like, it's like orange, it's bright, it looks cool to use, like, it's not embarrassing to like whip out, you know, at a party. I really, I just really hope it takes on.

[Kirby]

And there is even this other separate article from 2023 in the new York Times that says hidden fentanyl can kill test strips can help make drug use safer. And I think for me, you can't stop somebody from wanting to partake in drug activity. The abstinence approach truly just does not work. And Julie and Brian, who co founded Starface, say that they're really interested in the teenage experience and that's why they created Starface amongst the other brands that they have created. But with this in particular, it could actually save somebody's life instead of of them potentially making a very fatal mistake because of this fentanyl cross contamination. So that was the brand that Julie launched in 2024. I can't wait to see what else she's cooking up.

[Sarah]

Overdive also has kits that they sell where you can test whether a drink has been spiked with Roofy's ketamine or ghb.

[Kirby]

I mean, if I'm in college, I'm figuring out how to partner and giving this to every woman, every man, sorority.

[Sarah]

100% need to be partnering with Overdrive.

[Kirby]

It's just so smart, so smart. And I love that. That for me is more relevant, a drink being spiked versus doing drugs. And I think sometimes people are like, you know, not that many people are doing drugs. A lot of people are doing drugs.

[Sarah]

A lot of people doing. I mean, and this obviously.

[Kirby]

And not just in la.

[Sarah]

No. Yeah. And I know you're obviously Julie. They have the teenagers in mind, but this is a product that I know a lot of people our age and even older are still partaking in drugs and this is something that they need.

[Kirby]

To be using 100%. Okay, we were right about this. But we also kind of had intel on it. So whatever glow recipe will get into makeup. And they did with their watermelon dew drops, and now they have different shades of them. So, you know, on the bronzing drop crusade, everybody wanted to have their version and this was theirs.

[Sarah]

Totally. Yeah. I feel like we'll see even more this year.

[Kirby]

And then the anti double cleanse messaging brands will launch products that are meant to be a singular cleanse, like oil to emulsion cleansers. Similar to Renee Rouleau, better than balm. Lisa Eldredge also has one future wise Released one. So those are starting to blow up. I use Better Than Balm every single night. It is my only cleanser. I do love fresh soy face cleanser. Still in the shower. But for me, every night before I go to bed, Better than Balm. There is One prediction for 2025 that I want to bring up because we have some intel on it.

[Sarah]

Oh, yep.

[Kirby]

So I predicted that three celebrity beauty brands in 2025 will shutter.

[Sarah]

Why three?

[Kirby]

Because those were. There were three in my head. Like a. I could put the dots together.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Kirby]

And when I posted this prediction, a lot of people in the comments said, give is going away. And they weren't people necessarily with beauty industry experience, but they were fans of the brand. Fans of the brand. And they said, you can't buy it on give.com anymore. It sends you to Sephora. And this has been happening for a while. This has been happening for months.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

And did we talk about it on the podcast?

[Sarah]

I think we did.

[Kirby]

I can't remember what we talked about on this podcast.

[Sarah]

We did on the podcast. We did in real life.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

You tell us if you heard this from us.

[Kirby]

So then if you go to sephora.com, every give product they have available is 50% off, on sale. And once it's sold out, it's gone. I went to go click on their mascara, which is one of my absolute faves. And I know a lot of people love this mascara. Alexander French is a big fan of it. And you cannot. Their link is completely gone. And that just instead of saying out of stock or whatever, that kind of indicates to me that it's no longer going to be sold on Sephora anymore.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

And I went to Sephora and bought a bunch of stuff that I shouldn't have, unfortunately. But you know what? Live in. Live and live.

[Sarah]

Live and live.

[Kirby]

And I asked about Give or actually I asked about a different brand because it was hard for me to find this other brand. And I don't want to mention them yet until I get more info. And they said, no, I'm actually not worried about them. Their reps are always here. So maybe it's like a formula change, restock or whatever. She was like, like, but give, you know.

[Sarah]

Oh.

[Kirby]

And so I was like, oh, okay. So it's, it's definitely leaving Sephora when.

[Sarah]

I am googling Give. Right now the only places where I can Google is suggesting I purchase is Kohl's, Amazon and then some like random third party websites, which is not a good thing.

[Kirby]

I don't think they even Sold on Amazon, though.

[Sarah]

I think it's probably like another third party.

[Kirby]

Got it.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

And then Kohl's with the Sephora ties. Maybe that's why.

[Sarah]

But it's on sale. It's on sale.

[Kirby]

So this is a bummer because I to this day still use Gibbs Blushes. The Blush duos.

[Sarah]

All of the products are really good.

[Kirby]

Yes.

[Sarah]

The lipsticks are great.

[Kirby]

I am obsessed, obsessed with the mascara. I think it truly is a phenomenal mascara. I think it's safe to say that this brand is disappearing and going away. We could get into why. I think that there were just a lot of things optically with the brand that didn't match what people think of when they think of Gwen Stefani. They don't really think of Gwen Stefani as like bandana wearing country girl. They think of her as pushing the limits, feminist girl, power, crazy blue hair, pink hair, rhinestones type of woman. And while I do think that the products that she put out were amazing, I just don't think that people.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Like, the marketing wasn't right. It didn't match.

[Kirby]

Right.

[Sarah]

Which is she needed to like have a reunion tour with no Doubt or something.

[Kirby]

Yeah. And also just like the aesthetic of the brand did not feel like what people associate with her in general.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

So that's a bummer.

[Sarah]

It was a bummer. Cuz, like the launch was so good and then we had her on the podcast and that was so good.

[Kirby]

And she loves beauty.

[Sarah]

It's clear she's good at it and.

[Kirby]

She'S very good at it. And. And I enjoyed interviewing Gwen. I think she's an icon and I have a lot of respect for her. So this is a big bummer. I did reach out to the brand and asked for. Actually last year, maybe we didn't talk about this on the podcast because when I reached out, they said, don't know what you're talking about. We're launching a palette, Everything's fine. And that was Q3, I think. So I felt weird mentioning anything, but now I feel pretty confident that this. Unless they're doing something to completely rebrand it and start over from scratch, which.

[Sarah]

It could be like a house lab situation.

[Kirby]

Right, right, right, right. But we did reach out to the brand and asked for comment or response. They were still on vacation, so nobody got back to us. We will let you guys know if we hear from them, but I think that that's a pretty solid indication that the brand is at least going away in the way that we know it right now.

[Sarah]

Exactly, exactly. Do you want to share. Any other prediction?

[Kirby]

Yeah, let me just pull one up. Why not? I'll just. I'll just.

[Sarah]

What are the other two?

[Kirby]

Okay. Oh, the other. Oh, you mean about the beauty.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Do you want. No. Or is that. Do we not.

[Kirby]

I don't want to. I don't want to speak something into existence.

[Sarah]

Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

[Kirby]

But I think it's kind of obvious.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Kirby]

There was one brand that Sarah mentioned before we started recording that. I'm like, is that brand even a part of the conversation? Like, nobody even knows that this brand exists outside of, like, us maybe mentioning it one time on the.

[Sarah]

We should do like, a health check on all the celebrity brands.

[Kirby]

Yep.

[Sarah]

That should be an episode.

[Kirby]

We're going to do a health check. And with that, we out.

[Unknown]

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