Gloss Angeles Podcast Summary

Episode: The ‘Marked Safe from MAHA’ Campaign & The New Lash Economy
Date: December 2, 2025
Hosts: Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan

Episode Overview

This episode covers two major topics impacting the beauty industry:

1. The "Marked Safe from MAHA" campaign and its challenge to beauty brands regarding misinformation around health and wellness, especially as it relates to the MAHA ("Make America Healthy Again") movement.
2. The changing trends in the lash economy, analyzing why mascara and traditional fake lashes are slumping, and how new lash innovations and aesthetics are taking over.

Kirbie and Sara also share pop culture observations, personal stories, and hot takes on recent headlines in the beauty space, all wrapped up in their signature witty, candid tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pop Culture Catch-Up (Sabrina Carpenter, Wicked, and Dream Academy)

Timestamps: 01:29–14:01

• Kirbie’s review of Sabrina Carpenter in concert:

  • Sabrina described as a “Polly Pocket diva,” with a distinct over-the-top style and tiny frame.
    • Notable quote: “It’s like if the Spice Girls had a baby with Dolly Parton. That is her look.” (02:00–02:10, Kirbie)
  • Discussion of fandom culture amplified by TikTok; pop stars now change nightly elements of their shows to drive fan engagement.
    • “You have to now, as a pop star, have so many elements of your show that change so that people tune in on TikTok every night…” (03:05, Kirbie)

• Observations about young fans singing explicit lyrics at concerts.

  • The moms capturing their kids singing along is humorously debated.
    • “They were singing ‘Motherfucker’ during Please, Please, Please. And the moms were filming it, like, getting a big kick out of it.” (05:52, Kirbie)

• Wicked musical experience and the universal thirst for Jonathan Bailey.

  • Sara and Kirbie admit to being swept away by Jonathan Bailey, with candid, hilarious comments about yearning and expectations for male actors.
    • “What did men as a gender do to deserve Jonathan Bailey? I was like, this is not fair.” (08:44, Kirbie)

• Ticket struggles and K-pop stanning.

  • Sara shares her quest for Dream Academy (K-pop group) tickets and desire to meet member Sofia Laforteza, also noting the increase in Asian representation in pop. (10:56–11:26, Sara)

• Local LA mall parking hacks (bonus content for LA locals only).

  • Kirbie and Sara give tips on the best places to park at Century City Mall, underscoring their frequent mall-related discussions.

2. Beauty Headline: The "Marked Safe from MAHA" Campaign

Timestamps: 15:39–27:11

• Context:

  • MAHA = “Make America Healthy Again,” a movement linked to RFK Jr. that markets itself as “preventative health,” but pushes anti-vax and anti-science rhetoric.
  • Influencer Whitney Wagner Hartley (@hellowhitney) started a campaign urging beauty and wellness brands to:
    1. Publicly oppose MAHA
    2. Refuse partnerships with creators who spread similar misinformation
    3. Share science-backed, inclusive health info

• Brands participating so far: Cocokind, Parallel, Corpus Naturals, Bayo, 14th Night, Cat Beauty, Moo, and The Great.

  • The intent is not to boycott, but to provide clarity to consumers on which brands reject MAHA and misinformation.

• Discussion and analysis:

  • Kirbie calls the campaign “very interesting” and stresses the dangers of MAHA-aligned pseudoscience:

    • “Let’s just go through some of the statements that RFK has made... there is a long list of things he has said, essentially condemning longstanding science-backed research.” (18:09, Kirbie)

  • The hosts address the manipulative tactics aimed at moms, especially using fear around children's health:

    • “This just feels like a way to cause more intentional pain to pregnant women. And not only that, scare pregnant women ... the issue that we have with clean beauty is... causing more problems by not reading every ingredient on a label and then essentially hurting themselves or hurting their children ‘due to toxicity.’” (18:36+, Kirbie)

  • Both hosts are skeptical that major retailers (e.g., Sephora, Ulta) will sign the pledge:

    • “If she’s expecting huge brands with major, major influence to sign onto this, they’re not going to... nobody is trying to rock the boat when it comes to this administration for obvious reasons.” (20:50, Kirbie)
    • “Sephora’s not touching this. Sephora is not going to do it. No, no, not even close.” (22:58, Kirbie)

  • Commentary on the “pipeline” of new moms to far-right conspiracy:

    • “The pipeline of motherhood to far-right conspiracy theorist is so crazy ... I’m not blaming the consumer. I’m blaming the people that are, like, indoctrinating.” (23:46+, Kirbie)
    • “As a mom, you’re just trying to make the best choices for your kids. And if you keep hearing from people that you follow and admire that whatever you’re feeding your child is killing them, then sure, you like, Oh my God.” (24:52, Sara)

• Meta commentary:

  • The hosts note that those spreading MAHA talking points rarely accept invitations to defend their views on air.
    • “What I’ve told Sara before is we’ve tried to get people on this podcast with opposing views to come on and talk about their stance... and nobody does it. And why is that? Because they can’t.” (25:36+, Kirbie)

3. The New Lash Economy & Mascara Trends

Timestamps: 27:14–39:41

Analysis of Business of Fashion report on lash trends:

• Decline in traditional strip lashes and classic black mascara:
  • “Lash products are down about 13% year to date... even classic black mascara has dipped nearly 10% in popularity.” (14:14, Sara)
  • Consumers shifting toward a more “natural, low-maintenance look”—ghost lashes, no mascara aesthetics (clean girl beauty vibe).
• Surge in under-lash and magnetic lash products:
  • “Ardell, once 95% strip lash, now gets almost half its wall space in sales from under lash products.” (14:14, Sara)
  • However, the boom in under-lash adoption may already be stalling.
• Lash serums and “skinified” (treatment-focused) lash products are gaining traction, with brands moving away from prostaglandins due to side effects.

Mascara innovation and consumer loyalty:

• Kirbie recounts an industry conversation:
  • “Converting somebody from their favorite mascara is so much harder than anything else ... It has to be truly a new innovation for someone to even consider buying a new mascara.” (29:28, Kirbie)
  • Rise of tubing mascara and new shades (brown, burgundy) is noted, but core habits persist.

Potential future innovation:

• Kirbie’s take: The dream is customizable mascaras—being able to pick formula and wand separately for a personalized experience.

  • “Should we be able to go into a Target one day and just grab ... the type of wand we want and kind of mix and match ourselves?” (33:13, Kirbie)

• Homegrown mascara hacks—Kirbie admits to swapping wands and being a “contamination nightmare.”

  • “If I really like a formula ... but I don’t think the wand is getting as close as I need it to ... I will, like, wash a mascara wand [and swap it].” (34:13, Kirbie)

• If a formula could truly hold curl without being waterproof and was easily removed, that would be a “game changer.”

Rise of under-lash and cluster lash products:

• Both hosts now exclusively use under-lash products, echoing new market data.

  • “I cannot tell you the last time I put a lash on top of my lashes ... I only do under lashes now.” (36:23, Kirbie)

• Kirbie speculates that Lashify (which innovated under-lash tech) may take legal interest in Ardell’s pivot to this market.

Predictions:

• Despite current trends, both believe glam lashes and mascara will cycle back—beauty is cyclical.
  • “I think people are gonna want glam. We’re already seeing it. Like, people want a full beat again.” (36:42, Kirbie)
  • “To me, all the people that I have ever spoken to who wear makeup, they say they couldn’t leave the house without mascara ... there’s no way it’s going away.” (37:10, Sara)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s like if the Spice Girls had a baby with Dolly Parton. That is her look.” (02:00, Kirbie)
• “Let’s just go through some of the statements that RFK has made … there is a long list of things he has said, essentially condemning longstanding science-backed research …” (18:09, Kirbie)
• “The pipeline of motherhood to far-right conspiracy theorist is so crazy … I’m not blaming the consumer. I’m blaming the people that are, like, indoctrinating.” (23:46, Kirbie)
• “What I’ve told Sara before is we’ve tried to get people on this podcast with opposing views to come on and talk about their stance on these things … and nobody does it … Because they can’t.” (25:36, Kirbie)
• “Converting somebody from their favorite mascara is so much harder than anything else up. Like, it has to be truly like a new innovation for someone to even consider buying a new mascara ...” (29:28, Kirbie)
• “I cannot tell you the last time I put a lash on top of my lashes ... I only do under lashes now.” (36:23, Kirbie)
• “I think people are gonna want glam ... You may think someone is fudgeing insane on Bravo and they need to be burned at the stake. And next season you’re rooting for them. Like, that’s what’s going to happen with mascara.” (38:08, Kirbie)

Key Timestamps

• 01:29–14:01 — Pop culture: Sabrina Carpenter, Wicked, Dream Academy, and local LA mall culture
• 15:39–27:11 — In-depth: "Marked Safe from MAHA" campaign, controversy, and retailer response
• 27:14–39:41 — The New Lash Economy: Decline of strip lashes/mascara, consumer loyalty, customization, under-lash boom
• Throughout — Notable quotes, candid opinions, references to brands (Swede, Ardell, Cocokind, etc.)

Conclusion

The episode blends insightful analysis of timely industry controversies (the MAHA movement, the intersection of motherhood and misinformation) with practical, relatable beauty talk (the evolution of the lash category, why we love or switch mascara, how trends truly shift). Kirbie and Sara’s real-world expertise and irreverent humor make this a must-listen for both beauty industry watchers and the average makeup fan.

Questions for listeners (from hosts):

• What do you think about the “eyelash economy”—why do you think mascara/lash products are trending down?
• What is your desert island mascara or favorite lash combination?

Let them know your thoughts on social @glossangelespod!