Estee Lauder

Taking a moment



Bruce Weber
When did self-care become a dirty word? The concept originated in the late 60s by radical feminists wanting to empower women by teaching them to get to know their anatomies. But in recent years, ‘self-care’ has come to encompass the Goopification of beauty, aka a capitalist catch-all that couches healthy habits and ancestral rituals in spa language and posh packaging. My take on self-care is somewhere in the middle. Nice-to-have products (that don’t have to be expensive) and free DIY practices to maintain health and wellbeing rather than ‘optimising’. (more…)



Trend report: The healthification of beauty is officially here



Ourself beauty

It’s official, we’re moving into a new era of beauty. Thanks to The Future Laboratory and its robust 2022 Beauty, Health and Wellness report, we can look ahead not only to the next 2-3 years, but future gaze on the next ten years of what TFL terms ‘Accredited Beauty’.

Taking influences and data from recent social and economic world events, Accredited Beauty describes a new era of informed consuming in which brands will be expected to back up claims with expertise and evidence. Why? Because we’ve learned to ‘follow the science’, check our facts and interrogate misinformation and disinformation. (more…)



The beauty object: Estee Lauder Disney Collection



Estee Lauder Disney compact

I just wrote my first piece for Stylist, discussing the allure of aesthetically pleasing beauty and personal care objects that appeal to all our senses. One thing I wasn’t able to mention there was the new Estee Lauder X Disney Collection collaboration that launches on Monday.

Fun fact: I’m a big Mickey Mouse fan, thanks to the Americana craze that dominated the 80s when I was a teen. (more…)



Suddenly I want to smell like a coconut again



 Maya Njie Tropica fragrance

Well this is awkward. After a lifetime a year in relative isolation during which my longest journey away from home has been the decidedly unexotic Hastings pier, I find myself craving tropical coconut-laced smells.

That’s maybe not so surprising though. As with the power of touch and what’s known as ‘skin hunger’, the pandemic has not only literally stolen the sense of smell from some unlucky individuals, it has also heightened the link between scent and nostalgia.

“Fragrance can control your mood,” says perfumer and founder of her eponymous brand, Maya Njie. “If you’re feeling low and you need a boost, put fragrance on and it will elevate you.” (more…)