Attracting global attention to a beauty product in 2020 has never been more challenging, with the demands to break the glass ceiling more necessary than ever. The standard is high and the exceptions few and far between and if your shade range isn’t quite cutting it like Fenty does, honey you’re not even considered competition. Brands have to do more and more to impress us and the beauty gurus of the world, who will certainly not hold back when it comes to calling out a brand’s lacklustre attitude. After all, we’ve spent years tirelessly rewriting beauty ideals and breaking down the barriers of what it means to look beautiful, and we will be saying it louder for the people at the back. Transparency and inclusivity have never been more celebrated and who wouldn’t stan a multi-shaded, cruelty-free, vegan product with recyclable packaging and a kick-ass launch full of diverse representation? Here are some of our favourite beauty campaigns where innovation has amazed us all. Whether it’s empowering, ‘woke’, or just a bloody good marketing idea, we salute you!

Goop: This Smells Like My Vagina Candle, January 2020

What started as a little joke between lifestyle brand ‘Goop’ founder Gwyneth Paltrow and perfumer Douglas Little when sharing scent ideas, turned into one of the best brand campaigns we have seen this year. Her iconic candle named, This Smells Like My Vagina, is a mix of geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed and retails for an impressive price of $75. Whilst this may have appeared to be a media frenzy surrounding an absurd product, this item self-marketed itself and the results were great. There’s nothing quite like the effect of empowering femininity that is well, simply outrageous.

Pantene: Tackling Misgendering in Salons, November 2019

A highlighted topic at the moment and rightly so with BBC Three publishing a poem by Gray Crosbie titled, ‘Haircuts Between the Binary’ and haircare brand Pantene launching their own research into the topic – it was found that 93% of UK trans people have been misgendered during a salon visit. Of those people, 27% say it’s happened more than once and 29% of trans people said they find salon experiences stressful. Wanting to address the issue, Pantene partnered with the Dresscode Project which is a global organisation made up of LGBTQ+ friendly barbers and salons, dedicated to offer their clients a comforting space and service. Together they recruited hairdressers and barbers worldwide and supported them with resources and training to educate people on misgendering. Pantene also donated a small proportion of their product sales from Superdrug and video shares to the cause for the month. A refreshing bit of brand activism that we are yet to see elsewhere.

Shiseido: My Crayon Project, June 2019,

Beauty brand Shiseido, renowned for their diverse shade ranges that promote inclusivity within makeup launched this project in Japan to try and tackle prejudice against darker skin tones within schools. The phrase in Japanese that is used to describe the colour of skin – ‘Hada-iro’ – does not refer to just one type, which many feel discourages diversity from an early age. Shiseido created a box of crayons, each named after the child in the shade of their skin tone. The children drew portraits and were able to appreciate and understand the beauty in difference. You can watch the inspiring project here: www.rga.com/work/case-studies/shiseido-my-crayon-project

Nivea: Sun Binoculars, June 2019

Popular sunscreen brand Nivea wanted to encourage and highlight the importance of using sun protection when exposing yourself to sunlight in the summer months. They took to Rio in Brazil, where record temperatures are recorded in the summer, and is also very popular amongst sunbathers seeking a glow. In comes the invention of the sun binocular, using advanced technology to scan a body and reveal which parts are not protected by the UV rays of the sun. These gigantic binoculars were stationed on the beach and informed many sunbathers about the importance of protection and what bits they’d missed. A genius idea and rather helpful too, we think.

Lipstick Queen, Valentine’s Day Lipsticks Launch, February 2018

Targeting Valentine’s Day as their offline goal to launch its new product to UK beauty editors, Lipstick Queen alongside the help of Trace Publicity brought their four new pink lipsticks to life in the form of some very attractive talent. Mr Right, Mr Right Now, Good Catch and Bad Boy, named after the four new shades, delivered the lipsticks to offices in central London on V day accompanied by flowers and more importantly, a pink saloon car. Unfortunately, the dates were not included in the purchase of the actual products, but give us a more iconic lipstick launch…we’ll wait.

Words by Amy Arfi

Graphics by Katie Janes

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When the coronavirus crisis occurred, it has to be said, the beauty industry opened their hearts, pockets and minds to aiding the pandemic that has panicked the world. Yes, mass charitable contributions and fundraising efforts have been produced by some of the biggest brands out there during this unprecedented time, but give credit where it’s due to the beauty communities doing the most. Not only have the donations and discounts been appreciated, but the usage of resources to create necessary materials such as hand sanitiser cannot go unnoticed. And just when you thought they had provided all the help they could give, in comes the creation of Beauty United, founded and lead by Beautycon CEO, Moj Mahdara.

Mohdara has rounded up some of the headlining beauty and wellness brands on the scene including Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, MAC cosmetics, Too Faced, KKW Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics just to name a few. That’s right, and she’s even got makeup and skincare newcomer Victoria Beckham Beauty on board too. This squad of over 40 of the biggest labels in beauty are on a mission to help those in need on the frontline. How will they do this you ask? Two ways. Firstly, they aim to support and encourage – as well as contribute to – the existing Frontline Responders Fund, hoping to help them reach their target of $10 million to be used for protective gear and medical transport. Additionally, the brands will be doing as much as they can to personally produce beauty materials in their own factories for frontline workers in need.

Their first ploy was the Jacob Javitz Center in New York, which previously used for large scale conventions and the home to Beautycon, is now a makeshift hospital housing over 225 COVID-19 patients manned by the military.

Mahdara set out Beauty United’s founding reasons stating, “I stand in solidarity with beauty and wellness founders to mobilize the resources we have to support doctors, nurses, and all the healthcare workers on the front lines of this pandemic. We are resolved to support in collective actions that can have a big global impact. Now is the time to be UNITED.”

Having been up and running less than a week, they’ve accumulated over 3,000 followers on Instagram and it has to be said this is one unity that is going above and beyond to help those who need it most. To find out who else joining the crusade and keep up with their efforts, check out their Instagram @thebeautyunited and donate if you can.

Words by Amy Arfi

Graphics by Katie Janes

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We all have skills we have always wished to know a secret knowledge we have always been envious of lacking. Usually, the excuse to not learning this skill has always been lack of time now you have no excuse. This time can be an opportunity to learn some skills you have always wanted to know.Knitting

Although this skill seems archaic today you find that most people wish that they could knit. Knitting is said to offer the same relaxation as yoga knitting stimulates the logical part of your brain in measuring the thread requirement. Kitting also helps us have a creative release and also completing a project brings a sense of accomplishment.

Gwyneth Paltrow, @clubllondon instagram and Flavia Lucini styled by DaVian Lain

Dancing

We all think we can dance until the time comes and you realise maybe you can’t dance. Now that social media is so congested with TikTok videos of dance routines you have just realised that your 2 step, side to side club dance routine doesn’t cut it. So, take time and learn a few routines and maybe join the TikTok craze.

Meditation /YogaMeditation is the practice of using a technique of breathing exercises and focusing on one thought or object. Meditation is known to reduce stress and anxiety and aids in focusing the mind. Most people have credited meditation with improvement in their sleeping patterns and increased focus.

Taken from @another__kind instagram, from @ohanaandchill and Barbie by Sophia Webster

ExerciseAlthough we all know how to exercise what we are referring to is specific exercise classes. There are different exercise classes you can take online with the equipment you have around you.

Cooking When it comes to cooking just like dancing, we all can cook the everyday rice or potatoes but when it comes to complicated dishes and cuisines not all of us cut it. Through online classes, you can learn to make more experimental dishes and also learn how to fuel your body on good healthy meals depending on your dietary requirements. Cooking can also be a creative release as you try to create new meals.

Katy Perry by Nadia Lee Cohen, Adriana Lima for W Magazine and Jessica Walsh’s Instagram

MakeupWhen applying your make up, especially if you do it every day you find yourself in the same routine using the same method and products. Now is the time to try the experimental looks, perfect that wing liner or even match your eyebrow shapes to look more like sisters than the cousins they were before.

New LanguageLearning a new language may be more of a task than the skills mentioned above but can also be fun. Speaking a foreign language has proved to be beneficial and is currently a skill that is highly sought after these days depending on the language. Apps like Duolingo assist you in learning new languages for free.

Words by Precious Njoki

Graphics by Katie Janes

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American actress, author and businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow has teamed up with Netflix to bring out an upcoming documentary series called The Goop Lab, based on her own lifestyle and wellness company, Goop. The series will examine in depth the various practices of energy healing, cold therapy, anti-aging, psychedelic drugs and how they impact different aspects of female sexuality.

The first trailer was released earlier this month, and promises glimpses into intimate scenes of experimental therapy sessions and spiritual awakenings for a number of women, with one of them confessing ‘I went through five years of therapy in about five hours’. This claim seems to reinforce Goop’s description on their company website which states,

‘We start hard conversations, crack open taboos, and look for connection and resonance everywhere we can find it.’

This six-part series, produced by Paltrow herself, is then shown to centre upon acts of transgression, namely female masturbation, exorcism and intoxication, and doesn’t seem to hold back on their meticulous treatment of these marginal topics and taboos.

The Goop Lab is set to premiere on January 24 on Netflix.

Words by Shir Ariya

Graphics by Katie Janes

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