This Week’s Need-to-Know Beauty News
The beauty news you need, from Lululemon's new line of beauty products to SK-II's new non-human ambassador
Lululemon Launches Selfcare Line
Everyone’s favourite purveyor of fancy yoga pants is dipping a toe into the proverbial self-care waters with a new line of beauty products. Appropriately, the four-product line is dubbed Selfcare, and features a lip balm ($16), a face moisturizer ($52), a dry shampoo ($38) and an aerosol deodorant ($14), all available for purchase at Sephora. Extra points go to the brand for formulating the new deodorant sans aluminum. The line is billed as “sweat-tested solutions”—surely destined for stylish gym bags everywhere—and scored Sephora’s Leaping Bunny certification, (meaning products are not tested on animals) as well as their “Clean at Sephora” designation (for products made without phthalates, sulphates, formaldehyde, mineral oils and other unpopular ingredients).
Naomi Osaka Is the New Face of bareMinerals
Tennis champion Naomi Osaka—currently ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association as number one in the world, representing Japan—is the latest name to join bareMinerals’s list of ambassadors, which currently includes Hailey Bieber, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Letitia Wright. The news broke on the same day as a compelling feature in the New York Times on the flack some female players have faced for wearing makeup and styling their hair during the World Cup. Osaka landed the beauty contract after winning this year’s Australian Open, proving that female athleticism and embracing femininity can co-exist.
An Avatar Is the New Face of SK-II
In other ambassador news, SK-II has also debuted its newest face—and it’s not a human one. The Japanese skincare line has tapped YUMI as the brand’s new face, a product of Soul Machines’s autonomously animated digital influencer project, which was launched in collaboration with P&G. “YUMI marks the birth of the first fully autonomous, AI-driven, Digital Influencer capable of interacting as a human would but with the control brands need and expect,” Soul Machines says. “YUMI will support customers of the Japanese cosmetic brand SK-II in understanding and selecting products, take care of their skin, and provide general beauty advice.” SK-II isn’t the first to delve into the realm of AI to populate campaigns: Calvin Klein came under scrutiny last month for queer-baiting in an ad featuring fictional influencer/digital art project Miquela Sousa (aka Lil Miquela) with Bella Hadid.
OPI Asks Men to #MANiUP
The nail polish brand’s latest project as part of their Color Is the Answer initiative is asking men everywhere to #MANiUP and boldly go where most haven’t gone before and paint their nails. “As a brand that believes color has the power to heal, transform, empower and spark joy—the stance to #MANiUP and support color for everyone was a natural decision,” OPI said in a statement. The project involves a series of conversational videos aimed at debunking stereotypes around masculinity and nail colour. “I’ve always said that color has the power to change your look—and your outlook,” OPI co-founder and brand ambassador Suzi Weiss-Fischmann said in a statement. “While traditionally nail lacquer has been associated with female definitions of beauty, there’s no reason why nail color can’t be enjoyed by males as well. No longer are men’s skincare, haircare or other grooming products considered taboo—nails should be no different!” We’ve come a long way from Toemageddon.
, a face moisturizer ($52), a dry shampoo ($38) and an aerosol deodorant ($14), all available for purchase at Sephora. Extra points go to the brand for formulating the new deodorant sans aluminum. The line is billed as "sweat-tested solutions"—surely destined for stylish gym bags everywhere—and scored Sephora's Leaping Bunny certification, (meaning products are not tested on animals) as well as their "Clean at Sephora" designation (for products made without phthalates, sulphates, formaldehyde, mineral oils and other unpopular ingredients).
[caption id="attachment_376870" align="alignnone" width="1190"] Photography via Instagram/NaomiOsaka[/caption]
Naomi Osaka Is the New Face of bareMinerals
Tennis champion Naomi Osaka—currently ranked by the Women's Tennis Association as number one in the world, representing Japan—is the latest name to join bareMinerals's list of ambassadors, which currently includes Hailey Bieber, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Letitia Wright. The news broke on the same day as a compelling feature in the New York Times on the flack some female players have faced for wearing makeup and styling their hair during the World Cup. Osaka landed the beauty contract after winning this year's Australian Open, proving that female athleticism and embracing femininity can co-exist.
[caption id="attachment_376872" align="alignnone" width="1194"] Photography via Instagram/Soul_Machines[/caption]
An Avatar Is the New Face of SK-II
In other ambassador news, SK-II has also debuted its newest face—and it's not a human one. The Japanese skincare line has tapped YUMI as the brand's new face, a product of Soul Machines's autonomously animated digital influencer project, which was launched in collaboration with P&G. "YUMI marks the birth of the first fully autonomous, AI-driven, Digital Influencer capable of interacting as a human would but with the control brands need and expect," Soul Machines says. "YUMI will support customers of the Japanese cosmetic brand SK-II in understanding and selecting products, take care of their skin, and provide general beauty advice." SK-II isn't the first to delve into the realm of AI to populate campaigns: Calvin Klein came under scrutiny last month for queer-baiting in an ad featuring fictional influencer/digital art project Miquela Sousa (aka Lil Miquela) with Bella Hadid.
[caption id="attachment_376874" align="alignnone" width="640"] Photography courtesy of OPI[/caption]
OPI Asks Men to #MANiUP
The nail polish brand's latest project as part of their Color Is the Answer initiative is asking men everywhere to #MANiUP and boldly go where most haven't gone before and paint their nails. "As a brand that believes color has the power to heal, transform, empower and spark joy—the stance to #MANiUP and support color for everyone was a natural decision," OPI said in a statement. The project involves a series of conversational videos aimed at debunking stereotypes around masculinity and nail colour. "I’ve always said that color has the power to change your look—and your outlook,” OPI co-founder and brand ambassador Suzi Weiss-Fischmann said in a statement. “While traditionally nail lacquer has been associated with female definitions of beauty, there’s no reason why nail color can’t be enjoyed by males as well. No longer are men’s skincare, haircare or other grooming products considered taboo—nails should be no different!" We've come a long way from Toemageddon.){kind=link}