#sandbridge

[27dragons]

For FFWF: any deleted scenes from the Sandbridge verse that you can tell us about? ❤️ (for purely selfish remix sequel motivation reasons 😅)

ACTUALLY, yes! Though I don't know how useful it's going to be for your remix sequel (which I am ardently looking forward to!)

In Chapter 4 of My Three Dads, Tony and Bucky are at a gala in New York with Maria, and Tony gets cornered by Ty, who says some very surprising things and suggests that Tony come over the next day to collect some things he'd left behind.

Tisfan and I actually wrote that scene, but when we got to the editing stage, it just... didn't fit quite right. So we threw in a quick reference to it at the beginning of Chapter 5 and cut it.

But I did actually LIKE the scene. And I'd filed it away in my "clips and cuts" folder. So here you go, the Deleted Scene of the last time Tony ever talks to Ty:

[Fair warning, this is 100% unedited.]

.

The neighborhood had gotten nicer; several renovation projects had updated the older shops in the area with brighter, cleaner ones. Tony noticed with amusement that these post-modern stores were catering to an “old fashioned” hipster feel, even though they were much cleaner, with better lighting, than the previous places had been.

The high rise where Tony had once lived was both strange and familiar. He hadn’t thought about this place in years, hadn’t missed it once those first few months of living in Virginia had passed. But everything was so very familiar; he even remembered the dips in the front stairs. The stylised elephant statues had been replaced at some point with elegant stone cranes, but the brass numbers on the front of the building were the same, as was the fading green linoleum tile in the entryway near the rack of mailboxes.

Tony stared around the little entryway like he was seeing ghosts. He was grateful for Bucky’s presence at his back, strong and certain, more grateful than he could ever say. It took an effort of will to walk over to the intercom system and punch in the apartment number. “It’s us,” he said when it crackled to life. “For my stuff.”

“Come on up,” Ty said, cheerfully, buzzing them through the door.

Bucky was looking around with a wary sort of curiosity, and his hand was on the security door when it buzzed. The last few times they’d been in New York City, everyone either had their own home, or rented in a building with a doorman, but he pulled the door open as soon as it clicked and ushered Tony through. “It’s okay, baby,” Bucky said, putting his hand on the small of Tony’s back as they stepped into the building’s aging elevator. “Worst comes to worst, Happy can come back us up.” They’d borrowed Maria’s car while the girls were playing with the oversized dollhouse that Maria kept at her house, just for special granddaughter visits.

(Well, Billie was playing. Olivia was cruising around the table it sat on, and probably occasionally trying to eat the furniture.)

“If he’s even a little bit of an asshole to you,” Tony said, not for the first time, “we’re leaving. I don’t care about any stuff enough to put up with whatever he thinks he can get away with.” He thumbed the floor button on the elevator and leaned into Bucky’s side. “Maybe this was a dumb idea.”

“Could be,” Bucky said, “but we’ve come this far, and I don’t reckon Stone wants t’ be arrested any more than I do. So we’ll try an’ keep the punching to a nice round number, like zero. It’ll be okay. Everyone saw him talkin’ with you last night, big fancy party. People he needs to impress. Your mom’s still got pull with those people -- or has it back, leastways. He’s not gonna waste that on petty revenge.”

“This is Ty we’re talking about,” Tony muttered, but the elevator stuttered to a halt and let out a sad ding as the doors slid open. Tony took a breath. It was going to be okay. They were going to get his stuff, and then leave, and everyone was going to pretend to be polite. For the sake of... something. Right? Right.

Ty had repainted the door to the apartment, added an art-deco style geometric border. Tony knocked, and didn’t let himself fidget.

When the door opened, Tony wasn’t sure what to expect, but Zeke Stane standing there with Tony’s engineering kit in one hand was not it. Not ever, not even a little bit, not even if the moon turned into bleu cheese and crashed into the ocean. “Hey Tony,” he said. “James. Good to see you. We weren’t sure you’d come. Ty… Ty thought if this was too weird for you, you can take your kit and just go, now. Or… you can come inside?”

Ty thought that? Ty had bothered to think about someone else’s comfort? Or maybe that was Zeke projecting, but Zeke had never rated very high on empathy, either.

Why was Zeke Stane in Ty’s apartment, saying we like he and Ty were...

Oh, god.

“You’re together?” he blurted. He pushed past Zeke into the apartment, looking for Ty. “That whole thing last night, that was you trying to stall me so I couldn’t get between Mom and Obie,” he gritted. “Was any of it real?”

“Of course we were trying to stall you,” Ty said. He had a mug of coffee in one hand and was waiting for the machine to pour a second cup. “I can’t… politically it would be a very bad move to end up on my soon-to-be father-in-law’s bad side right now. Your mom handled it. I admit, I was impressed.”

“You’re not a bad sort,” Zeke added, “but I don’t want you as a step-brother, Tony. We had a back-up plan, if we needed one. But Dad has to think I’m doing what he wants. You know how that is, right?”

There were the rest of Tony’s things, in boxes, neatly labeled. “I know, it looks bad,” Ty said. “And this… if things had gone south, we… well, we thought it would be best if you and I could come to some sort of peace. If we were going to end up being family.”

That thought made Tony’s brain stutter to a halt. He turned to look at Bucky. “Yyyeah,” he managed after a moment. “Probably for the best that’s not happening.” Resolutely, he turned to the stack of boxes. “I... appreciate this,” he said, grudgingly.

Bucky was looking back and forth between Zeke and Ty like he was getting whiplash. “How… how did you two even meet? I thought Ty didn’t run with th’ big players, up this way.”

“Rude,” Ty muttered.

“It’s cliche,” Zeke admitted. “We met at Howard’s funeral, few years back. Look, James, gimme a hand with these, yeah? I’ll help you take them down to your car. Bear’s got a few things he wants to say. And then it’ll be done, okay?” He glanced at Tony. “Yeah?”

Childishly, Tony didn’t want to hear anything from Ty. Not a single fucking word. Not even if he was going to actually apologize for once. But they’d come up with the intention of pretending to be polite and nice, and anyway, Ty couldn’t do anything to hurt him, not anymore. He took a breath, blew it out hard. “Yeah,” he said, looking to Bucky for confirmation. “It’ll be okay.” He hoped that came out as a statement and not a question.

There was a threat and a promise on Bucky’s face as he glanced between Ty and then Zeke. It might as well have been written on Bucky’s forehead -- you touch him, and don’t forget who’s with me. Tony had never been on the wrong side of that look. Nonetheless, it was chilling, and a reminder that Bucky could be violent, if the situation called for it. The situation wasn’t going to call for it. Tony had to believe that, or he wasn’t going to get through this.

“I’ll be right back,” Bucky said.

“Stick to the plan, Bear,” Zeke told Ty, seriously. “You can get through this.”

And the two of them grabbed the remainder of Tony’s stuff, aside from the tool kit that was still in Tony’s stunned hands, and headed down the elevator.

Tony tightened his grip on the tool kit. It was real and solid. Something he could hold onto. He lifted his chin and met Ty’s pale gaze. “Go on.”

“You were right to go,” Ty said. He kept his gaze on Tony’s face, even though he looked like he’d really rather be doing anything else. “I’m not… I’m not going to apologize. You wouldn’t believe me and I don’t think it would help either of us. What I did… that goes beyond the ability for an apology to fix. I was wrong. I hurt you. Intentionally, maliciously, and for my own ends. I can’t make up for that.”

Tony nodded, and hoped he didn’t look as poleaxed as he felt. “Yeah, you did. You took away everything that made me who I was. It’s. It’s good to hear you acknowledge it.”

“He was right,” Ty said, jerking his chin in the direction that Bucky had vanished. “I kept telling myself I didn’t mean it, that I’d make it up to you. But it wasn’t an accident. I was careless with your affection and I abused your trust. I used you to quiet my own inadequacy.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. That’s… uh, that’s what I needed to say. I’ll. Let you get on with your life now, and I wish you the best.”

The sun might have turned to blue, outside the wide picture window, and Tony wouldn’t have noticed. The whole world had turned upside down: Ty had apologized, and it even seemed sincere. Tony scrambled after thought, and words. “I... hope you mean that,” he said. “I hope you’re getting better. If you mean it, then I hope you have a good life, and that you’re able to make him happy. Really happy, not...” He was going to start babbling. He clenched his jaw. “Yeah. You know. I’m... I’m just going to go, before I say something stupid.”

He hesitated, though, trying to read Ty’s expression, trying to see the truth of things in those clear blue eyes. He’d never been able to read Ty before, though, and he couldn’t trust the apparent sincerity there now. Tony swallowed. He couldn’t quite forgive Ty, but for whatever it was worth... “Apology accepted.” He walked out the door and waited for it to close behind him before he stopped and leaned against the wall, shaking.

The elevator dinged and two sets of footsteps came out, a rapid patter, and then Bucky was there, one hand on Tony’s arm. “Baby, you--” He broke off and snapped, “no, just you keep right on walkin’. You both done just about enough for one day.”

“Tony,” Zeke said, and Bucky was right there, in Zeke Stane’s face. 

“Go. Inside. You don’t get t’ touch him, or apologize or excuse your boyfriend or whatever. You done enough.”

Zeke shrugged and went into the apartment.

“Baby?”

“I’m okay,” Tony said. He reached out and pulled Bucky to him, tucking his face into the curve of Bucky’s neck. “I’m okay,” he repeated, and if it wasn’t quite the truth, it would be, soon. “It’s all done.”

“Bastards,” Bucky spat, glaring at the door. “Come on, come on, honey, let’s get the fuck out of here. God damnit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’ta…” Bucky had his arm around Tony’s shoulders, reaching across himself to take Tony’s hand. Once Bucky had Tony in the elevator, private. “Do I even want to know what he said, or should I just go back and kick his ass for you?”

Tony laced his fingers through Bucky’s, keeping him close. “He apologized, actually. No ass-kicking needed. I’m just kind of... stunned.”

Tugging Tony closer, Bucky kissed his hair and forehead several times, as if reassuring himself that Tony was okay. “Doesn’t matter,” he said, finally. “Doesn’t change anything. He’s a bastard, an’ I’m going to make sure you never, ever have to see him again.” He heaved out a great breath. “Zeke spent th’ whole time we were loadin’ the car tellin’ me how Ty needed to do this. For them. For their relationship. God, what a selfish bastard.”

“They’re well matched, then,” Tony said. “And I have no intention of ever seeing them ever again, not if I don’t have to.” He wrapped his arm around Bucky’s waist as the elevator slowed to a stop. “C’mon, let’s go home. I feel like taking the girls out for ice cream. Wanna see how much of a mess Livvy can make if we let her have her own?”

“Oh, my god, your mother will have a coronary,” Bucky said. “We should definitely do that. Absolutely.”

.

Fanfic Writer Friday!

[snoo333]

Amazing weather today.

Looking forward to the moon tonight.

[mktilghman]

A playlist for STEP INTO THE SUNLIGHT

My Master Works dulcimer. All of the songs played by Paul, the love interest in my new Ocean City-based novel are beautiful melodies that I’ve learned to play—or, in one case, want to learn. I’ve been studying the hammered dulcimer longer than I’ve been writing novels. About 12 years, believe it or not. My teacher is the great Ken Kolodner, a Baltimore-based musician who performs all over the…

[menslifedc]

Last-Minute summer beach escapes for DMV vacationers

[phoebeegreen3]

Capri Persson (F1) ⸺ 03. ABOUT THE TEAM

🏎 SUMMARY: What if the best driver of recent years isn't actually him? What if the best driver is actually hiding something else? Would he still be the best? Or just a simple fraud? 📓 GENRE: secret identity / rivals to lovers / he felt first, she felt harder / soulmates / slow burn 📧 WORD COUNT: 1615 📬 PARTS: book one (two parts) / CP9, book two (one part) 🏁TAGLIST: @heyyurl @dreadity @moonchouus @wierdflowerpower @anunstablefangirl @deaddumblbumble @a-bbles (let me know in the comments if you want to be part) 🏆 CAPRIPERSSON.MASTERLIST

Melbourne, Australia. March, 2023

The Australian GP was always fun. Sunny days, 5.303 kilometers in length, 58 laps, and a total of 307.574 kilometers. The fastest lap was held by Charles Leclerc with 1:20.260 in 2022, and I liked to keep that in mind because there was always a chance to break another record. The circuit was located around Albert Park Lake, south of the city, and it was pretty cool to do the track walk on Thursday as soon as we arrived, with John, Jean, and a couple more people from the team—two of them unaware they were walking with Capri Persson.

For anyone who had seen me in the garage or hanging around Jean, Franz, and the others, I was a tiny part of the team. When I wasn’t wearing my helmet and uniform, I was just another girl in an AlphaTauri t-shirt, listening to conversations about driver Persson. The first few times I had to analyze races with the engineering team, I did it from another room with a direct connection to Jean so she could express what I was thinking. Later, I preferred to join the meetings as Capri Persson’s "assistant," pretending to speak for him when, in reality, I was speaking for myself. By 2022, Franz, Jean, and I decided to have three of the team's main engineers sign a confidentiality agreement to hold deeper and more private analysis meetings. These three engineers were Louisa, William, and John. So the five of us, plus two more engineers, walked along the track asphalt, talking about it, while Nyck and the rest of the team followed a few meters behind.

"Hamilton once said these track walks were pointless before the race," John commented as we crossed Turn 9, the Clark Chicane, for no particular reason.

"What do you think?" Louisa asked me directly, and I looked at my feet on the asphalt.

"It’s Hamilton; I can’t go against that," I smiled, shrugging.

"Oh, yes, you can," Jean laughed, knowing how much I loved challenging the greats.

"I respect Lewis, no doubt about that. But you can tell he’s a driver who thinks completely and totally about strategy on track. Otherwise, he would understand what it means to come and step on the circuit, to feel it somehow, to visualize it, to connect with it..."

"And here begins the spirituality class," Jean joked, and we all laughed. A part of me did believe in a kind of spirituality to connect with the track, something beyond us that fully intertwines with what happens in the here and now that no strategy, weather, or feeling could change. But I wasn’t a religious person.

"I’d love to see headlines saying 'Capri Persson contradicts Lewis Hamilton and his techniques,'" John added, jotting things down in his notebook.

"Don’t say it twice; you know I’m capable of doing it."

On Friday mornings, I used to go for a run early before breakfast. It’s an extremely common habit since I started racing, and every year it gets more fun. I usually look for places in the cities where I stay to run outdoors—parks, downtown areas, beaches, quiet neighborhoods, anything. Melbourne had beautiful spots to enjoy, and since I was staying with the whole team at the Quest St Kilda Road, very close to the circuit, I decided to walk to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne to run there, surrounded by fresh air, colorful flowers, and incredibly satisfying green grass.

Last time I stayed here, the previous season, I ran from Middle Park Beach to Sandbridge Beach, which is about 4.5 km, and then directly back to the hotel, another 6.7 km. It was great to see the sunrise every morning and take amazing photos. I’m a huge fan of sunrise photography, so I wasn’t going to miss it. But running in the botanical garden didn’t work at sunrise, so I trained early in the gym and then went running once the sun was already bright above us.

When I returned, I saw Franz having breakfast in the hotel garden, which I had to cross to get to the rooms, and I didn’t hesitate to approach him. It was a wonderful day for practice sessions.

"God, I’m starving," I said, stealing a piece of apple from his plate after taking off my headphones, and Franz laughed at me.

"You look good. How much did you run?"

"Have you been to the botanical garden yet? It’s 38 hectares of pure landscaping," I said, sitting across from him in the empty seat while I told him about my run and how much I had enjoyed it, and that I couldn’t wait to cover the parts I had missed during the rest of the weekend. Franz listened to me like a grandfather listens to a child talking about the things that fascinate them.

Since we met, Franz had always occupied a place in my life that I had never allowed anyone else to take. He was my boss, my friend, my guru, my guide, and my family, although the respect I had for him limited me from talking about certain things. He had always been open to talking about anything I needed, just like he did with Pierre at the time and now Nyck.

"And how about you? How’s it been going?" I asked before taking a long final sip from my bottle.

"Well, I’ve had a couple of meetings..."

"Agh," I exclaimed in exaggerated disgust, and he lowered his gaze, smiling. "Can I know with whom?"

"Horner, we needed to talk about Nyck."

"Ooh, now I’m interested," I settled into my seat.

"I can’t tell you much," he said, taking a sip of his coffee, shrugging, and I laughed. I knew he’d end up talking.

"But you can’t deny that Nyck isn’t what you expected him to be."

"Yes, you’re absolutely right about that. But changing teammates is part of the game, so we have to get used to it," he crossed his arms on the table, letting out a heavy sigh that showed how tired he was of the subject. It seemed serious for the third race of the season. It was obvious that silly season was looming over all of us; I had no doubt about it, but maybe Nyck did.

"Jean already asked me—why didn’t you?" I threw out without warning, and Franz looked at me for a few seconds, thoughtfully breathing. He knew what I was talking about.

"I never had the chance to seriously talk about those kinds of things with you," he answered simply, and my amused expression completely changed. "I assumed you talked about deeper things with Jean, and I needed to know. Pierre and you didn’t talk the entire time you were together, not even outside of this Capri Persson role-playing game..."

"It’s not a game, Franz."

"I know, kid. I just needed to know how you were about it. I know that a teammate change can seem like a silly topic, but I also know it can clash with other things that have happened, and the mental health of my team is also part of the game. A very essential part," he explained.

"Do you miss him?" I diverted the conversation.

"Yes, of course I do. I got used to having both of you under control; I knew what you were doing, what you wanted, and what you needed. Although when Pierre left, I realized how little I actually knew about the private lives of both of you. And that made me ask myself hundreds of questions."

"You never really know people, Franz," I sighed, leaning back against the chair and looking away from the conversation.

"We both know what I’m talking about," he replied, fixing his gaze on me, and neither of us spoke for a few seconds.

"So, are you going to ask if my dad took me to my first kart races?" I said with some amusement.

"What about your mother?"

Franz’s question now felt like playing chess with someone who knew my weak points, my holes in the game, but never knew how deep they were.

"She’s fine, at home," I replied casually, and Franz shook his head, amused.

"How did you learn sign language? No detours this time," he smiled at the end like it was checkmate.

"My mother is deaf-mute. I had to learn it practically from birth."

"Do you have siblings?" he continued.

"No, I’m an only child of a practically single mother."

"Practically?"

"That’s a lot for a start, Franz, don’t you think? Or is this a second job interview?" I laughed, and he smiled at the joke. "I’m going to take a shower before breakfast, or I’ll be late. See you at the circuit?" I stood up, and Franz nodded, finishing his plate of fruit. I waved goodbye, and before I walked away, he asked:

"Would you change teams?"

I stopped after taking two steps away from Franz and looked down, wondering if he was serious or just wanted to make sure I was comfortable where I was. I turned to look at him, confused, but since he didn’t say anything else, I had to speak.

"I have no plans to leave, Franz. Unless you want to fire me."

"Are you afraid you won’t find another team?"

"I’m afraid you will, that you’ll make the biggest mistake of your career, because you would know too much about me to let me go without guilt. That’s why team directors usually don’t ask about the lives of their drivers. But you already did, and if I keep talking about how sad my life was, you’ll feel pity and never let me go," I joked, and he sighed. "See you later, Franz."

He didn’t answer.

PREVIOUS: 02. I DON'T WANNA TALK

NEXT: 04.MY BIGGEST FEAR

[iam93percentstardust]

@27dragons: mentions nights in sandbridge exactly one (1) time

me: ah yes, time to go spend the next few days rereading the entire series and doing nothing else

[crazy-hand-official]

took an amazing vacation down at sandbridge virginia with my family. saw tons of dolphins just pods and pods of them circling. also read a lot of hooky’s joy division book on the beach along with this like… religious romance? it sucked ass lol but hooky’s book is of course great

anyways goodbye summer ily

[findrentals]

Vacation Rental Property Manager Profile for Ocean Sands Realty - Ocean Sands Realty are professionals who live and work in Sandbridge. We are familiar with the..

[chrmhrtsmula]

Sandbridge livin

[27dragons]

Just finished another re-read of the Sandbridge series (one of my all time favorites)!!! Decided to make Billie's Mac for dinner tonight!

Oh my god that looks AMAZING! Can I come over to your house for dinner??? 😂

So happy that you're still enjoying Sandbridge; it's definitely still one of my particular favorites as well!

[snoo333]

Amazing weather today.

Looking forward to the moon tonight.

[commonyellowthroat]

ok sorry real journal entry this time. kayaked on back bay in sandbridge va for a couple hours this morning yayyy I love marshes! we saw muskrats and a cottonmouth. bird list below the cut (though I didn’t ebird bc I was busy kayaking)

common grackles

boat-tailed grackles

red winged blackbirds

ospreys sooooo many ospreys!

great blue herons

spotted sandpipers

purple martins

tree swallows

barn swallows

yellow warbler

carolina chickadee

mallards & soooo many ducklings

double crested cormorants

american crows

fish crows

great crested flycatchers

canada geese & goslings

uhhhhh unidentified gulls. did not try sorry!

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and a business proposal for Jenna Rink.Included in today’s issue: Anonlychild, Boy Smells, Cécred, Clinique, Coach, ColourPop, Dwell212, Elizabeth Arden, Ellis Brooklyn, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Essie, Florence by Mills, Iconic London, Image Skincare, Iris & Romeo, Jones Road, Korres, Laneige, Lolavie, MAC Cosmetics, Marc Jacobs, Noyz, OGX, Saltyface, Scentbird, Sephora, Sheglam, Solawave, Ursa Major, and big bubble letters. But first… I fear we have underestimated Ariana Grande. True, it’s tough to call the pop star an underdog. She has an Oscar nomination, two Grammys and half a billion social media followers. But despite worldwide adoration, the pixie powerhouse is rarely labeled a “beauty mogul” by industry trade papers. That’s odd since after buying back her cosmetics line, R.e.m. beauty, from Forma Brands in 2023, she secured a $15 million investment from Sandbridge Capital, sold one perfume every 11 seconds, and wore glitter eyeshadow without looking like a “White Lotus” boat raver. (Alas, Chelsea!) Still, when we talk about the “celebrity” category, it’s almost always about the three Rs: Selena Gomez’s skyrocketing Rare Beauty, Hailey Bieber’s astonishing Rhode Skin, and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. On April 9, R.e.m. Beauty became the fourth ‘r’ in the famous-girl cosmetics coven. That’s when the social analysis platform Dash Hudson dropped their annual Beauty Industry Benchmark Report, a white paper so in-demand, and so damn expensive, I had to put the moves on a tech executive just to get a copy. (Okay, fine, he’s my boyfriend. But still...) The 34-page brief breaks down the best uses for each social media network — YouTube for narrative short videos; Instagram for click-to-buy moments; TikTok for basically everything else — and spotlights the top-performing brands on every major platform.Frankly, R.e.m. Beauty slayed harder than Fortinbras at the end of “Hamlet.” On Instagram, the brand landed a 1.8 percent engagement rate, higher than any non-celebrity beauty brand and double that of Rare. (Rhode Skin had a 2.3 percent rate — the highest — while Sol de Janeiro came in with 1.3.) On TikTok, Rhode and R.e.m. were nearly tied for engagement (7.7 percent for Hailey vs. 7.6 for Ariana), with Rare knocked off the podium completely by Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills line. People love to make it look like women are fighting, so let’s be clear here: This is not a knock on the amazing success and accomplished formulas of Rare Beauty or the authentic and undeniable appeal of its talented founder Selena Gomez. As Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike told the newsletter Feed Me, “Everyone can eat.” (And look, their blush is sick.) Still, it’s notable that R.e.m. skyrocketed so much in such a short amount of time, and it gives two interesting hints for growing a brand’s celebrity strategy in the future. It turns out, beauty consumers aren’t as cynical as we feared. The Wicked tie-ins and red carpet product promotion really worked. The trick was tying the R.e.m. exposure to a very real end-date, instead of making it seem like an endless rush. We knew that Grande’s constant TV appearances and product tie-ins would end when “Wicked”’s promotional cycle did, just like we knew Nyx’s “Barbie” streak was basically a summer fling — a good time, not a long one. In both cases, the brand’s awareness and revenue soared, and stayed high even months after the movie hype ended. (Eagle eyes will recognise a cameo of the brand’s Satin Matte blush compacts during the song “Popular.”) As an industry, we need to get better at accepting a hard truth: Social media success can certainly drive revenue, but it’s not a guaranteed jet pack. After all, it costs nothing to hit the “like” button, and $19 to buy a R.e.m. Drippy Gloss Balm. Witness the undeniable dominance of Fenty Beauty, which brought in $603 million last year and didn’t make these Dash Hudson rankings at all. (Neither did Glossier, actually, which is certainly something to think about.) Will R.e.m. Beauty make a record profit in 2025? Like a Magic 8 ball after you shake it five times, the data says “all signs point to yes.” Will it out-earn Rare Beauty, even though it’s out-performing the brand on social engagement metrics? To quote one of Selena Gomez’s own song titles, “Slow down.” There are other factors — namely, distribution partners, strategic ad spends, and product alignment— that drive sales even more than engaged TikTok fans. Speaking of product alignment, an innocent question: Would it help if R.e.m. Beauty released a ponytail slick-back balm? It would be pop-u-lar. Just saying. What else is new...SkincareKorres debuted its Men’s Athenium Grooming Collection on April 3, including moisturiser, cleanser, beard oil, after shave, and two kinds of cologne. The line includes yarrow extract, but they’re calling it “achillea” because of the Greek theme. Feels like a collab with the Madeline Miller best-seller “Song of Achilles” should be happening, right? BookTok, weigh in. “Ozempic face,” meet “GLP-1 skincare.” On April 4, Image Skincare introduced Volulift, a $134 moisturiser that claims to restore fullness and bounce to skin that’s been zapped by rapid weight loss. Expect this category to increase; also expect me to scream into various voids. Solawave is rolling into all 610 Ulta-at-Target stores on April 6. The inventory includes gizmos like its LED wand and its associated topical skincare.Matcha has come for your lip gloss. On April 7, Laneige debuted a $19 Matcha Bubble Tea version of its Glowy Lip Balm, plus a $24 version of its Lip Sleeping Mask — amazing, considering matcha’s caffeine content.Ursa Major introduced Forest Water Hyaluronic Serum on April 8. It has sequoia and beech tree extracts, plus ”lupine peptides”, which freaked me out — I thought the name meant it came from wolves, a la Professor Lupin in Harry Potter. Fortunately, these peptides were taken from the white lupine flower, which looks a bit like lily-of-the-valley and promises anti-aging benefits like firmness. Phew. Saltyface’s first moisturiser hits shelves on April 10. It’s a self-tanning formula with hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf juice and a $48 retail price.MakeupMAC Cosmetics revamped its Studio Fix powder foundation on April 4, extending the shade range to 67 hues and taking talc out of the formula. The compact itself also got a makeover: It’s thinner and flatter than the original, which was slightly puffy — but easy to find in your handbag on the dance floor.E.l.f. dropped Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm on April 4 in six dessert-themed shades, including wild cherry and java chip. Reddit fans are comparing the $9 tinted balm to Summer Fridays, but I think the formula stands on its own.A moment for Iris & Romeo lip balm, which consistently performs well above its weight class for shininess and longevity. On April 4, it debuted Weekend Skin SPF 30 Moisture Lip Balm, which comes in three buildable shades. Clinique’s Even Better Clinical Vitamin foundation launched on April 7. The $38 formula has SPF 45 and comes in 28 shades with no-nonsense names like “Deep Cool” and “Light Medium Warm.” (Helpful, thank you.) Clinique also added actress Meghann Fahy to its list of social media fans; she used the brand’s Quickliner eyebrow pencil in a Vogue video about her beauty routine.Elizabeth Arden introduced its Hydraplay line on April 8. The range includes a cleanser and SPF built for lightweight hydration.Jones Road rolled out Just Enough, a buildable tinted moisturiser, on April 8. It comes in sixteen shades that retail for $48 each, and a marketing campaign partially conceptualised by robots. Colourpop’s Liquid Blush with Pearl hit stores on April 10. It’s a $10 buildable formula in six shades; I’ve been using Princess Ave (a cool-toned pink) for weeks and it’s so glowy! Sheglam’s Buttery Blush Sticks are less luminous, but they’re also less money — $6 each — and hit shelves on April 8.Do you need a “tanning elixir?” Iconic London introduced its own version of April 10 — they’re calling it a “bronzing water” and selling it for $30. The label debuted a bronzing balm on the same day, in case you prefer your faux glow to feel a little thicker.Essie has signed the best celebrity model of all time — Ellie the Elephant from the New York Liberty WNBA team. On April 10, the giant puffy mascot with the best dance moves in Brooklyn became the new face of the nail polish lineHaircarePeptides became a mandatory lip-gloss add; now they’re coming for hairspray. On April 6, Lolavie introduced its Peptide Plumping Volume Spray, a $30 formula that promises fuller, more lifted hair and heat-styling protection. It’s available online and at Ulta Beauty, and yes, founder Jennifer Aniston tested the elixir herself before letting it hit stores. Shay Mitchell is exciting enough to carry an actual spy movie, but for now, we’ll settle for a spy-themed commercial. The actress is the new face of OGX beauty, and appears in a series of videos where she hands over Bond Protein Repair spray as if she’s James Bond stealing a nuclear code. The ads debuted on April 8. Congrats to Cécred, which entered Ulta Beauty on April 6! The haircare line by Tina and Beyoncé Knowles launched in 1,400 doors and Ulta Beauty Salons, where it will be used during hair treatments. FragranceCoach wants you to know that its latest fragrance is male, okay? The scent is called Coach for Men, it comes in a tough obsidian bottle, it has notes of cardamom and leather, and basketball star Jayson Tatum is in the ads. Created by Julie Karagueuzoglou (who also developed a scent for super-bloke David Beckham), the $133 eau de parfum is “an invitation to freely explore all sides of oneself.” Except the girl sides, ew, because this is for men!Guava Granita is a smoothie of a fragrance featuring banana, mango and almond milk (really). Ellis Brooklyn debuted it on April 6 for $115.Millie Bobby Brown is bottling the beach. On April 8, she launched Coastal Chic, a body mist from her beauty line Florence by Mills that has “sea mist notes” and “ylang-ylang oil from the Comoro Islands,” which sit between Mozambique and Madagascar. The sprays are $18 each; the ads have Brown wearing giant canary diamond rings. A personal shopper for fragrance? Neiman Marcus is testing the concept through Neiman Select, a partnership with Scentbird that launched on April 8 and distills the NM luxury fragrance selection into curated sample boxes for subscribers. Brands include DS & Durga, Vilhelm Parfumerie and Fragrance du Bois. Marc Jacobs FTW! On April 8, the brand’s Daisy Wild perfume brought home a Packaging of the Year award from the Fragrance Foundation. It uses a sprig of Brat-green in the bottle, along with puffy, mylar balloon lettering that we also see at Coachtopia. Bring in the Noyz, but hopefully not the funk. On April 10, the indie scent brand debuted Detour, a fragrance with mandarin, jasmine and musk that captures “the thrill of spontaneity.” It’s $85, which for most of us, isn’t a spontaneous price point. On April 11, Boy Smells introduced three scents on Sephora.com: Rosy Cheeks (floral and rose), Coco Cream (coconut and tiare) and Sugar Baby (waterlily and musk), which they claim “smells like main character energy.” Each perfume is $78.Welcome to the fragrance world, Anonlychild! On April 11, the independent label by former Public School designer Maxwell Osborne launched its first scent, Studio, which boasts notes of citrus, saffron and violet. Osbourne told me he’s testing the product as a candle first, with plans to eventually expand into wearables. And finally…Life imitates Netflix. On April 9, Sephora announced a partnership deal with the WNBA team the Golden State Valkyries. Two weeks earlier, Sephora announced a fictional deal with the LA Waves, the fake NBA team on Kate Hudson’s hit comedy, Running Point. (Now can somebody please make the actual Runway magazine from “13 Going on 30” and put Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer on the cover?)Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day’s most important beauty and wellness news and analysis. Source link

[norajworld]

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and a business proposal for Jenna Rink.Included in today’s issue: Anonlychild, Boy Smells, Cécred, Clinique, Coach, ColourPop, Dwell212, Elizabeth Arden, Ellis Brooklyn, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Essie, Florence by Mills, Iconic London, Image Skincare, Iris & Romeo, Jones Road, Korres, Laneige, Lolavie, MAC Cosmetics, Marc Jacobs, Noyz, OGX, Saltyface, Scentbird, Sephora, Sheglam, Solawave, Ursa Major, and big bubble letters. But first… I fear we have underestimated Ariana Grande. True, it’s tough to call the pop star an underdog. She has an Oscar nomination, two Grammys and half a billion social media followers. But despite worldwide adoration, the pixie powerhouse is rarely labeled a “beauty mogul” by industry trade papers. That’s odd since after buying back her cosmetics line, R.e.m. beauty, from Forma Brands in 2023, she secured a $15 million investment from Sandbridge Capital, sold one perfume every 11 seconds, and wore glitter eyeshadow without looking like a “White Lotus” boat raver. (Alas, Chelsea!) Still, when we talk about the “celebrity” category, it’s almost always about the three Rs: Selena Gomez’s skyrocketing Rare Beauty, Hailey Bieber’s astonishing Rhode Skin, and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. On April 9, R.e.m. Beauty became the fourth ‘r’ in the famous-girl cosmetics coven. That’s when the social analysis platform Dash Hudson dropped their annual Beauty Industry Benchmark Report, a white paper so in-demand, and so damn expensive, I had to put the moves on a tech executive just to get a copy. (Okay, fine, he’s my boyfriend. But still...) The 34-page brief breaks down the best uses for each social media network — YouTube for narrative short videos; Instagram for click-to-buy moments; TikTok for basically everything else — and spotlights the top-performing brands on every major platform.Frankly, R.e.m. Beauty slayed harder than Fortinbras at the end of “Hamlet.” On Instagram, the brand landed a 1.8 percent engagement rate, higher than any non-celebrity beauty brand and double that of Rare. (Rhode Skin had a 2.3 percent rate — the highest — while Sol de Janeiro came in with 1.3.) On TikTok, Rhode and R.e.m. were nearly tied for engagement (7.7 percent for Hailey vs. 7.6 for Ariana), with Rare knocked off the podium completely by Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills line. People love to make it look like women are fighting, so let’s be clear here: This is not a knock on the amazing success and accomplished formulas of Rare Beauty or the authentic and undeniable appeal of its talented founder Selena Gomez. As Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike told the newsletter Feed Me, “Everyone can eat.” (And look, their blush is sick.) Still, it’s notable that R.e.m. skyrocketed so much in such a short amount of time, and it gives two interesting hints for growing a brand’s celebrity strategy in the future. It turns out, beauty consumers aren’t as cynical as we feared. The Wicked tie-ins and red carpet product promotion really worked. The trick was tying the R.e.m. exposure to a very real end-date, instead of making it seem like an endless rush. We knew that Grande’s constant TV appearances and product tie-ins would end when “Wicked”’s promotional cycle did, just like we knew Nyx’s “Barbie” streak was basically a summer fling — a good time, not a long one. In both cases, the brand’s awareness and revenue soared, and stayed high even months after the movie hype ended. (Eagle eyes will recognise a cameo of the brand’s Satin Matte blush compacts during the song “Popular.”) As an industry, we need to get better at accepting a hard truth: Social media success can certainly drive revenue, but it’s not a guaranteed jet pack. After all, it costs nothing to hit the “like” button, and $19 to buy a R.e.m. Drippy Gloss Balm. Witness the undeniable dominance of Fenty Beauty, which brought in $603 million last year and didn’t make these Dash Hudson rankings at all. (Neither did Glossier, actually, which is certainly something to think about.) Will R.e.m. Beauty make a record profit in 2025? Like a Magic 8 ball after you shake it five times, the data says “all signs point to yes.” Will it out-earn Rare Beauty, even though it’s out-performing the brand on social engagement metrics? To quote one of Selena Gomez’s own song titles, “Slow down.” There are other factors — namely, distribution partners, strategic ad spends, and product alignment— that drive sales even more than engaged TikTok fans. Speaking of product alignment, an innocent question: Would it help if R.e.m. Beauty released a ponytail slick-back balm? It would be pop-u-lar. Just saying. What else is new...SkincareKorres debuted its Men’s Athenium Grooming Collection on April 3, including moisturiser, cleanser, beard oil, after shave, and two kinds of cologne. The line includes yarrow extract, but they’re calling it “achillea” because of the Greek theme. Feels like a collab with the Madeline Miller best-seller “Song of Achilles” should be happening, right? BookTok, weigh in. “Ozempic face,” meet “GLP-1 skincare.” On April 4, Image Skincare introduced Volulift, a $134 moisturiser that claims to restore fullness and bounce to skin that’s been zapped by rapid weight loss. Expect this category to increase; also expect me to scream into various voids. Solawave is rolling into all 610 Ulta-at-Target stores on April 6. The inventory includes gizmos like its LED wand and its associated topical skincare.Matcha has come for your lip gloss. On April 7, Laneige debuted a $19 Matcha Bubble Tea version of its Glowy Lip Balm, plus a $24 version of its Lip Sleeping Mask — amazing, considering matcha’s caffeine content.Ursa Major introduced Forest Water Hyaluronic Serum on April 8. It has sequoia and beech tree extracts, plus ”lupine peptides”, which freaked me out — I thought the name meant it came from wolves, a la Professor Lupin in Harry Potter. Fortunately, these peptides were taken from the white lupine flower, which looks a bit like lily-of-the-valley and promises anti-aging benefits like firmness. Phew. Saltyface’s first moisturiser hits shelves on April 10. It’s a self-tanning formula with hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf juice and a $48 retail price.MakeupMAC Cosmetics revamped its Studio Fix powder foundation on April 4, extending the shade range to 67 hues and taking talc out of the formula. The compact itself also got a makeover: It’s thinner and flatter than the original, which was slightly puffy — but easy to find in your handbag on the dance floor.E.l.f. dropped Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm on April 4 in six dessert-themed shades, including wild cherry and java chip. Reddit fans are comparing the $9 tinted balm to Summer Fridays, but I think the formula stands on its own.A moment for Iris & Romeo lip balm, which consistently performs well above its weight class for shininess and longevity. On April 4, it debuted Weekend Skin SPF 30 Moisture Lip Balm, which comes in three buildable shades. Clinique’s Even Better Clinical Vitamin foundation launched on April 7. The $38 formula has SPF 45 and comes in 28 shades with no-nonsense names like “Deep Cool” and “Light Medium Warm.” (Helpful, thank you.) Clinique also added actress Meghann Fahy to its list of social media fans; she used the brand’s Quickliner eyebrow pencil in a Vogue video about her beauty routine.Elizabeth Arden introduced its Hydraplay line on April 8. The range includes a cleanser and SPF built for lightweight hydration.Jones Road rolled out Just Enough, a buildable tinted moisturiser, on April 8. It comes in sixteen shades that retail for $48 each, and a marketing campaign partially conceptualised by robots. Colourpop’s Liquid Blush with Pearl hit stores on April 10. It’s a $10 buildable formula in six shades; I’ve been using Princess Ave (a cool-toned pink) for weeks and it’s so glowy! Sheglam’s Buttery Blush Sticks are less luminous, but they’re also less money — $6 each — and hit shelves on April 8.Do you need a “tanning elixir?” Iconic London introduced its own version of April 10 — they’re calling it a “bronzing water” and selling it for $30. The label debuted a bronzing balm on the same day, in case you prefer your faux glow to feel a little thicker.Essie has signed the best celebrity model of all time — Ellie the Elephant from the New York Liberty WNBA team. On April 10, the giant puffy mascot with the best dance moves in Brooklyn became the new face of the nail polish lineHaircarePeptides became a mandatory lip-gloss add; now they’re coming for hairspray. On April 6, Lolavie introduced its Peptide Plumping Volume Spray, a $30 formula that promises fuller, more lifted hair and heat-styling protection. It’s available online and at Ulta Beauty, and yes, founder Jennifer Aniston tested the elixir herself before letting it hit stores. Shay Mitchell is exciting enough to carry an actual spy movie, but for now, we’ll settle for a spy-themed commercial. The actress is the new face of OGX beauty, and appears in a series of videos where she hands over Bond Protein Repair spray as if she’s James Bond stealing a nuclear code. The ads debuted on April 8. Congrats to Cécred, which entered Ulta Beauty on April 6! The haircare line by Tina and Beyoncé Knowles launched in 1,400 doors and Ulta Beauty Salons, where it will be used during hair treatments. FragranceCoach wants you to know that its latest fragrance is male, okay? The scent is called Coach for Men, it comes in a tough obsidian bottle, it has notes of cardamom and leather, and basketball star Jayson Tatum is in the ads. Created by Julie Karagueuzoglou (who also developed a scent for super-bloke David Beckham), the $133 eau de parfum is “an invitation to freely explore all sides of oneself.” Except the girl sides, ew, because this is for men!Guava Granita is a smoothie of a fragrance featuring banana, mango and almond milk (really). Ellis Brooklyn debuted it on April 6 for $115.Millie Bobby Brown is bottling the beach. On April 8, she launched Coastal Chic, a body mist from her beauty line Florence by Mills that has “sea mist notes” and “ylang-ylang oil from the Comoro Islands,” which sit between Mozambique and Madagascar. The sprays are $18 each; the ads have Brown wearing giant canary diamond rings. A personal shopper for fragrance? Neiman Marcus is testing the concept through Neiman Select, a partnership with Scentbird that launched on April 8 and distills the NM luxury fragrance selection into curated sample boxes for subscribers. Brands include DS & Durga, Vilhelm Parfumerie and Fragrance du Bois. Marc Jacobs FTW! On April 8, the brand’s Daisy Wild perfume brought home a Packaging of the Year award from the Fragrance Foundation. It uses a sprig of Brat-green in the bottle, along with puffy, mylar balloon lettering that we also see at Coachtopia. Bring in the Noyz, but hopefully not the funk. On April 10, the indie scent brand debuted Detour, a fragrance with mandarin, jasmine and musk that captures “the thrill of spontaneity.” It’s $85, which for most of us, isn’t a spontaneous price point. On April 11, Boy Smells introduced three scents on Sephora.com: Rosy Cheeks (floral and rose), Coco Cream (coconut and tiare) and Sugar Baby (waterlily and musk), which they claim “smells like main character energy.” Each perfume is $78.Welcome to the fragrance world, Anonlychild! On April 11, the independent label by former Public School designer Maxwell Osborne launched its first scent, Studio, which boasts notes of citrus, saffron and violet. Osbourne told me he’s testing the product as a candle first, with plans to eventually expand into wearables. And finally…Life imitates Netflix. On April 9, Sephora announced a partnership deal with the WNBA team the Golden State Valkyries. Two weeks earlier, Sephora announced a fictional deal with the LA Waves, the fake NBA team on Kate Hudson’s hit comedy, Running Point. (Now can somebody please make the actual Runway magazine from “13 Going on 30” and put Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer on the cover?)Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day’s most important beauty and wellness news and analysis. Source link

[chilimili212]

Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and a business proposal for Jenna Rink.Included in today’s issue: Anonlychild, Boy Smells, Cécred, Clinique, Coach, ColourPop, Dwell212, Elizabeth Arden, Ellis Brooklyn, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Essie, Florence by Mills, Iconic London, Image Skincare, Iris & Romeo, Jones Road, Korres, Laneige, Lolavie, MAC Cosmetics, Marc Jacobs, Noyz, OGX, Saltyface, Scentbird, Sephora, Sheglam, Solawave, Ursa Major, and big bubble letters. But first… I fear we have underestimated Ariana Grande. True, it’s tough to call the pop star an underdog. She has an Oscar nomination, two Grammys and half a billion social media followers. But despite worldwide adoration, the pixie powerhouse is rarely labeled a “beauty mogul” by industry trade papers. That’s odd since after buying back her cosmetics line, R.e.m. beauty, from Forma Brands in 2023, she secured a $15 million investment from Sandbridge Capital, sold one perfume every 11 seconds, and wore glitter eyeshadow without looking like a “White Lotus” boat raver. (Alas, Chelsea!) Still, when we talk about the “celebrity” category, it’s almost always about the three Rs: Selena Gomez’s skyrocketing Rare Beauty, Hailey Bieber’s astonishing Rhode Skin, and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. On April 9, R.e.m. Beauty became the fourth ‘r’ in the famous-girl cosmetics coven. That’s when the social analysis platform Dash Hudson dropped their annual Beauty Industry Benchmark Report, a white paper so in-demand, and so damn expensive, I had to put the moves on a tech executive just to get a copy. (Okay, fine, he’s my boyfriend. But still...) The 34-page brief breaks down the best uses for each social media network — YouTube for narrative short videos; Instagram for click-to-buy moments; TikTok for basically everything else — and spotlights the top-performing brands on every major platform.Frankly, R.e.m. Beauty slayed harder than Fortinbras at the end of “Hamlet.” On Instagram, the brand landed a 1.8 percent engagement rate, higher than any non-celebrity beauty brand and double that of Rare. (Rhode Skin had a 2.3 percent rate — the highest — while Sol de Janeiro came in with 1.3.) On TikTok, Rhode and R.e.m. were nearly tied for engagement (7.7 percent for Hailey vs. 7.6 for Ariana), with Rare knocked off the podium completely by Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills line. People love to make it look like women are fighting, so let’s be clear here: This is not a knock on the amazing success and accomplished formulas of Rare Beauty or the authentic and undeniable appeal of its talented founder Selena Gomez. As Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike told the newsletter Feed Me, “Everyone can eat.” (And look, their blush is sick.) Still, it’s notable that R.e.m. skyrocketed so much in such a short amount of time, and it gives two interesting hints for growing a brand’s celebrity strategy in the future. It turns out, beauty consumers aren’t as cynical as we feared. The Wicked tie-ins and red carpet product promotion really worked. The trick was tying the R.e.m. exposure to a very real end-date, instead of making it seem like an endless rush. We knew that Grande’s constant TV appearances and product tie-ins would end when “Wicked”’s promotional cycle did, just like we knew Nyx’s “Barbie” streak was basically a summer fling — a good time, not a long one. In both cases, the brand’s awareness and revenue soared, and stayed high even months after the movie hype ended. (Eagle eyes will recognise a cameo of the brand’s Satin Matte blush compacts during the song “Popular.”) As an industry, we need to get better at accepting a hard truth: Social media success can certainly drive revenue, but it’s not a guaranteed jet pack. After all, it costs nothing to hit the “like” button, and $19 to buy a R.e.m. Drippy Gloss Balm. Witness the undeniable dominance of Fenty Beauty, which brought in $603 million last year and didn’t make these Dash Hudson rankings at all. (Neither did Glossier, actually, which is certainly something to think about.) Will R.e.m. Beauty make a record profit in 2025? Like a Magic 8 ball after you shake it five times, the data says “all signs point to yes.” Will it out-earn Rare Beauty, even though it’s out-performing the brand on social engagement metrics? To quote one of Selena Gomez’s own song titles, “Slow down.” There are other factors — namely, distribution partners, strategic ad spends, and product alignment— that drive sales even more than engaged TikTok fans. Speaking of product alignment, an innocent question: Would it help if R.e.m. Beauty released a ponytail slick-back balm? It would be pop-u-lar. Just saying. What else is new...SkincareKorres debuted its Men’s Athenium Grooming Collection on April 3, including moisturiser, cleanser, beard oil, after shave, and two kinds of cologne. The line includes yarrow extract, but they’re calling it “achillea” because of the Greek theme. Feels like a collab with the Madeline Miller best-seller “Song of Achilles” should be happening, right? BookTok, weigh in. “Ozempic face,” meet “GLP-1 skincare.” On April 4, Image Skincare introduced Volulift, a $134 moisturiser that claims to restore fullness and bounce to skin that’s been zapped by rapid weight loss. Expect this category to increase; also expect me to scream into various voids. Solawave is rolling into all 610 Ulta-at-Target stores on April 6. The inventory includes gizmos like its LED wand and its associated topical skincare.Matcha has come for your lip gloss. On April 7, Laneige debuted a $19 Matcha Bubble Tea version of its Glowy Lip Balm, plus a $24 version of its Lip Sleeping Mask — amazing, considering matcha’s caffeine content.Ursa Major introduced Forest Water Hyaluronic Serum on April 8. It has sequoia and beech tree extracts, plus ”lupine peptides”, which freaked me out — I thought the name meant it came from wolves, a la Professor Lupin in Harry Potter. Fortunately, these peptides were taken from the white lupine flower, which looks a bit like lily-of-the-valley and promises anti-aging benefits like firmness. Phew. Saltyface’s first moisturiser hits shelves on April 10. It’s a self-tanning formula with hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf juice and a $48 retail price.MakeupMAC Cosmetics revamped its Studio Fix powder foundation on April 4, extending the shade range to 67 hues and taking talc out of the formula. The compact itself also got a makeover: It’s thinner and flatter than the original, which was slightly puffy — but easy to find in your handbag on the dance floor.E.l.f. dropped Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm on April 4 in six dessert-themed shades, including wild cherry and java chip. Reddit fans are comparing the $9 tinted balm to Summer Fridays, but I think the formula stands on its own.A moment for Iris & Romeo lip balm, which consistently performs well above its weight class for shininess and longevity. On April 4, it debuted Weekend Skin SPF 30 Moisture Lip Balm, which comes in three buildable shades. Clinique’s Even Better Clinical Vitamin foundation launched on April 7. The $38 formula has SPF 45 and comes in 28 shades with no-nonsense names like “Deep Cool” and “Light Medium Warm.” (Helpful, thank you.) Clinique also added actress Meghann Fahy to its list of social media fans; she used the brand’s Quickliner eyebrow pencil in a Vogue video about her beauty routine.Elizabeth Arden introduced its Hydraplay line on April 8. The range includes a cleanser and SPF built for lightweight hydration.Jones Road rolled out Just Enough, a buildable tinted moisturiser, on April 8. It comes in sixteen shades that retail for $48 each, and a marketing campaign partially conceptualised by robots. Colourpop’s Liquid Blush with Pearl hit stores on April 10. It’s a $10 buildable formula in six shades; I’ve been using Princess Ave (a cool-toned pink) for weeks and it’s so glowy! Sheglam’s Buttery Blush Sticks are less luminous, but they’re also less money — $6 each — and hit shelves on April 8.Do you need a “tanning elixir?” Iconic London introduced its own version of April 10 — they’re calling it a “bronzing water” and selling it for $30. The label debuted a bronzing balm on the same day, in case you prefer your faux glow to feel a little thicker.Essie has signed the best celebrity model of all time — Ellie the Elephant from the New York Liberty WNBA team. On April 10, the giant puffy mascot with the best dance moves in Brooklyn became the new face of the nail polish lineHaircarePeptides became a mandatory lip-gloss add; now they’re coming for hairspray. On April 6, Lolavie introduced its Peptide Plumping Volume Spray, a $30 formula that promises fuller, more lifted hair and heat-styling protection. It’s available online and at Ulta Beauty, and yes, founder Jennifer Aniston tested the elixir herself before letting it hit stores. Shay Mitchell is exciting enough to carry an actual spy movie, but for now, we’ll settle for a spy-themed commercial. The actress is the new face of OGX beauty, and appears in a series of videos where she hands over Bond Protein Repair spray as if she’s James Bond stealing a nuclear code. The ads debuted on April 8. Congrats to Cécred, which entered Ulta Beauty on April 6! The haircare line by Tina and Beyoncé Knowles launched in 1,400 doors and Ulta Beauty Salons, where it will be used during hair treatments. FragranceCoach wants you to know that its latest fragrance is male, okay? The scent is called Coach for Men, it comes in a tough obsidian bottle, it has notes of cardamom and leather, and basketball star Jayson Tatum is in the ads. Created by Julie Karagueuzoglou (who also developed a scent for super-bloke David Beckham), the $133 eau de parfum is “an invitation to freely explore all sides of oneself.” Except the girl sides, ew, because this is for men!Guava Granita is a smoothie of a fragrance featuring banana, mango and almond milk (really). Ellis Brooklyn debuted it on April 6 for $115.Millie Bobby Brown is bottling the beach. On April 8, she launched Coastal Chic, a body mist from her beauty line Florence by Mills that has “sea mist notes” and “ylang-ylang oil from the Comoro Islands,” which sit between Mozambique and Madagascar. The sprays are $18 each; the ads have Brown wearing giant canary diamond rings. A personal shopper for fragrance? Neiman Marcus is testing the concept through Neiman Select, a partnership with Scentbird that launched on April 8 and distills the NM luxury fragrance selection into curated sample boxes for subscribers. Brands include DS & Durga, Vilhelm Parfumerie and Fragrance du Bois. Marc Jacobs FTW! On April 8, the brand’s Daisy Wild perfume brought home a Packaging of the Year award from the Fragrance Foundation. It uses a sprig of Brat-green in the bottle, along with puffy, mylar balloon lettering that we also see at Coachtopia. Bring in the Noyz, but hopefully not the funk. On April 10, the indie scent brand debuted Detour, a fragrance with mandarin, jasmine and musk that captures “the thrill of spontaneity.” It’s $85, which for most of us, isn’t a spontaneous price point. On April 11, Boy Smells introduced three scents on Sephora.com: Rosy Cheeks (floral and rose), Coco Cream (coconut and tiare) and Sugar Baby (waterlily and musk), which they claim “smells like main character energy.” Each perfume is $78.Welcome to the fragrance world, Anonlychild! On April 11, the independent label by former Public School designer Maxwell Osborne launched its first scent, Studio, which boasts notes of citrus, saffron and violet. Osbourne told me he’s testing the product as a candle first, with plans to eventually expand into wearables. And finally…Life imitates Netflix. On April 9, Sephora announced a partnership deal with the WNBA team the Golden State Valkyries. Two weeks earlier, Sephora announced a fictional deal with the LA Waves, the fake NBA team on Kate Hudson’s hit comedy, Running Point. (Now can somebody please make the actual Runway magazine from “13 Going on 30” and put Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer on the cover?)Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day’s most important beauty and wellness news and analysis. Source link

[27dragons]

Countdown to 2025: Dec 29

Restaurant AU / Marvel - Winteriron / Bonfire

I couldn’t resist another little peek into the Sandbridge ‘verse!

~~~

When Bucky and Billie brought the last load of firewood down to the beach, Tony was teaching Livvy how to start the fire. He was loading it with his usual long-winded explanation of the dynamics of airflow and how the way they stacked the starter kindling drew oxygen in to feed the flames and make them hotter, but everyone in the family was used to Tony over-explaining everything, and Livvy was mostly tuning him out, crouching in the sand and watching the flames with eyes almost more excited than they’d been for Christmas.

Bucky steered toward the already-stacked firewood, pulling Billie in his wake by the load held between them. “You gonna start up a career as a firebug, Briar Rose?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm,” Livvy responded, not looking away from the fire.

Bucky laughed and dropped his end of the carrier. “Don’t let her burn the restaurant down,” he told Tony. “I’ve had enough of that for my entire life.”

“What’s a little fire in the name of science?” Tony wondered.

“I’ll remind you that you said that,” Bucky said as he stacked the wood, “when you have to sleep out here after burning our house down. Or because I don’t let you in the house because you let the child almost burn it down.”

Tony tousled Livvy’s hair and came over to help stack the wood, since Billie had promptly wandered off as soon as she’d dropped her end of the carrier. He leaned in to kiss Bucky. “We’ll do our best to keep all the fire down here on the beach,” he promised.

“See that you do.” Bucky had given up even trying to resist Tony’s kisses many years ago. “Where are the lunatics?” he asked when they had to pause to breathe.

“Still up in the apartment changing.” Tony glanced around to check where their daughters were, and lowered his voice. “Nat had an attack of ‘too old and fat for a bikini’ right after they got here. I think Steve is talking her around.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. Yes, Nat had put on a little weight when she’d accepted a job as a conservation director for a marine science facility up in Virginia Beach and the demands of her job (and, they had to face it, the slowing metabolism that came with being nearly 40) were no longer enough to account for her ice cream habit. But it looked good on her, and he was pretty sure she knew it and was only complaining to Steve to prompt some compliments. “They’d better change the sheets when they’re done ‘talking,’ he told Tony.

Tony grinned. “I said the same thing. Come on, help me carry out the carafes. The others will start arriving any minute.”

The bonfire on the beach had started as a kickoff for Steve and Nat’s training for the annual Polar Plunge charity event, but over the years had spread to encompass most of their friends and family, an informal party between Christmas and New Years that everyone tried to attend, around their various commitments to families and in-laws from out of town and kids home for the holidays.

Bucky turned slowly until he spotted Billie, who’d walked down to the high-tide mark to watch the water roll in, but didn’t seem to be in any danger of deciding to go swimming. Livvy was still mesmerized by the fire, but Bucky figured nothing was more likely to pull her away from it than several carafes of hot cocoa, so he tucked his work gloves into his belt and followed Tony back up toward Dockside. “What flavors did you make this year?”

Steve was the resident chef, but since Steve was swimming, Tony had taken over the hot beverages with a phenomenal cocoa recipe base that he’d learned from his mother’s cook. “Regular, peppermint, salted caramel, and gingerbread,” Tony said, ticking them off on his fingers. “Plus coffee in regular and decaf. And I’ve got a basket for the cups and toppings, too.” 

“No wonder you need help carrying it all out.”

“Nah, I just like to load you up so I can watch your muscles flex,” Tony said with a wink. “It helps keep me warm when the wind is cold.”

“I’ll keep you warm,” Bucky promised, leering playfully. He’d have said more, but headlights flared as a car turned into the parking lot, and Sam jumped out almost before he’d parked with a whoop.

“Sarah and Montell dipped down to South Carolina while they were down to see Montell’s family for Christmas, and brought us back a load of fireworks!” He practically danced around to lower the gate on his truck, revealing what looked like a very large variety package of fireworks.

“He’s been dancing since they got back,” Wanda said, climbing out of the cab and immediately pulling on a sweater and a scarf. “You’d think he missed the Air Force, with how excited he is to make something explode.”

“Head on down to the beach,” Tony suggested. “As soon as we get back with the drinks, we can sort through and see how many we can chain.”

Bucky exchanged a commiserating look with Wanda, and tucked his arm through Tony’s, pulling his husband toward the kitchen by main force. “Come on,” he said, “let’s get our stuff so we can get this party started.”