Entrepeneurial inspiration sometimes strikes at unlikely hours. And for Indigenous beauty founder Jenn Harper, it arrived in the middle of the night—wrapped in a dreamlike bubble of REM waves. “I had a literal dream of native little girls dancing, laughing and just displaying such genuine joy all while covered in lip gloss,” the Anishinaabe Canadian tells CEW. Inspired by this delightful nocturnal reverie, Harper hopped out of bed to write down her idea, and then spent months researching manufacturing before launching Cheekbone Beauty in 2016. Her goal? To create a brand that not only filled the void of Indigenous representation in the beauty industry but also gave back to the community. “I never wanted another Indigenous youth to feel the way I did growing up, not seeing people like me in the media. “I also wanted to weave concepts of Indigenous wisdom with Western science to create high-quality, sustainable products that help both people and the planet.”
In other game changing news, trend forecasting company Spate has released their first ever AI generated consumer trends report. It is a dizzying compendium of insights that pulls together a seemingly inchoate mass of search terms culled from literally millions of pieces of data. “Without ChatGPT, it would have been a manual process to try and connect the dots across the 12 categories [we analyzed] which would require expertise across the industries, as well as more time, to detect patterns and themes across so many diverse topics,” said Olivier Zimmer, CEO of Spate, and a former Google exec who pioneered Google’s Trendspotting Division. “The goal of this report is to explore the effectiveness of Generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence that is trained to generate new content, such as images or text, by learning patterns from existing data.”
“Trends show a move away from generic experiences,” said Zimmer. “People are eyeing niche sports and unique entertainment, marking a drift from the one-size-fits-all approach. But this trend also comes with a consumer tension: while there’s a hunger for authentic experiences, there’s also a simultaneous appreciation for the ease of mass production.”
Catch up on these and other stories making beauty headlines at the links below.
Cheekbone Beauty Owner Jenn Harper Created the Beauty Brand For Her People. In Indigenous culture success is not defined by one person’s accomplishments but by what a person does for their community.” Along with its dedication to formulating with sustainably sourced and harvested ingredients, Cheekbone Beauty actively gives back to the Indigenous community in the form of, for example, a scholarship fund for post-secondary students. (CEW)
New York-based company Spate turned to AI in producing its latest, in-depth trend report. ‘Spate put tech to the test for its latest report, Spare AI-Generated Trends, which reveals trends in search, but also how consumers are buying,” writes CEW’s Andrea Nagel, who highlights that Fashion & Beauty searches have increased by 47.4%, amongst other industry-focused findings. (CEW)
Celebrity fragrance is back, but not as we’ve known it. Tracking with recent, luxuriously-leaning launches from the likes of Australian singer Troye Sivan, Victoria Beckham and Beyonce (her Heat Eau de Perfume launches next month, at $160 a bottle), think top French “noses” and rare, high quality ingredients, “New launches are circumventing the stigma of celebrity fragrances as cheap money grabs with luxury trappings and more comprehensive brands,” writes Emily Jensen for Business of Fashion. Getting in on the high end act, Harry Styles is poised to launch a trio of fragrances with historic perfume developer Robertet. (Business of Fashion).
The changing face of department store beauty: what does the cosmetics hall of the future look like? According to the International Association of Department Stores (IADS), the post-pandemic future is looking bright – business was boosted by an average of 1% from 2021-2022 – but beauty brands are shaking up their strategies, and shoppers’ tastes are changing. (Beauty Inc)
Catch the highlights! Get the full lowdown on CEW’s second annual Beauty Bazaar, which drew over 1,000 members to and showcased the 250 CEW Beauty Awards Finalists. (CEW)
What will the FDA’s long-awaited changes in cosmetic regulation mean for beauty brands? It’s been 85 years since the the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act has been updated. The MoCRA (Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act) of 2022 is set to redefine US beauty industry standards. (Beauty Matter)
Beauty insiders are taking a shine to the glass nail trend. According to Byrdie, the “quiet luxury” look now extends to naturally polished-looking, clear nails that can be tracked back to Kate Middleton’s mirror-like mani. (Byrdie)
Ever wondered what Sephora staffers buy? The Strategist asked nine, anonymous Sephora employees — including trained MUA and skin care pros —to spill the beauty beans on their favourite products, Tik-Tok product trends and more. (The Strategist)
