CULTURAL RECOMMENDATIONS: THE BEAUTY GROUP CHAT

How does pollution affect the skin? Do those filtered shower heads actually work? What about LED masks—do they work?!? Find out the answers to these questions and more!

May 01, 2024

∙ Paid

I’ve been thinking about my skin for as long as I can recall. Growing up with severe cystic acne, I remember using my meager minimum wage paychecks to purchase any product that promised even a hint of improvement. At 15, I spent my last bit of money on a gel Clinique moisturizer, because the sells person assured me that what I needed to fix my acne was just a good moisturizer. When my mother questioned my decision, I simply replied, "I have to take care of my skin!" The Clinique moisturizer didn’t save my skin; furthermore, I learned that you don’t just need moisturizer to fix your skin issues. Nonetheless, the bad advice did not turn me off from the beauty world. Furthermore, since my teenage years the beauty industry has grown at an exponential rate!

According to WWD, “the forecast for beauty for 2024 looks bright as retailers and analysts contend the category has moved from being a discretionary purchase to an essential one in consumer’s minds.” Even amidst a war, reinstated student loan payments in the United States, and an overall tightening of purse strings, the beauty industry appears largely unaffected by these factors. Moreover, beauty has become even more integrated into the fashion discourse. Lauren Sherman's Wednesday Line Sheet send out is dedicated to beauty and is written by Rachel Strugatz. Additionally,

Jess Graves

launched a new beauty vertical for The Love List, and I cannot tell you how many dinner parties I have spent discussing

laura reilly

‘s skincare post.

Recognizing the importance of skincare and beauty, for this installment of “Cultural Recommendations,” I created a group chat with several tastemakers from the beauty world. I had my Instagram followers and Substack readers submit questions for our experts to answer, and the result is an engaging conversation that happened completely over WhatsApp! I'm excited to share the insights from our conversation with you all, and I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

THE TASTEMAKERS

ELIZABETH GRACE HAND/ FOUNDER/ ESTHETICIAN