With all the colors, swatches to try, and tools to play with, walking into Sephora is basically the beauty equivalent of going to Disneyland. But now, in honor of the retailer’s 20th anniversary, that beauty playground mentality is becoming even bigger and better. Sephora just announced that it’s going to be throwing its first convention later this year. Think: the Sephora version of BeautyCon.
On October 20 and 21 at its Downtown L.A. location, Sephora will be hosting Sephoria: House of Beauty, a “highly-immersive two-day beauty event fusing high-touch physical and digital experiences,” the brand said in a statement. While it’s not yet clear exactly what the experiences will entail, you can bet there will be plenty of Insta-bait.
According to the brand, there will be interactive rooms to explore, and participants will have the chance to mingle with influencers, brand founders, and other beauty industry pros. The event will also include more than 50 of Sephora’s brands—including skin care, hair care, makeup, and fragrance—along with “personalized products” that will be up for grabs. Again, there’s no word on which ones, but as Business of Fashion points out, Fenty Beauty is an exclusive to Sephora.
Sephora isn’t the first beauty brand to venture into the experiential event space; though, it’s arguably the biggest. And while paying to go shopping and stand in long lines might sound like a version of hell to some, by now, it’s proven that plenty are willing to shell out big money for the experience. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Summit in New York City this year was a hit. It sold out all 600 tickets, ranging from $650 to $2,000 each. Chanel, meanwhile, hosted a pop-up called Chanel Beauty House in L.A. in March to celebrate the launch of its new Instagram page @welovecoco. (No doubt, you saw the photos from its “content room” cross your feed.) While entrance was free, the retail opportunities were plenty.
Tickets for Sephoria: House of Beauty go on sale on July 21, but VIB and Insider Rouge members will be given advanced access. Cost is still TBD, but to stay in the loop you can sign up for updates on Sephoria.com. It’s safe to say, there’s going to be competition if you’re serious about landing a ticket.
It’s hard to talk about Instagram beauty’s influence without Manny Gutierrez‘s name coming up. The 27-year-old makeup artist—better known to his 4.7 million followers by his handle “Manny MUA“—has used his platform to challenge gender stereotypes and further the makeup-as-self-expression movement, all while delivering some intensely flawless makeup inspiration along the way.
Now he’s joining the ranks of other elite influencers to make the jump from artist to entrepreneur with his new makeup line Lunar Beauty. “I’ve always been consumed by things that are out of this world, like space and moons,” he tells Glamour. “That’s what I wanted this brand to be—out-of-this-world beauty.” Finally after months of teases and sneak peeks, Lunar Beauty is celebrating its first launch: A colorful makeup palette called Life’s A Drag that’s been a work in progress for over two years. It’s just as gone-with-the-wind fabulous as the creator himself, and with Pride month around the corner, its release comes at the perfect time.
Manny also teamed up with influencer Alissa Ashley and former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Shea Couleé and Farrah Moan to shoot a campaign for the palette. “I really wanted to show not only is it for me—a man—and Alissa—a woman—but it’s also for anyone who views themselves as a drag queen or who sees themselves somewhere in between,” he says.
Glamour caught up with Manny to get an exclusive first look at the new palette, plus talk more about why it was so important to him that his inaugural product paid homage to the community that inspired his love for makeup.
Glamour: There are so many places you could start when launching a makeup line. Why a palette—and why this palette?
Manny Gutierrez: I wanted my first launch to come out with a bang—something exciting and creative—and eyeshadow is just such a fun color product. Plus, I love to do dramatic eye looks. I have throughout my whole entire career. So it’s a reflection on me being able to create not only a pretty neutral eye but also having pops of color. As for the name, Life’s a Drag, I started as Manny MUA in drag. I did a makeup look for Halloween. I had such an amazing experience, and that’s kind of what kicked it off for me. Being able to be expressive with makeup was everything.
Glamour: Do you have any tips on how to wear the colors—specifically the brighter ones, for someone who might be more intimidated by mint green and hot pink?
MG: I really wanted this palette to be for everyone. So that’s why the whole left side is neutral—with eight tonal colors in total—and then the six shades on the right are for pops of color. For example, if you have blue eyes and want to incorporate a warmer shade to make your eyes pop, you can dip into the right side and get more warmth because the pinks and the purples. The purple is also good for bringing out green eyes. It’s great if your everyday look is more neutral, but you also want to have a little fun here and there.
Glamour: What’s your favorite color in it?
MG: Ooh, that’s so hard. Probably “Beat,” which is the champagne glitter pink. It’s my favorite because it’s the one I wear most often on my lid. It’s the perfect peach shade for the lid, and then I also did a gold version of it for deeper complexions. I wanted to do a really vast range of colors for all skin tones.
Glamour: How else will inclusion play a role in Lunar Beauty?
MG: There have been so many doors opened for better inclusivity in beauty recently. I feel like there’s no excuse for brands to skip over deeper complexions or super light complexions now. I think people—and especially influencers—need to continue to have the conversation and make it known that that’s something we want. That’s why it’s really important for me to have a range of colors that I feel like any skin tone could wear.
PHOTO: Lunar Beauty
Glamour: We know your brother accidentally leaked a first look at the palette. Were you freaking out?
MG: I was shocked at first, but then I realized that it was literally only two shades that were shown. Plus, the packaging was ripped in half. I was kind of like, ugh, that’s frustrating, but at the same time, he’s my little brother. He was on set with me and excited for me, so I wasn’t devastated or mad—just like, damnit, I wanted to show it first. It’s actually really funny how so many people screenshotted it. He only had [the photo of it] up for about 20 seconds!
Glamour: With Pride month coming up what does this launch mean to you in particular?
MG: I’m a member of the LGBTQ community, and I feel like we need more representation. In the makeup world, especially, it’s always been really, really hard for men in beauty to kind of be seen in a way beyond being a “fad.” That’s why I timed the launch to Pride month: not only to bring awareness to my brand and who I am, but also to bring awareness to the LGBTQ community as a whole.
Glamour: You spoke with us a year ago for our America, the Beautiful series about how society’s attitude toward men in makeup was starting to evolve. Has anything changed since then?
MG: I feel like as a whole the world has shifted a bit. People are much more accepting and are willing to go to bat for you nowadays. If someone is making fun of you, commenters are so much more eager to chime in and say that it’s wrong to make fun of people for who they are. I think that’s a big thing we’re headed toward now. [Men in makeup] is much more normalized now. The conversation is no longer, “OMG, that’s so f-cking weird.” Now it’s, “OMG, that’s really different and unique.”
Glamour: Do you have any advice for boys into beauty who may be feeling discouraged?
MG: You know, honestly, I get it. When I was starting off in the beauty world, it wasn’t easy. My family wasn’t the most forthcoming. My friends didn’t understand what I was doing or why I liked doing it. Especially four years ago, it was much less of a “normal” thing for men to be wearing makeup. I would just say continue to do it if you love it. That’s what I always tell men who ask me how I continue to do what I do. It’s just because I love it. It makes me happy, and I feel like people will come around eventually. Time heals all wounds and if you’re having a hard time in that moment, just remember that it becomes so much better. The more confident you become in yourself—which will happen—you’ll start to care less and less about what people think.
Glamour: Are there any juicy teasers you can give us for what’s next in Lunar Beauty?
MG: The next product you can probably expect will be for your face and not for your eyes specifically. More of a complexion product. Stay tuned!
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
If you can peel yourself away from that jumbo pool float or glass of rosé this Memorial Day weekend, you should consider doing some shopping. Yes, it’s an indoor activity, but the sales are so good this year, you won’t be able to not partake in these deals.
We rounded up all the best discounts on makeup, skin care, and more, so you can refresh your entire makeup bag and top shelf, and still have money left over to do the same with your closet. From It Cosmetics to Ritz Hazan, here’s what’s worth checking out. Stay tuned: We’ll be adding more deals as they come out.
Alima Pure: Enter “CHEEKS” at checkout for 20% off all blush from May 23 until May 28.
Amazing Cosmetics: This pigment-rich organic makeup brand is offering a 20% discount on all items (except for kits and gift cards) through May 28 using the code “MEMEDAY20”.
Bed Head by TIGI: Although Ulta Beauty doesn’t have a proper Memorial Day Sale, you can snag a third Bed Head by TIGI hair product for free if you purchase two.
Burt’s Bees: This weekend marks the kickoff of the brand’s bi-annual blowout sale, which includes select products on sale from 20% to 40% off on burtsbees.com, no code needed.
Cuvée Beauty: This MDW sale is also a launch: Starting May 25, you can nab the Cuvée Beauty Kit, which includes the Shampoo, Conditioner, Essential Booster and travel size Champagne Spray and Première Treatment, plus the Hair Wrap for $100 (normally a $165 value). It’s only available at this price for 72 hours—the sale ends on May 28.
Dermstore: Arguably the best sale of the lot because of the wide range of products Dermstore carries, you can’t miss its up to 20% off skin, hair, and makeup products. While some brands are excluded from the sale, most are available for at least a 15% discount.
IT Cosmetics Travel-size Trio
IT Cosmetics: If you spend $45 on this skin-, makeup- and brush mecca brand’s sale, you get the above travel-sized trio for free when you type in the code “SUNSHINE” at checkout. It includes your shade-specific Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination Concealer, Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil Mini, and a travel size Superhero Mascara, all Glamour editor favorites.
June Jacobs: Luxe skin, bath and body brand June Jacobs is offering an impressive 20% off her entire site from now until June 4th. Although you have the extra few days, don’t slack—June Jacobs’ stuff is that good.
Knours: This new line, which promises to help sync up your skin issues with your menstrual cycle, is doing beauty fans a solid with 20% off sitewide deals from May 25 through May 28. Bonus: they’ll also throw in a few extra gifts.
Lancer Skincare: Hollywood-beloved dermatologist Harold Lancer, M.D., also has a serious skin care collection, of which he offers innovative products like his beloved magnetic mask. If you want to give your hand a try with the magic wand—or any of his other products—you can get 15 percent off the entire range until June 3.
Lashfood: The experts behind long, lush eyelashes are offering up a tiered sale for Memorial Day weekend: the more you spend, the more you save. Until May 28, you can get up to 25 percent off depending on your total at checkout. Spend $100, get 15% off; $150, 20% of; and 25% off of purchases over $200.
Masqueology: This face-mask wonderland has so many different types and formulas to try, so don’t be surprised if you fill up your virtual cart fast. At checkout, enter the promo code “MEMORIAL20” for 20% off everything until May 28.
Mustela: New moms and moms-to-be are particularly fond of this gentle skin care brand, which is offering an impressive 30% off sitewide from May 25 until May 28.
O’o Hawaii: Try this gorgeous, island-inspired collection—but make sure to act fast during the MDW sale. For one day only, May 28, everything on the site is 30% off.
Perfumania: Save on all kinds of fragrances, scented body washes, and lotions at this olfactory mecca. From now through May 27, customers will receive $5 back if they spend $75, and $15 back if they spend at least $115 by shopping through discount site RetailMeNot.
Peter Thomas Roth: Sunscreen is your skin’s number one friend, and PTR recognizes that, offering an impressive 50% off its Super Size Instant Mineral SPF 45, a setting powder with sun protection thanks to physical blockers zinc and titanium oxide.
Port Products: This sale is for the best men in your life, as Port stocks luxe beard oils along with a slew of men’s hair care and skin care products. If you want to spend only a little—under $50—you’ll save 15% if you enter “SUMMER15” at checkout. Spend more than that and enter “SUMMER20” for 20% off your total purchase.
Rita Hazan: Created exclusively for Glamour readers, nab 20% off of her triple-tasking Lock N Block protective spray (which also makes a great hair perfume) until May 29 using the code “Glamour20” at checkout.
Sephora: The cosmetics mecca is offering a sweet deal on their affordably priced but super efficacious in-house line, Sephora Collection. Buy either three Sephora Collection eye masks or three face masks and receive the fourth free online and in stores.
Smashbox Cosmetics: This HD-worthy makeup brand is also doing a tiered sale in honor of MDW: Spend $50, take $10 off of your purchase. Spend $75, get $15 off; spend $100, get $25 off; and spend $150 or over for $50 off of each purchase from May 25 until May 29—no code needed.
Spongelle: These brilliant body sponges, which are prefilled with body wash, are amazing for summer travel (or anytime, TBH.) Use the promo code “HONOR” at checkout to receive 30% off all of your get-clean buys.
Vichy: Francophiles, get your skin care regimen straight with the help of Vichy, who is giving customers a 20% discount from May 25 until May 29 with the code “MEMORIAL.”
Say what you will about pageants—that they’re frivolous, or anti-feminist, or that in the early, pre-EPA years, the aerosol hairspray necessary to get through a single show probably wore a tiara-shaped hole in the ozone layer.
But once you’ve run out of of complaints (we’ll wait) consider this: In most spheres of culture, we’ve long retired the premise that a woman who loves fashion and makeup cannot also be smart; that a woman who uses good looks as a lever doesn’t also have something else to leverage. So why should this particular corner of Americana be any different?
Women have dismantled the idea that we cannot be many things at once. And if the Miss USA pageant doesn’t put a fine point on that fact… Well, then perhaps you’re not watching closely enough.
Two years out from under its affiliation with Donald Trump, the 2018 version of the competition has worked to distance itself from polarizing politics. This year’s pre-judging committee panel is made up entirely of women, and, for the first time in history, committee members and competitors spent the full week together before the pageant, during which time contestants were interviewed, one on one, for judges to get a sense of who they are outside the swimsuit competition.
“Pageants get such a bad rap,” says Lilliana Vazquez, a TODAY style expert who was tapped to join the committee this year. But, she adds: “I think it’s up to the people who watch pageants and the networks to push change forward. And now is the perfect time to do it.”
“People say, ‘how dare you compete in pageants,’ that they’re not empowering to women, and judging them for that, when all these young women are saying: ‘I got something out of this,” says Miss Universe Organization president, Paula Shugart.
In Miss USA, what the committee was looking for is “someone who will set the bar even higher, and be part of the change going forward,” Vazquez adds. That’s pageant speak for: Certainly, while what is skin deep still plays a big part in the pageant, perhaps we need to evolve the way we—as an audience—think about pageants, to include what lies beneath the surface.
“We have 51 contestants here, and they’re not all going to be politically aligned,” says Shugart—but they are expected to understand the political stakes of holding a megaphone. During the interviews, every woman was asked about fake news and her thoughts on the major issues plaguing the nation today. “You are responsible, if democracy is going to survive,” Shugart told contestants. “I’m charging themto be an educated electorate.”
These women may be beauty queens, [but] they’re also real people who have experienced adversity in America, and want to share the spotlight with an issue that hits home for them.
But though that’s the charge Shugart is issuing, the truth is that a lot of this crop came to the table already angling to get into the political discourse. Shugart says that, this year in particular, the bent toward activism and advocacy among contestants is more “pervasive” than it has been in the past. And much of that can be attributed to the fact that while, these women may be beauty queens, they’re also real people who have experienced adversity in America, and want to share the spotlight with an issue that hits home for them.
Take Caelynn Miller-Keyes—Miss North Carolina—who, according to pageant organizers, became an advocate for sexual assault prevention after being assaulted in college; her activism is aimed toward fostering policies that would make it easier for victims to come forward with their stories, and she is working with attorneys in her home state to address colleges’ policies and protocols under Title IX. Or Laine Mansour, Miss Missouri, who uses her statewide platform to tour a program of her own design: 1st Man Up aims to educate young men about sexual assault and advocates for the respect and support of women, and Mansour travels to schools across the state to help educate boys about how to be a positive force—instead of bystanders.
Vazquez brought up another triumph over adversity that a contestant has turned into activism: “Miss Nevada was homeless, and there’s a massive homelessness issue in her home state,” she said she learned during the time she spent with contestants. Miss Nevada, Carolina Urrea, is an advocate of the Nevada partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY), and uses her own story to inspire others, and show them that it’s possible, even when things feel dire, for things to change for the better.
Another assumption that even some committee judges held prior to taking up their posts? “I was thinking [there would be] a lot of blondes,” Vazquez says with a laugh.
Growing up in Texas a first generation Mexican American and Puerto Rican, Vazquez was steeped in pageants from the time she was a kid. But, despite the population demographics of her home state, “I never saw a Mexican woman compete in Texas, and it made me says,” she says. “If you don’t see yourself on that state, you don’t think you actually can be on that state.” This year, though, she said she was “blown away” by the diversity of the competitors.
“We have so many first generation immigrants in this competition, and they’re going to get up on that stage, and represent that state of Georgia, of Alabama—that’s what America looks like.”
And so, if you look closely, beyond the gleaming white teeth, and yes, the parade of toned bodies in bathing suits, you might see another image start to appear: a contingent of women who are using a pageant to push forward an ulterior agenda—one that might make a more resounding impact than an onstage wish for world peace.
Whether you woke up bright and early (or more accurately, so early that it was still dark) to watch the royal wedding and Meghan Markle‘s official walk down the aisle or you stuck with your normal sleep schedule and are just catching up now, there’s one thing to know: Meghan Markles’s wedding day makeup didn’t disappoint.
For the occasion, Meghan went with natural, glowing skin, letting her freckles peek through. Her lips were subtly glossy, while her eyes had a minimalist, elegant sweep of shadow—a perfect compliment to her low, loose updo. (Yeah, the bun came back!) It’s a beautiful look, made even better by the fact that she looked very much like herself. (She’s said in interviews before she prefers not to cover up her freckles.)
It’s still unclear whether she did her own makeup, as was rumored that she’d do with her closest friends. But the move wouldn’t be completely unheard of: Lest you forget, Kate Middleton did her own wedding makeup back in 2011. Plus, as we’ve all witnessed, Meghan is a woman confident in her own abilities with a makeup brush. The bad news is that unless Meghan decides to resuscitate The Tig with a wedding day beauty recap, we may never know the exact products she used. Can you hear the sound of a million beauty sleuths and brands weeping in the distance? Same.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PHOTO: WPA Pool
PHOTO: WPA Pool
The saving grace is, we know a ton about Meghan’s skin and beauty routine from her days as an actress (thank you, Suits). Going by the law of common sense, once you find your go-to products, you don’t just jump ship. Especially when, as celebrities do, you’ve got a million things to choose from and finally find the things that work best for you. And for Meghan’s skin, we know she has a pretty keyed-in routine.
After that skin care routine, Meghan’s said she’s a fan of super-light foundations (again, so her freckles can show through). To get there, Meghan’s pre-engagement makeup artist, Lydia Sellers, says she would reach for Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation in shade 6.25 with a few drops of 5.5. Bounced on with a slightly wet Beautyblender, it gives light, dewy coverage. An eternal bestseller rounds out her skin go-tos: Nars Orgasm blush, which she says brightens her face. After paging through literally hundreds of images of her over the past few days, we can confirm: Meghan always has this warm, sunny golden flush, and that’s the trademark glow of an Orgasm lover.
Lip-wise, Meghan is apparently a fan of the Victoria Beckham-inspired lipstick in Charlotte Tilbury’s line, the matte, rosy pink Very Victoria. For a more relaxed look, she’s into Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment with SPF 15. From Meghan’s own, well-moisturized lips, she says it gives her “soft, kissable, buttery lips. I swear by it.” The newlyweds might not have gone for a highly public balcony kiss this year, but we’d highly doubt the Fresh got a break.
Gather round, Ulta Beauty is having another sale. The retailer’s Gorgeous Hair Event falls from now through June 2, bringing us up to 50 percent off of three different hair care brands each day—and in a truly excellent feat of timing, it’s just in time for the fun that is spring humidity. The muggy, wet weather that drops every year has already started to make itself known, especially on the east coast, so there’s no time like the present to explore some new product. With deals on hot tools, dry shampoo, and tons of other necessities ahead, scroll on to see where you can save. We rounded up the best deals the sale has to offer.
