September has always felt like the real new year for beauty. The pumpkin candles come out, the matte lipsticks edge their way back to the front of the drawer, and the conversation pivots from glow to grip. This September, that pivot felt sharper than most. The Spring 2020 shows in New York were a reset, the launch calendar was thick with fall heroes, and the news cycle gave us one of the biggest acquisition stories the prestige skincare world has had in years. We pulled the most useful pieces of the month into one place so you can plan a smarter, slower autumn routine.
The Drunk Elephant news that everyone whispered about all summer
It is finally official: Shiseido is acquiring Drunk Elephant. The reported price tag, north of eight hundred million dollars, raised eyebrows even among people who saw the deal coming. Founder Tiffany Masterson has spent the better part of this decade arguing that “biocompatible” beauty could become the default rather than the exception, and the Protini, T.L.C. Framboos, and Lala Retro lineup gave the brand the kind of cult devotion that translates very neatly into a Sephora end cap. We expect very little to change at the consumer level for the next year, but Shiseido’s distribution muscle will almost certainly mean broader availability and, eventually, a few more product launches per year than the brand has historically allowed itself.
Spring 2020 at NYFW set a quieter, cleaner mood
If we had to summarize this season’s runway beauty in one phrase, it would be “skin first, makeup second.” At Tory Burch, the look was sun-warmed cheeks and barely-there mascara. Proenza Schouler sent models out with damp-looking skin, brushed-up brows, and a lip-stained mouth that looked freshly bitten. Marc Jacobs closed the week with a romantic, almost theatrical Spring collection paired with face powder finished hair and a soft eye. The takeaway was unanimous: 2020 is going to be about skin texture you can actually see, and the heavy contour of mid-decade is officially over.
Pat McGrath Mothership IV is still selling out
Mothership IV “Decadence” launched earlier this year and we are still watching it move in and out of stock at Pat McGrath Labs. September is when palettes start moving as gifts even before the holiday season begins, and the burgundy and copper tones in this one are tailored exactly to the autumn light. If you have been thinking about buying it, do not wait until Black Friday to find it discounted — these palettes do not go on sale, and “Decadence” is the most autumnal Mothership the brand has produced.
The Inkey List is the indie skincare brand of the year
Britain’s The Inkey List has had the kind of breakout year The Ordinary had in 2017, and the brand crossed the Atlantic this summer in a Sephora launch that has been a hit. The Hyaluronic Acid serum, the Retinol, and the Caffeine Eye Cream are all selling at price points that feel almost embarrassing next to legacy prestige skincare, and the formulas are good enough that the comparisons to The Ordinary feel earned rather than aspirational. If you are starting fall with a budget reset, this is where to start.
Fragrance-free is having its backlash moment
For about three years, “fragrance-free” was prestige skincare’s unbreakable rule. Then this summer, dermatologists started pushing back, pointing out that essential oils, botanical extracts, and so-called “natural fragrance” can be just as irritating as synthetic perfume, and that fragrance is not actually the villain on most ingredient labels. Charlotte Tilbury and By Terry both lean into beautifully scented skincare and have spent the year being quietly vindicated. The takeaway: read your labels, but stop treating “fragrance” as an automatic deal-breaker.
Charlotte Tilbury sells a stake to Puig
Earlier this year, Spanish beauty conglomerate Puig acquired a minority stake in Charlotte Tilbury, and the ripple effects are starting to show. Pillow Talk lipstick is now stocked in countries it had never reached, the Magic Cream has been reformulated for international shipping, and the brand has been hiring aggressively. Charlotte Tilbury herself remains creative director, but the brand is now fully operating as a global business rather than a London-rooted prestige label.
What we are shopping in September
Our basket this month is mostly autumn transition items. The Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream is the richer cousin to Protini that always finds its way back into our routine when the heating turns on. Glossier Generation G in Cake — a brick red — has been our weekday lipstick since the runway shows confirmed that this is a brick-red autumn. MAC Powder Kiss in “Devoted to Chili” is the same color in matte. And finally, Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum is the leave-in we are using on Sunday nights to walk into the week with grippable hair. We will see you on the first Tuesday of October.