Independent US jewellery makers we kept giving as gifts in winter 2014 — Catbird hit cult-status critical mass, Jacquie Aiche brought body-jewellery to the prestige conversation, Anita Ko owned the LA fine-diamond reference, Alison Lou played wittier and brighter, and Sophie Bille Brahe’s pearls crossed into US prestige.
December 2014 in US beauty: the year-end best-of resolved around Charlotte Tilbury, Glossier, and Lancôme Miracle Cushion. NYE makeup forked into glitter and gloss, last-minute gifting consolidated around three answers, and the post-Christmas skincare reset got a sheet-mask answer.
November 2014 in US beauty: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk became impossible to find, Glossier handled its first holiday cleanly, Black Friday went deeper on prestige discounting, burgundy lips returned with better formulas, and hand cream got its second cult moment.
October 2014 in US beauty: Glossier launched and reset the DTC beauty conversation, Charlotte Tilbury landed at Bergdorf with Pillow Talk leading the way, the cushion-compact category fully entered the US, Halloween makeup got its most editorial year yet, and holiday gift sets landed two weeks earlier than 2013.
Fall 2014 ready-to-wear from the major US fashion houses — Marc Jacobs delivered an emotionally heavy first post-LV collection, Calvin Klein cemented its minimal uniform, Michael Kors owned the camel coat conversation, Ralph Lauren went sporting-Western, Donna Karan held the city uniform, and the mid-tier consolidated everyday wardrobe.
September 2014 in US beauty: Lancôme Miracle Cushion finally launched at US prestige, NYFW Spring 2015 went glossy-lid and half-up, Charlotte Tilbury confirmed her US arrival at Bergdorf, Glossier’s pre-launch energy peaked, and Allure Best of Beauty held the late-year purchase list.
August 2014 in US beauty: Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream landed as the breakout fragrance, the back-to-school drugstore wave was strong, strobing replaced contour as the technique of the moment, the Glossier tease quietly began, and the post-summer skincare reset pulled forward into August.
July 2014 in US beauty: natural deodorant finally got useful, pool-day skincare became a real category, hair stylists made the case for the wet-look braid, mascara mostly retreated from the routine, and Tom Ford expanded the lipstick conversation with Lips & Boys.
Independent US jewellery makers we kept coming back to in summer 2014 — Wwake’s asymmetric opals, Maya Brenner’s alphabet pendants, Ariel Gordon’s solid 14-karat chains, Mociun’s unmatched-stone wedding bands, and Loren Stewart’s plain-band workhorses.
June 2014 in US beauty: cushion-compact rumors got a confirmed Lancôme date, self-tanner formula technology kept getting better, Pride brought the year’s brightest color, body care expanded beyond the lotion aisle, and Sally Hansen Miracle Gel landed the first credible at-home gel-manicure answer.
