March 2015 in US beauty: Paris Fashion Week pushed a luminous-skin look that translated cleanly at retail, spring color went softer than 2014, Drunk Elephant’s Sephora momentum reset the clean-beauty conversation, the skincare swap finally became genuinely useful, and the Glossier Cloud Paint rumor mill began.
February 2015 in US beauty: the V-Day red conversation consolidated around two prestige and two drugstore lipsticks, NYFW Fall 2015 leaned deliberately quiet, the Dior Cushion entered US prestige, Glossier Boy Brow defined the brow conversation, and Drunk Elephant’s Sephora launch reset the clean-skincare positioning.
January 2015 in US beauty: resolution skincare narrowed the routine, Glossier launched Phase 2 with Boy Brow, the cushion-compact category had its full Western year ahead, the matte-lipstick conversation matured, and K-beauty fully crossed into mainstream consciousness.
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 beauty — the launches we were testing then, the brands that mattered, and which picks from that edit still hold up today.
