In this week’s Red Lip Rundown, learn how beauty’s most tuned-in brands are turning cultural cues into staying power through founder reinventions, accelerated holiday timelines, and the rise of scent and storytelling as modern status symbols.

READING ROUNDUP - ARTICLES TO CHECK OUT

Discover how beauty brands are navigating economic pressure, cultural shifts, and rising consumer expectations. These stories unpack what’s resonating now: strategic holiday rollouts, heritage products reimagined for the TikTok era, food-inspired aesthetics, and fragrance’s growing role in identity and self-expression.

• An Oral History of Clinique Black Honey, From '70s Game-Changer to TikTok Phenomenon - Fashionista 

• From Guava to Sardine Girl Summer: Why beauty can’t stop serving up foodie trends - Glossy 

• ‘Fragrances Are the New Sneakers’: How Perfume Became a Teen Status Symbol - WWD

• Beauty’s 2025 holiday playbook - Vogue Business

PRESS PLAY - PODCAST EPISODES TO NOTE

Find out how two founders turned personal shifts into brand momentum and market edge. From MARA’s Allison McNamara stepping forward as the face of her brand to Arrae’s Siff Haider translating wellness trends into sell-through moments, these episodes reveal how alignment and intuition can accelerate growth.

• Allison McNamara, Founder of Mara Beauty, On How Getting Divorced, & Losing 40 Pounds Totally Changed Her Life and Supercharged Her Business - Hot Smart Rich

• Unilever's acquisition, Glossier's CEO shakeup and Arrae's Siff Haider on predicting wellness trends - The Glossy Beauty Podcast

PENCIL THIS IN - UPCOMING EVENTS

Catch up with beauty besties at these IRL moments.

• 7/23: Leslie E. Harris: The Medicalization of Beauty // The Fashion Institute at the CUNY Graduate Center

• 8/7: Glossy Executive Roundtable // Glossy

JOB BOARD - EXCITING ROLES IN THE BEAUTY SPACE

Now hiring - check out these roles in the industry.

1. Senior Account Manager, Americas at Huda Beauty - New York, NY

2. Director, Brand Relations at SEPHORA - San Francisco, CA

3. Digital Media Lead at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty - New York, NY

4. Consumer Research Manager at AMOREPACIFIC - New York, NY

5. Brand Manager, Kristin Ess at Maesa - New York, NY

💌 Message me on LinkedIn if there’s anything else you’d like to see in future editions.

xx Saba Bokhari

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the author’s workplace.