Welcome back to Haul of Fame, the weekly beauty roundup of new products, new ideas and one excuse for extra dessert.

Included in today’s issue: Ami Colé, Auraiha, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Danessa Myricks, Florence by Mills, Iris & Romeo, Loewe, Lottie London, MAKE Beauty, Revlon, Saint Jane, Superegg, Trinny London and Tula Skincare

But first…

On Mar. 8, red lipstick smeared across Soho, New York. It was the official relaunch of Rouge G, the deeply pigmented Guerlain product in a velvet or satin finish.

“I am always obsessed with it,” said Violette Serratt, the brand’s Paris-based creative director, who had just hosted a master class to celebrate the launch. (She also has her own beloved line, Violette FR, along with a thrumming YouTube channel for over 305,000 subscribers. Bite-sized versions appear on Instagram for her 553,000 followers.)

Serratt, 40, has been in the beauty game for nearly two decades, starting as an editorial makeup artist before quickly adding jobs in product development for Sephora and Dior Beauty. “I actually feel stress for friends of mine in the industry who had a more classic career path,” she said. “Working early on product development and working for fashion magazines and fashion shows, they made me see beauty as a styling tool instead of an aesthetic. Tools, you can buy.”

But style itself you can’t buy, and for Serratt — who exudes the same easy just-wear-some-boucle glamour as “French Girl Chic” icons like Vanessa Paradis and Ines de la Fressange — that’s been a tricky thing to incorporate into her work.

“Guerlain is a 200-year-old beauty house,” she said. “And I am 40. We are not French ‘girls.’ We are French women! That means we do not chase trends; we innovate. We’re not going to make the same colours as anyone else, ever. Every product we launch needs to be unique.”

It helps that there’s always something new to learn, even for a beauty guru. For Serratt, one of those lessons came in 2023 after a bout of long Covid started to affect her vision. “I was so scared because my eyes are a work tool,” she said. “I had to start educating myself about eye care. It turns out it’s just like skincare — you need to moisturise your eyes all the time.” Several months and a few kilos of French pharmacy eye drops later, the makeup guru was back in the game.

“Now I hydrate my eyes before I hydrate my skin every morning,” she explained. “And it was perhaps the best test of my [Yeux Paint] eyeshadow. I can blink and cry — it doesn’t go anywhere. It’s like tornado-proof.”

What Else Is New

Skincare

Saint Jane’s new mineral sunscreen dropped on May 5. It “works to visibly brighten dark spots and strengthen your skin barrier,” so SPF 30 isn’t the only benefit.

Superegg’s new Pure Transparency Treatment Essence rolled out on May 6. It “softens, clarifies, and boosts hydration” but best of all, it is fragrance-free.

Tula Skincare introduced its 24-7 Weightless Moisture Day & Night Gel Cream on May 7 and one of the ingredients is seawater. I asked about the brine and got this response: “The enriched seawater is sourced from the French Noirmoutier Island. Under the island, there is a deep underground lake from which the sea water rises through the crust, absorbing beneficial minerals… The manufacturing process also occurs in France, in which the facility conducts extensive microbial tests to ensure it is safe to use.” Mon dieu!

Auraiha’s new highlighter glow jelly appeared on Mar. 7, with “aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrolysed jojoba esters, and cucumber fruit” along with powdered mica to bring mineral shine to the cheekbones.

On May 8, Trinny London introduced The Elevator, a cream for firmer, smoother skin around the neck. Extra points of the name.

Cosmetics

I am not allowed to start rumours in this column, but I am permitted to note that my bestest friend Millie Bobby Brown applied a L’Oréal mascara on video, despite making a similar product for her own Florence by Mills line. The mascara was burgundy and helped propel other TikTok teens to post about it. On May 7, L’Oréal reported there’s been a 557 percent spike in YOY sales growth for the product, though the brand vowed that Brown “was not paid to use it.” Why would the Gen-Z movie star promote someone else’s stuff for free? Again, I’m not allowed to start rumours, but I am allowed to say that most celebrity beauty lines aren’t big enough for acquisition by a corporate megaship. Hers could be a savvy acquisition strategy for younger shoppers (and some of their basic buying data). I am also allowed to say Florence by Mills’ newest product, a spot-clearing toner, is great.

On May 4, It Cosmetics introduced Sun Blush, a “blush / bronzer combo in a solid serum formula.” For those whose favourite powder blush or bronzers have fallen on the floor and shattered (sad!) perhaps this formulation is a solve.

Iris & Romeo debuted its Lash Up Peptide Mascara on May 6. Here is its copy: “Inspired by our founder’s wellness journey living with a free-roaming herd of horses in Northern California, this jet-black mascara draws its inspiration from the Friesian Horse. With a dark black coat, a strong but agile body, and thick wavy mane.” Off-Broadway dramatic monologue or offhand beauty ad? You decide.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is introducing 10 new shades of its Extra Plump Tinted Lip Serum, available starting May 6 and a little less glossy than many Sephora Tweens would like — which I suspect is exactly the point. Ami Colé's Soft Shape Lip Liner, in buff 1990s nudes, dropped May 7 and has the same “big kids only” vibe.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the tweens are out of lip luck. Make Beauty’s new Lip Reset Overnight Mask hit shelves on May 7, with kid-friendly flavours like Cosmic Cherry, Mystic Mint, Vanilla Veil, Celestial Caramel, and Lunar Lemonade.

Lottie London has teamed with the Netflix show “Outer Banks” on a six-piece capsule collection including lip balm, body oil, and bronzer that launches May 8. Meanwhile, “Outer Banks” star Madelyn Cline wore Revlon with her Tommy Hilfiger gown to the Met Gala; her “OB” co-star Madison Bailey was most recently hyping Fenty on her Instagram.

Danessa Myricks expanded her Blurring Balm Powder category to include “Lowlighters” on May 10. The products are essentially contouring aids that help “accentuate features on cheeks, eyes and lips.” They come in four shades including my favourite, “Unbothered.”

Fragrance

Ferragamo’s new Signorina Unica perfume came into the world on May 6, and features “the irresistible flavour of tiramisu.” I mean, sold.

And Finally…

Yes, you can smell the walls at the new Costume Institute exhibit, which is meant to bring ancient couture to new life through sounds, texture and olfactory. Included in the show are also “fragrance panels”— basically, clear tubes you can sniff—connected to vintage gowns by designers like Jean Patou and Charles James that heighten the familiar smells of tulle, cotton and roses. It’s a very cool setup, but the real scent game comes as you exist through the gift shop — and have the chance to buy Loewe’s in-demand candles and home scents along with the exhibition catalogue. Clever.