Four months after renewed demands for racial justice hit the fashion and beauty industries, what — beyond symbolic gestures — has been done, and what will it take to make initiatives like the 15 Percent Pledge work?

From razor blades to tampons, companies are raising the bar in essentials, set to become even more important to brands as a global recession sets in, writes Sarah Brown.

In beauty’s entrepreneur-driven era of personal connection and authenticity, nothing’s less cool, or more (perhaps unfairly) maligned than being part of the system. Sarah Brown talks to the pros about how to rethink business as usual.

A growing middle ground is propelling beauty into a post-prestige world where under $20 products now appeal to the most devout luxury consumers.