While a lot of beauty trends this year may have seemed like year-old trends repackaged with new names (aren’t “blueberry milk nails” just…light blue?), there have been a number of actually noteworthy trends that either emerged or continued to hold strong in the beauty industry this year. We’re unboxing some of the stand-outs.

The skin you’re in: Just as Clare Hennigan, Mintel’s senior global analyst of beauty and personal care, predicted in January, so far in 2023, brands have been zeroing on specific skin and body care needs and shifting away from a one-size-fits-all mentality.

Hennigan told Retail Brew there’s been a “surge” of brands working to address consumers’ hormonal life stage needs, particularly with products marketed to people experiencing menopause.

Stripes (speaking of celeb brands, this one is owned by actress Naomi Watts) has hopped on this trend, selling beauty and personal care products for menopausal people, and grew distribution online with Sephora in May. Other brands have, too: No7 introduced a menopause skin care line at the end of last year, while brands like Pause and Womaness are among many skin care brands centered around menopause that have been gaining traction.

Hennigan said this space is something she expects to see grow as more technology becomes available “to really create better, more personalized, more targeted products.”

The last six months have also seen a focus on targeting specific skin conditions, she noted. Whether it be body scrubs or serums that address keratosis pilaris, treatments for eczema (like the Eczema Control line from Murad), or moisturizers for sensitive skin, like Tower 28’s latest addition to its SOS (Save Your Skin) line. Hennigan predicts there will be “a lot more conversation around skin conditions” throughout the remainder of 2023.

Keep reading here.—EC

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A few months ago, Retail Brew reported on how CEO and creative director Chelsea Hansford transformed Simon Miller, one of Instagram’s favorite fashion brands, from one focused on denim to the luxury womenswear-only brand it is today.

“I’ve always had this woman in mind: She’s creative, meaning she’s expressive; she’s bold; she wants to wear garments, accessories…that speak; but she’s working, so she’s on the go; she’s got to feel comfortable; she’s got to be attainable,” Hansford told us in February.

A key part of the brand’s overhaul has been engaging with influencers and other brands, including Mango. Hansford told us a collab featuring a summer collection was in the works for May.

Fast forward to…now: Simon Miller and Mango recently hyped the partnership with a press event in Menorca, and a Mediterranean cruise.

Designed at Mango’s Hangar Design Center in Barcelona, the collection focused on “proximity sourcing and manufacturing.”

Keep reading here.—JS

Some of our favorite recent retail reads from our sibling Brews.

AI bet: Nobody knows how generative AI will transform the workplace, but a McKinsey report made some predictions, including that automation will be a big factor, and that customer operations and marketing could be affected. (Tech Brew)

Stuck on you: UPS, Amazon, Lysol, and Kleenex are among the five most trusted brands in the US in 2023, according to Morning Consult. The most trusted? Band-Aid…again. (Marketing Brew)

At all costs: Tyson, General Mills, and PepsiCo have largely managed to weather historic inflation. One of the keys for them—and many other companies—seems to be their penchant for raising prices. (CFO Brew)