Time for my favorite part of the week, ICYMI!!!
ICYMI ₊♡₊˚ 🍒・₊✧ ₊
This Week’s Mantra: “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn't … pays it.” - Albert Einstein.
This Week’s Best Podcast: I’m not going to get political on here but whether you can legally vote or not, it’s important that everyone educate themselves on the US political landscape after this week’s debate. I fundamentally believe this year’s election will have massive ramifications on the fabric of the US economy, businesses, and the geopolitical landscape and The Daily is always a great source of non-biased coverage. Check out their episode that came out the morning after the debate if you’re not sure where to start.
Bad News: A lot Can Change In a Year. Good News: A lot Can Change In a Year: Last June 21 was the start to the end of me calling off my engagement. I was about to move into a hotel and was thinking about booking a flight to go home for the month of August. Fast forward to this June 21 and Lucky #3 and I were booking flights to spend more time together at the end of the summer. There are so many different ways I could take this BUT it reminds me the most on how much can change in a year when you do the right, scary thing and focus on the power of small, consistent actions and the exponential impact they have over time.
This Week’s Quick & Long Reading: The book “Atomic Habits” where author, James Clear details why habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The Magical Penny Experiment is a quick read on the power of the compounding effect. The secret is to start early and be patient, letting your efforts or money grow gradually into something substantial.
On The Internet’s Roast of Paige Lorenze: I’m not a huge fan of the internet going after Paige Lorenze this week but I am a huge fan of talking about why the person you marry is the most important decision you will make in your life. Having been with people who I was my worst self with and now Lucky #3, who (so far!) I’m my best self with, I can’t even believe I settled for anything less. I got a lot of questions this week in the IG Q&A about how to be feminine when you are masculine in your job and how that’s played out for me while dating and the answer is super simple. Do less and it should be and feel easy. I was never in flow or as feminine as I am now because I wasn’t with the right people. A high quality, secure man with the same dating intentions as you won’t play games, won’t make you guess, will pace it slowly but with intention because you can’t rush something that’s meant to last forever. It’s easier said than done and sometimes you have to learn the lesson the hard way (like me) or date frogs like Banker Boy (otherwise known as 10 date guy) but you need to surrender and trust that the universe has your back because what’s meant for you, will find you.
This Week’s Mood Board
The Lipstick Effect
Reason #333+ why I love being on TikTok!! I learn so much about consumer behavior and after yet another few videos of my beauty hauls, reviews and routines went viral this week and landed me a Daily Mail feature, I knew we had to talk about the sustained lipstick effect and why consumers just can’t get enough of premium lip products, despite tightening their purse strings in other categories. In fact, according to Adobe’s most recent data, online lipstick transactions shot up 37.1% between January and May, with higher-end lipstick brands being a key driving in the surge in sales.
Consumers turn to small luxuries like lipsticks and fragrances during economic downturns for mood boosts without breaking the bank. Amid inflation and economic uncertainty, the trend is clear: high-end lipstick sales jumped 49% from April to May 2024. So, with the lipstick effect in full swing, let’s look at what what brands have paid attention and Adobe believes will be this year’s top sellers.
The anticipated top selling lipsticks in 2024:
Clinique | Glossier | Saie | MAC | Anastasia Beverly Hills
The anticipated top lip-related products in 2024:
Dior | Rare Beauty | Charlotte Tilbury | e.l.f. | Merit
Consumer News
♡ the brands, people, places, things that have captured my attention ♡
Earlier this year, I shared my prediction that sports is the new it girl and I’m pretty sure this week consumer news is an indication that it’s coming true!
♡
The Olympics brand sponsorships keep on coming - (from Glossy)
♡
NYX partners with rising gymnast Shilese Jones - (from Glossy)
♡
Paris Olympics opening ceremony to feature sustainably designed costumes - (from WWD)
♡
Glossier teamed up with the WNBA to refurbish basketball courts in downtown Manhattan - (from WWD)
♡
Sports betting is a big opportunity for luxury brands - (from Glossy)
♡
Daydream, an AI-powered search and discovery shopping platform, raised a $50M seed round - (from Traded VC)
♡
Online shoppers splurging on cosmetics: the lipstick effect - (from Forbes)
♡
In a crowded market, Mid-Day Squares has discovered a superpower to help it stand out - (from Entrepreneur)
HSR Updates
♡ everything fun and exciting in the land of HSR ♡
I was so overwhelmed with joy this week with girls tagging me in HSR Merch. Initially I launched merch as something fun but realized how much more powerful it is with the mission behind it and we’re thinking about doubling down. What would you want to see from HSR?
♡
My french pharmacy haul and review were featured in the Daily Mail
♡
My sister and cofounder, Katie Sellers, will be speaking at the League of Originals Summit in Toronto on August 22nd, alongside Taylor from NUDESTIX! If you’re a high growth brand looking to scale or an investors in the consumer space, you don’t want to miss this. You can use KATIE50 for tickets!
♡
Locker volunteers at Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles for a team offsite
♡
Alex Cooper used NUDESTIX’s cream blush for her wedding makeup (NUDESTIX blush)
TYSM, I♡U!!!!
To enter this weeks giveaway, comment on my most recent TikTok with a 💄 emoji and your favorite lip product!
If this email was forwarded to you? Sign up here.
Become a Paid Subscriber of ICYMI!
The paid section of this newsletter is an educational resource and can likely be expensed through your company — I even made a template for you to use when asking! If you’re an entrepreneur generating business income, it’s a tax write off!
Rich girl travel hacks for your summer vacations
How to do PR gifting well (and what % of your marketing budget it should take up)
Subscribe to ICYMI to read the rest.
Become a paying subscriber of ICYMI to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.
Upgrade Translation missing: en.app.shared.conjuction.or Sign In
A subscription gets you:
- Weekly startup, venture, & consumer brand insights
- Ability to post comments and engage with the community
- Business case studies & experienced POV