Beauty brands support LGTBQ+ communities for Pride Month
Pride is different this year, with celebrations cancelled or postponed. Even so, there are plenty of ways to show support by donating to charities or shopping with brands who give back. Time is up for performance activism. As young consumers, we are far more aware of the philosophical values of the...
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Ariana Grande is giving away $2 million in free therapy
The singer has partnered with a mental health support organisation to encourage today’s youth to seek help without feeling judged. On Tuesday, long-time mental health advocate Ariana Grande took to Instagram to announce that she’s giving away $2 million in free therapy to the public. The sizeable contribution has been made...
The IUD debate proves female pain is seldom taken seriously
Women have begun sharing harrowing stories of their experiences with the contraceptive device on social media, saying they felt under cared-for and misinformed during the insertion process. It’s inherently clear that women find it much harder than men to have their bodies understood within the medical sphere. Last month, responding to...
The future looks fluid: genderless fashion explained
Throughout history, brands have operated in an industry dictated by two genders. With 27% of Gen Z consumers now identifying as non-conforming, is this about to change? When Harry Styles graced the cover of Vogue last year wearing a gown, passionate conversations around masculinity and gendered dressing were instantly sparked. Representing...
Wigs are booming despite a steep ethical price tag
The desire for authentic human hair wigs is growing rapidly thanks to pop culture, but the flashing lights of the red carpet are blinding consumers to the dark secrets of the hair trade. Outside of the Black community, wig-wearing among white women was almost exclusively reserved for fancy dress parties,...
Is bio-engineered fashion a future solution for ocean microplastics?
Scientists and fashion designers are working together to create clothing using food and drink, meaning plant-based alternatives to environmentally damaging fabrics could be coming very soon. Clothing made from synthetic materials currently dominate the fashion consumer market, with over 60% of clothing produced being made from plastics rather...
Glossier renews Black-owned business grant program for second year
There is no shortage of Black owned brands within the beauty industry. However, funding for these businesses is severely lacking. Glossier is supporting Black entrepreneurs at the pre-launch, start-up, and growth stages of their beauty business venture. Last summer, the rapid resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement prompted companies to re-assess the value system and level of racial diversity within their practices. Most of us watched from our Instagram timelines...
Fast fashion retailers accused of cultural appropriation
Mexico’s ministry of culture has claimed that Zara, Anthropologie, and Patowl wrongfully made use of designs created by the country’s indigenous communities. A number of fast fashion retailers – namely Zara, Anthropologie, and Patowl – have come under fire lately for using patterns distinctive to Mexico’s indigenous Mixteca population in the south-western state of Oaxaca. Accused of cultural appropriation by Alejandra Frausto (the country’s culture minister), these brands have reportedly...
A small step for China, a huge leap for cruelty-free
As of this month, imported ‘ordinary cosmetics’ will no longer be required to test on animals in order to be sold in the Chinese market, which is the second-largest in the world. In a landmark move, the Chinese government has just revised its cosmetics regulations, waiving mandatory animal testing for all imported and locally manufactured ‘ordinary cosmetics.’ This essentially means that any products without an active claim such as ‘anti-ageing’ (from...
Post-lockdown cosmetic procedures are on the rise
As lockdown lifts, cosmetic doctors are seeing a rise in demand for face-based treatments. With more time to look at ourselves in mirrors and computer screens, is this a trend that’s here to stay? Over the last year of lockdowns we’ve spent a large portion of our time indoors, being forced to stare at reflections of ourselves on Zoom calls or FaceTime. At the same time we’ve also been isolated...
