Does Money Play a Role in Attractiveness?
77% of Americans believe so.
📱 Breakroom Banter
the latest chatter
Before I boarded my flight this past weekend, I made a pit stop to the Centurion Lounge and sat behind a woman who was on the phone convincing the person on the other line to opt for porcelain veneers over composite despite the price tag. Her conversation reminded me of a new report from Advanced Dermatology that stated that the average American spends $897 a year on beauty and wellness, with women dropping nearly 50% more than men. And for some, it’s not just their wallets taking a hit: nearly 1 in 10 have gone into debt—an average of $1,342—to fund their glow-ups.
With hypergamy being such a hot and popular topic on TikTok, I’ve seen a stark increase of videos on my For You page geared towards ‘elevating’ your appearance to become more ‘attractive’, and tons of thought pieces on beauty currency/pretty privilege, like the video below:
The comment sections are usually filled with women seeking advice on ways to alter their appearance:
That same survey found that 68% of Americans worry about their appearance (weight, skin, hair, teeth, muscle among top concerns. More than half (55%) believe beauty standards are unattainable, and 77% think money plays a role in attractiveness. Social media also plays a part, as 15% of Americans report purchasing products endorsed by beauty influencers, spending an average of $351 annually on these items.
I usually reserve appearance based treatments for special occasions like birthdays and my annual summer holiday, but for this newsletter I was curious on how much I would spend monthly:
Hair: Sew-in w/ minimal leave out (hair extension installation): $260
Nails: Gel Mani & Pedi $125
Lashes: Anime or classic design $150
Eyebrows: Threading $8
Brazilian Wax: $65
Chemical Facial Peel: $40 (This is the only beauty treatment I do on occasion as its covered by insurance if done in my dermatologist office)
Grand Total: $648 or $777* with a 20% tip on each service excluding the peel
To ‘elevate my appearance’ in NYC it would cost me $9,331* per year. That’s 830+% over the average polled for this survey! I didn’t even cover aesthetic services like botox and filler.
This got me thinking about something bigger: the constant pressure—thanks to social media, influencer culture, and the unattainable beauty standard—to pour so much into how we look. Taking care of yourself and feeling good in your own skin is important, but at some point, you have to ask: how much is too much…because the girls are turning to “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) models to finance their cosmetic procedures.
When beauty becomes a financial burden—pushing people into debt or creating a constant need to measure up—it’s no longer just self-care. In a world where beauty currency seems to carry more weight than ever, perhaps the most radical act is deciding for ourselves what’s worth the investment—and redefining what it means to feel beautiful, on our own terms.
📰 This Past Week in Beauty
11/15-11/21
Sephora announced their 2025 Beauty Squad and there’s a lot of chatter about how and why certain individuals were chosen. Broderick Hunter?? 👀
Need another reason to book a trip to Paris? Well, Chanel just opened up its first House of Beauty. The three-story house located in the 16th arrondissement will feature Chanel’s full beauty range and two treatment rooms (named Gabrielle & Coco) where you can get personalized body and face treatments.
Violet Grey is opening it’s second brick-and-mortar/ ‘shop-in-shop’ at Hirshleifers, the speciality, family-owned retailer founded in 1910. “There are so many people who don’t know about Violet Grey, and when they hear about it, people really have affection for the story,” Grey said. “That’s how I feel about Hirshleifers — in the same way I’m obsessed with Zitomer’s, Colette, old Dior stores and of course, Barneys New York.”
Open AI is collaborating with Estée Lauder Companies and have created 240 GPTs to develop and market new beauty products.
Need skincare advice from a licensed aesthetician? SkinCeuticals has partnered with Bambuser, a video commerce company, to debut ‘Pro 1:1 Virtual Consultation’ which allows you to virtually connect with a licensed aesthetician for a personalized skincare routine, skincare advice, and even product recommendations. What a time to be alive.
Miranda Kerr’s organic skincare brand ‘Kora Organics’ has launched at Credo Beauty. "Credo Beauty has been my go-to for clean beauty for many years, so launching KORA Organics there felt like a perfect alignment. As a certified organic brand, we go above and beyond to deliver powerful results through healthier, more mindful skincare.”
Speaking of Credo…they’ve had a tough year—flat sales, delayed vendor payments, and customers tightening their wallets—but they’re ready to turn the page. With fresh hires, exciting new launches, and a renewed focus on creating exceptional shopping experiences, the clean beauty pioneer is set to bounce back, even as the beauty world gets flooded with “clean” everything.
Following mid-year financial results, which saw shares drop by 16% (biggest trading dip since 1987), Shisedo has named Ayako Hirofuji as Representative Corporate Executive Officer and Director and Yasuhiro Nakajima as External Director, effective January 2025. Kentaro Fujiwara will remain President and CEO.
UK beauty babes I have some great news for you! Sephora aims to open 20 stores in the UK by 2027!! Sephora returned to the UK in 2023 after eighteen years and currently has seven brick and mortar locations.
Ulta’s CMO, Monica Arnaudo, will retire Spring 2025.
e.l.f.’s shares dropped after short seller Carson Block stated that would short shares due to concerns of overstated revenue in recent quarters and increase in inventory.
🎬 Aisle Spotlight
Best of campaigns
Three-time Grammy award winning artist, Olivia Rodrigo, is Lancôme’s newest Global Brand Ambassador. "Embracing your individuality is so important in beauty since there are many unrealistic expectations placed on young women today," Rodrigo says in a press release. "Lancôme is an iconic and timeless brand that promotes beauty from within and I am honored to be part of their family."
An ode to texture. British Vogue December 2024 cover with SZA celebrates textured hair. “We just really wanted to celebrate texture on the cover of British Vogue, and show SZA’s hair in a way that we haven’t really seen her photographed with before,” hairstylist Lacy Redway explains. “Honestly, it’s only within the last 10 years that I’ve been allowed to really push magazines to celebrate and showcase textured hair, braids and hairstyles that are very close to me, growing up as a Black woman.”
🛍️ Just In
launches you can’t miss (or can you?)
💄 Liked Cover Girl’s Yummy Gloss?? They’ve just released a new line— Clean Fresh Gloss Pumper in 12 iridescent shimmer and sparkle shades that offer plump without the burn.
💄 Paris Hilton is expanding into beauty. 11:11 Beauty will focus on beauty and wellness products. Hilton commented, “With 11:11 Beauty, partnering with Guthy-Renker has allowed me to bring my vision for beauty and wellness to life, blending cutting-edge technology with transformative results. The past couple of years have been a journey of passion and innovation, and I can't wait for the world to experience our first collection that will be unveiled in Spring 2025."
💄 Go with the faux. Tarte just dropped a freckle stamp in four shades that feature a five points for naturally looking freckles. My freckled boyfriend had a lot of thoughts about this.
And one more thing….
Very interesting!