Welcome back to Haul of Fame, your must-read beauty roundup for new products, new ideas and another reason to stare at Alex Consani.
Included in today’s issue: Beekman 1802, Diet Coke, Dossier, Essie, Fazit, Fenty Beauty, Fine’ry, Heretic Perfumes, Humanrace, Isamaya Beauty, Juicy Couture, Hourglass Cosmetics, Le Monde Gourmand, Lana del Rey, Laura Geller, Leah Kateb, Makeup By Mario, Manicurist, Make Beauty, Nivea, Obagi, Patrick Ta, Rhode, S’Able Labs, Sabrina Carpenter, Skylar, Squishmallows, Tatcha, Tarte, Taylor Swift, Torishéju, White Fox and body spray for the devil.
But first…
The cowgirls arrived in New York on Yom Kippur. Two-stepping into the Twenty Two club for Stetson’s 160th birthday party on Oct. 1, they came from North Carolina (like country star Carter Faith) and Alabama (like TikTokker Livvy Duncan) and even Tribeca (like photographer Sophie Elgort). Crucially, the cowgirls all wore leather. It began with their Stetson cowboy hats, then the Ralph Lauren bomber jackets, the J.Crew belts and of course the boots. Cowboy boots with Levi’s 501s. Cowboy boots with fluttery Pucci skirts. Cowboy boots with Old Céline.
The uniquely American endurance of cowboy leather and its farm-to-fashion origins has become one of the only trends embraced by both liberals and conservatives this season. Cowboy boot sales are set to reach $291 million this year, according to the market research firm ShelfTrend, which pins the rising market on Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour, Gen-Z TikTok stars and the climate crisis. (Cowboy boots are, after all, built to weather the toughest of conditions.) Meanwhile, perfume and skincare labs worldwide are playing their own game of cowhide-and-seek, as leather accord has quietly crept up as a serious contender to unhorse the sticky-sweet gourmand notes currently dominating the market.
“Leather accord really is everywhere,” said Olivia Cheng, who is best known as the CFDA-nominated designer of Dauphinette, but who is also an experienced fragrance developer. “Every lab wants to talk about fleur cuir, ‘flower leather’ right now. I guess there’s this idea outside of the States that it’s the ultimate American perfume.” Cheng says the earthy, warm tones of leather can express both comfort and sex appeal depending on how they’re paired. Leather accord has frequently been used in cologne — cue Drake’s Tuscan Leather, a 2013 track inspired by the Tom Ford fragrance of the same name — but in the past year, leather-based fragrances have exploded in the female scent space. That includes Barénia Intense by Hermès, Saint Laurent’s Cuir Sublime, Burberry Goddess with Vanilla and Leather, and Charlotte Tilbury’s More Sex. Allure reported that searches for leather fragrances spiked nearly 60 percent this fall. On Oct. 7, the specialty retailer Boot Barn got its own fragrance, Deep Leather ($45), from True Western, the holding company that also makes Yellowstone perfume.
Leather has also become a popular scent note in lotions and creams — ironically, the very things that stop skin from becoming, well, leathery. Currently, Phlur’s Somebody Wood body lotion is selling in the top 15 percent of all moisturisers and body oils at Revolve, putting its popularity just under Sol de Janeiro’s. At Jenni Kayne’s recent Spring 2026 runway show in New York, models wore Kayne’s Oak Essentials body care line, which comes with the brand’s signature Cuir Rose (“pink leather”) scent. Perhaps most delightful: Tanluxe’s spray-on bronzers come infused with notes of cassis, violet, and white leather. (Yes, much like Elle Woods’s resume, your faux tan can be scented! Wonders… ceasing… never.) A recent visit to Bath & Body Works in Midtown Manhattan revealed the Leather Bound Pages hand soap that dropped this fall is “totally, completely gone already,” according to an apologetic sales associate. Ditto Memo Paris’ Irish Leather hair perfume — there is literally one bottle left at Neiman Marcus.
Why are women embracing the smell of leather with the same surging enthusiasm as cowboy boots — even if they’ve perfected barrel curls but couldn’t tell you a thing about barrel racing? Australian scent critic Gemma Dimond says Bella Hadid’s recent rodeo vibes on Instagram have something to do with it, along with the fact that a leather-based fragrance lets you smell “sweet but naughty” in a quieter way than a bombshell-evoking musk. Unisex fragrance trends also make the scent more common, since smelling like leather isn’t quite as bro-coded as smelling like woodsy vetiver and unearned confidence. And yes, there is a nod to Americana here, though again, it’s about as partisan as wearing a Stetson hat.
There’s one more reason leather scents are becoming a dark horse in the fragrance and body categories: They smell expensive — and they are. Because of their complex blend of synthetic and natural molecules, leather-based fragrances take a more experienced nose to develop. Its ingredients alone — birch sap, oud, and isobutyl quinoline — typically cost far more to source and blend than gourmand notes like vanilla, caramel and strawberry.
“When you smell leather, you smell excitement,” says Annamaria Brivio, the founder and creative director of the shoe brand Paris Texas, who makes cowboy boots for clients like Hailey Bieber and Simone Ashley using Italian hides. She says the skyrocketing brand is exploring its own signature scent to match its signature leather shoes. “It is a down-to-earth smell because it’s so natural, so cool. But it is also expensive. That combination is what every woman wants right now.”
What else is new…
Skincare
Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup now comes as a scented hand and body wash from Beekman 1802. The brands are also collaborating on bar soaps and moisturisers, which smell like Hershey kisses, snickerdoodle cookies and candy canes. Squirt some Vacation Whipped SPF on top and beat the sundae scaries. (Sorry.)
When Torishéju debuted its Spring 2026 collection in Paris on Oct. 1, models were styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson — and wearing glow-boosting skin and body moisturisers from Pharrell Williams’s skincare line, Humanrace. Meanwhile at Chloé, the models — including indie rock siren Caroline Polachek — wore makeup by Saie, including a yet-to-be-released setting spray. Then there was Christopher Esber, which debuted a “silver sunset eye” look using Veil Tinted Primer as a base, then adding Voyeur Gel Eyeliner in ‘Forrest.’
It’s always thorny when beauty brands enter mental health discussions. How can “authenticity” exist in the same space as $100+ products that call the desire to look younger an “investment” instead of a social sickness? Tatcha is trying to find a path through this thicket with Open, a breathwork and meditation app. Together, they’ll offer Tatcha shoppers a 7-day class combining mindfulness exercises with skincare steps “to ease stress, cultivate presence and unlock a deeper self.”
Nivea and Juicy Couture are besties now. On Oct. 7, they unveiled a blue tracksuit bedazzled with the word “SMOOTH” on the butt (amazing), Nivea lotions adorned with Juicy bag charms, and a fuzzy, blinged-out cosmetics bag. Here’s the catch: Shoppers can’t buy them, but they can win them at SkinLikeVelour.com by entering their email and praying to the ghost of Britney’s Bachelorette Weekend. To promote the collab, Nivea created a quietly gutsy video — but they haven’t put it on their official YouTube page. Come on, guys, it’s just some girl-on-girl skincare! Don’t be a drag, just be a queen, etc.
Rhode’s Peptide Eye Prep comes with two graphic options — you can get the pale gray eye patches printed with Rhode’s signature logo, or simply with the letter “r” scattered all over. Alex Consani models the $25 skincare in the ads, which helps turn them into a proper designer item along with a Paris Fashion Week recovery treatment. We wrote about eye patches becoming a status accessory back in 2023. This might be the tipping point for them, much like Mrs. Bieber’s husband Justin was for pimple patches when he started wearing Starface everywhere.
Makeup
Makeup By Mario debuted an Ethereal Eyes palette ($69) on Oct. 2 with twelve “universal neutral shades” including matte and creamy nude tones, plus an olive green shimmer. There’s also a brown version of the brand’s Master Mascara that launched the same day.
No one mourns the wicked, but everyone freaks out over a chipped nail. Essie’s coming to the rescue with six shades inspired by Wicked: For Good including “Darlingest,” a baby pink fit for Momsie and Popsicle, and “My Future Is Unlimited,” an olive polish with metallic flecks skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smooth. If that last sentence made no sense to you, congratulations — you definitely got more dates than I did in high school.
Congrats to Lip Bar on naming their first lip balm, “Problem Salved.” Nice. It’s $12 and debuted on Oct. 6.
Just when your algorithm got hooked on “ghost lashes,” Rihanna says “Next!” On Oct. 7, Fenty Beauty released its Hella Thiccc mascara in a deep shade called “Elec’trip Blue.” But what you don’t know is, that mascara is not just blue. It’s not turquoise. It’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean. (And it’s $21 at Ulta Beauty exclusively.)
Welcome to Ulta Beauty, Manicurist! The French nail company entered the superstore on Oct. 7 with 29 items. That includes 26 shades of its popular Green Flash LED lacquer, which does not use TPO, a chemical in many gel formulas that was recently linked to fertility issues in animal studies.
Debi Mazar is too good for this world but she’s not too good to pose for Laura Geller’s beauty ads. On Oct. 7, the Empire Records MVP modeled Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator, a shimmery compact that’s been “hand-finished by artisans in Italy and baked on terracotta tiles for 24 hours.”
Goth Lite summer is bleeding into Soft Goth fall. Isamaya Beauty confirmed it on Oct. 7 with a new fall campaign featuring black glazed lips on model Vi Lath.
Look out! Status hoodie brand White Fox has added an entire beauty vertical to its hyper-popular website, including lip balm, body scrub and a vanilla sugar Eau de Toilette. I mistakenly called White Fox “Wildfox” in my last column, which is entirely my bad. Wildfox is the Indie Sleaze version of White Fox, and sold these unhinged tops to decrepit millennials like me. Wildfox’s founder now runs the dress label Selkie, and gosh, if that’s not a beauty brand waiting to happen…
Patrick Ta Beauty’s new drop is the Major Dimension Essential Artistry Edit Eyeshadow Palette. The name has seven words, but the palette itself only has six shades — “the only ones you’ll ever need,” according to the press materials. It’s $44 and available for light, medium and darker skin tones.
Make made more makeup! (Phew.) On Oct. 8, it introduced Continuum Lip Liner, a $23 pencil in eight shades that promises a velvet matte finish.
Fridge cigarettes, but make them makeup. On Oct. 9, Tarte partnered with Diet Coke on a citrus-inspired collection of maracuja lip gloss, lip and cheek balm and tubing mascara. The trio celebrates the return of Diet Coke Lime, which hit supermarkets on Oct. 6.
Hair Care
Kering has eliminated fur from its supply chain, so Lana del Rey showed up to Valentino with stole-coloured hair instead. On Sept. 29, the singer sat front row with “Molten Mink Brunette” hair created by Schwarzkopf Professional’s Tracey Cunningham. It’s a weird name (melting metal rodents?) but she looks fantastic. Of course, when you’re del Rey, that’s not hard!
The Target fragrance brand Fine’ry has moved into haircare. On Oct. 8, the Maesa-incubated label rolled out five dry shampoos infused with Fine’ry’s best selling scents, including Pistachio Please and Not Another Cherry.
Obagi’s Nu-Cil Biostim Scalp Serum launched on Oct. 8. It’s a $125 formula that claims to prevent hair loss and restore thickness in six months using biotin, amino acids and biotinoyl tripeptide-1, a synthetic ingredient that’s also used in lash growth serums. The launch comes in the midst of a hair loss panic — Covid? Stress? Life? — that was explored in fantastic detail last week by Kathleen Hou over at Elle.com.
Fragrance
Häxan means “witch” in Swedish. Starting Oct. 2, it also means “new perfume from Heretic” with notes of rose, amber, “supernatural musks” and osmanthus — otherwise known as Devilwood. Cute, but everyone knows Satan smells like Axe Body Spray.
Rapper Machine Gun Kelly’s new album is called Lost Americana; It’s also the name of his perfume collab with Dossier. The scent launched Oct. 2 and features “a comforting kiss of incense and almond.” That’s icky but the Lost Americana album graphic, which looks just enough like a Marlboro logo to send a clear message without getting sued, is great.
Squishmallow first three perfumes hit Ulta Beauty on Oct. 3. The packaging was created for maximum “OMG so cute!” squeals — there are popular stuffies Cam the Cat, Patty the Cow, and Zumirez the Bat in bottle form — and technically, you can squish the aerator to spray the $58 scents, which are, of course, gourmands.
Le Monde Gourmand brought back its “Coterie of Creators” — basically an influencer partnership series — on Oct. 8. Instagram’s Cuban blondie, Kathleen Lights, created a bergamot-based scent called Bisous de Fleur, vlogger Toni Bravo made Aure de Vanille, and TikTok’s “queen of everything” Paloma Sanchez has a tropical Thé de Goyave perfume. They’re $30 each.
Love Island’s second-to-last bombshell, Leah Kateb, teamed with Skylar on her first-ever fragrance. It’s a sticky toffee scent called Double Dates that retails for $90 and arrives at Sephora on Oct. 10. Kateb herself will be promoting the fragrance in New York on Oct. 17 and LA on Oct. 25, so if you want to shoot your shot — or get a cute selfie — head on down.
Welcome to Ulta Beauty, Sabrina Carpenter! Her quintet of short and sweet fragrances hit the cosmetics giant on Oct. 11.
And finally…
The first time Taylor Swift wore Fazit’s glitter freckle patches in 2024, she helped launch the independent brand into big box territory — you can now buy the sparkles at Amazon Beauty, CVS and Urban Outfitters. This week, the Life of a Showgirl songstress created another sales spike when she posted a behind-the-scenes Instagram shot wearing Fazit’s $16 gold freckles while writing and rehearsing the album. The imagery is faint — I had to zoom in just to see the shimmer flecks — but even so, Fazit says they’ve gotten a 235.49 percent in sales since the post, plus 3.1 million additional eyeballs on their Instagram and an 800 percent increase in social media engagement. Four designs — Show Stopping Eye Wings, Webbed Speckles, and Taylor’s current Golden Speckles — sold out entirely within 48 hours of Taylor’s post. And again, this is for a product you can barely see in the photos. So I guess if Ophelia had figured out her ShopMy situation, Hamlet would have ended so differently…
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