The Barefaced Podcast

In recent years, the global embrace of Japanese culture has been undeniable. From streetwear and homewares to anime and video games, Japan's influence is everywhere. So why is Japanese beauty (J-beauty) still flying under the radar while Korean beauty (K-beauty) has taken the industry by storm?This episode is a deep dive into the Japanese beauty market. We start by unpacking the geopolitical and economic factors that have shaped the globalisation of K-beauty versus J-beauty, then break down their distinct differences. With this foundation, we analyse three key areas: consumer trends and behaviours, product, and retail.A series of graphs, visual aids, and references have been created to help narrate this story. You can access them at barefaced.substack.com/You can find Barefaced everywhere else here–https://beacons.ai/barefaced This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barefaced.substack.com

Thanks to social media, beauty trends often go global—but not in the UK.While interest in makeup in Canada, Australia, and the US has slowed down since the pandemic, the "baddie makeup" continues to trend in the UK. Why does this trend stand strong, and what does it reveal about Britain’s beauty scene?In this episode of The Barefaced Podcast, we dive into the cultural, economic, and social factors that set the UK apart, from local beauty brands taking over to the rise of TikTok Shop.This episode is supported by a series of graphs and visual aids to help narrate this story. You can access those resources at barefaced.substack.com/You can find Barefaced everywhere else here–https://beacons.ai/barefaced This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barefaced.substack.com

The rise of Glossier wasn’t just a success story; it became the blueprint for modern beauty branding. While much of the conversation surrounding Glossier today focuses on the brand’s current state, this episode dives into the marketing firsts that made Glossier a cultural phenomenon and shaped the beauty industry as we know it.From pioneering the shelfie, founder-driven content, and user-generated campaigns to transforming social media engagement and popularising beauty pop-ups, Glossier created a playbook that countless brands—Merit, Saie, Kosas, Tower 28, Summer Fridays, Rhode, and more—have drawn from.In today's episode, we unpack how Glossier redefined what it means to be a beauty brand, evolving it into something that feels more like a social club than a business, and explore the enduring impact of The Glossier Effect.You can find barefaced everywhere here — beacons.ai/barefaced This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barefaced.substack.com

From the $800 Dyson Airwrap to the $700 Dr. Dennis Gross LED Face Mask and $400 NuFace, luxury beauty devices aren’t just getting attention—they’re flying off shelves.The rise of high-tech beauty gadgets didn’t happen overnight. In fact, the signs were there long before the pandemic. But how did these devices become so popular? Why are consumers willing to spend so much on them? And if this is what shoppers want now, what’s next?We’re breaking it all down in this week’s episode.Subscribe to Barefaced on Substack for all the latest beauty insights and data! Check out Barefaced everywhere else here—beacons.ai/barefaced This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barefaced.substack.com

Australia's beauty market flew under the radar until Jo Horgan changed everything by launching Mecca in 1997. By the time Sephora arrived in 2014 to claim its share, it was far too late. But how did Mecca build such a stronghold in the Australian market, why did Sephora take so long to set up shop? Plus, we deep dive into the latest TikTok fixation of which retailer offers more value. We take a look at the data to understand, objectively, which is truly more popular. That and so much more in today's episode!If you enjoyed this episode subscribe to the newsletter for all the latest beauty insights and data.Otherwise, you can check out Barefaced on Instagram and everywhere else here. Key Figures:Only 41.2% of Sephora’s US brands are available at Sephora in Australia.45.6% of Sephora’s US brands are available at Mecca in Australia.61% of Mecca’s brands are exclusives.76.8% of beauty revenue in 2023 was generated offline (Statista). This is projected to decline by 4.9% by 2027.Analysing 2,500 Reddit comments for each search term revealed:"Mecca Beauty loop" has a 61.2% positive sentiment and 16.1% negative sentiment"Sephora Beauty Insider" has a 56.7% positive sentiment and 23% negative sentiment"Sephora Australia Beauty Insider" has a 48.4% positive sentiment and 21.1% negative sentiment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barefaced.substack.com

Welcome to episode one of The Barefaced Podcast! The podcast revealing the beauty industry's untold stories. It only made sense for episode one to be the most untold story of them all, The Black Beauty Problem.While this episode was filmed a few weeks ago, it’s unsurprising that yet another racial inclusivity 'scandal' has emerged this week with the launch of YSL’s 'Make Me Blush' liquid blushes. This recurring cycle, where black women are racially discriminated against by a new product launch before the issue is addressed in pop culture, needs to change.This episode delves into the beauty industry's consistent neglect of black consumers' needs. We first outline the problem by quantifying the limited product options, underrepresentation, and disproportionate economic opportunities, before figuring out how we got here and what is needed next.If you enjoy this video, please be sure to follow the podcast here on Spotify and check out the newsletter for further insights, ⁠https://barefaced.substack.com/⁠Or, check us out everywhere else ⁠https://beacons.ai/barefaced⁠ ___________________________RESOURCES:- Mckinsey and Co, Black representation in the beauty industry; ⁠https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/black-representation-in-the-beauty-industry⁠- The Pudding, The Naked Truth; ⁠https://pudding.cool/2021/03/foundation-names/⁠- Abo Akademi University, "Because you're worth it" : A Study of the Labels of Women's Foundations; ⁠https://www.doria.fi/handle/10024/180034⁠- Netflix, Black Beauty Effect; ⁠https://www.netflix.com/search?q=black%20beauty&jbv=81705398⁠- JP Morgan, Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs. But the job isn’t easy; ⁠https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/business/business-planning/black-women-are-the-fastest-growing-group-of-entrepreneurs-but-the-job-isnt-easy#footnote-src-5⁠- Harpers Bazaar, The evolution of Black beauty by Lollie King; ⁠https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/a38010209/black-beauty-evolution/⁠- Havard Business Review, How Inclusive Brands Fuel Growth; ⁠https://hbr.org/2024/05/how-inclusive-brands-fuel-growth⁠- Vogue Au, Miss Representation: How First Nations makeup artist Rosie Kalina blends culture and beauty by Divya Venkataraman; ⁠https://www.vogue.com.au/miss-vogue/news/meet-rosie-kalina-the-first-nations-makeup-artist-blending-culture-and-beauty/news-story/d5d1d5e01060a6ef31417be798539bc8⁠__________________________Brands that should be on your radar:- Soft Rows; ⁠https://www.beautyindependent.com/sephora-accelerate-brand-soft-rows-wants-fill-gaps-prestige-textured-haircare-market/⁠- Deeper; ⁠https://www.beautyindependent.com/forthcoming-body-coverage-brand-deeper-black-girls-self-tan/⁠- Carra; ⁠https://www.instagram.com/heycarra/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barefaced.substack.com