Do you know what a "skin scent" is?
Plus, the story behind an iconic slogan.
Modern history was my favourite subject at school and for a while there, I was on the path to becoming a high school history teacher. So of course I love a bit of beauty history. The rivalry between cosmetic queens Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden in the 1930s? Tell me more. How, in 1947, Christian Dior named the "Miss Dior" fragrance for his sister, Catherine? Bless. When Estée Lauder encouraged women in the 1950s not to wait for their husbands to gift them fragrance but to buy it for themselves? Icon behaviour. The young female copywriter who came up with the legendary L'Oréal Paris slogan, "Because You're Worth It," back in 1971? That story is below. Sherine
Being perpetually curious is kind of a prerequisite of this gig. The pathological need to know (how? why?) keeps my brain alive—and this newsletter an interesting place for you guys. Because every time I ask an expert a question, I think, if I don’t know, maybe our readers won’t either. Although we wear many hats these days (influencer, creator, writer) I think a key difference in what we do at gloss etc is we’re always thinking of how to offer you value—that’s the journalist part in us we can’t shake. It’s never just about us, but rather, how this might help you. I learn things every week when I write this, like about this week's skin scents—and I hope you take away something from it, too. Sarah
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Asking for a friend: What is a “skin scent?”
It’s me, I’m the friend. And I realised I didn’t technically know, so I asked Gérald Ghislain, a self-proclaimed “storyteller of scents” and founder of Histoires de Parfums, a niche, luxury French fragrance house.
“A skin scent is like a game of hide and seek. It’s there, but not too much. It doesn’t scream, it whispers. It doesn’t try to leave a 10-mile trail behind you, but rather a soft murmur for those who get close enough. Basically, it’s a fragrance that blends into your skin, follows you naturally like your own scent... but better!”
Note wise, Gérald says you want ones that cling to the skin, like musks, sandalwood, ambrette and tonka bean, for a “warm and cozy touch that makes people want to lean in just a little closer.” Because skin scents are not big and bold fragrances, he says they’re often formulated in eau de parfum or extrait, to “ensure a long-lasting presence without being overpowering." The vibe is, “I don’t know what you’re wearing, but you smell incredible." I don’t know about you, but this is my kind of poetry.
Find yourself a skin scent
Histoires de Parfums 1472 EDP, $198 (60ml): With amber and musk, Gérald describes this a “feeling like slipping into a soft cashmere sweater—effortlessly chic and incredibly sensual.” The perfect scent to take you into the winter months.
Glossier You EDP, $128 (50ml): This is the Internet’s favourite skin scent, and understandably. The notes of pink pepper, iris and ambrette are very wearable and pretty, yet the fragrance truly smells different on everyone (Sherine reviewed it here).
D.S & Durga I Don’t Know What EDP, $287 (50ml): The brand calls this a “transparent scent," and it was designed to be layered with—and enhance—other perfumes. But with notes of bergamot, vetiver, amber and sandalwood, I also enjoy it solo. Sarah
Watch this
The Final Copy Of Ilon Specht on Prime Video and YouTube
You may not know the name “Ilon Specht” but I’ll bet you’re familiar with her work: Ilon coined the iconic L’Oréal Paris slogan, “Because I’m Worth It.”
In this 17-minute short documentary, Ilon, who passed away last year, explains how she came up with the tagline amidst the male-dominated, Mad Men-esque industry she was working in. It was 1971 and Ilon, then a 23-year-old copywriter at the McCann agency in Manhattan, was working on a Preference Hair Colour campaign. She came up with a concept: a woman would speak directly to the camera and declare, because I’m worth it. It was one of, if not the, first beauty advertisements to champion and centre women, and encourage them to assert their value. I won’t spoil it, but the doc makes clear that perhaps one specific woman, a girl really, may have been the inspiration for the slogan. It’s quite moving 🥹.
The line has been slightly tweaked over the last 50 years—I'm worth it, you're worth it, we're worth it—but its essence remains, and it's now the longest running ad copy in history and has been translated in 40 languages. What a legend. What a legacy. Sherine
Almost missed this
When Typebea launched their first two hair styling products, I was so convinced I would love the texture mist that I almost skipped this serum entirely. That would have been an error because, in fact, the mist is not for me; it’s a liquid designed for air-drying, and my hair texture really does not like air-drying. (I have yet to find my holy grail air-drying product and welcome any suggestions.)
So why do I like this? It protects against heat, both UV and styling tools (up to 230°C), but the most tangible benefits for me are the way it softens, helps smooth frizz and doesn’t add any weight to my fine, highlighted hair. However I think what I love most is how effortless it is: that aforementioned weightlessness means it easily slots into my current post-shower hair routine, so I can layer it with a leave-in conditioner spray and not suffer the consequences (i.e., limpness). It’s like this serum set out to make itself as easy-to-use as possible—which is exactly how I like my hair products. Sherine
They said it couldn’t be done
But it’s done
The two things I want from a mascara—volume and zero transfer— can rarely be found in one tube When tubular formulas came to the market, my oily eyelids rejoiced, but I was always just… whelmed by the fact that they only coated the lashes without fattening. And when faced with that choice, I would rather continuously wipe mascara from my lids than forgo the fat lash. Then in waltzed MECCA MAX (you know my feels on this brand) and fixed it in one swipe. There’s volume, there’s a chunky brush, there’s the ability to layer—and there’s the serious absence of transfer. It is, quite literally, like they’ve plucked it out of my brain and made it happen. Also, a very sexy price. Sarah
A COLLABORATION WITH RATIONALE
I tried it
Rationale Express EpiNova Facial, $189 (45 minutes)
The speedy version of the brand’s 90-minute EpiNova Brilliance facial, this one promises glowy results in under one hour.
WHO IT’S FOR All skin types, those in need of a quick “hit” before an event, or anyone looking for a skin boost between other (longer) treatments. It's also a smart option for those new to the brand who want to sample the goods before committing.
WHAT HAPPENS Some “express” facials focus on exfoliation to slough off dead surface skin cells and get the glow going, but this is about putting stuff back into the skin to achieve said glow. First there’s a double cleanse and “enzyme reactivation,” where pyruvic acid re-acidifies skin’s pH (the brand says this helps reactivate the enzymes required for healthy skin function). Then comes the “feed the skin” part: vitamin D oil is massaged into the face and soaks in while you're under an LED lamp, to help calm skin and deal with redness, before a hyaluronic acid mask is infused into the skin with a heated ultrasound wand.
AND? This might be brisk, but they haven’t shaved off the minutes at the expense of pleasure: the sensorial element of this service was lush, from the jelly-like cleanser to the syrupy vitamin D oil and balmy mask, it’s all massaged in to enhance relaxation (half the battle when it comes to rested-looking skin). I know the term “lunchtime fix” gets thrown around a lot (guilty), and this is definitely that, with zero pain and downtime, and visible results—I walked out of the Balmain flagship with skin that looked juicy, and felt slightly damp-ish (in a good way) and like a freshly-stuffed cushion. Sherine
Big eye roll
I'm lazy with eye products at the best of times, but the simplicity (novelty?) of these two—beautiful formulations and a real sensorial treat—meant that I’ve started using them on the regular. That sound is my crows feet rejoicing.
Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Oil Roll-On, $82: I only discovered this recently on a brand trip to Adelaide, and it quickly shot to my favourites. The super-lightweight oil blends a bunch of crowd favourites (jojoba, avocado, sunflower seed) to soften, with loads of other farm-grown botanicals, including holy basil for its antioxidant powers. Super-plants aside, the metal rollerball gliding over the eyes is just the sweetest kiss to puffy eyes ever.
RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Eye Balm, $49.99: RoC’s latest, on the other hand, is big on brightening, so naturally vitamin C reps here and the effect is obvious straight away, and there’s also peptides for firming and hydrating ingredients, too. I’m also obsessed with the lipbalm-esque applicator: it’s no fuss, easy to swipe and invisible under makeup, but somehow also cooling—which my under-eye puffs hated to see coming. Sarah