Can a Topical Serum Really Replace Filler?

Hey, Glams!

This week, we’re asking a few important beauty questions: Can a topical serum really deliver filler-like results? Why did we stop using potpurri? And has Prada quietly become one of the best luxury beauty brands on the market?

We’re also sharing a couple products we genuinely haven’t stopped using this summer, revisiting a vintage beauty book that proved everything old becomes new again, and giving Zendaya the flowers she deserves.

Keep reading for highlights!

Sara recently stumbled upon a vintage copy of Revlon’s Art of Beauty, a makeup and skincare workbook from 1982. It serves as a retro guide featuring face and eye diagrams designed to help readers practice color coordination, skincare routines, and application techniques.

While some of the terminology used should stay in the past (oriental should be used to describe art or rugs, not eye shapes or people), what surprised us was how much advice still holds up. Drink water. Wear sunscreen. Stay moisturized on airplanes. Give yourself a weekly facial. Even contouring with two different shades, though some TikTokers would like to believe they invented that. It reminded us that beauty trends are often just clever rebrands of techniques makeup artists have been using forever.

The one trend we’d actually like to resurrect? Potpourri. Not the dusty floral bowls your grandma had, but elevated, modern potpourri. Someone call Tom Ford!

In Partnership with Kiehl’s and Gloss Angeles Confidential

Every skincare brand wants to be the next “injectable in a bottle,” but very few are willing to back up that claim with the kind of testing Kiehl’s did.

The brand’s new 1cc* Collagen Shot Plumping Serum is designed to target visible volume loss, comparing its plumping effect to one cubic centimeter of hyaluronic acid filler—not because it’s an injectable (it’s absolutely not), but because it’s formulated to help skin look fuller and firmer over time.

Kiehl’s specifically studied people taking GLP-1 medications, a group increasingly concerned with facial volume loss, aka “Ozempic face.” The brand measured 17 markers of skin quality, including cheek volume, jawline definition, elasticity, marionette lines, and under-eye plumpness, reporting a 22% improvement in cheek elasticity after eight weeks among GLP-1 users.

Of course, clinicals are one thing. Real people are another. That’s why we sent the serum to more than 200 listeners as part of our Gloss Angeles Confidential program, who used it consistently for 12 weeks before sharing completely honest reviews.

The biggest takeaway? Glow came first. Almost everyone noticed brighter, bouncier, more hydrated skin within the first few weeks. The firming effects took longer—around six to eight weeks—but that’s when many testers said they started noticing a more sculpted jawline and tighter-looking skin. Some even received the ultimate beauty compliment: unsolicited comments from friends (and yes, husbands who “never notice anything”) asking what they were doing differently.

It wasn’t perfect for everyone. A handful of testers experienced unexpected breakouts, so if your skin is sensitive to peptides or prone to acne, we’d recommend patch-testing before diving in.

If you’re looking for a topical product that targets firmness and visible volume loss, this is one of the more compelling launches we’ve seen this year. It’s not a replacement for injectables, but it is an interesting option for anyone hoping to put off their next injectable appointment a little longer.

You can read all of our Glamgelenos’ reviews for the 1cc* CollaShot Plumping Serum out on Sephora’s page here.

Some celebrity fragrance partnerships make you scratch your head, but this one made perfect sense.

Zendaya is officially the newest face of Prada Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry, joining husband Tom Holland in what is now arguably beauty’s chicest fragrance power couple. If you’ve listened to the podcast for more than five minutes, you know Kirbie has been singing the praises of the original Prada Paradoxe since it launched, so this announcement felt especially satisfying.

We also loved how playful Prada was with the reveal. Fans started piecing together cryptic clues on social media before the official announcement dropped, turning the campaign into a guessing game that beauty lovers genuinely wanted to participate in.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Zendaya is in the middle of an unstoppable year. Between flawless press tours for both The Odyssey and Spider-Man, being a newlywed, and now fronting one of luxury beauty’s biggest fragrance franchises, she’s become the rare celebrity whose partnerships never feel transactional.

If there were ever a celebrity we’d trust to sell us a fragrance, it’s Zendaya!

Would you try a serum that's compared to filler? Are you excited about Zendaya being the face of Prada Paradoxe? And are we alone in wanting potpourri to make a chic comeback?

Interested in learning more about our Gloss Angeles Confidential program? Click here to learn how you can participate, as a brand or a tester!

You can watch and listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts (yes, you can watch us on there!), Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Kiehl’s 1cc* Collashot Plump Serum

CHANEL | Les Beiges Serum Concealer 0.29oz

PRADA | Touch Cream-To-Powder Color Blush 0.12 Oz

PRADA | Light Glowing Powder Highlighter

CHANEL | Hydra Beauty Micro Lip Serum

PRADA | Paradoxe Eau De Parfum Spray

CAPRI BLUE | Volcano Glass Bowl Candle

CAPRI BLUE | Volcano Tin Candle

THE CONTAINER STORE | Smart Diffuser Device

PURA | 4 Smart Fragrance Diffuser X Capri Blue Volcano Fragrance Set

Shop more of my favorite products here.