Vol. 78 - In a New York Minute

The ENERGY in New York right now. Everyone is talking to each other on the street. Every day feels like a weekend. I may not be a New Yorker by J.Lo’s definition (and honestly, that’s fair), but it sure feels good to live here this week, and not just because of the Knicks.

The Fragrance Foundation Awards are the Oscars of the perfume industry or, as Alexandra de Lara put it: fragrance prom. Last night, presenters included Dwayne Wade, Cassandra Grey, and Kelsea Ballerini, and one of our own, beauty editor Julee Wilson! Every year there are more attendees (this year it was over 1,000). Dwayne Wade even stayed through the whole ceremony. The sentiments shared on stage were similar—the importance of fragrance as identity, the way it can communicate without saying a word—but the stories all have their own flavor. The Indie Fragrance of the Year was awarded to one of my favorite new scents Zephirine, and I was proud to be nominated for this piece on gardenia perfumes.

Miu Miu Miutine was a big winner last night (the Emma Corrin campaign, referencing the brand’s book club, was SO good), as was its perfumer Dominique Ropion. His famed Frederic Malle creation Portrait of a Lady was inducted into the Fragrance Hall of Fame, and he also worked on another Fragrance of the Year winner, Tom Ford Oud Voyager.

Honorine Blanc received the Lifetime Achievement award, and seeing the avalanche of blockbusters she has created—from Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium to Valentino Donna Born in Roma to Aerin Lauder Mediterranean Honeysuckle—was overwhelming and so impressive in its entirety.

Michelle Pfeiffer honored Giorgio Armani, and Iman honored Valentino, echoing his quote that “I love beauty. It’s not my fault.” Same, same.

Earlier this week, Allergan Aesthetics convened editors to discuss its trend report What Consumers Really Want. Valerie Monroe (surely you subscribe to her Substack How Not to F*ck Up Your Face?) moderated a panel with Dr. Evan Rieder, Shawna Chrisman, NP, Dr. Steven Dayan, Dr. Jeannette Black and Dr. Anthony Rossi. Few things that stood out:

• The biggest shift, Val noted, was the notion that patients have moved from hesitation about doing aesthetic treatments to intention. This may not seem surprising but it was not so long ago that there was a lot of judgement and trepidation around the idea of “getting work done.”

• Almost 20 percent of disposable income is spent on beauty and aesthetic treatments!!!

• Dr. Black moved her practice from Beverly Hills to New York City, and is often asked about the difference between the two patient populations. She said it’s a common question, but with social media, the regional differences among East Coast, West Coast, Texas, Europe, etc. are becoming narrower and narrower.

• Dr. Dayan said that he is now getting patients recommended to him via AI, and they are coming to his office in Chicago with printouts of what a nose job from him would look like (and it’s not far off, he admitted!). Rather than being disturbed, he was encouraged that some AI models are prioritizing published work from journals over TikTok views. Dr. Haideh Hirmand posted this week about the exact same thing.

  

Speaking of energy, Trinny Woodall has it in spades. On the day I saw her, she spent the morning telling Today show anchors to select a lip liner that’s one shade darker than your nipples, then she washed my face in the bathroom of the Crosby Street Hotel while chatting about the desire to be “full of f*cking energy” over chasing youth:

We also touched on azelaic acid, which I happen to love because I am sensitive to vitamin C and it carries some of the same brightening properties but works differently. Azelaic acid is available by prescription, but I’m seeing it more and more in over-the-counter products, including Trinny London Naked Ambition serum.

Happy Weekend!

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Jamie