The Latest in Beauty Marketing

This week, we’re diving into the business of beauty marketing — and September proved to be a case study in how brands are gearing up for the high-stakes holiday season. With just a few weeks before October’s Halloween takeover and the festive content calendar that dominates November and December, September became a testing ground for collaborations, campaigns, and viral trends. Here are the launches and activations that caught our eye, and the lessons they signal for the industry.

📣 Big Moves & Big Launches

Miley Cyrus joins Maybelline as Global Ambassador

Maybelline’s appointment of Miley Cyrus taps directly into nostalgia marketing. Beyond attaching a global celebrity to an already successful brand, Maybelline is connecting with the cohort of women who grew up with Hannah Montana while carrying Maybelline’s cult classics in their schoolbags. This pairing speaks to longevity: both Miley and Maybelline have evolved with their audience, showing how celebrity partnerships can simultaneously drive cultural relevance and reinforce brand heritage.

Charlotte Tilbury partners with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

Charlotte Tilbury has become the first-ever official beauty partner of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, positioning the Flawless range as performance-tested under high visibility. The campaign cleverly borrows from the DCC’s “America’s Sweetheart” reputation, injecting energy and mass appeal into Tilbury’s signature glamour. This partnership demonstrates how aligning with culturally iconic institutions can cut through a crowded marketing cycle.

Huda Beauty releases Setting Powder Duos after fan demand

Responding directly to social media chatter, Huda Kattan introduced Setting Powder Duos after fans had been mixing and matching their own shades online. This move highlights the power of social listening and shows how real-time product development rooted in consumer input can translate into both credibility and commercial opportunity.

✍🏼 Campaigns Worth Noting

Bubble Skincare taps Leighton Meester

By partnering with Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf herself, Bubble expanded its Gen-Z audience reach to capture millennial nostalgia. This demonstrates the scalability of nostalgia as a marketing lever, extending brand relevance beyond its core demographic.

Gisou partners with pastry chef Cédric Grolet

Honey-powered beauty brand Gisou leaned into sensory storytelling, launching dessert-inspired lip oils with world-renowned chef Cédric Grolet. This collaboration underscores the strength of experiential marketing, blending taste, texture, and indulgence to reinforce brand positioning.

📈 Notable Online Trends

Beef Tallow Skincare

Dermatologists may have already had some questions from clients around beef tallow and its benefits in skincare. This is because of a major TikTok craze, where creators are rendering beef tallow into lightweight moisturisers and touting it as a remedy for dryness and acne. Propelled by influencer Nara Smith and her storytelling around eczema, this trend reflects TikTok’s growing role as an incubator for DIY, disruptive beauty rituals that challenge conventional product narratives.

The Tabi Manicure

Nail salons, listen up! Maison Margiela’s iconic split-toe shoe has inspired the viral Tabi manicure, designed by Australian manicurist Molly Jones, so you may see this look pop up in your client's moodboards. The trend demonstrates how fashion’s most polarising icons can extend into beauty culture, sparking both creative enthusiasm and backlash. For brands, it highlights the potential of high-controversy aesthetics to fuel conversation and visibility.

📝 Key Takeaways

• Nostalgia sells: Celebrity and throwback collaborations continue to resonate with millennials while engaging Gen-Z.

• Community-first works: Huda Beauty proves that co-creation with consumers drives innovation and loyalty.

• Unexpected collabs cut through: Aligning with unlikely partners — cheerleaders, chefs — keeps brands top of mind.

• TikTok shapes the agenda: Viral trends, no matter how niche, can quickly become industry-wide conversation points.

For the beauty and wellness space, the latest marketing landscape was a clear reminder: the most effective strategies are equal parts emotional, community-driven, and culturally attuned.