A Foundation Launch Without Undertones? Actually Groundbreaking!
Hung Vanngo is making foundation matching easier, Too Faced revives Sweet Peach & why CoverGirl is betting on Gen X.
Hey, Glams!
Before we dive in, an important heads up: we have a SCAMMER impersonating Gloss Angeles. If you’ve received an email from “collab@glossangeles.org“ inviting you to join a contributor network, do not open it, do not reply, and please mark it as spam/report it. Red flags to watch for: broken links, odd formatting, typos, and requests for money to cover “equipment.”
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On to news for this week!
Hung Vanngo is officially entering the complexion category, and we’re breaking down everything to know about his new Red Carpet Skin Foundation, from its unconventional shade system to whether it has what it takes to stand out in an overcrowded market. We also dive into Too Faced’s nostalgic Sweet Peach revival, including what made the original launch such a phenomenon and the products we think are missing this time around. And last, but certainly not least (Gen X will not be forgotten!), we discuss CoverGirl’s surprising decision to stop chasing Gen Z and instead bet on Gen X, and why it could signal a much bigger shift in beauty marketing.
Keep reading for highlights!
Hung Vanngo Just Solved Foundation Shopping’s Biggest Headache
Hung Vanngo — the celebrity makeup artist behind some of the most-photographed faces on the red carpet, and one of our favorite Gloss Angeles guests ever — just launched his first foundation, and it’s actually solving a problem instead of just adding to the pile.
Here’s the issue we’ve all lived through: you’re shopping online for a new foundation, trying to find what shade and undertone you are, and suddenly you’re squinting at a color wheel trying to decide if you’re “cool olive” or “neutral peach.” Hung’s Red Carpet Skin Luminous Foundation skips undertones entirely. Instead, you pick from eight neutral skin tone categories — fair through deep rich — and the 38 shades inside those categories are meant to work regardless of whether you lean warm or cool.
It’s $46, which is shockingly reasonable for the category (we both expected closer to $60), plus a $36 dual-ended complexion brush. Formula-wise, it’s got hyaluronic acid and a film-forming polymer for a serum-like finish that builds to medium-full coverage — though we’ll flag that the polymer can pill under certain sunscreens, so this is more “red carpet” than “everyday SPF layering” territory. We’re testing it and will report back.
2016 is Back, And So is Too Faced’s Peach Collection
If you were in the beauty space a decade ago, you likely remember Too Faced’s original Peach collection. Like many trends from a decade ago, the collection is back, but this time, it’s different. It features an eyeshadow palette (a more restrained 9-pan instead of the original’s sprawling 16-18), a setting powder, setting spray, and face primer. (No lip products this round, which we thought was a miss!)
The real standout is the setting powder packaging. It uses a rollerball mechanism so the loose powder only comes out when you actually swipe a brush across it — no spills, no waste, no dumping half the pan into your bag. It’s the kind of small packaging fix that should honestly be industry standard by now.
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Why CoverGirl is Done Chasing Gen Z
According to Bloomberg Businessweek, CoverGirl is walking away from years of courting Gen Z with celebrity ambassadors and pivoting hard back to Gen X women, roughly ages 45-60 — the customer who actually grew up on the brand and still remembers Niki Taylor’s original campaigns.
The brand is also committing to keeping new launches under $10, after products priced at $12-15 underperformed, and is repositioning itself as an affordable mass-market brand instead of chasing “trendy.” Basically, the e.l.f. Cosmetics playbook.
We’ve said this before on the show and we’ll keep saying it: women in their 40s and 50s have the disposable income and the brand loyalty, and the industry keeps looking past them anyway. This feels like one of the more self-aware moves we’ve seen from a legacy drugstore brand in a while.
And to every woman who feels like the beauty industry stops seeing you at a certain age: you’re not forgotten here. We promise!
Would you try Hung’s no-undertone foundation? Do you still have your original Too Faced Peach palette? And are you rooting for CoverGirl’s comeback?
You can watch and listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Shop every product mentioned in this episode:
Ultraclear Black + White Pure Rain 72-Hour Antiperspirant & Deodorant
Hung Vanngo Red Carpet Skin Luminous Foundation
HAUS LABS | Triclone Skin Tech Foundation Discovery Set
HAUS LABS | Triclone Skin Tech Foundation 30ml
COVERGIRL | Simply Ageless Skin Perfector Essence Foundation
CHANEL | Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint Foundation
CHANEL | Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint Foundation
MAC | MAC Cosmetics Extended Play Gigablack Lash Tubing Mascara 0.2 oz/5.7 G
Shop more of my favorite products here.