Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making. What’s the opposite of gatekeeping? Welcome to “ Payment Processing ,” in which we ask stylish, generally cool people who’ve tried it all about their favorite fashion and beauty buys. Since uploading her first YouTube video in 2009, Jackie Asamoah (known online as Jackie Aina) has been a source of inspiration for an entire generation of beauty and fashion lovers. Seventeen years later, her career has continued to flourish, including the launch of her candle and fragrance brand, Forvr Mood, in 2020. But what remains the same? Her impeccable taste. "My personal style is a mix of elements," she tells Fashionista. It has to be "sexy" ("either the titties are out or the legs are out"), "figure flattering" and "consistent." Having worn everything from Oscar de la Renta to Luar to Christian Siriano, she calls out Sergio Hudson and LaQuan S...
For years, beauty’s middle tier occupied a relatively comfortable position: more elevated than drugstore, less intimidating than prestige and priced just high enough to suggest quality without alienating the average shopper. But as mass brands improve formulas and prestige brands continue to sell aspiration, that middle ground has become increasingly difficult to maintain. Today, brands priced roughly between $20 and $40 are being forced to answer a sharper question: What, exactly, makes them worth it? Value Beyond Price Saint Jō Founder and CEO Allyse Cirillo sees that shift clearly, but she thinks mid-tier brands have consumers' attention right now. “The beauty market is becoming increasingly polarized between low-cost mass and ultra-luxury prestige, and what we’re seeing is a growing consumer who wants something in the middle,” she says. “She wants products that feel luxurious, safe and thoughtfully formulated, but still accessible enough to become part of her daily ritual.” T...