Launch Digest: Wasabi Is The New Tomato And Saie Vows To Preserve Your Year-Round Summer Glow

Beauty Launches For An Intentional Summer Glow

While humidity and heatwaves might be giving you a makeup-melting-off-your-visage type of summer dew, this week’s beauty launches are here to bring some intentionality and precision to your beauty approach for the remainder of the summer. Saie’s Glowy Super Gel – the product that arguably invented the brand’s coveted “no makeup-makeup,” giving a radiance that looks like it genuinely comes from within – just launched in a new shade for the first time in three years. Meet Roseglow, a universal rose gold inspired by bonfires, beach sunsets, and, of course, rosé. Use it as a prep step beneath your Slip Tint, as a classic spot highlighter along your cheekbones and brow bones, or worn anywhere on your face or body for an extra dose of glow.

Meanwhile, MERIT’s focused on your brows. The brand has not one but two new tools that’ll streamline and enhance your brow routine, both launching this Monday: the Brown 1990 Gel Pencil, and a revamped Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade. With an ultra-fine .9MM tip, the new Gel Pencil is one of the thinnest on the market, designed to create soft shadows (instead of hair-like strokes) so that you don’t have to be an expert to get the brows of your dreams. The Pomade – updated with a heavier fill weight and longer-lasting hold – gives you softer, fluffier brows with natural color and no crunchy residue. Bold brows and an inner rose-hued radiance – what more could you need?

Launches That Prove You Don’t Need Gluten Or Booze To Have Fun

Does that header make me seem defensive? If Giada can do pasta without gluten, you can, too. Ms. De Laurentiis just launched a series of gluten-free pastas featuring corn and rice flours, along with pure mountain water from Northern Italy’s Alto Adige. They’re hand-kneaded and air-dried for a perfect al dente texture, and allegedly “indistinguishable” from wheat-based pastas. These are big claims: you be the judge, and maybe you’ll find your favorite replacement for that chickpea-pasta-that-shall-not-be-named. For dessert, try Fancypants’ first gluten-free flavor, a classic, crispy Chocolate Chip made from rice and okara flours and baked with Belgian-style dark chocolate chips. 

There’s a new non-alcoholic adaptogenic tonic on the market (don’t even try saying that three times fast, you’ll become a social pariah). Meet BRĒZ, made with microdosed cannabis and functional mushrooms to boost your mood and cognitive function – so you can get social with all of the benefits, and none of the hangover. Sip on a refreshing Lemon Elderflower beverage, and choose whether you’d like a bit of THC with your Lion’s Mane, or just the adaptogenic mushroom without the added cannabis. 

Collaborations, Sales, And Sets For Your Summer Closet 

J. Crew collaborated with Maryam Nassir Zadeh on the definitive travel wardrobe collection, designed for cramming into your carry on with little extra brainpower required. (Hats off to the brand’s current CD, Olympia Gayot, who has been taking J. Crew Womens’ in a terrific direction.) Note the MNZ x J. Crew interpretation of the designer’s signature Palma style (at a delightfully sub-$300 price point), along with a perfect pair of heeled white loafers that are already on their way to selling out. Swimwear, flower hair clips, slinky dresses for dinner in New York or gelato in a small beach town. Dress for the summer you want.

LESET’s July Collection, complete with bright yellow carpenter pants that’ll become your peak summer uniform and an oatmeal hued snap-down cardigan that gives shrunken Agnes B., is made for solving your “it’s so hot, I can’t possibly put together an outfit” woes. 

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is very much happening. If you’re reading my column, it’s likely that you’ll find what you’re looking for exclusively in the SPACE department; the Beauty deals are also essential. Don’t miss some of my personal favorites, like OSEA, Augustinus Bader, and even T3’s cult-favorite Airebrush at extra-lovable Nordstrom sale price points. While we’re talking sales, get your virtual ass over to Guest In Residence, where amazing cashmere is waiting for you (at half price, in some cases). You’ll be thankful you snagged the platonic ideal of a rib cashmere crew in three months, promise.

Before You Go…

It might be peak heirloom tomato season, but LOEWE’s already been there, done that. This summer, the designer is turning its attention to something a little more spicy. High intensity, green, fresh uplifting – the new Wasabi Candle starts with a peppery piquancy, unfolding to reveal notes of basmati rice and lemongrass as it burns. It’s a perfect kitchen candle, even if you’re not a regular wasabi consumer. 

While you’re experimenting with your new gluten-free Giada pastas, you might want to jot down some recipe notes. Papier’s new recipe cards (along with thirty new designs of their best-selling recipe journals) are just what you need. Document your personalized recipes as you invent them, whether you’re keeping your meticuously mastered chocolate chip cookie formula for your own kitchen arsenal, or generously mailing it off to friends and family. 

Happy shopping. Email me directly – zoe@thequalityedit.com – with any launches you’d like to see in the spotlight, or DM us over @thequalityedit.