Oscar hangovers

Post-Oscars day was, as usual, the busiest in our content calendar at Harper’s Bazaar online. We published eight beauty stories this Monday, and I thought it interesting that only one of them was in collaboration with a PR.

Of course, the other stories included brand and artist credits, and the odd quote from pros who could speak to the looks (all of which were kindly facilitated by those in communications). But my inbox was a bit lacklustre in the way of leads for Oscars-related features and news stories, when usually, it’s as thronging as our team Slack chat is the morning after the night before.

It’s fair to say that the (not) red carpet looks were a little underwhelming. And the awards were “safe, conventional and old-fashioned” – as Variety frankly put it. But for a historic affair I expected more industry buzz.

I’m not only talking ‘get the look’ suggestions, which also feel a little dated given that we tend to know exactly who wore what make-up thanks to social media. Rather, related themes hooked on talking points from the night. For example, Lady Gaga’s make-up removal for her on-stage performance could have linked nicely to cleansers and skincare routines, while Naomi Watts’ elegant grey roots would speak well to haircare and colourist expertise. You get the idea.

With actors, more than ever, having such monumental impact on aesthetics, being reactive to their style moves makes so much sense to me.

As for the article that was PR-inspired, it was pre-planned. A look at the facial treatment A-list attendees had with one of the beauty world’s most sought-after therapists, I worked on the story with the brand behind a luxury skincare device that I know (from ecommerce data) our readers love. Combining expert commentary with celebrity endorsement and affiliate opportunities, it was a no-brainer for us to run.

Perhaps next year there will be more of the same to speak of…