This week, I checked in on how Ivanka Trump is navigating her return to the spotlight with a focus on wellness. Additionally, Ulta Beauty shakes up its C-suite yet again and Pat McGrath returns to a viral beauty moment.
Why Ivanka Trump is trading politics for wellness
On January 13, in the week leading up to the inauguration of her father Donald Trump’s second presidential term, Ivanka Trump appeared on The Skinny Confidential’s Him and Her podcast. Speaking with hosts Lauryn and Michael Bosstick, Trump discussed her wellness routine, which includes The Skinny Confidential’s branded mouth tape, jiu jitsu and getting away from politics.
“I love policy and impact. I hate politics and, unfortunately, the two are not separable,” Trump told the TSC podcast. “There is a darkness to that world that I don’t really want to welcome into mine.”
That messaging represents a departure from Ivanka Trump’s public image during her father’s first presidential administration, when she and husband Jared Kushner served as presidential advisors. Joining the national spotlight once again, Trump has shifted her public image to focus on wellness and family rather than political power plays. She and her husband have indicated they will remain in Florida, where they relocated following the first Trump presidency, rather than return to the White House.
“Why is she in this very politically fraught moment talking about her fitness routine? Because it defines her as something other than just the president’s daughter, which she was totally defined by eight years ago,” said Pauline Brown, founder of executive development platform Aesthetic Intelligence Labs and former vp of corporate strategy at Estée Lauder
On November 4, the eve of the U.S. presidential election, Ivanka Trump shared a thread on X celebrating her birthday and detailing the life lessons she had learned since turning 43, such as lifting weights and avoiding gossip. Trump, whose birthday is October 30, did not directly reference her father’s campaign, but her position as thoughtful and family-oriented is still potentially beneficial to the Trump brand.
“It’s another face of conservative values that isn’t about the Bible or about coming from the farm,” said Brown. “They are putting a good family front on, especially for [Donald Trump] who’s been married three times.”
The Trump family has not been shy to monetize their family name through products. Ivanka Trump herself ran a namesake fashion and accessories brand from 2007-2017. In recent years, an increasing number of celebrities, from Meghan Markle to Kourtney Kardashian Barker, have put their name on wellness and lifestyle products. But Trump’s pivot to wellness doesn’t necessarily indicate she is preparing to launch a brand. Rather, she is keeping up with what it means to be an aspirational woman in the public eye.
“People used to post their fashion outfits. Now they post their wellness routine,” said Rina Raphael, author of the book “The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care” and the Well To Do Substack. “If you open up any women’s fashion magazine, they no longer ask people, ‘Who are you wearing?’ and things of that sort. Instead, they ask, ‘What’s your wellness routine?’”
For outside brands, affiliating with or endorsing a figure like Trump comes with its own considerations. The Oscar de La Renta brand, which has a long history of dressing first ladies, faced backlash on social media for outfitting the likes of second lady Usha Vance and the Trump family throughout inauguration festivities. Other netizens lambasted Givenchy for dressing Ivanka Trump in a recreation of Audrey Hepburn’s black-and-white Givenchy gown from the film “Sabrina” for the inaugural ball. Some took offense to the association as Hepburn survived Nazi occupation in the Netherlands during her childhood, while pundits have argued whether Trump ally Elon Musk performed a “Nazi salute” during the inauguration.
But those vocal critics may have little impact on a brand’s bottom line.
“I’m going to guess that, practically speaking, 99% of the people who are writing scathing social media are not ones that would be buying Oscar de la Renta dresses anytime soon,” said Brown.
Luxury brands have rallied around the Trump family in the new administration. LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault and his children, Delphine, CEO of Dior, and Alexandre, deputy CEO of Moët Hennessy, attended the January inauguration. Meanwhile, on Instagram, Kim Kardashian shared a birthday post celebrating Ivanka Trump prior to the election and an image of Melania Trump during the inauguration.
Some of Trump’s endorsed fitness partners, like personal trainer Sandy Brockman, have embraced their affiliation with her on social media. Commenters on The Skinny Confidential’s Instagram clips of Trump have been largely positive. The Skinny Confidential did not return Glossy’s request for comment, nor did representatives from the Trump organization.
“Her father’s equity and the brand name Trump had more negative equity [in his first presidency] than it does today,” said Brown.
Executive moves:
- Chitra Balireddi has been appointed CEO of body-care brand Nécessaire. Balireddi joins from Glossier where she served as chief commercial officer. Nécessaire founder and outgoing CEO Randi Christiansen will remain on the board with a focus on brand impact.
- Michelle Crossan-Matos steps down as Ulta Beauty CMO. Her departure comes shortly after the sudden retirement of CEO Dave Kimbell and appointment of Kecia Steelman to the top role.
- Peter Jueptner will step down as group president, international, of the Estée Lauder Companies on April 1. Jueptner has been with the company for 16 years. Former ELC CEO Fabrizio Freda stepped down at the beginning of 2025, with Stéphane de La Faverie since assuming the role.
- Nathalie Gerschtein leaves L’Oréal after three years as head of North America’s consumer products division. Christina Fair, from the company’s dermatological beauty division, will take over her role.
News to know:
- Kim Kardashian’s Skky Partners takes a minority stake in clinical-grade skin-care brand 111Skin. Kardashian founded the private equity firm with Jay Sammons in 2022. 111Skin was founded in 2012 by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Yannis Alexandrides.
- DTC cashmere brand Quince expands to lifestyle and wellness with new categories like fragrance. The expansion will also include products such as collagen and electrolyte powders. Founded in 2018, the brand hit roughly $300 million in sales in 2023 and was projected to reach $1 billion in 2024.
- Pat McGrath launches her viral Margiela glass skin look to the public. Her namesake brand launched Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask, a commercial version of the peel-off glass skin mask look she applied to models at the Maison Margiela spring 2024 couture runway show.
Stat of the week:
Despite the temporary TikTok blackout in the U.S., TikTok Shop sales are booming. According to SOTI, TikTok Shop sales spiked during the week of January 18, seeing a nearly $5 million week-over-week increase when compared to January 12-19, 2024.
In the headlines:
Inside Willa Bennett’s first issue of Cosmopolitan. This therapist is not who she seems to be. The local brands selling Altadena, Palisades and L.A. gear for fire relief efforts. Aesop president talks new perfume, fragrance category.
Listen in:
Remedy Place’s Dr. Jonathan Leary joins the Glossy Beauty Podcast to talk “social self-care,” changing how and where consumers socialize, and more.
Need a Glossy recap?
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