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Even given all that’s going on in the world, every beauty move Martha Stewart makes is a stop-the-presses moment. A recent case in point: her Chris Appleton-crafted pink hair. The day the new rose gold ‘do made its debut, journalist inboxes were flooded with deets about the exact Schwarzkopf dye formula used.
Stewart, now 85 but not even remotely hesitant to post a thirst-trap pic from her pool, is unfazed by the collective obsession with her looks.
“I find it flattering,” she says. “If sharing what works for me inspires someone else to look their best, that’s a wonderful thing. I’ve never believed beauty should be a mystery.”
The ultimate anti-gatekeeping flex? Starting her own clinical skincare brand in collaboration with Dhaval Bhanusali, her long-time dermatologist and vetted by an advisory panel of skin docs, scientists and medical researchers. Dubbed Elm Biosciences, it launched a year ago with two products tackling inside/outside beauty: Inner Dose Daily Skin Supplement ($50), which targets inflammation and hormonal
imbalance, and A30 Elemental Serum ($135), an antioxidant skin shield. This past January, the brand added the elasticity-boosting A30 Elemental Night Cream ($165).
Not exactly hurting for projects — the media mogul has written north of 100 books — Stewart says Elm sprang from the personalized potions her derm was whipping up for her.
“Dr. Bhanusali had created a custom topical for me years ago that no one else had access to, and I remember worrying people would be upset that I was using something they couldn’t get,” she recalls. “Elm was always meant to be more than a product line. We wanted it to be a community, a place where people could talk to each other and actually get real answers.”
This month, the brand lifts the curtain on Elemental Lip Serum ($45), which it claims is the first product for our kissers that weaves in “longevity.” While traditional anti-aging products treat skin issues after they’ve already surfaced, longevity skincare purports to tackle them before they even start. It’s proactive, in other words, rather than reactive.
Stewart says she brought a tidy list of specific lip concerns to the table. “There were a few,” she notes. “Volume loss, dryness and those vertical lines — the things nobody talks about, but everybody notices in the mirror. Lips have never received the same scientific attention as the rest of the face, and that never made sense to me.”
While the bulk of lip products on the market, including those that tilt more toward treatment than color, provide just temporary results, Elemental Lip Serum was engineered to deliver lasting benefits. In addition to addressing collagen depletion and visible dryness, and smoothing those dead age-giveaway lip lines, it’s built to boost plumpness over time.
“I wanted a product that felt beautiful enough to wear every single day while genuinely improving the way lips looked,” Stewart says. “Real longevity, not just a quick fix.”
Available in three low-key hues and a clear option, Stewart has been cycling through them all. “Petal is my garden shade — soft and neutral,” she notes. “Mocha is a little rich and indulgent and reminds me of the things I love to cook and eat. Blush has a bit of glamour to it, perfect for getting dressed up and going out. And Clear is just effortless.”
The real R&D coup behind this peptide- and antioxidant-fueled potion, which Stewart insists has given her lips a “fuller, smoother, healthier” appearance? Next-level absorption, which delivers enhanced staying power. “I’m busy,” says Stewart, in perhaps the understatement of the century. “I can’t be reapplying all day.”
This fall, Stewart says she’s happy to see someone else in her orbit nab some attention: her makeup artist Daisy Toye, who’s been cast in Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York reboot. “I’ve worked with Daisy for almost 20 years,” she says, “so watching her step into her own spotlight is exciting.”
For the moment, though, it’s still very much all eyes on Stewart; in late August, Lancôme crowned the stunning tastemaker as the face of its La Vie Est Belle Very Cherry eau de parfum. Sweet.
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