TL;DR:
- MAC Cosmetics’ new mascara is racking up views on TikTok
- Fortnite has raised millions to support humanitarian relief in Ukraine
- Antiracist Baby Is No. 1 on Amazon’s Best Selling Children’s Book List—for multiple categories
- Elden Ring is the “It” title among gamers right now
The MACStack Mascara is TikTok’s “It” Makeup Product Right Now
Despite launching just three weeks ago, the mascara has racked up over 96M TikTok views via the organic tag #MacStackMascara as influencers and everyday consumers rave about the high quality formula. TikTokers are talking about the mascara’s clump-free, buildable volume: user @kellyrosesarno was one of the first to rave about the product on March 1, taking viewers through a mascara tutorial as her lashes instantly transform in just three to four coats. As Sarno puts it, “I have been wearing MAC for the greater part of 20 years and I have never been in love with their mascaras [until now].” Mikayla Nogueira (one of TikTok’s most notable makeup influencers) stitched Sarno’s video in her own MACStack Mascara tutorial to see how well it holds up on “someone who has no lashes,” saying: “I’ve seen a million mascaras and never one that looks that good on everybody…I freaking love this mascara.” More makeup and beauty influencers like Patrick Starrr and Rachel Rigler have also chimed in, raving about the luxurious design of the mascara tube / wand and the instant fake eyelash effect it gives. MAC Cosmetics’ SVP and General Manager André Branch tells Glossy the MACStack Mascara sold out on ulta.com in less than one week, and its viral TikTok success has “had a huge impact on sales results for the product itself and the brand.” According to MAC, it worked on the mascara’s product development for over two years, calling it the brand’s biggest innovation of 2022. In Branch’s words, “TikTok made me buy it is so real,” so add the MACStack Mascara to the growing list of products that tend to sell out following their TikTok debut.
Fortnite Raised $36 Million For Ukraine Relief In 24 Hours
Epic Games announced Sunday that during the first two weeks of Fortnite’s new in-game season it would donate all proceeds from purchases (like packs of its in-game currency or character cosmetics) to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. A little over 24 hours after the announcement, Fortnite tweeted that it had already raised $36 million to donate to UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Programme, refugee agency UNHCR, and Direct Relief. To ensure funds are sent to the organizations quickly, Epic explains, “As transactions are reported, we’ll log them and send the funds to the humanitarian relief organization within days” instead of waiting for the funds to come in and out of the platform. Additionally, proceeds from Fortnite sales on Xbox will also be donated. YPulse told you how young people have been learning about the war via expert-backed knowledge on TikTok and videos from Ukrainian teens documenting the devastation from their POV. Our causes, charity, and activism research also shows 94% of young people are passionate about a social cause, primarily because they believe ignoring social issues is dangerous to the world and they feel sympathy to those affected, and Fortnite joins the list of brands organizing donations for Ukraine relief.
Antiracist Baby Is the No.1 Bestselling Children’s Book on Amazon At The Moment
After Republican Senator Ted Cruz went off during a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson about children’s books promoting anti-racism at private schools in Washington, D.C., Antiracist Baby soared to the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s best selling children’s book list. The book was among the titles Cruz questioned, claiming it has no educational value for kids. Though the book came out two years ago, Antiracist Baby quickly jumped to the top of Amazon’s bestselling children’s book list, proving just how popular—and valuable—the book truly is among students, Millennial parents, and more. The title is also the top-selling children’s book in the category “difficult discussions,” and the No. 6 bestselling children’s title for “growing up & fact of life.” Antiracist Baby isn’t the only book Ted Cruz has made massively popular on Amazon this week: Alex Vitale’s The End of Policing jumped to the No. 1 bestseller spot in its genre after Cruz scrutinized it during Jackson’s hearing. YPulse told you how students and Millennial parents flocked to purchase Art Spiegelman’s Maus after it was banned in Tennessee public schools. Millennial parents tell YPulse they want diverse entertainment across the board to help teach their kids about their own race / ethnicity, as well as cultures / communities they’re not a part of, and Antiracist Baby is yet another example of how young people will mobilize to support causes, products, ideas, etc. that they believe in.
Elden Ring Is The Hottest New Title In Gaming
Since launching at the end of February, more than 12 Million copies of Elden Ring have been sold worldwide and it’s all the talk among gamers on social media. For starters, Elden Ring is a “dark fantasy action role-playing game (RPG) by FromSoftware” and is the descendant of games including the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro, which are known for their “difficulty, precision, and intricately layered, often hard-to-parse lore.” Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin was involved in the game’s development, which has certainly boosted its popularity, too. Players are drawn to the game’s difficulty and “creepy yet compelling aesthetic,” along with the fact that there’s always something new to explore in the vast Elden Ring world. As one Vox reporter and Elden Ring player puts it, “[Elden Ring is] like, cancel-your-plans, ignore-your-chores, glance-up-and-realize-it’s-three-in-the-morning good.” YPulse’s gaming research found that 96% of young consumers play video games in some capacity, and the top reasons they play is to have fun and relax / wind down. As the lines between gaming and entertainment continue to blur, Elden Ring should certainly be added to the list of “it” gaming titles among young people right now.
Links We’re Passing
TikTokers are obsessed with this “Bella” filter that makes it look like they’re a character from Twilight, Euphoria, or Pretty Little Liars.
Kanye West was pulled from this year’s Grammys performer lineup due to “concerning online behavior.”
Meanwhile, people are petitioning for West to be removed from the Coachella lineup (the Change.org petition has garnered more than 25,000 signatures).
Rachel Zegler (the lead female actress in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story) announced she wasn’t invited to the Oscars despite the film being up for a best picture award. Following her posts about the matter, Zegler has reportedly been invited to be a presenter at the 94th Academy Awards.
Spamming the TikTok comments section with a brownie recipe is a (bizarre) new trend emerging on the platform.
Two NFT sellers were charged with fraud and money laundering for a crypto “rug pull” scheme.
Lumon Industries, the fictional company featured in Apple TV+’s Severance, has a LinkedIn page—and it’s a total spoof on how some companies post on the platform.
Amanda Bynes’ nine year-long conservatorship is reportedly coming to an end.
Entertainment News You Should Know
Fans are ecstatic over news that Harry Styles’s new album, “Harry’s House,” drops this May.
Netflix’s Bad Vegan docuseries ranked No. 5 on the Top 10 list of English language TV series just five days after rolling out on the service.
Speaking of, Netflix’s Love is Blind has been renewed through season five as it doubles down on dating shows.
Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo took home awards for the best female and male artist of the year at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
The Megan the Stallion docuseries is underway.
Christina Ricci is joining Netflix’s Wednesday series.
Taylor Swift teased a new song called “Carolina” in the trailer for Where the Crawdads Sing.
And Just Like That has been renewed for season two.
