✨ tea leaves and lip stains

Welcome to the second issue of Glow Up Trends! Now I’ve started getting the hang of what it takes to publish each week I hope to have a much more regular cadence (missed last week, sorry!)

This week we’ve got two very different glow-ups: an old-school tea that’s got a lot of lung benefits, and a peel-and-reveal lip stain that somehow lasts throughout the day. Do either deserves a spot in your routine?

Ever heard of mullein tea? I hadn’t either until trend hunting this week! This tea has been brewed for hundreds of years, but its popularity has surged recently for its respiratory health benefits. The tea itself is light and earthy, made from the fuzzy leaves of the mullein plant (which isn’t much to look at honestly, it looks a lot like the weeds in my backyard, this ones just got some magic to it). Today it’s especially known as a go-to remedy for “lung detox,” a wellness trend on the rise.

So how does mullein actually work? Well we’re going to learn a new word together to help us answer that question.

“Natural Expectorants”

Expectorants are substances that helps your body clear mucus from the airways by loosening and thinning the yuck in your throat. In practice, that means less chest congestion, easier breathing, and coughs that actually feel productive instead of scratchy and stuck. They can be man-made or au naturel (hi mullein).

Tea is the most popular way to take mullein, but it’s not the only way. Herbalists also use tinctures and capsules for convenience, or mullein leaves in steam inhalations. Whether it’s used for “lung detox” or to ease the misery of a lingering cough, mullein offers multiple ways to support clearer, calmer breathing, in a world where the air is getting more and more polluted.

I’ve never tried it but cold season is coming up so you best believe I’ll be getting some of this in advance (nothing is worse than getting sick and not having meds or treatment already in your cupboard).

Wonderskin has become the breakout beauty startup, mostly due to its Peel & Reveal Lip Stain. You may have seen this internet-famous three-step lip color that stays put for 10+ hours. It goes on in a shocking indigo blue, sets with an activator spray, then peels off to reveal a smudge-proof, transfer-resistant lip color that lasts all day.

The real glow-up here is convenience. Instead of reapplying lipstick after coffee, lunch, or a night out, or if you say screw it and never bother, Wonderskin can give you vibrant color that actually lasts. No faded edges, no lipstick on your teeth, no constant mirror checks. The ritual of peeling off the blue layer feels like a mini beauty hack, and the payoff is lips that look freshly done for hours.

And it’s not just lips, Wonderskin also created the 1440 Longwear Eyeliner, a pencil designed to last a full 24 hours (1,440 minutes, hence the name, clever clever). Like the lip stain, it leans into that same low-maintenance, high-payoff promise: an easy-glide liner that doesn’t smudge, flake, or fade. It seems this brand isn’t just chasing trends, but building a whole lineup around makeup that actually keeps up with real life.

If you’re wondering how long Wonderskin actually lasts or whether it works without the spray, I put together a detailed breakdown you can check out in this article

Until next week,
Tana - Glow Up Trends ✨
Staying the same was never part of the plan

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