Inside Estée Laundry's Comeback: Why the Anonymous Beauty Watchdog Is Posting Again

Elle

6 hours ago

Estée Laundry wants you to slide back into their DMs. The anonymous beauty watchdog account, which historically broke news (such as Sunday Riley's fake review controversy) and receives all of its tips via its followers, returned last month after a two-year hiatus. Now, the secret collective behind the page tells ELLE: 'We want to be an unfiltered voice in the beauty industry that speaks openly and doesn't hold back.' And it's already providing food for thought; its first post upon returning asked, 'Serious question, are there still any exciting beauty brands?' Estée Laundry talked to ELLE over email about why they stopped and restarted the account, their new mission statement, and what they hope will change in the beauty industry.
Before coming back, your last post was in 2023. Why did you guys decide to take a pause?
When we first started, there wasn't really anyone doing what we were doing in the beauty world, and we didn't have a template to follow. By around 2023, public sentiment around accountability culture was shifting, and we felt we had already said a lot on topics like inclusivity, copying, and sustainability. We weren't sure if an account like ours still made sense. The space had also become a little toxic, so we decided to take a break and come back only if it felt right.
The [more recent] shift in the political climate and the broader backlash against what some labeled as 'woke culture,' combined with the closure of several BIPOC brands that gained momentum around 2020, made us feel like our voice might still have a place and an impact.
What about the space felt toxic?
Sometimes it felt like whatever we did, there was a reaction. If we called something out, people might say we were overreaching or stirring things up. But if we didn't post about an issue, others would wonder why we weren't speaking up. Over time, that kind of pressure made things feel less enjoyable. It took some of the fun and spontaneity out of what we were trying to do.
Did you continue to get DMs from your community?
Yes, we did keep getting DMs, especially early on, but after a while we think people assumed we weren't coming back. Every now and then, someone would message us asking if we planned to return.
Did you feel like there was a bit of a bat signal in your decision to return, meaning that you felt like the beauty community needed you?
We're not delusional enough to think the beauty community needs us, but we honestly thought other accounts would keep covering the kinds of things we talked about. It didn't really happen (as far as we know), and that was something that motivated us to come back.
How do you feel about the industry now versus 2023?
Things have changed a lot, but the core issues remain the same. The beauty boom from the early Instagram days is definitely over. Now, it's all layoffs and cutbacks. Brands were making more of an effort to be inclusive, sustainable, etc. back in 2023, but that tone has shifted along with the broader political mood.
Do you consider the mission of the account to be the same?
Our overall mission has always been about bringing more transparency to the beauty community. That said, we can admit we went a little too hard on some issues in the past. This time around, we want the tone of our account to feel a bit lighter (and more fun), while still focusing on the things that matter.
What issues do you think you went too hard on?
We are referring to times when we felt strongly about certain topics, like inclusivity and sustainability, and addressed them quite directly. Our intention was always to encourage better standards, but looking back, being that direct all the time may have made some people feel alienated or defensive, which wasn't what we intended.
What does the closure of Ami Colé mean to you?
For us, it shows that even when a brand has fantastic products and a loyal community, it's still incredibly difficult to survive as an independent company. This is especially true with growing competition from larger, well-funded players. It also reflects a broader shift in investor priorities. A few years ago, there was strong momentum behind funding inclusive beauty initiatives, but that focus seems to have faded, making it even harder for brands like Ami Colé to get the long-term support they need.
Are you still a collective? And is it a collective of the same people or different members?
We won't go too deep into the details, but some of our core team from the last time you interviewed us are still around, though some have moved on.
Why do you still want to keep yourselves anonymous?
We prefer to stay out of the spotlight, which is why we've kept things anonymous. This account is about the beauty industry, not the individuals behind it.
What changes do you hope to see in the beauty industry?
We'd like to see fewer celebrity brands and fewer new launches in general, unless there's a truly unique and innovative perspective that sets the brand apart from what already exists. It also goes without saying that we want to see ongoing commitment to inclusion, creativity, and sustainability.
Do you hope to monetize the account?
Yes, we plan to, but we've always been against doing ads and sponsored content because we don't want that to influence the way we speak openly about brands. We're focusing on a weekly newsletter on Patreon for our subscribers. It's called Laundry Service, and we hope to create more Patreon content in the future so we can monetize the account without impacting our values.
Neither Substack nor TikTok existed in 2023. Did you have conversations over whether Instagram was still the best forum?
We've always relied solely on Instagram for sharing all of our content. We don't think TikTok will work for us given our format, but we can never say never. We have been considering Substack, but decided to use Patreon for our newsletter because we already had a small following there. If more of our followers show interest in our long-form Patreon content, we might consider expanding and having a presence on Substack as well.
What is your process like for vetting DMs?
We take the vetting process seriously and do our best to verify the messages we receive. Many submissions come from anonymous sources, especially on sensitive topics like racism and bullying, which can make full verification challenging. Whenever possible, we ask for supporting details, but not every story includes documentation. In those cases, we look for consistent patterns across multiple messages before sharing.
How do you see yourself compared to a gossip Instagram account like DeuxMoi?
They're a massive account with content that's flashier, slicker, and far more produced than anything we're doing. We don't think it makes sense to compare ourselves. We're a relatively small beauty account, with a focused but deeply invested audience.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.