The Lowdown On Skims' First Foray Into Beauty – Shapewear For Your Face

Elle

3 days ago

Just a few weeks ago, Kim Kardashian walked Demna's final couture show for Balenciaga as a modern-day Elizabeth Taylor, draped in a faux-fur coat and nude slip. Alongside her was Isabelle Huppert in a chin-cupping turtleneck, reflecting a vision of New Hollywood where cosmetic materials are seamlessly integrated with couture. And last week, Kardashian pushed the boundaries of fashionable shapewear one step further, launching a Skims sculpting face wrap.
The Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap is said to boast 'signature sculpting fabric' and 'collagen yarns for ultra-soft jaw support.' Priced at £52, the wrap comes in two colours—clay and cocoa—and is already sold out. The new Skims shapewear seems to resemble the type of wrappings that patients use for post-operations care from procedures like facelifts and looks similar to the 'compression' garments that some TikTokers have taken to wearing to bed, for purported 'jaw slimming' benefits.
Concerningly, the Sculpt Face Wrap even looks like it could be part of the 'morning shed,' a social media phenomenon that took over last summer, in which women showcased the removal of extreme and often excessive nighttime-only beauty items like mouth tape, overnight collagen masks, and sculpting chin straps.
Popping out of the house to run errands in under-eye patches and athleisure is already the norm, and the brand's foray into shapewear-meets-beauty feels like an extension of today's culture. 20 years have passed since Steven Meisel's 'Makeover Madness' editorial spread, in which Linda Evangelista sported post-op finery, and nearly the entire conversation surrounding the relationship between style and cosmetics has vastly changed.
From its inception, Skims seemed to strike gold. Its Kardashian-founded origins, It-kid-of-the-moment-filled campaigns, and relatively accessible pricing flooded the shapewear market, and no other brand has come close since. In six short years, the company, which was co-launched by Jens and Emma Grede, has reached a £2.9 billion valuation, opened a 5th Avenue flagship in Manhattan, and collaborated with brands, including Swarovski, Fendi, The North Face, Dolce and Gabbana, and Roberto Cavalli. A pending co-branded line with Nike - announced in February - is on the way (the website currently says 'coming soon').
In June, TikTok user Rachel Leary took to the app to ask what breast augmentation Kylie Jenner had undergone. Jenner saw the video and shocked everyone by answering explicitly in the comments: '445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!! Silicone!!! Garth Fisher!!! Hope this helps lol.' Kris Jenner quickly followed suit, also commenting on Dr. Fisher's Instagram, endorsing the surgeon with glowing words, adding, 'You did my first facelift in 2011… 14 years ago!!!'
Skims' ubiquity, which is naturally enhanced by the family's continued relevance in pop culture, is its biggest power. The wrap could mark the first of the label's beauty expansion, since Skims acquired Kardashian's beauty company, Skkn by Kim, earlier this year, combining it all under one brand—and it could signal a shift in the way that these products are incorporated into the wider brand.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Alexandra Hildreth is the Fashion News Editor at ELLE. She is fascinated by style trends, industry news, shake-ups, and The Real Housewives. Previously, she attended the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Following graduation, she moved back to New York City and worked as a freelance journalist and producer.