The Big Business of Utah Beauty
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by Glamour editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission.
'Love Thy Selfie' reads a large black billboard towering over one of Utah's sprawling highways. The advertisement is for Utah Beauty Lab and Laser, a med spa owned by The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member Heather Gay. It's one of the many med spa signs drivers will see as they pass through the state.
Welcome to the big business of Utah beauty. In 2017, Salt Lake City ranked number two in most plastic surgeons per capita, second only to Miami. Rachel Olsen, an aesthetic nurse injector and owner of RO Aesthetics in the Salt Lake City area of Millcreek, speculates that there are 10 other med spas within 10 miles of her own. And Gay isn't the only Utah Housewives cast member to venture into beauty: Angie Katsanevas owns her own hair salon while Whitney Rose recently started a skin care line. The list goes on.
Utah's beauty obsession isn't new. During the 2010s, beauty influencers hailing from the Beehive State captured our timelines and built big followings from their long mermaid hair, tanned skin, and fluffy eyelashes. Amber Fillerup-Clark, founder of the hair care line Dae, rose to prominence with her blog Barefoot Blonde and on Instagram amassed more than a million followers who obsessed over her long, dirty blonde hair and in-depth braid tutorials. Similarly, lifestyle blogger Cara Loren went viral for her flawless spray tan and has since founded the workout app Burn as well as her own athleisure line, Cara Loren Active. And when fashion blogger Rachel Parcell shared wedding photos on her site Pink Peonies, her bridal braid ended up on Pinterest boards across the internet. Years later, she was able to drive a million dollars in sales to Nordstrom's site during their sale.
Today, a new crop of Utahns are bringing the aesthetic to the next generation. But instead of bloggers, it's mostly TikTok influencers and reality TV stars driving the shift. Influencer Emilie Kiser, who has more than 3 million followers on TikTok, is known for sharing videos of her heatless curl tutorial and morning routine (Pilates is mandatory). The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast members Taylor Frankie Paul and Whitney Leavitt both had Instagram followings before joining the reality TV show, but their numbers soared after the premiere.
In the past, coastal cities like New York City and Los Angeles have set the trends in the beauty industry. But thanks to the popularity of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and the widespread use of social media, the hyperfeminine, done-but-not-overdone vibe that characterizes Utah beauty has emerged as highly influential for women across the country.
Personally, I'm no stranger to Utah's beauty influence. My Pinterest boards from high school are full of Fillerup-Clark's tutorials and Loren's workout routines. I own at least three different satin heatless curling rods but have yet to perfect Kiser's bouncy blowout. I've been watching Utah Housewives since Mary Cosby accused Jen Shah of smelling like a hospital (season one) and panic-ordered Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique Heat Protecting Cream after watching Lisa Barlow recommend it during season five.
'Utah is full of beautiful people,' says Savanah Norman, a professional makeup artist based in Salt Lake City, 'and everybody wants to look like them.'
Whitney Leavitt, beautiful person and internet-appointed villain of Mormon Wives season one, believes the 'Utah look' is unique to the state. 'The look is a blend of high glam and natural elegance. We have radiant skin, but also big lashes and bouncy hair,' she says. 'When you're going to the grocery store, everyone is super done up, but we also want to look effortless.'
Beauty professionals agree: The Utah look is real, and it is in high demand. 'You can always tell when a girl on Instagram is from Utah,' says Peyton Warr, a professional makeup artist for Mormon Wives. The tells? 'Usually white, blonde, thin, long hair full of extensions, big eyelashes, dewy skin, and light makeup,' says Mariah Wellman, a communications professor at Michigan State University and influencer expert.
At the end of the day, effortlessness sets the Utah look apart. 'The goal is to look natural,' explains Wellman. 'However, the goalposts for natural are shifting. In Utah, looking 'natural' requires more and more procedures.' See: hair extensions, lip filler, spray tans, Botox, lash extensions, and boob jobs.
Alyssa Grenfell, a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and content creator, describes the look as 'ethereal' and 'almost fairy-like.'
'The vibe that people are going for is more of a you-but-better look,' says Warr, 'We were into the 'clean-girl aesthetic' before that was an aesthetic.'
'In Utah, it's all about looking polished, youthful, and put together 24/7,' Leavitt says. 'There's a commitment to appearance, and it's hard not to fulfill that especially when you grow up there.'
For example, Warr and Norman's clients most frequently ask for a 'soft glam' look. 'It's the same amount of makeup as full glam, but the tones are softer. Instead of using a black liner, I would use a brown to make it look more natural,' Warr explains. Norman's clients specifically ask for 'perfected skin' and request she avoids a 'cakey or heavy' look.
Cosmetic surgery, however, might be where the Utah look is the strongest. Devan Griner, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Peak Plastic Surgery in Draper, about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City, gets clients from all over the country clamoring for a natural result.
'The number one thing that I hear from them is that they don't want to look 'Hollywood.' They want to keep people guessing,' he says.
'We want to look like we're minimalists,' says Leavitt, 'but we're definitely not.'
Their subtle work has started to become synonymous with the state. 'Utah is a really sophisticated place to get things done,' says Olsen. 'We are home to some of the top-performing med spas in the nation.'
This 'natural' aesthetic extends beyond makeup and plastic surgery. 'Utah hair' went viral on TikTok shortly after season one of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered, with tutorials racking up millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes. The hairstyle is long (usually past the shoulders), thick (usually padded by extensions), with loose waves culminating in straighter ends. The end result looks unfussy, but it requires laborious styling.
Mormon Wives star Leavitt categorizes her attitude toward beauty as somewhere in the middle on the Utah scale. She admits her full beauty routine is extensive. She puts SPF on her face every morning regardless of the season, and she wakes up earlier than her children to lay under her $1,750 Celluma Pro red light every day without exception. Yet her look is arguably the most laid-back of her castmates'. While the rest of them carried waist-length wefts, Leavitt stuck to an unusual-for-Utah chin-skimming bob. 'Fake hair is where I draw the line,' she says. 'It's uncomfortable. I feel the same about lashes.'
Grenfell finds it difficult to separate the state's aesthetic from its dominant religion. 'Mormons often get tied to the tradwife movement, because their aesthetic is so traditionally feminine: blonde hair, a large chest, and very thin,' she says. 'In New York, girls might aspire to look like Julia Fox. In Utah, Hannah Neeleman [a.k.a. Ballerina Farm] is the standard.'
During the past year, Utah's impact on the beauty industry is unavoidable. The trends have shifted away from exaggerated enhancements in favor of quieter alternatives. Phrases like 'old money beauty' and 'quiet luxury' have slipped their way into salons and spas across the country as women are seeking a more pared-back approach to aesthetics.
In a 2024 piece, The Hollywood Reporter dubbed this change 'The De-Kardashian-ification of America,' but perhaps a more apt name would be 'The Beau-tah Effect.'
This shift is in part due to the advancements Utah has made in the space and their level of influence in the broader beauty community. Dr. Griner points out that many surgical procedures and techniques were pioneered in Utah before making their way into other offices across the country.
'People don't usually come in asking for a trendy procedure,' he says. 'Usually they want a natural-looking result and we work with them to make it happen.'
The evidence of the state's influence is everywhere. Leavitt believes it is about time the state got the recognition it deserves. 'Utah has been under the radar for way too long,' she says. 'This is where the brow game started. This is where the brow-laminating trend started. Spray tans are basically a part of the religion at this point. Almost all the original influencers started in Utah.'
For example, the entire 'Get Ready With Me,' or GRWM, genre of video was spearheaded by Utah creators on TikTok, notes Warr.
Leavitt isn't wrong. For example, brow lamination, the treatment that keeps your eyebrows fluffy for weeks, may not have been created in Utah, but experts credit Utah influencers in making it popular. Its hashtag currently has over 400,000 impressions on TikTok and counting.
The truth is in the numbers. Currently, every cast member from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has more Instagram followers than Salt Lake City has residents. As for what is next in beauty, we suggest tuning into season two.
Anneke Knot is a freelance writer based in San Francisco. Follow her at @annekeknot.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
The bridesmaid burnout
Your bridesmaids secretly resent you. Here's how to tell.
To all my friends, this is my bridesmaid resignation letter
Brides who say 'it's my day' should pay for everything. It's that simple.
11 bridesmaids on their most cringe-worthy wedding horror stories
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elizabeth Hurley Poses Nude To Celebrate Her 'Wild' 60th Birthday
Elizabeth Hurley is celebrating her 60th birthday with a bang by sharing a nude photo on Instagram in celebration of her 'wild' year. The actress stripped down to her birthday suit in a stunning photoshoot in a grassy field, wearing nothing but a necklace and using her long legs to cover her torso. 'Happy birthday to me,' she wrote in the caption of the daring post. 'This year has already been a wild ride; my 30th year of working with the Estée Lauder Companies, my 30th year as the Global Ambassador of the @esteelaudercompanies Breast Cancer Campaign, the 20th anniversary of @elizabethhurleybeach and…' More from SheKnows 23 Famous Women Over 40 Who Have Posed For Gorgeous Nude Photoshoots Hurley, who debuted a new relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus earlier this year, also wrote: 'I'm in love ♥️♥️♥️ Feeling very blessed and grateful for having the best friends & family in the world ♥️ pic taken this afternoon… in my birthday suit xxx' The Austin Powers actress first met Cyrus, 63, in 2022 while co-starring in their movie, Christmas in Paradise. They reconnected after Cyrus split from ex-wife Firerose in 2024 and hard-launched their romance in April 2025 with a social media post that showed Cyrus kissing Hurley on the cheek. In an April appearance on The Ty Bentli podcast, Cyrus gushed about his connection with Hurley and her 23-year-old son, Damian, whom she shared with late ex Steve Bing. 'It's great that God brought them into my life when he did,' Cyrus said. 'It's just a good thing. It's been a long time since I've been this happy.'Best of SheKnows 23 Celebrities Who Embodied the Boho Fashion Trend (& How It's Coming Back in 2025) 13 Best Family Photos of Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, & Their 3 Kids Keira Knightley's Best Hairstyles Over the Years, From 2001 to Today
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult'
Joe Flacco is the elder statesman of the Cleveland Browns quarterback room. Having just turned 40 in January, Flacco has morphed into the "back in my day guy" and is now just one step away from telling the young whippersnappers to get off his lawn. Flacco has embraced that youthful energy in the twilight of his NFL career, taking the opportunity to pose for a fun photo at media day with rookie, Dillon Gabriel. Advertisement Regardless, he continued to provide plenty of entertainment for the media following Wednesday's minicamp practices, turning the session into a chat about social media, TikTok and posting dancing videos online. Flacco began discussing Twitter, now known as X, as it has evolved into a primary source of news. "The difference now is, everybody's getting their stuff from there, and it's treated a little bit more seriously because that is the main news source," Flacco said, via 92.3 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter. "You still have the same thing you always had, which is a million different opinions, but it kind of blends your actual news source with a bunch of other stuff." The quarterback went on to say that Instagram is the only social media platform he's used and made one thing clear –don't expect him to show up in a TikTok dancing video anytime soon. Advertisement "No TikTok dances," Flacco said. "The fact that people want to get on their phones and show people. That's embarrassing! You're an adult. Be an adult. I can't wrap my head around that." He followed up with some advice for the parents. "I get it, you have kids and you wanna have fun with your kids," Flacco added. "Like, have fun with your kids in private." Flacco appears to be no fan of the current social media landscape, but he also extended his media availability to discuss the good old days. While he wasn't walking up and down the rolling hills in 10 feet of snow to school, the quarterback did end up speaking about players who think offseason activities are too hard in the modern NFL. Advertisement "We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard," Flacco said via Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein, referencing the two-a-days that used to be commonplace in the NFL. He went on to add that organized team activities (OTAs) used to be over two hours, highlighting just how much has changed since he entered the league in 2008. In other words, Flacco was in a reminiscing mood as the Super Bowl champion prepares for his 18th season in the league. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Browns' QB Joe Flacco calls TikTok dances 'embarrassing'


USA Today
25 minutes ago
- USA Today
Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult'
Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult' Show Caption Hide Caption Greg Olsen believes Travis Kelce 'controls how he leaves the game' Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen has high praise for Travis Kelce and shares when he believes Travis Kelce will eventually retire from the NFL. Sports Seriously Joe Flacco is the elder statesman of the Cleveland Browns quarterback room. Having just turned 40 in January, Flacco has morphed into the "back in my day guy" and is now just one step away from telling the young whippersnappers to get off his lawn. Flacco has embraced that youthful energy in the twilight of his NFL career, taking the opportunity to pose for a fun photo at media day with rookie, Dillon Gabriel. Regardless, he continued to provide plenty of entertainment for the media following Wednesday's minicamp practices, turning the session into a chat about social media, TikTok and posting dancing videos online. Flacco began discussing Twitter, now known as X, as it has evolved into a primary source of news. "The difference now is, everybody's getting their stuff from there, and it's treated a little bit more seriously because that is the main news source," Flacco said, via 92.3 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter. "You still have the same thing you always had, which is a million different opinions, but it kind of blends your actual news source with a bunch of other stuff." Joe Flacco has thoughts on social media, including TikTok dances. A pretty entertaining 2 minutes of video here #Browns — Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) June 11, 2025 The quarterback went on to say that Instagram is the only social media platform he's used and made one thing clear –don't expect him to show up in a TikTok dancing video anytime soon. "No TikTok dances," Flacco said. "The fact that people want to get on their phones and show people. That's embarrassing! You're an adult. Be an adult. I can't wrap my head around that." He followed up with some advice for the parents. "I get it, you have kids and you wanna have fun with your kids," Flacco added. "Like, have fun with your kids in private." Flacco appears to be no fan of the current social media landscape, but he also extended his media availability to discuss the good old days. While he wasn't walking up and down the rolling hills in 10 feet of snow to school, the quarterback did end up speaking about players who think offseason activities are too hard in the modern NFL. "We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard," Flacco said via Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein, referencing the two-a-days that used to be commonplace in the NFL. Old Guy Joe Flacco laughs at players who think today's OTAs are hard: 'We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard.' — Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) June 11, 2025 He went on to add that organized team activities (OTAs) used to be over two hours, highlighting just how much has changed since he entered the league in 2008. In other words, Flacco was in a reminiscing mood as the Super Bowl champion prepares for his 18th season in the league.