Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop has had a beauty line for years, making their own branded skincare and beauty products, sometimes in collaboration with existing beauty brands. Last year, Goop Beauty launched Good Clean Goop, a supposedly “affordable” beauty line with all of the core tenets of Goop: “clean” branding and eye-rolling at broke peasants. Gwyneth repeatedly looked down on consumers who cannot spend hundreds of dollars a month on skincare. She repeatedly made a point of saying that Good Clean Goop was basically a watered-down version of what she wanted because they couldn’t put expensive ingredients into the products because then the peasants wouldn’t be able to afford them. Is it a huge surprise that Good Clean Goop isn’t doing well? Perhaps not. But what surprised me is that, according to Puck, Goop Beauty is doing poorly across the board.
Goop’s overall sales, which include Goop Beauty, have been more or less flat since 2021, I’m told. Paltrow’s wholesale beauty businesses aren’t doing great, either. Despite WWD recently citing “Amazon overall and the wholesale business as key strengths for Goop Beauty,” I’ve heard that U.S. retail sales for the brand were only in the six figures at Amazon and Sephora for the month of May. (Summer Fridays did millions in sales at Sephora during the same period.) A spokesperson for Goop said that Goop Beauty’s sales overall are up 17 percent year-to-date.
Good.clean.goop, a more affordable and wholesale-only skincare brand that launched simultaneously at Target and on Amazon last October, also underperformed. I’ve heard the line is in the “bottom 15” at Target, which de-escalated some partnerships following the blowback to its LGBTQ+ Pride campaign last year. A source with firsthand knowledge of Target’s beauty business told me that the retailer had “reputational concerns” regarding Paltrow being a polarizing figure and decided to “take a step back” in terms of marketing and in-store placement of the brand.
“They got so conservative because of what was happening with Pride that everything was put on hold. Gwyneth ended up opening up the brand to Amazon, and it was not an exclusive launch. The brand lost momentum––it was put on a back endcap in the store, and it never really got traction,” this person said. (A spokesperson for Target declined to comment.)
There was also confusion around the market, pricing, and buyer for good.clean.goop. The line didn’t necessarily appeal to Paltrow’s wealthier core demographic, but it was still too expensive for the not-yet-Goop’d customer who doesn’t want to spend $30 to $40 on skincare, especially in the absence of serious marketing and prime placement in Target’s stores. “At the end of the day, it may not be priced correctly for what it is,” an executive at the retailer said.
Then the parody went mainstream. Goop Beauty lost its first-mover advantage when clean, nontoxic, and “free of” beauty marketing became inescapable. With every skincare brand chasing “clean” status––which, for the record, is purely a marketer’s gimmick since most ingredients on the “dirty” lists would never make it into beauty products in the first place––there was little setting Goop apart.
I fundamentally believe that Gwyneth is a bandwagoner who merely takes credit for inventing/pioneering most things, but Puck correctly points out that Goop really missed so many opportunities to stake out their claim in the beauty/skincare market earlier on. Now the gap left by Goop has been filled by Fenty Beauty, Rare Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, etc. Puck goes on to suggest that Goop’s “midlife crisis” is the result of Gwyneth failing to “install proper executive leadership, or even a seasoned C.E.O. with the operating chops to streamline the company’s various product lines.” I absolutely agree with that. Gwyneth has always expressed a desire for Goop to be a stand-alone entity eventually, and not be synonymous with Gwyneth’s name. But Gwyneth has still centered herself within the company, and for good reason – because she IS Goop. But that also means that she’s sort of half-assed it when it comes to building the company and ensuring the company’s independence.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Celebrities arriving at Giorgio Armani Prive show during Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture in Paris, France Featuring: Gwyneth Paltrow Where: Paris, France When: 23 Jan 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Arrivals at the inauguration of the Swarovski Masters of Light From Vienna to Milan exhibition at Palazzo Citterio. Featuring: Gwyneth Paltrow Where: Milan, Italy When: 16 Jun 2024 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Arrivals at the inauguration of the Swarovski Masters of Light From Vienna to Milan exhibition at Palazzo Citterio. Featuring: Gwyneth Paltrow Where: Milan, Italy When: 16 Jun 2024 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
Midlife crisis?! Isn’t that something plebeians experience? Are we sure that this term applies to GP?
Lmao!!!!!! High 5 to your comment!
Conscious deyouthing?
LOL!!!
NEVER deyouth. NEVER!!
OMG, you have me on the floor with that one
Hahahaha!
The way today’s Celebitchy front page is set up helps you notice the similar facial structure between GOOP and Camzilla. We all get old and ugly in the end, no matter what SPF.
You mean involuntary deyouthing
The name says it all. Never been a fan of her brand of what it means to be female. I’ll use my Ordinary skin care, buy pretty rocks at the woo-woo store because I like how they look (but mostly prisms because they make rainbows), drink green tea because it’s good for me, and always have more than water and lemons in my fridge just in case friends come over. And the only thing I’ll ever steam is a Christmas pudding from my gran’s recipe. LOL. I can’t believe people pay money for her hokum!
I admit to trying her products but truthfully none of them impressed me enough to purchase them again.. I bet a lot of the sales were or are curiosity one of purchases.
This is such a true and great comment. Most, if not all, people that I know that have tried Goop skincare products, did just that – they tried them. Then went back to their usual lines, whether it was CeraVe or Purpose, or something their dermatologist recommended, or if they were buying higher priced items like Bobbi Brown or Chanel, they went back to those. I don’t know of anyone that “swears by” their Goop skincare.
100%. I have tried the unseen sunscreen mini, and while i liked it, its just that I dont see a reason to buy it again. The mini itself costed a lot, and I found myself going back to Vichy sunscreen (full size) which my dermat recommended.
For a drugstore brand.. Cerave or Lorache Posay. For Goop $$, skinceutical , dermalogica etc. I’ve had a lot a success with the Ordinary,too. Once you figure out what works, the overpriced celebrity crap is a hard sell. Didn’t JLO claim olive oil was the answer a year ago
@RRN, just a small correction but Supergoop, the company that makes unseen sunscreen isn’t actually owned by Goop. That is a different company.
GP runs Goop Beauty and Good Clean Goop.
Goop Beauty products are ok (I actually love the lip gloss, one of their few outstanding offerings) but the problem is on the high end, they offer much better organic and high end lines curated for their site which compete with Goop Beauty Products. Why would you buy their products in comparison to the other, better lines featured on their site?
And now trying to pivot to a more affordable line for low to mid consumers with lesser products when that is not her market and she has nothing in the line that might go viral is a terrible strategy. Especially because at the lower end of the market there is so much competition.
It’s bad business.
Do tell, you didn’t purchase V-Jay eggs, did you? Moon dust? All jokes aside, I don’t like her enough to spend 600 dollars on a sweater, or 200 to 1000 on moisturizer. I’ll do that for Meghan.
@hypocrisy I like the fashion and the styling on her website. But it’s very basic rich and easy to find similar stuff 1/3 of the price. It’s mainly white, beige, navy, black, stripes and probably denim.
It’s a tight economy and buyers are wising up that expensive doesn’t mean better in terms of skincare.
I’ve pared down my own regime and my skin is better than ever.
That combined with her holier than though attitude – a slump was coming eventually.
I have also gone with less is better and my skin is so, so happy for it.
Same here. I’m allergic to a lot of stuff and have sensitive skin, I keep it all pretty minimal.
I didn’t know Goop was selling skin care, and wouldn’t have much interest in it either way. And it’s such an oversaturated market.
Trader Joes, everything under ten dollars, have garnered me lots of complements. I think it’s the beauty world’s best kept secret. Their Tea Tree Tingle poo and condi sells for under 4 dollars each, and are both really good on any texture. For really expensive stuff — samples. Not just Sephora, just go up to any department store counter and ask for samples. If you must, spend your money on one food serum. Under no circumstance to do you need to spend more than 50 on moisturizers. Add a sun screen — TJ’s has a good Supergoop (no connection to Gwyn) knockoff for, under 10 bucks.
correction – one GOOD serum.
@Proud Mary have you tried the Trader Joe Brazilian Nut Cream. It’s a good dupe for Sol de Janeiro bum bum cream. The scent is exactly the same to me. The texture of the cream is a little different. The bum bum feels a bit more luxurious. But it’s a minimal difference after it’s on.
I just went back to the store to buy some more. Love it!
I really wanted a less-pricey alternative to the Supergoop Unseen (which I love), so I tried TJoe’s equivalent sunscreen. Unfortunately it’s very grainy. I thought maybe it was only an exception, that I had bought a bad tube, so I bought it a couple more times, but with no change–every time I use it, in new tubes, the formulation is grainy. Sun Bum (sold in drugstores) has an “Unseen” gel product too, and it’s not grainy, though it’s a bit heavy-feeling/thick.
Yeah, “clean” is just a marketing gimmick. And so many lines are being started by celebs and I doubt all are doing well. Gwyneth is setting her umbrella GOOP business up for a huge buyout. That NYT article last year made it clear that’s what she wants by reading through the lines. It was the intent of her doing that interview IMO. It’s just a matter of time when she gets the offer she wants is my guess, which could be in the near future or a few years out.
I wonder about J-Lo’s beauty venture. She boasts 252 million Instagram followers. Yet, her album sold barely any physical product. So I assumed at least her streaming numbers were strong until someone pointed out they were abysmal. With all of her so-called hundreds of millions of fans following her on Instagram, how could something fail that much? So then it leads me to wonder how her beauty brand is doing and/or her cocktail line, which is also late on the bandwagon for that.
I’ve also wondered about Gwen’s Stefani’s lipstick, etc. line also and how it is doing. Back when Gwen was considered hip and had a cool look that is when she should have jumped on a full-blown makeup line. Remember the great pap shots of Gwen and Gavin walking around L.A. with their little ones. She was effortlessly cool.
Being A-listers doesn’t necessarily compute to being successful with these ventures.
Quick comments on Gwen Stefani’s line, as someone with very sensitive skin and many allergies :
Her eyeliner has many great colors, wears well, and goes on very smoothly. Lip gloss and mascara are also very good. ( I’m not a fan of the bright red on me, but her other lip shades are great).
Gwen Stefani’s line (GXVE—dumb name, IMO) makes some legitimately great products. The lip gloss is beautiful and thick in a good way, and they make a neutral-toned eyeshadow quad that I absolutely love.
The name is a huge turnoff. To me goop is something slimy and sloppy you find in week old garbage, not something you would put on skin to make yourself more attractive.
She’s also a huge turnoff. Her skin looks like it’s baked with years of sun damage, her hair always so dried and bad, nope, not gonna be having what she’s having, unaspirational.
There are a lot of reasons I dislike her and have no interest in any of her business ventures but for her skincare line specifically she is a walking example of what NOT to do. Her skin clearly isn’t getting what it needs so why on earth would I use her overpriced, mediocre skincare?
Yup, this is a big part of it I think. She doesn’t scream “skincare” to me, regardless of how much she spends on it.
“With every skincare brand chasing “clean” status––which, for the record, is purely a marketer’s gimmick since most ingredients on the “dirty” lists would never make it into beauty products in the first place––there was little setting Goop apart.”
The writer is gravely misinformed. Toxic ingredients are in almost *everything*, including shampoo, conditioner, cleanser, toner, moisturizer, etc. That’s WHY consumers are seeking out non-toxic alternatives.
I think they are talking about the term “clean” specifically, which is an unregulated marketing term. I believe “non-toxic” is?
The writer is not “gravely misinformed“ The writer is simply saying that Goop calling her products “Clean” is a marketing strategy because saying it doesn’t contain xyz when those toxins would never be found in beauty products, to begin with. Which is something the average person would not know, hence why it’s a gimmick. There is a reason why Goop used “Clean” instead of organic.
For example, I can say my skincare is “clean” and doesn’t contain sodium hypochlorite or propanone. The average consumer would see the word “Clean” and think it’s a better, safer product when no skincare would be sodium hypochlorite and propanone AkA cleaning bleach and nail polish remover. I just made you buy my $100 product on the gimmick that it’s “Clean.”
Another example: Diet Coke is a gimmick because it’s marketed as a healthier product when it is not, the same with candy labeled sugar-free
When I was in my 20s and 30s, not that great with money, and miserable at my 70 hour a week crap job at the law firm of Trash, Grand Wizard & Creeper, I would spend money on things like La Mer or La Prairie. Expensive skincare is a scam. I liked both lines, but are they worth $300 – $1000 a jar? No way! Right now I am using Weleda Skin Food as my moisturizer. It costs $15. It’s made in Germany and you can find it on Amazon. It has my skin glowing and looking better than it has in years. I don’t use the light version, I don’t like that one as much. I use the original formula. Afterwards I apply some reef/coral friendly sunscreen. That’s every day even if I don’t go outside, because I am on screens. That’s it. When I go out I add concealer and loose powder a little bronzer. I love eyeliner and mascara.
There are not many moisturizers that I can use as I have acne prone skin. But Weleda was a game changer for me. Add to it, drinking water. No sodas, just black iced coffee in the morning and water. When I drink wine, it’s red. I try to avoid dairy and don’t eat pork, shellfish, and right now I am trying to cut out beef. Those small changes have done more for my skin than any $1000 jar. Also, cutting toxic a-holes out of your life, including the ones in your own family, is the best skincare routine and it’s free.
Young ladies, leave your faces alone. I am now seeing this trend of 20 and 30 year olds who look 50. I would not even do Botox until you are 50 and even then, very small amounts of it. Some of you can’t move your faces. The over-inflated lips look just awful. Everyone looks like a blow up doll. It’s an awful look you will regret it. Your original face is best. Just take some of your lines you will look better. Keep your beauty routine simple. I am learning simple is best! Don’t clog up your pores with a bunch of stuff.
Weleda Skin Food is my other go to Sheamoisture’s and all over coconut body cream.
Thank you for the tip girl_ninja! I will try the coconut body cream.
I love tips like this. Thank you.
No problem Proud Mary! I forgot to add my sunscreen is Sun Bum SPF 50 or 70 I love it and it doesn’t clog pores.
I have been a minimal make up wearer my entire life – never foundation, only mascara, maybe a neutral eyeliner and a slight blush if going out – My only regret when I was younger was being a sun worshiper because various age spots now appearing – My routine now, is to wash my face with a natural goats milk soap (locally sourced) and my own concoction of rosehip oil, frankincense, castor oil and aloe that I keep refrigerated and feels wonderful. At night I do use a commercial retinol cream and during the day occasionally I’ll use an orange color vitamin C under eye balm – (ok ROC) – Less is MORE, my face is almost wrinkle free in my 6th decade and never a smoker which I think does more harm facially than the sun. I need to up my water intake. Goop sounds like that messy putty stuff that kids play with that use to make me insane cleaning up. Never!
This…I’m mid50’s, even more pared down in that I’ll do tinted sunscreen and maybe tinted lip balm. I do tint my eyebrows too but mascara usually bothers my eyes so barely wear it. Admittedly was not great about sunscreen much of my life BUT never smoked, rarely drink alcohol, always have been a big water drinker, and have been on/off RetinA since middle school when I was first prescribed it for horrible acne. Result is not a lot of wrinkles when I look at people my age, though admit I wouldn’t mind a neck lift, lol!
Totally agree with what you wrote!
Grand wizard! I am wheezing 💀. Also, no notes this is amazing. I will say (like everyone before me and I didn’t listen) WEAR THE SUNSCREEN IN YOUR 20s. I’m in my late 30s now and the reckoning has begun. 🫠
Lol and yes yes yes to the sunscreen. I wish I had listened too!
“Trash, Grand Wizard & Creeper“
😂😂😂
All my friends and I who graduated law school had the worst nicknames for our firms. Oh the wasted years. I should have just quit week one. I was trying to pay off my debt and it took me 7 years to do that. The day it was paid off I gave my notice and the only thing it said was “I quit” and I signed my name. I never thanked them for the opportunity or did the usual niceties. Screw them. For a while I’d have to drive by the building and I always made sure to flip it off as I drove past.
Trash, Grand Wizard & Creeper, I died laughing. I think I also worked there.
Lol! Right? It could literally be any major law firm in any big city with that nickname. Ha ha!
Cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, retinoids, and Dr. Brenner C serum, are all I need.
All I use on my face is vitamin E cream and oil and SPF. I can’t afford more right now and it’s working for me so far.
I’ve been seeing a lot of ads from her site on here lately. I think the story must be true. Probably explains the shout out she gave to KittyKat. I think she’s worried that Meghan entering the market is about to put the nail in her vagina egg.
It blows my mind that anyone would take Gwyneth’s advice on skincare or buy any of her skin care products. She absolutely does not take care of her skin and it has been showing for years.
This! Every picture of her, you only need to look at her neck and decolletage: they are FRIED
Right? Her skin looks terrible. I’m 15 years older than her and from the sun drenched Bahamas and my skin looks younger and smoother. Just based on her personality, I would never give her a dime.
I use soap and water on my face (yes I am from the Jurassic Era 😆) and always use lotion after. In the summer my skin is drier than Death Valley so I have recently started using Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion (for very dry skin). It’s pretty thick so I only use a small amount on my face. (I use it all over after showering as well)
I don’t have the funds nor the interest to buy any celebrity brand, but I admit to being fascinated with reading all the comments here and what y’all use. There’s alot out there.
I went to Sephora with Granddaughter #1(who knows all the latest) and listening to her and the very young sales clerk talk and compare made me feel like they were speaking a foreign language 😮
I’m not surprised at all, who would even buy a product from this woman? She’s insufferable.
I love all things beauty and skincare, so I have tried Goop products. I didn’t like any of them enough to repurchase.
Her products are expensive. I don’t particularly mind expensive skincare because it’s important to me – I’ll invest in good skincare over makeup any day of the week. However, her GOOP stuff is very pricey for little visible effect. Not much bang for your buck. I don’t mind the woman herself. I was impressed by her handling of the ski case. I don’t know much about her other than that so please don’t go for me! I’m not overly good on American celebrities and learn all too quickly on here that they’re dreadful etc.
I would take Kylie cosmetics out of that successful loop right about now, I believe those sales have fallen off. There are so many makeup lines now that are inclusive and are priced reasonably. I’m hooked on Danessa Myricks beauty, her products are for everyone and a lot of them are designed to be used all over your face. I think people prefer that now. If you can’t compete like that now, I believe you will have trouble making sales.
Once in a while I’ll splurge on Strivectin if it’s on sale but generally stick to CeraV, Eucerin, the Ordinary retinol, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid serum. I’m 71 and you’d never know it, and using sunscreen is a must if you want to preserve your youthful skin.
@Jaded
I will be 67 next month and use sunscreen religiously especially on my face. When I go outside to work in the yard I wear my big floppy hat (I keep the sunscreen next to the hat) and long sleeves. I admit I wasn’t kind to my skin when I was younger but I am now. I have been told I don’t look my age and I preach preach preach sunscreen to my granddaughters and grandson
$30-40 is pricey for Target. I’m not against spending that much for something that works well, but I wouldn’t even think to look for that at Target. I was going to say she should be at Sephora, but I see that she is. Does she just have a terrible marketing team, or do the products really suck?
I’ve tried a lot of different products over the years and wouldn’t try Goop just because I don’t the unsafe things she’s been promoting on her site over the years. I’ve have finally settled on a routine that combines products from Glow Recipe and Hada Labo and it really works for me. Finding a good routine and sticking to it, along with cutting dairy from my diet has really done wonders for my skin.
Like Elon Musk, her loud & wrong public persona undermined her brand so badly that the target audience finds the brand kind of embarrassing.
I feel a bit mean drawing that parallel bc she’s not nearly as awful as Elon, but it seems like a similar dynamic?
As for skin care, I’m close in age to Gwyneth and people in their late 40s tell me stuff about how when I’m their age I’ll understand whatever. It helps that BDC. But fwiw I would never waste money on that skin-damaged woman’s skincare products.
Bioré Watery Essence (also other Japanese and SK sunscreens) is actually invisible. No white, no shine.
Beauty of Jayseon Revive Serum costs only about $20 for a 1-oz jar. You use one drop at a time, twice a day. So reasonable! Keeps my combination skin hydrated and dewy without getting shiny. No idea what’s in it, but it works.
I subscribe to a ton of fashion/beauty Substacks. NO ONE is talking about Goop or Good Clean Goop. I think I read one article where someone tested Good Clean Goop at launch, and that’s it. I bought a serum when Target put it on sale and it’s fine, but I won’t be repurchasing.
I will say that the comparison to Fenty or Kylie isn’t correct, because these are known as cosmetics lines, and Goop is skincare. Goop is also a ‘clean’ brand and I don’t think that’s the branding for Fenty, etc.
Fenty Skin has been out for a while. I don’t know about the “clean” branding. Since I’m not clear what, if anything, “clean” means, that’s not something I’ve paid much attention to. I still read the ingredient labels before I purchase something new.
Fenty also has a line of hair products.
I almost feel sorry for her. I remember when Drunk Elephant took off – it was a twist on the “clean” makeup because the founder didn’t claim it was organic, just that it was better for your skin. Tiffany Masterson basically concocted the formulas in her garage (not really, but she was creating it from scratch) and sold her brainchild to Shiseido for $845M, making her a pretty penny. I’d want a part of that, too, if I was GP.
Going to be mean and say it…
She should have hired a model for this skincare line and not done it herself. You know. If she wants people to think it’s good.