Congratulations to marketing teams around the globe for making it through April Fools', a custom dating back to the 1500s that has since morphed into an opportunity for brands to charm consumers with witty gags and fake products.
Sometimes, these publicity stunts backfire (take Elon Musk's April 1, 2018 tweet that Telsa had gone "totally bankrupt," causing the company's shares to drop five percent, for example). But this year, we're pleased to report that the first of the month generated some particularly clever fake news that had onlookers wishing fiction were fact.
Companies like Sweetgreen and Rosetta Stone nailed their respective April Fools' day gags (a post-salad floss kit and stoner translation app), but the real winners were beauty brands. Touching on real-life trends and viral moments, their faux wares were rooted in reality — which is exactly why they made us laugh.
Ahead, five April Fools' Day beauty products that had us doing double takes.
Sol de Janeiro's Aranha Spider Salve
Riffing on a since-debunked claim that wolf spiders are drawn to Sol de Janeiro's Delícia Drench Body Butter, the body care brand announced a cream and perfume mist "formulated to actually attract spiders," thanks to a special ingredient: arachnid pheromones.
MAC Cosmetics' Clear Foundation
Talk about "no makeup-makeup." MAC Cosmetics introduced a new shade to their already-extensive foundation range: Crystal Clear. Clear makeup isn't a totally far-fetched proposition — in 2020, the now-defunct Becca Cosmetics actually released a "no-pigment" foundation.
Milani Cosmetics' Gourd Girl
Strawberry girl makeup, tomato girl summer, blueberry milk nails — over the past year, TikTok has birthed many a fruit-inspired beauty trend. Milani Cosmetics poked fun at the preponderance of food-related beauty fads with a collection of products perfect for achieving the "Gourd Girl" look: baked pumpkin blush, squash blossom lip gloss, a gourd-shaped makeup sponge, and cucumber setting spray.
"I know this is a joke....but this is actually incredibly slay," one Instagram user commented on Milani's Instagram.
Pacifica Beauty's Baked Tofu Parfum
Pacifica Beauty's tofu-scented perfume is a cheeky nod to recent consumer demand for gourmands — sweet fragrances inspired by decadent desserts, as opposed to plant-based protein. "Created by vegans, with vegans in mind," the brand wrote on Instagram. "Let us take you there to the yummy Aromapower of tofu baking in your oven."
Crown Affair's Dog Hair Care Line
Luxury hair care brand Crown Affair may want to consider making its April Fools' day joke a reality based on enthusiastic customer response. "Your pets deserve clean, luxury hair care, too," the brand captioned what appeared to be an advertisement for a pet hair care collection.
"But can it not be a joke," one Instagram user commented. "The way I would 1000% buy this," another quipped.
