What are beauty + fashion editors ACTUALLY looking for from brands in 2026?

A lot has changed in fashion and beauty PR and media – but the fundamentals haven’t. As the founder of fashion and beauty PR agency VLIV Communications, I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years.

For all the talk of media only covering brands on affiliate program where they will earn a good commission? A strong affiliate offer alone won’t guarantee media coverage. (But, yes, PLEASE, if you sell any sort of physical product make sure you’re on an affiliate!)

That said, a good story is a good story. Ultimately, beauty editors want to share news that their audience will care about.

Is coverage still commerce/revenue driven? In part, yes. Earning a commission from sales of products they recommend is a huge part of how publications earn money today. Fashion and beauty media ARE incentivized to cover products they’ll make money from.

BUT… it’s far from the only factor.

If you think having a good affiliate offer alone will translate into massive media coverage…it will not.

Editors are still editors, and they still want to recommend efficacious, interesting, and noteworthy products to their audiences.

For Fashion and Beauty PR and Media, What Should Brands Have?

💄Samples

Editors still need to touch and feel your products..they can’t recommend something they haven’t tried!

🗣️Good reviews

Prioritize collecting reviews on both your website, Amazon, and any other retailers. Editors are more likely to cover a product that has already proven trustworthy with customers.

📰Strong brand story

We all need a good story! Whether it’s a good founder story, an innovative formulation method, or an entirely new category, there needs to be something truly noteworthy to capture editors’ attention.

I personally find this so reassuring – even in the day and age of the commercification of everything (I realize that is not a word!) the true heart of journalism is still there – the story.

This is what makes a successful fashion and beauty PR campaign!