The Beauty Bandits
ELLE US|August 2024
Michelle Mack seemed to be living the dream life, until it all came crashing down. Authorities say the alleged mastermind of a multimillion-dollar crime ring delivered a simple order: Steal all the luxury makeup in sight.
SARAH TRELEAVEN
The Beauty Bandits

Late last summer, Kimora Gooding and Serena Reyes arrived on the East Coast. For the two women in their early twenties, it was a business trip of sorts, or maybe a mission. Their flights, rental car, and hotel rooms had been paid for, and they carried a list of beauty stores to visit and specific items to steal. The plan was to get in and get out, ship the goods to the boss in California, and head home, hopefully without a trace. Gooding and Reyes were pros-they had each hit dozens of stores, according to an affidavit for a federal search warrant, and could scan for merchandise like they had eyes in the backs of their heads.

The two women headed to Ulta Beauty, a nationwide emporium of beauty, skin care, and fragrances, and consulted their "shopping list," sent to them via Facebook or text-allegedly the only way they ever communicated with the boss.

And then their sticky fingers got to work, collecting serums and lash-lengthening mascaras, the more coveted the better.

But what Gooding and Reyes didn't know is that they were being watched-and had been for a while. Since August 2023, the California Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations had been looking into a series of thefts at Ulta Beauty stores, with assistance from corporate investigators employed by Ulta. The suspects scooped up in the related busts were almost always young women, typically with previous theft arrests.

Soon the authorities zeroed in on a group who appeared to be working in concert. Between September 2021 and fall 2023, the group committed over 230 thefts from Ulta Beauty retail stores across the country, stealing thousands of products. According to a complaint filed by California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, their ground zero appeared to be California, where thefts had occurred in 21 counties, in cities from Sacramento to San Diego, and not just at Ulta, but also at Sephora, Sunglass Hut, and others.

Bu hikaye ELLE US dergisinin August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye ELLE US dergisinin August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

ELLE US DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
The Surreal Life of Tyla - Inside the dizzying, meteoric rise of a true African pop star.
ELLE US

The Surreal Life of Tyla - Inside the dizzying, meteoric rise of a true African pop star.

The night before the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Tyla was unusually calm. The South African singer was about to give a surprise performance at the Prelude to the Olympics, held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton and attended by celebrities from Zendaya to LeBron James.I was asked to do the event by Pharrell [Williams, Louis Vuitton Men's creative director], so it was insane-an instant 'Yes, she says. Sometimes I'm nervous, like I'm really nervous. But this time, Tyla looked forward to the show the entire day.

time-read
8 dak  |
October 2024
Wellness - Amazing Grace - Actress Toks Olagundoye was making people laugh on TV while managing intense treatments for breast cancer.
ELLE US

Wellness - Amazing Grace - Actress Toks Olagundoye was making people laugh on TV while managing intense treatments for breast cancer.

My work makes me really happy, says Toks Olagundoye, an acting veteran who plays Olivia Finch on the Paramount+ reboot of Frasier. That's one reason she stuck with the hit show's first season despite a shock diagnosis: During the course of preparing for and filming the series, as well as Paramount+'s Fatal Attraction, she underwent chemotherapy and six surgeries to treat breast cancer. Feeling healthy ahead of Frasier's Season 2 launch on September 19, she talks to ELLE about her healing story.

time-read
2 dak  |
October 2024
Shanghai Rising - An international fashion presence and an appreciation for the city's own talent are powering a renaissance in China's largest city.
ELLE US

Shanghai Rising - An international fashion presence and an appreciation for the city's own talent are powering a renaissance in China's largest city.

A year ago, Louis Vuitton wrapped the giant warehouse space housing Fotografiska Shanghai in electric blue. The occasion? "Nóng Hó, Shanghai" (Shanghainese for "Hello, Shanghai"), a four-week cultural festival of book clubs, architecture tours, and live music to promote the maison's City Guide Series. "Everything was built in 48 hours, whereas in London that would've taken weeks," says Shem Jacobs, a recent transplant to Shanghai and Fotografiska's director of partnerships, Asia. "The efficiency here is really amazing."

time-read
3 dak  |
October 2024
The Power of Kindness
ELLE US

The Power of Kindness

To mark National Hispanic Heritage Month, Lauren Sánchez and Nina Garcia come together for a conversation about identity, education, and civility.

time-read
4 dak  |
October 2024
The Gift of Ketanji Brown Jackson
ELLE US

The Gift of Ketanji Brown Jackson

In an exclusive profile and a new memoir, the history-making Supreme Court justice is telling her story.

time-read
9 dak  |
October 2024
Gaining Momentum
ELLE US

Gaining Momentum

Vaccines, targeted meds, and a new way to stop hair loss? Breast cancer research is reaching a breakthrough point.

time-read
2 dak  |
October 2024
The Miami Glam Squad
ELLE US

The Miami Glam Squad

The city's rising cohort of beauty entrepreneurs is leading the Latine beauty boom.

time-read
3 dak  |
October 2024
Golden DAYS
ELLE US

Golden DAYS

Tiffany & Co. pays tribute to Elsa Peretti's legacy.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
THE CULT OF COZY SEASON
ELLE US

THE CULT OF COZY SEASON

Forget \"New year, new you.\" Fall has us all turning over a new sartorial leaf.

time-read
2 dak  |
October 2024
Scarlet WOMAN
ELLE US

Scarlet WOMAN

For one Latina novelist, reclaiming the color red turns out to be the ultimate power move.

time-read
2 dak  |
October 2024