As LA’s newest local, I am eager to immerse myself in the culture. I experienced my first earthquake, accepted a Partiful invite to a packed brand launch full of influencers asking for a bump, and waited down the block for some cardboard-flavored fries at In-And-Out. Next on my bucket list: the coveted $20 Erewhon smoothie from the slicked-back-bun toting supermodel Hailey Bieber. I’ve fantasized about my first smoothie for months. It is the epitome of an exclusive drink, only available to certain tax brackets and 10 locations in all of the states, and I am itching for a taste.
Amongst the rave reviews on the smoothie’s sweet, creamy flavor, it’s been advertised as a health drink with skin-nourishing ingredients like collagen, hyaluronic acid, and sea moss. A treat that could be dually delicious and make me glow from the inside out is more than enough to get past the sticker shock.
My dreams were crushed however when my favorite artist’s favorite artist announced that my skin food beverage was nothing more than a farce. “And you know what?” Chappell Roan asked in an interview with The Face, “All you bitches think this [smoothie] is healthy, but this is just a milkshake!” Immediate devastation.
Is she right? Have I been sold a lie by my favorite glass-skin influencers? Desperate to discover if the Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie was just another indulgent dessert comparable to the Strawberry Milkshake that accompanied my cardboard fries, I got to work.
Celebrity Smoothie Phenomenon
Erewhon has always sold smoothies at their juice bar, but the phenomenon of the celebrity-branded smoothie took off with Bieber. Hailey Bieber’s smoothie was released in 2022 and was an instant, Instagrammable success. Since then, viral celebrities like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Olivia Rodrigo, Emma Chamberlain, and, most recently, Katy Perry have produced their own personalized drink. These roll-outs are usually promoted in tandem with another celebrity product. Hadid released her orange creamsicle-inspired smoothie dubbed the “Kinscile” after her canned drink line Kin Euphorics. Rodrigo’s smoothie was bright violet as an homage to her GUTS album and accompanying tour. Even Bieber’s Skin Glaze aligns with her trendy skincare brand, Rhode.
The Erewhon smoothie hits on all the markers of today’s zeitgeist—wellness culture buzzwords, supermodel-influencer affiliation, overpriced sweet treat—to prime it for viral success. Not dissimilar to Crumbl Cookie taste tests, Erewhon smoothie flavor reviews have been a popular genre on my For You Page. It’s no surprise that the generation that co-opted the “Clean Girl” aesthetic would sensationalize a blended drink with skincare on the ingredient list.
The Ingredient List
So how healthy is the Hailey Bieber Strawberry Smoothie? The smoothie features a base of bananas, strawberries, and avocado—organic, of course. The creaminess is provided by organic almond milk and Zuma Valley Coconut Cream. As for the skincare ingredients responsible for upping the price tag, the drink includes sea moss, hyaluronic acid, and Vital Proteins Vanilla Collagen.
But that’s not all. Maple syrup, dates, Vanilla Stevia, and Driscoll’s Original Strawberry Glaze are all blended in. What do all these ingredients have in common? MAJOR sweetness. While there’s a lot of debate on whether natural or artificial sweeteners are better for you than plain white sugar, these ingredients combined with the fruit and coconut cream already included spell for a sugar-loaded drink. As a breakout-prone individual, this is a red flag for me and my history of sugar-induced flare-ups.
How Erewhon Stacks Up
Erewhon does not reveal any of the nutrition facts for its smoothies (sus), so TikTok users like @aezler have attempted to estimate the information. In her recreation, Angie calculated the smoothie to have around 548 calories and a whopping 80 grams of sugar. That’s around double our daily recommended amount.
Let’s compare it to its rivals. Starbucks’s Frappuccinos are also notorious for being manipulatively mislabeled milkshakes. Starbucks’s Strawberry Crème Frappuccino is similar to Hailey’s smoothie in its blended nature and creamy flavor. The 24-ounce Venti size of the drink packs 460 calories and 65 grams of sugar, beating the Erewhon signature in both categories. Unashamed to bear its true name, the delicious Strawberry Shake at In-And-Out holds 610 calories and 63 grams of sugar. Similar in calorie count, but still under the sugar count of Hailey’s shake.
So, is the Strawberry Glaze Smoothie worse than a milkshake? While the numbers are important to compare, they don’t paint the whole picture. The ingredients in the Starbucks Frappuccino significantly lack the biodiversity of Erewhon’s version. Instead of avocados and sea moss, the strawberry Frap lists milk, sugary syrups, strawberry purée sauce, and whipped cream as its only ingredients. Although In-And-Out doesn’t list the ingredients in its beverage, I’m willing to bet they’re not much better.
Despite its high sugar count, the ingredients loaded in the Hailey Bieber smoothie are a lot better for you than those in your average milkshake. If you’re looking for a healthy smoothie to refuel you after a workout or start off your day as a breakfast treat, you might be better off making a smoothie at home. However, if you’re craving a sweet treat and would rather have one that features ingredients found in nature and not syrups made in a lab, the Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie fits the bill!
It’s important to note that Roan made her comment with an Erewhon beverage in hand. I was momentarily deflated, but I now realize I never wanted the Hailey Bieber smoothie to heal me of all my skin afflictions or for all its wellness promises. The $19 sweet treat purchase is worth its price tag to participate in a larger cultural phenomenon, and maybe share a pic to my IG while I’m at it.
Have you tried the viral Hailey Bieber smoothie? If not, have you made your own Erewhon smoothie recipes at home? Let us know in the comments below!
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