Saying the cosmetic industry is oversaturated is an understatement; since the surge in skincare sales during the COVID lockdown, the category has spiraled out of control.

Walk into any major beauty retailer, and you’ll find shelves bulging and overflowing with serums that promise to change your skin overnight, moisturizers with ingredient lists longer than a celebrity pre-nup, and eye creams priced like a Birkin that are no more than a basic moisturizer in a smaller jar.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that slick marketing full of technical terms signals sophistication, and that a $300 price tag means the formula inside is doing something extraordinary.
Spoiler Alert: It usually isn’t. (looking directly at you, Dr. Barbara Sturm 🤨).

So when a brand has the audacity to say “fewer products, better formulas, real transparency,” it either earns serious respect or gets lost in the noise.
DIEUX has done the former (in my opinion). It has built a loyal, informed customer base and become one of the most talked-about brands in modern skincare - not because of slick marketing, not because a celebrity is fronting it, but because it actually does what it says it does.

That’s worth talking about, so let’s get into it.

The Founders

DIEUX launched in September 2020, right in the middle of a global pandemic — which, in retrospect, is either terrible timing or perfect timing depending on how many skincare TikTok rabbit holes you fell down during lockdown. The brand was built on two distinct but deeply complementary areas of expertise, and that pairing is the foundation of its success.

is the brand’s Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer, and if you follow anyone on TikTok who talks about skincare, without lying, you’ve probably encountered her. She’s a licensed esthetician with a background in media, marketing, and editorial, having spent years as an editorial director building and scaling digital audiences for some of the world’s biggest media brands before pivoting to skincare.
Before DIEUX existed, she was already running a newsletter called Nice Paper, debunking beauty myths, interviewing scientists, and building an audience that expected substance over spin. Her social media presence grew from that same foundation: genuine skepticism, science explained in plain language, and no particular interest in telling you what you want to hear. That made her a credible voice long before she was a brand founder.

Joyce de Lemos is the Co-Founder and Head of Product, a clinical cosmetic chemist with a Master’s in cosmetic science and a résumé that spans L’Oréal’s suncare division, COSMAX (one of Korea’s most formidable contract manufacturers), Kiehl’s, and SkinCeuticals. At SkinCeuticals, she was part of the team that developed the iconic Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 — a project that took nearly four years to complete, with an entire year devoted to the approval of a single ingredient. That’s the level of rigor she brought to DIEUX. Her presence as a co-founder is not cosmetic (no pun intended). It means the person asking hard questions about ingredients and efficacy is also the person in the lab developing the formulas. That closed loop matters more than people realize.

These two extremely intelligent, passionate people were genuinely frustrated with the state of skincare. The outcome of that frustration is the incredible standards they’ve set for every product decision they make.

The DIEUX Philosophy: Edit Your Routine, Not Your Standards

DIEUX operates on a thesis the industry finds quietly threatening: you don’t need more products, you need better ones. In a category where growth is traditionally measured by SKU count and the relentless onslaught of new launches, that’s a radical position. It’s also the correct one.

The brand’s approach centers on what they call a “moisture wardrobe”, based on the idea that your skin’s needs shift depending on season, climate, and circumstance, and that a small, thoughtfully curated collection of products can address all of those variables without requiring a twelve-step routine. This isn’t minimalism for minimalism’s sake. Its efficiency is built on clinical rigor.

Every DIEUX product undergoes clinical vetting before reaching the market. Claims are tested. Formulas are iterated, often through dozens of versions, before one is approved. When your Head of Product spent four years developing a single moisturizer at SkinCeuticals, “good enough” isn’t part of the vocabulary.

The DIEUX Products: What Doing More With Less Looks Like

Forever Eye Mask ($25.00 USD) was the product that put DIEUX on the map, and it’s a fascinating choice for a debut because it’s not a serum or a moisturizer - it’s a reusable silicone under-eye patch built to replace the avalanche of single-use under-eye masks filling trash cans.
The concept is almost insultingly simple: one pair of medical-grade silicone patches that you rinse, dry, and use again. No active ingredients, no fragrance, no drama. Just occlusion, forcing your skin to absorb more of whatever serum or moisturizer you’ve applied under it. They’ve since collaborated with brands like Violette_FR and Eckhaus Latta on limited edition versions, but the original premise hasn’t changed. It’s a sustainability play that actually works, which is truly refreshing in a category full of greenwashing claims that don’t hold up to scrutiny.

Deliverance ($69.00 USD) is their serum, showcasing Joyce’s undeniable expertise in formulation. It’s a 3-in-1 repair serum that picked up an Allure Best of Beauty nod in 2025. This lightweight but potent multitasker soothes inflamed skin on contact, targets fine lines and wrinkles, and visibly smooths skin texture and tone. The peptide complex comes in at 5% total: 2% N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56, clinically studied for visible firmness and reducing fine lines, alongside 3% Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, a blend of passionflower, white tea, and peptides shown to reduce the appearance of expression lines. A 1.4% encapsulated cannabinoid complex (CBD, CBG, and CBN) addresses redness and irritation, and 4% niacinamide handles tone correction. The encapsulation detail matters: these aren’t trend ingredients sprinkled in at trace levels to earn a spot on the label. They’re stabilized for actual delivery. That distinction is rarer than it should be.

Instant Angel ($45.00 USD) is the “hero” moisturizer, and it became a cultural moment when Hailey Bieber mentioned it in a 2022 skincare video, and the internet briefly lost its mind. The formula, though, was doing interesting work long before any celebrity co-sign turned it into a sellout. It’s built on a hydrolipid blend — phytosterols, free fatty acids, ceramide NG, glycerin, urea, squalane, sodium PCA, and meadowestolide — designed to mirror the composition of the skin’s own lipid barrier. This isn’t a moisturizer that makes your skin feel temporarily smooth. It works with your skin’s biology to rebuild what’s actually depleted.

If that sounds familiar, it should. As I mentioned earlier, Joyce was part of the team that built SkinCeuticals’ Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2, long considered one of the gold standards in barrier repair and currently retailing at $155 for 1.6 oz. (more than triple the price of a similar-sized tube of Instant Angel).
Instant Angel is her modern evolution of that concept: more sophisticated, more refined, and priced at a fraction of what dermatology offices charge for its predecessor. You’re getting the chemist who helped create the benchmark, this time without the luxury markup.

Air Angel ($34.00 USD) is Instant Angel’s lighter counterpart, now formally called the Peptide Plumping Gel Cream. It shares the same hydrolipid framework but is calibrated for oilier or acne-prone skin, as well as humid climates. Clinical testing on acne-prone skin confirmed it doesn’t trigger breakouts or compromise the barrier.

Creating two versions of a moisturizer that address the same skin concerns, but are tailored to skin types, means you’re not missing key attributes from one formula to the other. You’re offered thoughtfully formulated variations based on the same core principles, which you can interchange as your skin’s immediate needs change. That’s SMART product development.

Auracle Eye Serum ($44.00 USD) arrived around the same time as Air Angel. It’s DIEUX’s dedicated eye treatment, formulated specifically for the delicate orbital area and designed for maximum results when applied under the Forever Eye Mask for a 10-minute intensive under-eye treatment.
The formula is a lightweight gel-serum with active ingredients at clinically studied doses: 1% Algae Polysaccharides Complex to visibly reduce the appearance of dark circles, 1% Algae Complex to smooth skin and reinforce its integrity, 3% Palmitoyl Tripeptide Complex to reduce puffiness and reinforce firmness, and 10% Glycerin for deep hydration.

Ethereal Cleansing Oil ($28.00 USD) is DIEUX’s cleanser for dry and sensitive skin, and a first-step cleanser for normal, combo, and oilier skin types. The formula tells you a lot about how they approach product development. Just seven ingredients - an Instant Dissolve Complex of emollient oils that melt waterproof makeup and SPF on contact, and a Double Cleanse Emulsifier Complex that allows the whole thing to rinse clean with water, leaving zero oily residue. This is important in a category full of cleansing oils and balms that just smear your makeup and SPF around, leaving a film unless you use a washcloth to remove them. Ethereal Cleansing Oil actually rinses clean, taking all the debris with it. The simplicity of the formula is kind of amazing.

Baptism Gel Cleanser ($34.00 USD) is a stand-out foaming gel cleanser built around Glycerin, Betaine, and Glycolipids — surfactants that remove makeup, sweat, and SPF without stripping the skin’s barrier or impacting your skin’s healthy pH. It’s formulated at a pH of 5.5, which is deliberate because it mimics the skin’s natural slightly acidic pH range (4.5 to 5.5). Many foaming cleansers disrupt your skin’s pH and leave it in an alkaline state - unbalanced and prone to irritation. Skin in an alkaline state is also forced to rebalance itself, and until it gets back to a comfortable pH, it ignores any skincare you apply.
Baptism is also ophthalmologist-tested, so it’s safe for removing eye makeup. That’s a lot of boxes checked for one cleanser.

Skin Mercy Recovery Cream ($38.00) is the third piece of Dieux’s moisturizer trinity. It’s a colloidal oatmeal recovery cream built specifically for sensitive and eczema-prone skin. At 1% colloidal oatmeal, it meets the FDA’s standard as a clinically proven OTC skin protectant. This is the product you reach for when your skin is irritated, sensitized, and your barrier is compromised. This formula was created with intention, not as an afterthought, trying to appeal to the current barrier balm trend.
Skin Mercy completes the warbrobe of Dieux moisturizers, thoughtfully formulated to address all your skin’s moisturizing needs, flowing seamlessly from one to the other - and always delivering the results promised.

Transparency as a Business Model

Here’s where DIEUX does something most brands talk about and almost none actually execute: real pricing transparency. On every product page, they break down exactly where your money goes — formula costs, packaging, labor, warehouse and shipping, and payment processing fees. All of it, in real numbers. You can see what the product costs to make and how the retail price was arrived at.

This isn’t a marketing tactic. It’s a structural commitment to the consumer relationship, and it fundamentally changes the conversation. When a brand shows you exactly what something costs to produce, they’re telling you the formula is doing the work — not the markup. That accountability is baked into the model by design.

The transparency extends to sourcing and ingredient provenance. DIEUX vets its suppliers’ labor practices, adheres to European regulatory standards for formulation (which are stricter than U.S. standards in several meaningful ways), and maintains a fully vegan and cruelty-free supply chain.
These commitments aren’t buried somewhere on a FAQ page. They’re woven into how the brand presents itself at every level.

Sustainability That Actually Means Something

The Forever Eye Mask is the most visible example, but DIEUX’s sustainability commitments run deeper than one hero product.
You can read their “Commitment To Making Better Trash™” HERE.

Their planned skincare studios in New York and Los Angeles for 2026 will include refill stations and upcycling labs — a signal that reducing waste is a long-term operating principle rather than a launch talking point. Interactive ingredient workshops led by their in-house formulation team will give consumers a more direct line to understanding what’s actually in what they’re buying, and why it matters.

Their development lab in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood is already working on what may become the most consequential product in the brand’s history: sunscreen. They’re experimenting with Parsol Shield, a chemical filter with FDA approval expected as early as June 2026 — which would make it the first new sunscreen filter approved for U.S. use in more than 25 years. They’re also developing nano zinc-based formulations for consumers with allergies to chemical filters. DIEUX approaching SPF with the same clinical rigor they’ve applied to everything else is a significant development in a category that has historically underdelivered on texture, inclusivity, and innovation in the U.S. market. If anyone is going to fix American sunscreen, these are the people I’m betting on.

#MyTwoCents

I have spent a significant portion of my career watching brands promise transparency and sustainability while delivering nothing more than marketing spin, mediocre formulas, and greenwashing to sound eco-conscious.
DIEUX does not do that, and I think it’s worth having a conversation about why that matters.

The skincare industry is crowded with brands built around a story first and a formula second. DIEUX inverted that model. The formula comes first, the story follows, and the transparency isn’t a marketing campaign - it’s the whole architecture of the brand. This business model is much harder to build and sustain, and the fact that they’ve done it so successfully while cultivating genuine consumer loyalty says something important about where the skincare market is headed.

Consumers have become much smarter than brands give them credit for. When a brand shows you exactly what your $69 serum costs to make, offering a genuinely sophisticated formulation, with clinically supported claims, and packaging designed to reduce waste, THAT builds incredible trust.
Many inside the industry label this as disruptive, but since when has HONESTY been disruptive? This business model should be the norm, not an anomaly.

FACT:
DIEUX has figured out how to future-proof their brand, and the rest of the industry should be taking notes - or get left behind.

What do you think? Let’s have a conversation in the comments.

Kevin James Bennett is the publisher of In My Kit®. He is an Emmy Award-winning makeup artist, cosmetic developer, educator, and consumer advocate. Learn more at www.kjbennett.com

Summer is almost here, and if you’ve ever stepped out of an over-air-conditioned building into suffocating July heat and felt your skin go hot, prickly, and uncomfortable, you’re experiencing what I like to call compound dehydration. It can quickly undermine all the good intentions of your regular skincare routine. You need some additional tools to prevent this and keep your skin happily hydrated.

As temperatures climb, your body ramps up perspiration to regulate your body temperature, releasing a higher percentage of your skin’s stored water through your pores and depleting your reserves. Meanwhile, the forced-air cooling that keeps you comfortable indoors does the opposite, by removing moisture from the air and accelerating the dehydration of your skin's surface.
Your barrier is getting hit from inside and out: THAT is compound dehydration.

The smart move is to get ahead of this early with a two-part strategy: fortify your skin barrier, then flood it with additional, stable hydration. Today, I’m offering a few recommendations for mists, essences, and serums you can layer into your existing skincare routine before summer arrives to help protect your skin's moisture level. Many of my favorite targeted hydrators feature polyglutamic acid (PGA), a significant upgrade over hyaluronic acid (HA).
Let’s discuss why…

Hyaluronic Acid Is Sooooooo Yesterday

Many board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons, who remain up to date on advances in skincare ingredients, now recommend PGAs over HAs. Particularly because many of their clients have experienced irritation and skin-barrier damage from skincare formulations containing improperly calibrated HA molecule weights.

About HAs:
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is allegedly capable of absorbing about 1,000 times its weight in water, but it has some nasty side effects. HAs absorbtion rate is determined by molecular weight. Some HAs have medium-to-low molecular weights and penetrate beyond the stratum corneum (skin’s surface) into the epidermis, while others with ultra-low molecular weights can penetrate even deeper into the upper dermis. If you do not apply sufficient moisture (water) on top of HAs, they will absorb your skin’s subcutaneous water reserves, dehydrating it as the molecules swell, disrupting and damaging your skin barrier.

About PGAs:
Polyglutamic Acid (PGA) is a fermented soybean peptide that holds approximately 5,000 times its weight in water, far surpassing the water retention capacity of HAs.
The biggest difference is that PGAs remain safely on the skin's surface, primarily in the stratum corneum, forming an occlusive, hydrating film that locks in moisture and significantly slows water loss throughout the day. For dehydrated skin with a compromised barrier, PGA’s surface-level molecular structure provides immediate hydration while protecting against environmental stress. PGA also stimulates your skin’s natural moisturizing factors, helping it maintain hydration on its own, making it far more effective than HAs for safe, lasting results.

What to Look For

From all the clinical data I’ve researched, the winning combination for dehydrated skin with a compromised skin barrier is:

• Polyglutamic Acid for superior moisture retention

• Ceramides to rebuild your barrier

• Glycerin to draw and bind moisture from the atmosphere to the skin

Products combining these three powerhouse ingredients address both dehydration and compromised skin barrier function, delivering significant hydration that actually lasts rather than evaporating hours after application and cannibalizing your skin’s moisture reserve.

First, An Emergency Treatment:

La Roche Posay - Cicaplast B5 Spray ($25.00 USD) is a relatively new product, but it has already made a BIG impact in the treatment of compromised skin barriers. The targeted barrier-calming and repair spray contains 5% panthenol and madecassoside, a powerful soothing compound derived from the Centella Asiatica (Tiger Grass) plant. Madecassoside is used extensively in K-Beauty skincare and is known for its potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and skin-barrier-strengthening properties.

The Cicaplast B5 Spray also features a mineral complex containing copper and manganese, which are highly anti-inflammatory and reduce redness, swelling, and discomfort on contact while controlling inflammation and accelerating wound healing. Many dermatologists recommend the Cicaplast B5 Spray for patients whose skin has been sensitized by reactions to highly active skincare products (acids, retinoids, etc.) and invasive in-office procedures (lasers, microneedling, peels, etc.). The spray provides immediate soothing relief while initiating barrier repair.

My Recommendations for Advanced Hydration

(listed by price, not ranking)

The INKEY List - Polyglutamic Acid Serum ($16.00 USD) delivers 3% polyglutamic acid and glycerin in a lightweight, silky formula, widely available at Sephora, Ulta, and major US retailers. It holds 5 times more moisture than hyaluronic acid, creating a breathable, protective film that slows moisture evaporation throughout the day.

EXTRA CREDIT: This serum is inexpensive enough to cocktail with your favorite body lotion/cream to SUPERCHARGE its effectiveness at handling dehydrated skin on your body.

Prequel - Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum ($28.00 USD) features dual-weight polyglutamic acid, glycerin, and ectoin, a powerful osmolyte that protects skin from environmental stress while supporting barrier health. The dual-weight PGA formula works at multiple levels to provide both immediate and lasting hydration. The focused formula omits unnecessary ingredients, making it ideal for sensitive or compromised skin.

Then I Met You - The Giving Essence ($53.00) combines polyglutamic acid with galactomyces, niacinamide, and antioxidant-rich berry extracts. The PGA works on the surface to deliver long-lasting moisture retention, while the other ingredients nourish, brighten, and strengthen the skin barrier.

Typology Plumping Serum with 3% PGA + Red Seaweed Extract ($55.00 USD) is a highly concentrated serum that applies more like an essence (very aqueous and fluid), and sets as a moisture-binding film on the skin’s surface, while the red seaweed extract stimulates natural ceramide synthesis. This formula is specifically formulated for significantly dehydrated mature skin.

#MyTwoCents

Over the past few years, an alarming number of licensed skincare “experts” (dermatologists, plastic surgeons) on social media platforms have shifted from peer-reviewed citations to validate their product recommendations, and have discovered the monetization ($$$) enjoyed by beauty influencers. Many of their posts are now motivated by brand sponsorships and affiliate links - not clinical scientific data. They use their licenses as “expert” validation to promote whichever brand is willing to cut them a check, not because the product is purposeful and effective, but because THEY ARE GETTING PAID.
And a disturbing number of them don’t disclose this properly.

If licensed skincare professionals are selling out for cash and clicks, the question becomes: Who do you trust?

THE DATA. PERIOD.
Do what I do and perform some research before you consider making a purchase. If a brand can’t support its marketing claims with peer-reviewed clinical data, walk away. And if you see the words “proprietary blend,” treat that as a red flag. It’s a marketer’s trick to avoid transparency about ingredients.

Trust the data — NOT the marketing.
Since 2005, IN MY KIT® (IMK) has been committed to providing the most factually sound reviews and product recommendations for beauty professionals and enthusiasts.

• IMK posts are not sponsored.

• IMK does not use affiliate codes or links.

• All links have been screened to find the best prices and avoid counterfeits.

Kevin James Bennett is the publisher of In My Kit®. He is an Emmy Award-winning makeup artist, cosmetic developer, educator, and consumer advocate. Learn more at www.kjbennett.com

For decades, two brands in the luxury home fragrance space have become synonymous with “impeccable taste and obvious disposable income.”

Diptyque and Aesop.

You know these icons, even if you aren’t aware of the brand names - the instantly recognizable black-and-white oval label of a Diptyque candle, the amber apothecary bottles of an Aesop’s hand wash perched on a Waterworks sink. These aren’t just products—they’re cultural shorthand. Interior design currency. The olfactory equivalent of a perfectly draped Hermes cashmere throw on a Knoll Barcelona chair.

And then, while no one was paying attention, Loewe walked into the room, set down a candle in a handmade terracotta vessel that smelled like tomato leaves, and quietly started rearranging the furniture.

The Anderson Effect

To understand what’s happening, you have to understand Jonathan Anderson. Before his departure in early 2025 to take the creative reins at Dior Homme, Anderson didn’t just revitalize Loewe’s fashion business—he more than quadrupled the brand’s revenue over a decade, from roughly $250 million to nearly $950 million. He turned a heritage Spanish leather house that was gathering dust into one of the hottest luxury brands on the planet. The globally respected (and anticipated) Lyst Index ranked Loewe among the top five most desirable luxury brands in 2025.

But here’s what the fashion press overlooked while swooning over Puzzle bags and viral runway moments: Anderson was simultaneously building a lifestyle empire that operates on an entirely different philosophy than anything Diptyque or Aesop has ever presented.

When Loewe Home Scents was launched in 2020, it wasn’t just an extension of their fashion and accessory collections. It was a home collection with a point of view so specific, so profoundly rooted in craft and nature, that it made the reigning champs of the luxury home fragrance category look, well, predictable…maybe even a little uninspired.

The Terracotta Revolution

Let’s get into the details, because this is where it gets interesting. Loewe’s candles arrive in handcrafted, ribbed terracotta vessels inspired by fifth-century BC Greek drinking cups. They’re made in Spain. They’re embossed with the house’s monogram. And here’s the thing that makes a forty-year industry veteran like me sit up straight: people are buying these candles as much for the vessel as for the fragrance. Interior designers are specifying them. They’re showing up on coffee tables in Architectural Digest shoots. The empty pots are being repurposed as vases, pencil holders, tiny sculptures in their own right.

Now compare that to Diptyque, whose iconic glass vessels, charming as they are, have remained essentially unchanged since the 1960s. Or Aesop, whose amber glass and minimalist typography, once thrillingly austere and apothecary feeling, has become so ubiquitous that it’s practically a meme. (If I see one more TikTok video rating a bathroom based on whether there’s an Aesop hand wash on the sink, I may need to 🤮).

Loewe understood something fundamental: in the luxury lifestyle space, the object itself has to earn its place in someone’s environment. And it can’t just smell beautiful, it has to BE beautiful, and feel like a deliberate, curated choice.

Storytelling With Scent

Then there’s the fragrance philosophy, which is where Loewe really separates itself from the pack. While Diptyque has long traded on sophisticated French perfumery scent profiles (and done it beautifully), and Aesop has leaned into its botanical-scented apothecary identity, Loewe went somewhere nobody expected: the vegetable garden.

Tomato leaves. Cucumber. Beetroot. Coriander. Pea. Cannabis. These are not safe choices. These are not scents designed by a marketing committee looking at consumer data. These are the olfactory obsessions of a creative director who grew up with a greenhouse and had the audacity (and the LVMH backing) to say, “You know what smells incredible? A ripe tomato vine in August.” And he was right.

The Tomato Leaves candle alone has achieved something approaching cult status. Master perfumers have reviewed it glowingly. Fashion editors fight over them. And the collection has continued to expand with increasingly bold offerings—Mushroom, Roasted Hazelnut, Palo Santo, and a recent limited-edition trio of Earl Grey, Black Sesame, and Sweet Almond that sounds more like a tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant than a candle collection.

This is the kind of creative confidence that builds brand mythology. And brand mythology, my friends, is the most expensive real estate in luxury.

Vulnerability of the Icons

Now, I want to be clear: I’m not writing a eulogy for Diptyque or Aesop. Both remain formidable players. Diptyque still commands an estimated 7% of the global luxury candle market and continues to perform beautifully on limited editions and seasonal collections. Their heritage is real, their craftsmanship is legitimate, and their loyal customer base runs deep.

But Diptyque has a redundancy problem. When your visual identity hasn’t meaningfully evolved in decades, you risk becoming the luxury equivalent of background music—pleasant, reliable, and increasingly invisible.
Industry analysts project that the home fragrance category will nearly double to over $1 billion by 2030 - so standing still is the same as falling behind.

Aesop’s situation is more complicated, and frankly, more concerning. Since L’Oréal acquired the brand in 2023 for a staggering $2.5 billion (the largest acquisition in the company’s history) the tension between brand integrity and corporate growth expectations has been noticeable. L’Oréal has publicly stated its ambition to make Aesop a “billionaire brand,” and while the company has maintained double-digit growth, the aggressive expansion and increasing omnipresence could erode the very exclusivity that made Aesop aspirational in the first place.

There’s also the identity question. Aesop’s strength was always its curated, almost academic approach to beauty—the brand felt discovered rather than marketed. But when you’re in 400-plus stores across 29 markets, with a parent company talking about “unleashing massive growth potential,” “discovered” doesn’t seen to apply any longer. The very TikTok virality that put Aesop’s hand wash in every aspirational bathroom is now working against it.

FACT: Overexposure is the silent killer of luxury desirability.

The LVMH Advantage

Here’s something else worth noting:
Loewe sits within the LVMH portfolio - the same conglomerate that owns Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Bulgari. LVMH knows how to build luxury brands. More importantly, LVMH knows how to build luxury ecosystems.

Loewe’s home scents aren’t a side project. They’re a strategic extension of a brand identity that Anderson spent a decade constructing—one that marries Spanish craft heritage with intellectual, art-world credibility. The home scents collection is inseparable from the fashion shows, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, the collaborations with ceramic artists, and the whole carefully orchestrated world-building exercise. When you buy a Loewe candle, you’re not just buying a fragrance. You’re buying into a meticulously curated universe.

Diptyque, as beloved as it is, has not expanded its product offerings with anything innovative for decades. Aesop, nestled within L’Oréal’s Luxe division alongside Lancôme and YSL, was the acquisition of a beauty conglomerate—not a fashion-and-lifestyle ecosystem. These differences matter more than you might think when you imagine the trajectory of Loewe Home.

#MyTwoCents

The big question is: what happens to Loewe Home now that Anderson has left the brand? New creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the founders of Proenza Schouler, are enormously talented, but they’re inheriting a brand identity deeply rooted in Anderson’s sensibility. Will they be able to continue the roll-out while remaining true to the brand DNA Anderson created?

Here’s what I think the fashion media is underestimating: the home scents infrastructure Anderson built isn’t going anywhere because:

• The in-house perfumer, Núria Cruelles, remains in place.

• The ceramic artisans in Spain remain in place.

• The distribution through the brand’s own retail network and premium stockists, such as Net-a-Porter, remains in place.

• The home scent division was established with a compelling DNA, and that DNA has proven remarkably resilient.

Meanwhile, the luxury home fragrance market continues to expand at an extraordinary pace. Consumer demand for premium, design-forward home scenting products shows no sign of slowing.
Loewe is offering something distinctively different. It’s offering terracotta and tomato leaves, along with the audacious idea that your home should smell like a treasured memory only you have. And slowly, elegantly, decisively, it’s acquiring shelf space and top-of-mind awareness reserved for the two brands everyone assumed would dominate this category forever.

Let’s be clear, Diptyque and Aesop aren’t going anywhere.
But the crown they’ve been sharing for a few decades…it’s sitting on a table next to a Loewe Puzzle Bag in a room that smells like a Spanish garden in August.

There was a time when a cosmetic product’s path to the consumer was relatively predictable: formulate, test, package, pitch to a retailer, land on a shelf, and hope a compelling counter display did the rest. That world is not gone, exactly, but it’s been joined by something no one in the industry saw coming with quite this velocity—a platform where a 30-second video and a “Shop Now” button can generate more revenue in an afternoon than some brands see in a quarter.

Welcome to TikTok Shop.

After four decades in this industry, I’ve watched every major shift in how cosmetics reach consumers—from department store counters to QVC to Sephora/Ulta, to Instagram.

This one is different.

TikTok Shop hasn’t just changed the marketing channel; it’s fundamentally altered the relationship between product, creator, and consumer. And like most seismic shifts, it’s brought both genuine opportunity and real cause for concern.

The Upside:

Let’s start with what TikTok Shop has gotten right, because it deserves acknowledgment. For decades, the beauty industry operated behind a velvet rope. Getting a product to market required either deep pockets or the right connections—preferably both. TikTok Shop has meaningfully disrupted that dynamic. A well-formulated product with a compelling story can now find its audience without a seven-figure marketing budget or a coveted Sephora end-cap. That is a genuine advancement for the industry.

The numbers bear this out. Beauty and personal care products accounted for nearly 80% of TikTok Shop’s U.S. sales in 2024, totaling roughly $1.34 billion. According to Euromonitor International, the platform drove a 22% increase in beauty product sales across social commerce. TikTok shoppers are placing 3.5 times more orders than the average online buyer. These aren’t vanity metrics—this is a restructuring of how products reach consumers.

K-Beauty’s resurgence in the American market is perhaps the clearest illustration of the platform working as intended. Korean beauty sales surged to $2 billion in the U.S., up 37% year-over-year, with TikTok Shop serving as the primary launchpad. Brands like Medicube, Anua, and COSRX translated viral visibility into sustained retail presence across Amazon, Sephora, and Ulta. That kind of cross-platform conversion isn’t accidental. It represents a genuinely new and effective distribution model.

There’s also a cultural shift worth celebrating. TikTok’s audience gravitates toward products that deliver visible, demonstrable results - real-time application, honest reviews, before-and-afters that haven’t been retouched beyond recognition. For those of us who have been advocating for ingredient transparency and evidence-based formulation for years, this consumer-led demand for accountability is welcome. The era of making unsubstantiated claims on packaging is getting harder to sustain when a few million engaged viewers are prepared to ask questions.

The Downside:

Now for the part of the conversation that requires more care—because the challenges TikTok Shop presents to the cosmetic industry are not trivial, and they deserve to be taken seriously.

The counterfeit problem is the most pressing. A 2023 report from the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Network found that nearly 40% of skincare products purchased from unverified sellers on social commerce platforms failed basic safety tests—contamination, banned substances, and inaccurate ingredient lists. Counterfeit cosmetics have been found to contain lead, mercury, arsenic, and harmful levels of bacteria. This is not a branding inconvenience. It is a consumer safety issue. And while TikTok has implemented seller verification measures and anti-counterfeit policies, enforcement remains uneven. Bad actors cycle through accounts, rebrand with ease, and exploit the algorithm’s speed faster than the platform can respond. When someone gets a chemical burn from a serum they purchased mid-scroll, the consequences are very real.

Then there is the matter of dupe culture, which TikTok has amplified into something approaching a movement. The #dupe hashtag has accumulated over 7 billion views. I understand the appeal—not everyone can afford a premium price point, and a well-formulated, affordable product is nothing to dismiss. But there’s an important distinction between a legitimately developed affordable alternative and a hastily manufactured knockoff trading on someone else’s research. When a brand invests years and significant resources into developing a proprietary formula, and that work is replicated without the same rigor or oversight and sold for a fraction of the price, what’s actually being eroded is the incentive to innovate. That should matter to every consumer, whether they realize it yet or not.

The overconsumption cycle is another concern that warrants honest discussion. TikTok’s integration of entertainment and commerce is remarkably effective at converting casual browsing into purchasing—so effective, in fact, that the platform has generated its own counter-movements. “Project Pan,” where users challenge themselves to finish products before buying new ones, and “deinfluencing,” where creators actively discourage unnecessary purchases, have both gained meaningful traction. When a platform’s own user base feels compelled to create corrective trends, it tells you something about the consumption patterns being encouraged. Beauty packaging alone generates an estimated 120 billion units of waste annually. That number deserves our attention.

And perhaps most consequentially for the long-term health of this industry: TikTok Shop has accelerated the conflation of visibility with expertise. When a platform’s algorithm rewards engagement over accuracy, the inevitable result is a landscape where a viral claim from an unqualified source can carry more influence than decades of formulation science and clinical research. This is not a blanket criticism of content creators—many are thoughtful, informed, and genuinely passionate about beauty. But the platform makes no meaningful distinction between someone sharing personal enthusiasm and someone offering professional guidance. For the consumer trying to make informed choices about what they’re putting on their skin, that lack of differentiation is a real problem.

#MyTwoCents

TikTok Shop is not a passing trend, and the cosmetic industry would be unwise to treat it as one. The platform has created legitimate pathways for brand discovery, given consumers unprecedented access to product information, and forced established companies to reckon with the fact that heritage alone is no longer sufficient. Those are meaningful contributions.

But the industry—brands, creators, the platform, and consumers alike—has a responsibility to address what’s being sacrificed in the process. That means more rigorous seller vetting, better consumer education around ingredient safety, and a culture that values formulation expertise alongside compelling content. It also means a collective willingness to acknowledge that the most affordable option and the safest, most effective option are not always the same thing.

I’ve dedicated a lifetime to this industry because I believe that cosmetics, developed with integrity and grounded in science, can genuinely improve people’s lives. TikTok Shop has the potential to bring that to more people than ever before. But that potential requires transparency, authenticity, and FACTS.

What are your thoughts about TikTok Shop?

Look, I’ve been in the product development game long enough to know that marketing claims of “miraculous repair” from hair care brands is not always based on clinical data, so I inevitably raise an eyebrow 🤨 and wonder, “is this product just another overpriced snake oil, cosplaying as science?”
But here’s the thing, hair science has actually evolved beyond just slapping some waxy conditioner on damaged strands and creating the illusion of healthy hair. We’re talking legitimate molecular repair backed by actual clinical research. These are not your grandma’s hot-oil treatments (though, honestly, those weren’t that bad 😉).

So let’s talk about the products that genuinely deliver, complete with the good, the bad, and the “wait, how much?!”

Here’s what you need to know:

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

Price: $30.00 USD for 3.3 fl oz / 100 ml

Ah, yes, the one that started it all. Olaplex uses patented technology to rebuild the disulfide bonds in your hair that get broken during chemical processing and heat damage. It’s basically the superhero origin story of bond-building treatments. You slap it on for at least 10 minutes (or go full commitment and sleep in it), and it actually repairs hair from the inside out—not just the surface.

Pros:

• Works consistently with visible results in strengthening hair and improving curl definition

• The results actually stick around—your hair stays healthy and glossy even if you get lazy and forget a scheduled treatment.

• Leaves hair conditioned, soft, manageable, and shiny.

• Works for all hair types (sort of…more on that in the Cons).

• Has a cult following for a reason—people genuinely swear by the results they see (and feel) from this stuff.

Cons:

• Your wallet will feel lighter at $28 for 3.3 oz.

• You need to use it generously to see full results, and the formula is a thin emulsion, which means you’ll burn through it fast - especially if you’ve got long or thick hair.

• It can weigh down fine hair significantly…volume? volume who?

• Some users report hair loss and scalp irritation, indicating an allergic reaction.

Real Talk: Generally beloved, although Trustpilot has reported some drama through complaints about hair loss and customer service issues.

K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask

Price: $75 for 1.7 fl oz / 50 ml

The cool new kid that made Olaplex users question their loyalty. This treatment uses a patented peptide that reconnects broken keratin chains, reaching the innermost layers to reverse damage. The science is legitimately impressive—they basically bioengineered a peptide sequence that your hair recognizes and absorbs.

Pros:

• This product claims to deliver visible results after the first use and to work in 4 minutes. FOUR MINUTES! 😮 (while Olaplex users are doing a few loads of laundry and meal-prepping).

• Makes hair look shinier, feel healthier, and almost thicker.

• Truly designed for ALL hair types, which means it doesn’t weigh down fine/thin hair.

• A leave-in formula means no rinsing - so apply it and go live your life.

Cons:

• Brace yourself: $75.00 USD for 50ml 😳. I’ll wait while you process that math.

• You have to skip using a regular rinse-out conditioner before applying this leave-in, which feels wrong and might not work for curly or coily hair routines.

• Major counterfeiting issues at places like Amazon and Walmart—so maybe don’t take chances by bargain hunting on a marketplace for this one…especially at this price.

• It repairs but doesn’t moisturize, so your hair might feel like it went into the kitchen for a glass of water…and forgot to drink it. Be sure to use a moisturizing leave-in conditioner after applying K18, or you might end up with dry, brittle hair. I love Pureology Color Fanatic Leave-In Treatment.

  

Real Talk: Beauty Pros and serious consumers love it, but the K18 price causes significant sticker shock, especially when you have to perform mental gymnastics to justify the per-application price.

Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate (Intensive Treatment)

Price: $34.00 USD for 5 oz / 150 ml

Redken saw the bond-repair trend and said, “Hold my citric acid.” Their Acidic Bonding Concentrate uses technology centered around a Citric Acid Complex to reinforce weakened bonds while balancing your hair’s pH—because your hair has some opinions about how its pH levels are balanced.

Pros:

• Clinical trials show a 56% reduction in breakage and hair that’s 14x smoother after one use with the complete system (treatment, shampoo, conditioner, leave-in). Those are numbers you can brag about! 👏👏👏

• More affordable than Olaplex and K18, and you use less product per application because it’s concentrated.

• Pleasant, light citrus scent that won’t give you a headache (did I mention that Olaplex and K18 are heavily fragranced?).

• Users report receiving compliments from strangers about their hair—that’s the ultimate validation of a product delivering on it’s claims.

Cons:

• A 1 oz. tube for $14.00, which makes you wonder if you accidentally ordered the sample size. Grab the 5 oz bottle; you get 5x the amount of product for $34.00.

• Some reviewers rank it third behind Olaplex and K18, mainly because it's a Redken product (perceived as a drugstore brand). But most folks don’t realize Redken is owned by L’Oréal, which also owns Kérastase, some of the most $$$ haircare on the market.

• It might make your hair appear drier if you use it too often. Too much protein isn't good for your hair; it makes it brittle. You MUST supplement with a moisturizing conditioner.

• Still more expensive than Olaplex, but you're getting 30% MORE product in a formula that’s easier to spread through your hair.

Real Talk: Salon pros and I love it. It’s a solid choice if you’re not ready to remortgage your home to purchase the K18. 🙄

Living Proof Triple Bond Complex

Price: $45.00 USD for 1.5 fl oz / 45 ml

The MIT nerds entered the hair-bonding conversation and brought actual science. This targets three types of bonds in hair (hydrogen, ionic, and covalent) using patent-pending 3-D Fortifying Technology—which sounds like something from a sci-fi movie but is actually legit.

Pros:

• Heat-activated technology means it works faster and protects up to 450°F—basically bomb-proof for your flat iron

• Makes hair 8 times stronger with results lasting a full week, backed by actual clinical scientific data.

• Super easy—apply after showering, no rinsing, plays well with other products.

• Even at $45.00, it’s a value. A little goes a long way, so bottles last longer than you’d think.

Cons:

• $45 for 45ml??? Still expensive, but at least it’s not K18 expensive?

• Not instant gratification like its peers - you need a schedule of consistent weekly use to experience the dramatic before-and-after effects.

• Doesn’t deliver much moisture, so dry ends might still feel...dry. Make sure to use a moisturizing conditioner before you apply this.

• The bottle feels suspiciously small for what you’re paying for - but it’s concentrated.

Real Talk: Beauty editors are obsessed, and consistent users see great cumulative results. Just don’t expect miracles after one use, like its competitors advertise.

#MyTwoCents

These aren’t outrageous marketing promises (lies) you see on infomercials at 3 AM.
Legit molecular science, clinical trials, and peer-reviewed research support the technology used in these products. Yes, they’re pricier than most drugstore options, but if you’re stressing over your hair being truly damaged and not just “I skipped conditioner today” unmanageable, they’re worth considering.

My Recommendations:

If You’re Watching Your Budget: Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate gives you solid results without requiring a payment plan.

If You’re Impatient: K18 wins for speed (4 minutes!), but prepare for that price tag to hurt your feelings.

If You Want Proven Results: Olaplex No. 3 has years of loyal users and success stories, even with its drawbacks.

If You Want Ease: Living Proof Triple Bond Complex is the most low-maintenance - apply, leave it in, blast it with heat, done.

The bottom line? Pick based on your hair’s damage level, your patience (or lack thereof), and how much you’re willing to invest in a relationship with your hair.

Have you used hair “bonding treatments”? Which ones do you love? Hate?

You've probably noticed the word "fermented" appearing on a lot of skincare labels lately, especially K-Beauty products. The cosmetic industry has embraced bioferments in a big way, and there's actually solid science behind the trend.

So What's the Deal With (bio)Fermentation?

Biofermentation is a process in which beneficial microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeast, or enzymes, alter the composition of skincare ingredients to boost their effectiveness (efficacy). Companies are using ferments of everything from rice water to green tea, allowing the microorganisms they produce to break down the molecular structure of active ingredients to create new, more potent compounds.

The Real Skin Benefits

Here's where it gets really interesting. When ingredients undergo fermentation, they become more bioavailable – meaning your skin can actually absorb and use them more effectively. Those larger molecules that used to just sit on your skin's surface? Now they're small enough to penetrate deeper into the epidermis (the outermost layer of human skin) and deliver better results.

Fermented ingredients also tend to be gentler on the skin. The fermentation process naturally reduces potential irritants while enhancing beneficial compounds, such as amino acids, peptides, and vitamins. So while you’re getting enhanced benefits, there’s also less risk of irritation and sensitivity.

The Popular Players

Some of the most talked-about bioferments include fermented rice water (a K-Beauty staple), fermented green tea, and various fermented botanical extracts. These aren't just trendy additions – research shows they can help with hydration, antioxidant protection, and overall skin health.

Some of my favorites:

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

• Contains Pitera (fermented yeast extract) and is considered the gold standard for fermented essences.

• Price: ~$185-$230

• Benefits: Reduces fine lines, improves skin texture, and firmness.

Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence

• Contains 93% fermented ingredients, including bifida ferment lysate.

• Price: ~$32

• Benefits: Anti-aging, barrier repair, hydration.

Tatcha The Essence

• Contains fermented rice and botanical extracts

• Price: ~$95

• Benefits: Plumping, anti-aging, radiance.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum

• Contains a combination of fermented ingredients with alpha arbutin and niacinamide

• Price: ~$17

• Benefits: Brightening, calming, and hyperpigmentation reduction (alpha arbutin).

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence

• 95% galactomyces ferment filtrate

• Price: ~$16-25

• Benefits: Brightening, pore refinement, hydration.

#MyTwoCents

Bioferments represent a genuinely innovative approach to skincare, making active ingredients not only more effective but also less irritating. The science is promising, and the results speak for themselves.

The great thing is that you don't need to change your existing skincare routine to incorporate bioferments. It’s easy to layer in a toner, essence, or serum if you want to try something new that might provide that extra boost your skin is craving.

Hey beauty pros!

Let's discuss skin prep products, particularly moisturizers – the unsung heroes that can make or break every single makeup application. Moisturizer is that pro kit essential that often gets overlooked when we're distracted by a new foundation formula or a great pro trick that locks concealer in place (more about that here).

Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned artist looking to streamline your kit, having the right moisturizer(s) on hand is a must. Trust me, clients will thank you, and your makeup applications will look infinitely better (and last longer).

Why Moisturizers Matter More Than You Think

Before we dive into the fun stuff (product reviews), let's chat about why stocking the right moisturizers in your professional makeup kit is so important. Think of them as your insurance policy. Not everyone who sits in your makeup chair takes the best care of their skin, but they still expect you to make them look great…even if their skin looks like grandma’s old leather handbag.

Our body’s natural water content is constantly evaporating through our pores (not only when we sweat), and that lost water needs to be replenished. Drinking gallons of water to hydrate you from the inside is great, but it’s not enough for your skin to function at its best. You need to apply a reserve of hydration to the surface of your skin and lock it down with an emollient to keep it looking soft, smooth, and healthy - you know, the coveted “glow”.

The most important thing is understanding the difference between a “humectant” and an “emollient” and how they address different skin needs, but function best when used together.

• Humectants amplify the skin’s hydration level (water content) and address dehydration from the outside. Look for products that feature glycerin, polyglutamic acid, and HAs (hyaluronic acid derived from sodium hyaluronate). These ingredients specifically attract moisture from the air to the skin’s surface, replenishing what is naturally lost through evaporation through the pores.

• Emollients fortify the skin's barrier function, keeping it soft and smooth while enhancing its ability to slow down natural moisture evaporation. Look for products that feature non-comedogenic oils (such as squalane, grape seed, and jojoba), butters (like shea, cocoa, and mango), and fatty acids (like linoleic and alpha-linoleic).

In short, to create an optimal environment for a beautiful, long-lasting makeup application, you need to flood the skin with hydration and then seal it in with an emollient.

Now let’s talk about the two products that get the “moisturizer” job done, no matter what skin type sits in your makeup chair.

Let me preface this by saying, I don’t believe in stocking a pro makeup kit with expensive skincare full of fancy ingredients that take 6-8 weeks to show “cumulative results”. I want instant gratification products in my kit, because my client needs to look good NOW, and that’s precisely what these two products address (minus the often-expensive extra bells and whistles).

BELIF - Aqua Bomb The True Cream is hydration heaven and most definitely lives up to its name. I call this moisturizer the “One-And-Done”. It’s a deceptively lightweight gel-cream that feels refreshing, but don’t let the light texture fool you; it packs a mega-ton dose of hydration for thirsty skin (hence the name AQUA BOMB).

This moisturizer has been my secret weapon when anyone sits in the makeup chair with seriously dehydrated skin. It hydrates instantly and intensely to give your client that bouncy, glowy-looking skin that says, "I drink plenty of water and get eight hours of sleep". It also contains lightweight barrier-boosting ingredients to keep that moisture locked in.
Aqua Bomb can be used on ALL skin types. It’s especially effective on oily or combination skin types that don’t require additional emollients (oils), but are dehydrated and need a water boost.

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 is an emollient skin soother and barrier booster, formulated for use on even the most sensitive, reactive skin.

If you spend any time on social media platforms and follow it’s beauty community, you’ve probably heard the term “slugging.” Slugging is a technique where an occlusive emollient is applied as the last layer of your skincare to fortify the skin’s natural barrier and lock in hydration. Most folks “slug” their skin overnight with thick, greasy balms like Vaseline.
Cicaplast Balm B5 applies the same “slugging” principle, but in a breathable balm formula that can be used during the day, under makeup. It’s enriched with soothing, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial Cica (Centella asiatica). I apply it over Aqua Balm on sensitive skin types (like rosacea and eczema) to reduce irritation and keep hydration locked in. I also use it on very dry skin to boost elasticity and prevent foundation and concealer from looking dry or cakey.

The Bottom Line

These moisturizers might seem basic, but if you’re building your first pro makeup kit and need cost-effective skin prep, or if you’re editing your kit to be more lightweight and efficient, these two products are pretty much all you need.
Remember, the best moisturizer is the one that works.

What moisturizers have you found work best in your professional kit? I'd love to hear about your favorites!

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The beauty industry has developed a disturbing habit of flooding the market with products containing way too many (trending) active ingredients in every step of a skincare routine, and now they’re piling the same actives into color cosmetics.
This is problematic on so many levels, but today, I want to focus on the skincare in your makeup kit and why it’s much better to be basic.

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I post product comparisons because I'm a consumer advocate and want to guide Beauty Professionals toward great quality product(s) for your kit at the best price for your hard-earned $$$.
I REALLY DISLIKE being taken advantage of (so should you).

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Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Is Everywhere

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has impressive skincare hydration benefits when used correctly (emphasis on when used correctly).
Over the past decade, HAs generated a strong industry buzz and began appearing in skincare, makeup, and haircare products.

But the benefits of HAs have backfired thanks to cosmetic marketers' exploiting the trend and including HAs in EVERYTHING (including color cosmetics).
We all understand that too much of a good thing can be bad for you—and when you understand the science behind HAs, too much can be very bad for your skin health.

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