Over Q1, we’ve seen an array of new product launches that range from the playful spirit of ISAMAYA’s LIPS collection to the luxury perfume brand Maison Francis Kurkdjian creating laundry detergents and fabric softeners. To round off the quarter, BeautyMatter’s editorial team selected the product launches that caught their eye.
“To me this quarter has been defined by play across ingredients and formats. I commend Palmless for their mission to replace palm oil, complete with an attention-grabbing product name, which is bringing this innovation to the consumer market. Scent continues to be a source of delight. The last few months have seen Never Go Alone elevate the hand sanitizing and care game on an olfactory and sensorial level and Tom Ford expand their iconic Cherry series, which to me is a real trailblazer of said fragrance genre. I love the dramatic and poetic packaging of Trudon’s latest flanker release, as well as Maison Francis Kurdkjian making laundry washing a much more sophisticated affair with the launch of Aqua Universalis laundry detergents and fabric softeners.”
Carla Seipp, Editor
Never Go Alone: Co-founded by London-based entrepreneur Nga Nguyen and California-based Creative Director Carl Adelson, Never Go Alone was designed to make taking care of wellness and hygiene easy while on the go, elevating the protective act of personal sanitation with skincare-infused formulas and sustainable yet stylish and tactile packaging. The inaugural collection, Edition 1: Sandstone, is inspired by the sedimentary rock, as seen in the rich orange and neutral earth-toned packaging. The products from this first collection include hand cream, hand wipes, tech wipes, candles, and home wipes, all carrying a warm woody scent. Each collection from the brand will draw inspiration from the natural world, drawing on a specific element to inform the fragrance, packaging design, and color palette.
Palmless: The company that has created a bio-manufactured alternative to palm oil is launching a multipurpose oil, Save the F#$%ing Rainforest ($45), designed to nourish and replenish hydration in both the skin and hair. The oil’s formula contains carotenoids that work as antioxidants to maintain glowing skin and is rich in sterols that promote skin barrier function. Meadowfoam sea oil is also used to soften the skin and is sourced from a farming cooperative in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where it has been planted as part of a crop rotation to promote sustainable soil health with low water use.
Tom Ford: The brand’s Private Blend Cherry series has two new unisex scents: Electric Cherry Eau de Parfum and Cherry Smoke Eau de Parfum. Electric Cherry Eau de Parfum is a fruity floral scent containing musky Ambrettolide and pink peppercorn, with a tartness created through notes of Morello cherry and ginger. Tom Ford describes the scent as capturing “the early, flirtatious stages of a romance.” Meanwhile Cherry Smoke Eau de Parfum “captures the darker side of the Cherry experience” through a seductive fruity woody aroma that is enhanced by the inclusion of osmanthus, smoked wood, and saffron to create a “hedonistic and smoldering” effect. Both fragrances are priced at $240 for 30ml.
Trudon: Mortel Noir ($290), a flanker to the brand’s 2017 release, Mortel, is Trudon’s newest unisex fragrance. Mortel Noir, created by perfumer Yann Vasnier, possesses an erotic spicy scent of black pepper from Madagascar, blended with Somalian incense and benzoin, to emulate the act of skins heating up against each other. The fragrance is contained in a matte-black 100ml bottle, adorned with sleek gold lettering, packaged in a jet-black box that features a drawing by Coulon of a figure plunging into the abyss.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian: The luxury perfume brand has created the Aqua Universalis Scented Laundry Detergents ($39) and Aqua Universalis Scented Fabric Softeners ($39) as a way of taking the scented experience of fragrance rituals beyond traditional perfume products. All offerings are infused with a distinctively sunny blend of citron from Sicily, bergamot from Calabria, lily-of-the-valley, and mock orange plant leaves. The fresh and breezy aroma is described as being “for everything and everyone.”
“Across this first quarter, a range of exciting and unique innovations has piqued my interest, particularly the sustainable formulations from DamDam and Half Magic. Kulfi Beauty’s mehndi-inspired blush is a creative conceptualization that incorporates traditional practices into modern makeup. I particularly enjoyed ISAMAYA’s playful Lips collection, as it’s both humorous and supportive of Planned Parenthood. As someone often seeking out ways to help with PMS pain, Goli Nutrition’s PMS Relief Gummies specifically interested me as not only do they help with physical effects of menstruation, but they claim to reduce mood swings.”
Phoebe Cotterell, Editorial Intern
ISAMAYA: The latest collection by the beauty brand is a capsule of refillable lipsticks entitled Lips ($95). The collection's packaging pays homage to the phallic male form. As well as being eye-catching, the packaging is designed to be used beyond its initial purpose. The lipstick bullets are removable, enabling the packaging to be used as a piece of art or refilled for a second use. The collection consists of two shades: a true red, Cardinal, encased in a chrome sculpture, and a clear black balm, Vanity, in gunmetal. The brand has chosen this provocative collection to help support Planned Parenthood with donations funding sexual and reproductive health, as well as sex education across the US.
DamDam: The wellness brand known for incorporating ancient Japanese skin and bathing rituals, as well as heritage ingredients from the region, has launched the Snow Mushroom Salt Cleanser ($47). The cleanser is 100% biodegradable and formulated to pull out impurities and excess oil while helping the skin to cope with environmental stressors. Snow mushroom is a staple ingredient in Asian medicine and skincare, known for its collagen-like properties that allow the ingredient to penetrate the skin and hydrate from within. The salt used in the daily cleanser is rich in magnesium, trace minerals, and electrolytes to promote pH balance, drawing out impurities while promoting nutrient absorption.
Half Magic: Created in 2022 by the award-winning makeup artist for HBO’s Euphoria, Donni Davy, Half Magic focuses on providing vegan and environmentally friendly products. The brand’s Eyeshadow Singles ($12) come in seven pigmented shades: Daydreamies (sky blue), Cheeky Eyes (peach), Wet Pebble (taupe), Glamourust (rusty red), Pretty Robot (lilac pink), Karat Kween (gold), and Elvin Things (green with pink reflects). Each pocket-sized compact is compostable and recyclable as they are made out of Paperfoam. Paperfoam is made from industrial starch that is mixed with natural fibers and water, then baked in a custom mold fitted to the product.
Kulfi Beauty: The South Asian-founded and -inspired brand is continuing to embrace and celebrate the region’s culture and beauty through the release of their Mehndi Moment Blush ($28). The product's formula is inspired by mehndi (aka henna) and has a creamy, long-lasting texture. The blush comes in five bold shades: Pinky Promise (a bright light pink), Blessed Berry (a rich dark pink), Sandalwood Swirls (deep red), Lucky Lotus (bright light purple), and Garland Glow (peachy orange). Each shade is formulated with antioxidant-rich amla fruit extract and moisturizing hibiscus extract in order to plump the skin.
Goli Nutrition: In a bid to help monthly menstruation symptoms, the brand has created Women’s PMS Relief Gummies ($19). Chasteberry extract is utilized to help reduce mood swings, breast tenderness, and irritability; dong quai extract helps with cramps, and dandelion extract eases the symptoms of bloating.
"This first quarter has showcased a range of offerings that have captured my interest. As we enter warmer months, much of the focus has been on the switch from winter to summer and how this can impact consumers' physical and mental health. Standouts for me have included those that prepare the skin for a sharp change in weather, such as Typology Paris' Resurfacing Lip Peel, erasing the dryness of winter skin and leaving behind soft, plump lips for the summer. BYOMA's Melting Balm Cleanser and Milky Oil Cleanser have been a standout due to their ability to soothe the skin and keep its natural barrier intact, leaving users ready to face daily stressors confidently. As retinol alternatives become more sought after, Tatcha's The Silk Serum is another standout, preventing the redness and peeling many know all too well as the weather changes. Finally, Sol de Janeiro's Rio Radiance Perfume Mist brings a comforting scent for summer, inspired by the brand's Brazilian heritage and traditions."
Sophie Pitt, Editorial Associate
BYOMA: The skincare brand has introduced two new products, the Melting Balm Cleanser ($14.99) and the Milky Oil Cleanser ($12.99). The Melting Balm Cleanser is rich in grapeseed oil and olive fruit extract, delivering a soothing cleansing experience that sees the balm melt into an oil, then transform into a milk, creating an ultra-gentle cleansing effect. The Milky Oil Cleanser dissolves on contact with warm water into a rich, milky oil that breaks down SPF, makeup, and impurities without stripping the skin’s natural barrier.
Sol de Janeiro: With summer getting closer, Sol de Janeiro has launched a transportative fragrance, Rio Radiance Perfume Mist ($38), inspired by “The Summer of the Cans” when 15,000 tins of cannabis were tossed into the ocean off the Brazilian coast and washed up on beach shores for locals to discover. The scent is designed to invoke feelings of a beach vacation with notes of vanilla, solar tuberose, and leite de coco.
Tatcha: Offering a retinol alternative in the form of The Silk Serum ($98), the brand wants to smooth the appearance of wrinkles using kind-to-skin botanicals. Formulated with a cranberry extract and sea fennel retinol alternative, Tatcha aims to deliver the same factors as retinol without the potential redness or irritation. This duo is teamed up with the brand’s proprietary Hadasei-3 complex in order to support the moisture barrier and visibly firm skin.
Typology Paris: The Parisian skincare brand has debuted two new lip products that aim to repair and soften the surface of the lips. Resurfacing Lip Peel ($28.50) is made with pomegranate extract and removes dead skin cells from the lips’ surface to make them softer. Repairing Lip Mask ($29.50) strengthens the skin barrier, smooths fine lines, and moisturizes the skin with a formulation of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
Foreo: The Swedish skin-tech brand has announced a new category, under the title FAQ Swiss, that explores the benefits of LED face masks. The FAQ 202 ($865) mask features seven wavelengths of LED light (red, blue, green, orange, purple, cyan, yellow) that tackle an array of skin concerns through targeted treatment. The mask is described as flexi-fit and is designed with silicone in order to mold to individual facial contours, as well as being wireless and therefore usable while partaking in other activities.
