Subject:Matter

Summer is the season of escape. Whether you’re taking a well-deserved staycation or journeying to remote corners of the globe, Almira Armstrong, founder of Sydney-based fragrance brand Lumira, has an ever-growing stable of scents that promise to transport your senses sans jetlag.

Kyle Bardouche’s wellness brand, Jack Henry, was born at home shortly after his first baby arrived on the scene. To be specific, this plant-powered line of grooming essentials was conceived in the kitchen. “My wife Erin wanted to style our son Jack’s hair but the product I was using at the time had over 30 ingredients and we thought that was unnecessary,” he said.  The ingenious new mom whipped up the perfect pomade (now called Hair Clay) using coconut oil, bentonite clay, lavender oil, and beeswax—and subsequently spawned a second child that quickly became a best-seller.

“We dream of a generation of grandmas in blue eyeliner and we really feel like that this is where things are headed,” says Stephanie Spence, co-founder of 19/99 Beauty, a Toronto-based company that designs cosmetics for people ages 19 to 99 and beyond. The brand was initially born as co-founder Camille Katona’s post-graduate thesis project and has since evolved into a tightly edited range of multipurpose makeup products.

Millennial pink had its moment but you can thank Corpus founder J.P. Mastey for making mint green the chic new shade to keep in your medicine cabinet and shower. As the brains behind Baxter of California, a brand that broke the black-and-white mold in the men’s grooming space with its distinctive cerulean packaging, he knows a thing or two about the power of eye-catching color.

Long before wellness guru Martha Soffer doled out yoni steams to the who’s who in Hollywood, she discovered the ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda in, of all places, Fairfield, Iowa. This unlikely mecca for the Transcendental Meditation movement (an Ayurvedic practice) is where Colombian-born Soffer found her calling. “Before that, I’d never even heard of Ayurveda—almost nobody had outside of India,” she says.

For Tera Peterson, cofounder of NuFACE, it’s never too late (or too early!) to change the course of time—especially when a solid skincare routine is involved. She learned this lesson as a child when she made “house calls” in the ’80s with her mother-turned-business-partner, Carol Cole, a microcurrent facial pioneer who tended to the complexions of Hollywood’s elite. 

Róen Beauty, a glamorous brand known for its well-edited range and luxe packaging, was born out of a not-so-pretty problem. Tiffany T. Scott, Róen’s founder and CEO, said her “aha moment” occurred at the dermatologist’s office, where she was told that the persistent stye in her eyelid might be instigated by the harsh ingredients in her makeup. 

Dr. Nancy Samolitis and Danielle Nadick-Levy both hail from Illinois, but the co-founders of Facile—a Los Angeles mecca for anyone seeking a gorgeous, glowing complexion—couldn’t be more different. Growing up in a rural town 100 miles outside of Chicago, Dr. Samolitis, a board-certified dermatologist who refers to herself as a “skin perfectionist” on social media, didn’t necessarily prioritize beauty. “My family never saw a dermatologist, my cousins did our hair, and we never got our nails done,” she says.

Last year, I was lucky enough to be taken to Italy and Spain for work. This year, I feel extremely lucky to be boarding a yacht around the mediterranean.

Now, Jeff Madelena and business partners Louis Terline and Ryan Fitzgibbon are the minds and hearts behind HANK Code, a sleek offshoot of the term “hanky code,” universalized by gay men in the 70’s. HANK Code is an online retailer, sure, but also an oasis in an otherwise dry landscape for queer makers and consumers alike. 

If Tom Ford and Apple had an essential oil baby, what would it look like? This is one of the first questions CAMPO co-founders Jessica Frandson and Jill King asked themselves as they embarked on an aromatherapy adventure that sought to combine the elegance of Tom Ford with Apple’s innovative approach. A few of the adjectives they came up with to describe this hypothetical offspring: clean, modern, intuitive, intoxicating, portable, and universal. 

“Less is more,” says Neada Deters, founder of LESSE, whose overarching beauty philosophy, brand mission, and skincare routine are all in perfect harmony. "An unbalanced complexion, however, is what initially prompted Deters (a former editor and product guinea pig) to dig deeper into botanical ingredients and curate her own line of effective organic essentials that help clear skin—and declutter your bathroom shelf. 

Leanne Citrone, a former hairstylist and co-owner of Andy Lecompte Salon (a West Hollywood hot spot known for its A-list clientele), is finally getting out from behind the chair.

Baby, what’s your serum? As we are inundated with products of all kinds, from every angle, it can be a challenge to know which is right for you. Not only is our skin so different, but so are all our lifestyles and choices, environmental factors, stress, etc. No two people need the exact two things, and that goes for everything. So how do we determine our needs?

I love a summer glow, but by the time temps begin to drop, I make it my goal to shed that dead skin, heal all the damage, and repair dry hair so that I can stay plump, dewy, and hydrated as the air gets cool and dry.

Now that we’ve pushed past the extreme dermatological peels and mild enzyme masks or lower percentage lactic and hydroxy acids are readily available, it’s easy to get carried away. People have seen major improvements in their skin texture, tone, and clarity from regular exfoliation with peel pads or an exfoliating toner, so why not put this practice in overdrive?

Come for the lipstick, stay for the laughs. Think of this podcast hosted by David Pirrotta—an industry veteran who has helped build 76 brands (and counting!)—as Waze for the beauty-obsessed, helping you navigate the ever-evolving world of makeup, hair, skin, wellness, and more. Full of twists, turns, and plenty of laughs, every episode takes you on a BS-free journey and keeps you ahead of the curve.

The skin on our bums is very different from the skin on our face. It’s thick, fleshy, comes with a layer of soft downy protective hair, and most blood vessels are much farther from the surface, since we'd otherwise be sitting on them all day.

Because I love to switch up my routine with the season, summer is no exception. I love light, earthy, cleansing, and hydrating products to keep me feeling refreshed and anew in the face of dry heat.

Summer hair is all about embracing the season and being carefree— or at least looking like you are. But what if we could achieve the effortless look with at least a fraction of the actual effort your stylist does when you come in for a trim?

Few things cause acne to flare quite like the stress that goes hand-in-hand with a global pandemic. Now, as protective masks start to come off and we slowly put our faces on full display, it can be tempting to turn to quick fixes that promise to clear things up fast.

Patrick Kelly, the founder of Sigil Scent, has designed transcendent olfactory experiences that continue to inspire. His inner-outer glow is a natural beauty we also find ourselves continually inspired by, so we had to ask about his philosophy, and of course routine!

Even as the masses make their way back to the hustle and bustle of polite society, it’s clear that some things—like indulgent beauty rituals—are here to stay. “Our vision is for our customers to feel comfortable in their own skin quite literally from head to toe,”

I realized that after 2+ decades in the makeup and skincare industry, I’ve lost sight of that earthly connection. I realized I needed to focus my support on discovering and uplifting completely sustainable brands who are doing it like no other.

Known as both the electrical esthetician to the stars and co-founder of ZIIP, Melanie Simon’s journey started from rather humble beginnings. In fact, her passion for perfect skin was sparked by her sister’s science project. “She tested different moisturizers on the skin of nectarines from the same bundle,” Simon explained.

It’s great that we have an entire month dedicated to honoring the earth. We’re happy to move past Earth Day and stretch it for 30, being that it’s the planet we all call home and depend on for every single resource we need to continue our species. It’s… kind of important.

The Nashville-based brand founder may be a shining example of what happens when you hustle, but she also believes in occasionally going off the grid. To “reset,” she takes time away from social media, email, texting, and even her partner to get back in touch with herself.

When we say certain products are moisturizing, and others are hydrating, we aren’t just being clever. We aren’t just having fun with words, or swapping them out interchangeably, willy nilly, just to mix things up. They are indeed very different things. And we need both.

In a world full of problems, any and all solutions are welcome—especially when they involve a hangover-free buzz. Remedy Place, a one-stop wellness shop located in West Hollywood, CA, was created by Dr. Jonathan Leary as both an escape and a health-centric social club.

At Materiae, we are proud every day, not just the month of March. Our female-owned brands are all incredible, innovative, beautiful products that we adore, use, and stand behind.

The founders of Wonder Valley escaped the city to carve out their own desert oasis—and a cult-favorite brand. One could say that Alison and Jay Carroll struck liquid gold when they developed their first olive oil seven years ago.

We see pretty packages staking claims all the time. Adjectives like brightening, evening, smoothing, hydrating, plumping, and exfoliating are all great terms, but how do we know these products do those things, and why?

A good rule of thumb when you’re scanning any ingredient list—especially when it comes to skincare: “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t use it!” says Eric Malka, co-founder of Ingredients®

When life hands you a protective face covering, capitalize on the surface area that’s still visible with mascara, mesmerizing shadows, and more. Here, our favorite ways to take lids and lashes to new levels...

Sacha Mitic, co-founder of cult-favorite brand, Sachajuan, is an “accidental hairstylist.” His inadvertent rise to the top of the beauty world started with an attempt to woo a woman wielding scissors. “When I was 14, I had my hair cut in a big salon in Gothenburg, Sweden by this really cute girl,” Mitic explained.

Toilet paper shortages. Murder hornets. Political turmoil. Tiger King. Sure, 2020 was bleak, but what better reason to celebrate than a new year and a fresh start? Six beauty pros share their mixology secrets with you just in time to hunker down for the holiday season.

This past year arguably made self-care more important than ever. From toilet paper shortages to election anxiety, it’s fair to say we’ve all needed a pick-me-up from time to time—and the beauty industry made a formidable effort in 2020 to appeal to everyone regardless of where they fall on the gender spectrum.

For most of us, cooler temps can mean dry skin and strange conditions. Even the Los Angeles version of cooler weather can have our skin freaking out, so it’s important we get ahead of the curve and moisturize in preparation.

“There’s so much amazing technology and research that, sadly, never makes it out of the lab,” says Amir Nobakht, MD, half of the dynamic duo behind Heraux, a new skincare brand backed by impressive science.

For most of us, the cooler seasons are a time of unpredictable skin. The dryness on our extremities, especially our legs, is exacerbated by the cold, and eczema, inexplicable itchiness, razor burn, you name it, accompanies some lovely flaking

We know that vitamin C is important, but do we really know why? Do we know just how important? We know we need it for immune support, so we eat veggies high in C like broccoli, bell peppers, strawberries, plums, leafy greens, and eggplant. But topical C is just as crucial.

Used to boarding a plane every other week, Materiae founder David Pirrotta has spent a significant amount of time on the ground adjusting to the new normal. While the jetsetter made the most of the many months he’s spent stationed in California, Pirrotta finally satisfied his wanderlust with a trip to Tulum, Mexico.

If there is one thing that 2020 has inspired, it's the desire for escape. Actually fleeing, however, is more difficult than ever. Enter Olivier Rousteing’s no-fail solution: Cire Trudon candles.

I’m sensing a recurring motif in the self-care world; unisex beauty. The idea that beauty was ever solely for women in the first place is a little outlandish to me…

Necessity is undoubtedly the mother of invention—especially when it comes to unpredictable skin. “It was never my intention to create a brand,” says Saya McDermott, founder of an eponymous range of natural products for face, body, and hair.

Enter essential oils, an age-old remedy that offers relief as well as relaxation. When given the choice between chemicals and natural ingredients, making a decision is simple, “especially when you can achieve safe, effective, and transformative results...

In lieu of slaving over a hot stove when the heat is on, we asked four beauty brand founders for their favorite quick-and-easy recipes so you can spend more time sipping cocktails and dining al fresco this summer.

The global pandemic has likely grounded your summer plans, but the open road awaits! While many Americans have cancelled unnecessary flights, 72 percent are still planning to get behind the wheel in the coming months.

“I think wellness or mindfulness sometimes gets a frivolous rap…but I really feel that it is serving me now,” she says of the daily practices she’s refined for both mind and body over the past 15 years. Here's how Moon Juice founder Amanda Chantal Bacon is staying centered and sane.

While things are slowly entering this uncertain phase of new normal, I want to honor the change of season by mixing things up a bit. For me, Summer always means simplifying when it comes to my skincare, and staying hydrated.

The clean beauty movement is coming for your armpits. “When people consider switching to natural products, deodorant is where many start,” says J.P. Mastey, founder of Corpus Naturals, a brand known for its sustainably manufactured deodorant housed in stylish celadon packaging.

In 2020, the tub is proving yet again to be a welcome and reliable respite; a safe place to melt away stress and watch it swirl swiftly down the drain. We asked six brand founders and bathing beauties how they’re soaking it up in self-isolation so you can take your tub (or shower!) to new levels of bliss.

If your morning commute consists of walking from the bedroom to your kitchen table, couch, or desk, you may be asking yourself if slathering on a protective layer of SPF is really necessary.

One part analyst and one part aficionado, BeautyMatter founder Kelly Kovack was once a self-proclaimed tomboy who “fell into beauty by accident.” Growing up, she never saved her allowance to buy lip gloss or spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting her look. In fact, makeup was forbidden entirely at her Catholic school in Florida.

We might all be experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic very differently, of course. But for a lot of us, it means consuming a bit more alcohol from the comfort of our own homes than usual. If you’ve got nothing on the agenda, it’s hard not to let happy hour creep up a little earlier each day.

Stress manifests itself in many ways—the most visible of which may be the breakouts that continually smack you in the face during a never-ending stream of Zoom meetings.

Master colorist Denis De Souza is here to calm your DIY fears during quarantine. The memes about the world being three weeks away from seeing everyone’s true hair color have made the rounds and while there’s nothing wrong with allowing nature to take its course, there are many that would rather not reveal what’s under the hood. 

We’ve all experienced days where lighting life on fire and starting fresh seems like the best option. Ilia founder Sasha Plavsic, however, actually sparked a match and followed through. Shortly after turning 30 and exiting a decade-long relationship, the Vancouver native decided to abandon a branding job in Southern California and return to her roots.

There are tons of things we can do that will inevitably work to strengthen our immune systems. Sure, there are herbal tinctures, ginger, supplements, and straight up eating well, but believe it or not, laughter truly is a perfect medicine to add to your wellness arsenal.

Finding products that work well can be a bit of a chore. Especially come spring and summertime when, if you’re anything like me, you would rather put your focus into spring cleaning so you can stay poolside all summer. Here are a few of my spring/summer faves!

There is a lot of confusion in the lingo out there when it comes to defining the green beauty space. There’s a lot of buzz words, lies by omission, and green washing, so we took it upon ourselves to clear a few things up so that we all have a better grasp on what is being marketed to us when we are shopping.

So your favorite nail salon is closed and you're responsibly practicing shelter-in-place? Well, now is the time to practice your at home nail art skills while doing your own mani pedi.

Typically, spring is when I like to show a little skin, but given the circumstances and lingering cool temps, I’m taking advantage of this prolonged respite at home. Let’s slow things down and care for our bodies— the time is now for radical self-care.

Yeah, us too. These are certainly uncertain times for all of us, and we are navigating this new and somewhat dark experience one day at a time. Avoid COVID-19 in Comfort and Style With These Self-Loving Activities.

While other countries capitalize on multi-step routines, Aussies often take a simpler approach that is grounded in natural, good-for-you ingredients (many of which are derived directly from Down Under).

We’ve heard of UVs, we are becoming versed in LED and infrared, but have you heard of HEV? It can get a little confusing, but we don’t want to keep you in the dark when it comes to different types of light and their effects on skin.

While asking his inner circle about everything from their favorite burgers to bars, he also inquired about where they got their hair cut. “There wasn’t any place that guys gravitated to, so I initially made a space for myself and my friends,” he explains.

If you’re having trouble sticking to your resolutions because post-holiday bloat has you feeling like effort is futile, you’re not alone.

’Tis the season of giving (and receiving!). We asked a few of our favorite beauty bosses to reveal their holiday wish lists so you can find the perfect present for finicky friends, family, and more. Prepare to surprise, delight, and dazzle with these founder-approved gifts.

Most of the time people give me a funny look when I tell them that I actually prefer fall and winter to summertime. I’ve always been warm-natured and it’s rare for me to feel cold. Chalk it up to being a hot-headed Aries, I guess. Either way, I look at cooler temperatures as an opportunity to use products that focus on replenishment and repair.

’Tis the season of giving (and receiving!). We asked a few of our favorite beauty bosses to reveal their holiday wish lists so you can find the perfect present for finicky friends, family, and more. Prepare to surprise, delight, and dazzle with these founder-approved gifts.

’Tis the season of giving (and receiving!). We asked a few of our favorite beauty bosses to reveal their holiday wish lists so you can find the perfect present for finicky friends, family, and more. Prepare to surprise, delight, and dazzle with these founder-approved gifts.

’Tis the season of giving (and receiving!). We asked a few of our favorite beauty bosses to reveal their holiday wish lists so you can find the perfect present for finicky friends, family, and more. Prepare to surprise, delight, and dazzle with these founder-approved gifts.

’Tis the season of giving (and receiving!). We asked a few of our favorite beauty bosses to reveal their holiday wish lists so you can find the perfect present for finicky friends, family, and more. Prepare to surprise, delight, and dazzle with these founder-approved gifts.

As winter settles in and temperatures drop, why not escape the cold (if only for a moment!) to the sunny days of yore, where steamy afternoons are best spent enjoying a brief “une sieste” after a late nights sipping bottomless glasses of rosé.

Anyone who has experienced a Ladurée macaron knows that a single bite will instantly transport you to Paris, the world-renowned bakery’s birthplace. So, we asked Elisabeth Holder, the co-president of Ladurée U.S. how she escapes…aside from eating one of her brand’s iconic cookies.

We’ve been conditioned for years to reach for the hard stuff (i.e. a bold black drip or a double espresso) every time our performance drops one iota below optimal, or we feel even the teensiest bit of burn behind the eyes. I’ll admit, that makes it hard to cut back, or let alone, cut out coffee completely for the sake of our health.

The former creative director of Calvin Klein Collection’s womenswear said that building his own brand was the “light at the end of the tunnel” after a grueling career as a designer, which included stints at Oscar de la Renta and Gucci.

During New York fashion week, even nails get dressed to the nines—which is where Jin Soon Choi, one of the city’s most in-demand manicurists, comes into play with her rather extensive range of eponymous JINsoon polishes.

When you book a facial, it’s rarely on a whim. It’s a plan with intention, and whether that intention is a deep pore purge or a quick glow for a night out, it’s possible to achieve some pretty winning results without leaving your house or putting on pants.

Whether you want to snap an Insta-worthy shelfie or simply need to clear room in your vegetable drawer for actual vegetables (what, you don’t hoard your sheet mask collection in the crisper?), a mini fridge may hold the answer.

Seasonless Suncare, Skin Tips, and beyond from Dr. Marko Lens, Founder of Zelens. Sun care—a topic often reserved for months spent by the beach, has become a hot word (quite, literally) for all seasons.

Another Father’s Day has come and gone, but for actor, director, and entrepreneur, Melanie Mayron, celebrating dear old dad is something she does 365 days year. In fact, her reason for thinking beyond the small screen (where she nabbed an Emmy for her role as the “artsy and creative” Melissa Steadman on Thirtysomething) and getting into skin care started because of sibling rivalry.

There’s no denying that rosé-fueled lunches al fresco and blissful days at the beach are what the good life is all about, but counteracting the season’s sweaty, frizzy, and sunburned side effects are decidedly less sexy. From strands that cave under heat and humidity to sunscreen-clogged pores, discover nine ways to survive a cruel, cruel summer.

Celebrate the first day of summer by letting loose. Hairstylist Giovanni Delgado, who created this waist-grazing look on Kacey Musgraves for the Bonanaroo Music Festival, shows you how.

You know makeup artist Nam Vo for her mesmerizing (and often blinding) “highlighter porn” that racks up hundreds of thousands of likes on Instagram. But long before Vo developed her signature #dewydumpling look embraced by everyone from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to Chrissy Teigen, she was working with an entirely different set of celebs. 

Long before Gwyneth Paltrow spawned Goop and the concept of wellness became inextricably linked to beauty, there was Shiva Rose. Tucked away in the Santa Monica Mountains, the actress, activist, author, entrepreneur, and Hollywood earth mother regularly whips up lotions and potions for lit-from-within skin in her Los Angeles oasis.

"Here’s an inside look into my personal routines and the products on Materiae I think you should add to your own." - Josh Blaylock

While the warmer months are finally upon us, your skin and strands are likely still stuck in winter mode. Here, seven product picks that will instantly reset your routine from hair to toe.

With a slew of beauty brands emerging everywhere, there is still only a few that will be truly successful. The triumph of these few beauty brands could be the doings of David Pirrotta. David Pirrotta is this week’s Hello Beauty guest, where he shares his new endeavor called Materiae.

Brian Bolke—co-founder of Forty Five Ten and mastermind behind The Conservatory, an immersive and carefully curated shopping experience at NYC’s new Shops at Hudson Yards (more on that later)—has always felt at home in stores. His father’s work took his family from city to city as a child, but Bolke never failed to find refuge in retail.

The first step of your skincare routine is to get your face clean so that you can start your skincare routine with a clean slate. It is so important to get all of the dirt, grime, makeup, and pollution off of your face so that your serums, moisturizers, and oils can penetrate deeper so that they are more effective. 

On the fifth floor of The Webster lies the chicest new hair salon in New York City’s Soho—a neighborhood already replete with high-end hair offerings. David Mallett opened the proverbial doors to his first New York City salon on October 16th—and New Yorkers have welcomed him with open arms.

He’s launched 76 beauty brands and counting. He’s clocked countless hours at cult-favorite cosmetics companies, including RéVive, Red Flower, Art of Shaving, among many others. He’s responsible for bringing Rodin—a now-iconic name that started with a single face oil—to product aficionados all over the world.