Subject:Matter

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.

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. 

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,”

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.

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.

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.

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®

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.