It isn’t common for a skincare brand to make people obsessed.
Makeup yes, or limited edition packaging – like Riri’s Fenty Beauty debut, or limited edition unicorn inspired products from Tarte Cosmetics; Or say, a Disney collaboration with a skincare brand that has cute, iconic characters adorning the packaging – but not so much skincare.
Sunday Riley is quite an exception. This US-based skincare brand has been called the most Instagrammable skincare brand around, and has been described as having legions of devoted fans, all without spending money on advertising. Exciting news for us here in Singapore, the brand is finally here at Sephora stores.
Here’s what you need to know about Sunday Riley to prep you for your next skincare shopping spree.
Sunday Riley is not only a brand… it’s a person
Yep. Sunday Riley is the founder and product formulator for her namesake brand. She was in Singapore this week and gave us a 1-on-1 interview about her brand.
The products are serious, but with clever, quirky names
Born and raised in Texas in the US, she was named by her father who wanted her to have a unique name that stands out. “I’m actually quite a serious person inside, so I think my quirky name balances me out,” said Sunday. “Similarly my brand’s products have quirky, clever names but are potent, serious skincare that really work.”
The products are popular because they make a real difference
It is obvious when talking to Sunday that she’s a perfectionist. She’s passionate about creating skincare and finds the challenge of mixing and fiddling with the ingredients and formulas both rewarding and exciting. “I go through stacks of yellow notepads where I write formulas and mixing instructions, rework stuff and make notes, while just creating a single product,” she tells us. And because she experiences the ingredients first-hand while mixing her concoctions, she knows that different grades of ingredients make a marked difference in a formula. “It just feels different when a lower grade is used, and I go back to the ingredient supplier and tell them so,” she says, “I only want the best in Sunday Riley so that users see results in the fastest time. That’s my main priority with every formula.”
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Expect change
The products change via reformulations or overhauls so don’t be surprised if you notice a product you’re using gets discontinued and replaced with a new one. This is because the brand is very interactive on social media and listens and responds actively to its customers’ comments, according to Sunday; plus the fact that Sunday herself works in the brand’s lab every day. “I’m not precious about the formulations,” she says, “the products are reformulated or totally changed if they don’t work well enough, or if new and better ingredients are discovered to solve a skin problem.”
We tried and loved these Sunday Riley products:
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