In just the past month, beauty giant Estée Lauder snapped up two industry-favorite brands: Le Labo and, as reported today by WWD, Olio Lusso. The company’s latest acquisition is considered by many—including makeup artist Tom Pecheux, Anna Sheffield of Bing Bang, and Kiki de Montparnasse co-founder Jennifer Zuccarini—to be the “liquid gold” of face and body oils. Initially whipped up by former fashion editor Linda Rodin in her apartment, the original formula eventually evolved into an entire range that includes a perfume, a candle, a bar soap, a lotion, and even a lip balm ring. And with a nearly cult-like following, it’s not entirely a surprise the baby brand didn’t go unnoticed by the big guys for long. Here, five prospective lines we think the Lauders should keep their eye on:
1. RMS Beauty: Developed by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift after discovering her blood contained “toxic levels of heavy metals” (likely from her time spent in the cosmetics industry), she devised her own collection of organic goods. The Living Luminizer, a pearly highlighter beloved by beauty editors and Victoria’s Secret supers alike (Miranda Kerr and Erin Heatherton are fans), is an instant pick-me-up for tired eyes.
2. JinSoon: Manicurist Jin Soon Choi is a favorite of photographer Steven Meisel (she is often found working behind the scenes with his regular crew, which includes Pat McGrath and Guido Palau). When she’s not catering to the fashion industry (serving as the polish pro for designers Vera Wang and Derek Lam, among others), Choi paints the tips of celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker at her namesake spas in Manhattan with her eponymous line of polishes. Her kaleidoscope of colors is spot-on and her well-edited selection means you can never go wrong when it comes to the often-daunting wall at the nail salon.
3. Sunday Riley: Stella McCartney is a fan, with models lining up backstage at her runway shows for flash facials before heading into hair and makeup. Sunday Riley began her journey in the beauty industry on the formulation side of things before she assembled her own line that includes everything from green-clay-infused cleanser (Ceramic Slip) to a lactic-acid-based treatment (Good Genes). Her new Hydroactive Cellular Face Oils (Juno and Isis) feel as good on as they look sitting beside your sink.
4. R+Co: The triple threat behind this brand—hair pros Garren, Thom Priano, and Howard McLaren—is enough to sell sewage water if it claimed to boost volume and make our strands glossier. However, the 23-piece care and styling range boasts real results (and really dynamic packaging). Even better: It’s free of parabens, sulfates, glutens, petroleum, and other bad-for-the-earth ingredients.
5. Tatcha: I’ll admit it was the story that first sold me on this brand: Harvard Business School grad Victoria Tsai journeyed to Japan where she met a modern-day geisha that would shape the way she thought about skincare. After tracking down a book from 1813 containing recipes and beauty secrets from the Far East, Tsai based her line on the wisdom she gained from both the ancient text and experience. The results are beautifully packaged creams, blotting papers, and serums.
