At a glance...
A trained chemist with a background in product formulation, Sunday Riley's aim was to create a skincare line with high performance, high-quality actives at its core. Taking a distinctly modern approach to advertising that focused on social media and influencer word of mouth, the brand has become a byword for must-have but highly efficacious beauty.
BRAND BUZZ
Clearly anticipating the devotion it would incite, the brand had beauty industry-backing before a single product had been created.
PHONE A FRIEND
Despite being a global beauty powerhouse, Sunday still relies on friends and family to test-drive new products, then tweaks them according to feedback.
AN EARLY START
Sunday bought her first anti-ageing cream aged 12, citing a fascination with beauty products from an early age.
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SUNDAY RILEY
Founder of Sunday Riley
Swot up on your science and read what makes her latest launch a skincare must-try...
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW
Why did you decide to create your own line?
I’ve been a skincare junkie since my early teen years. I used to ride my bike to department stores and drugstores and buy skincare products with my allowance. Creating a skincare line was a natural extension of this passion, but I’m not sure if it’s something I really considered doing until I was offered the opportunity to do so by a major retailer.
What’s your Sunday Riley skincare philosophy?
We’re an ingredient-driven brand. That’s our core DNA. As our product formulator, I’m obsessed with clinical research and not only do I spend hours each day going through scientific journals, I meet with ingredient suppliers every week. My passion is to bring the most effective, advanced ingredients together to make the most transformational product on the market. We aren’t a nurturing, soothing line, we're a high performance line offering visible and sustainable results.
Who is the Sunday Riley woman?
Everyone! Our target demographic is teens to mature, female and male. We work on problems like acne, lines and wrinkles, skin tone, clarity, firmness and radiance. Those are not confined to one age or demographic.
Why did you create CEO?
I’m a big believer in Vitamin C because not only is it a powerful antioxidant (and free radical damage is one of the leading causes of extrinsic aging), but it's necessary for the production of new collagen. Humans have a gene mutation that prevents them from producing Vitamin C on their own, meaning it all has to be supplemented. Very little orally ingested Vitamin C reaches the skin, so it’s critical to apply it topically. It really is the ultimate prevent and repair ingredient.
