Seems like a new beauty brand launches every few minutes. Some get boat loads of hype, and some sneak up on you via recommendations from every direction. Honestly, this is exactly why I launched 213Deli. I truly love keeping up on what’s new and what’s hot and what’s worth the hype. And I’m happy to go all the way down the rabbit holes so you don’t have to. All you have to do is trust that once weekly I’m sending you the best of the best via text. Best of the best based on my twenty plus years of experience professionally playing with beauty products.
Maybe because I’m a total beauty junkie, I love being first to get my hands on new things. And I love being able to get what’s new into your hands first too. When it’s worth it, of course.
Admittedly, I’m quick to jump on a new fragrance or body care product, and I’ll almost always buy a new eye cream from a skincare brand. When it comes to make up brands, though, I often walk into the shallow end before diving all the way in. That means trying their lip products first (or mascara). Something easy to test to see if the brand is worth exploring further.
So, I was really excited to get my hands on the new Pucker Up Peptide Lip Oil by Relevant Beauty. This brand launched in 2022, and I’ve been in love with their 13 Stems: Scent Meets Soul fragrance and One & Done: 4 in 1 Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40 for years now. So, I’m not new to the brand, but I’m newly addicted to the lip oil for so many reasons.
It comes in three beautiful, natural shades. Sugarcare is colorless but beautifully glossy. Papaya is a lovely orange-nude shade that’s truly pretty on all skin tones. Vanilla Coffee is a gorgeous brown-nude shade that’s also pretty on all skin tones and is my personal favorite of the three because it adds just a touch of natural flush that makes you look alive and well but not overly done up. It gives glossy shine and mega hydration with shea butter, marula oil, baobab oil and coffee seed extract all sourced from Africa. It’s one of those products that you have three of so there’s always one in your handbag, your gym bag and your car!
And if you know me, you know I love a strong female founder. Relevant Beauty is founded by beauty industry veteran Nyakio Grieco. In 2002 she founded Nyakio Beauty, a luxury skincare line using family beauty secrets and global travel traditions. “My grandmother taught me my first beauty secret using Kenyan coffee beans and sugar cane to make an exfoliator,” Nyakio told Fashionista. Nyakio Beauty was later sold to Sundial Brands and then Unilever making Nyakio one of the first black women to sell a beauty company to a major conglomerate. And in 2022 she started all over again with Relevant Beauty, which is inspired by her Kenyan heritage.
If you’re looking for a little pick me up that makes you look and feel pretty, this is a great one. I love a lippie because it’s the easiest product to reach for when you need a little something to add some pep to your step. If you’re a beauty junkie like me, slide into my DMs and let me know what your favorite beauty brands and products are! Maybe we can get them into the 213Deli line-up! @collinsina