The Rising Makeup Brand includes sunscreen in all of its products

It’s no exaggeration to say that Nikki DeRoest was born into beauty – in the literal sense, her mother was a hairdresser who ran a salon in their home. But on a deeper level, DeRoest was fascinated by the industry from an early age. Story: When she was 12 years old, her shelves were full of Bobbi Brown books. She started out in 2006 working at the Nordstrom makeup counter, followed by success as a hairstylist, a love affair with makeup artistry, a gig as a beauty brand consultant and, in a full-circle turn, a position as a global artist for Bobbi Brown.

The Los Angeles-based makeup artist — whose list of celebrity clients boasts stars such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hailey Bieber and Phoebe Dynevor — made her foray into the beauty business in 2018 with the Róen Beauty brand. She left the label in 2020, but quickly returned to the product development game in 2023 with Ciele Cosmetics, a line of cosmetics infused with SPF, “safe” color.

“I feel like I have a PhD in beauty because I’ve worn so many hats,” DeRoest told Ujo Shop. “And I think all of that influenced the way I created Ciele.”

Although DeRoest now works on embossed canvases (read: celebrity visas), she credits meeting real beauty consumers in her early sales career as a key influence while developing Ciele’s problem-solving products. Her inspiration for the product initially came from her own skin concerns: DeRoest experienced acne breakouts and sun damage in her early to mid-30s and had the thought: “‘Why can’t I put more sunscreen on my tan? Because this is where all my problems are.'” A light bulb went off, and Ciele was born. But finding a chemist who could help bridge the gap between sunscreen and color cosmetics was an uphill battle.

“Most chemists are comfortable making a tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 or 30,” DeRoest expands. “But working with high-performance color makeup that you use on the red carpet with color is a new kind of challenge. I found out early on that it’s limited who you’re going to play ball with with that.”

As a self-described “hands-on formular,” DeRoest eventually found a chemist to combine mineral and cosmetic sunscreens, resulting in Ciele’s hero Blush & Protect SPF 50+ ($34). Ciele has since expanded its “sun-smart” assortment to include a tinted serum, concealer, liquid highlighter, primer, liquid bronzer, loose finishing powder and powder blush – all mineralized SPF 30+ to SPF 50+ (andoutsidepore-clogging ingredients).

It’s important to remember that adding SPF to makeup isn’t a sun care loophole, but rather the addition of a thin foundation layer of SPF 30. But let’s face it: “Nobody puts on enough sunscreen,” says DeRoest. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that adults apply one teaspoon of SPF to their face, about the amount needed to cover the length of your index and middle fingers. However, only about 13.5% of Americans wear sunscreen every day, according to a 2023 national survey.

“I still use sunscreen, but if I can make makeup formulas that last longer than that… people get more out of their makeup,” DeRoest said.

In Ciele’s SPF-spiked offering, DeRoest names her powder blush, Flush & Protect SPF 45+ ($34), as the product’s “most challenging formula” since “that was a new step that hadn’t happened yet,” she explains. To get the formula measurements right, he turned to Korean labs that were “willing to go there with new materials and technology.” The Ciele will also expand into the new product category this fall as its launch is two years in the making. “It’s a real labor of love, but I think that’s also what makes me so happy about what I do is that I feel like I’m solving a problem,” DeRoest said.

After an exclusive launch in 270 Sephora doors in 2023, Ciele is now available in all Sephora stores nationwide. When it comes to sustainable product growth, DeRoest’s philosophy is “slow and steady wins the race.” While he is deliberately growing the product, he is also looking at possible global expansion into Europe, Australia, Asia and India. “There are a lot of markets out there, but I want to do it in a way that’s thoughtful and not too big on our britches,” he continued.

As Ciele celebrates its third anniversary this year, DeRoest teases that its next chapter may involve “more creativity” as the brand prepares to “showcase new ideas and innovations that go beyond a single SPF.” As it grows, Ciele doesn’t plan to add SPF to formulas where it doesn’t make sense, such a mascara. Above all else, DeRoest is focused on positioning Ciele as an “evergreen brand.”

“It’s not a fashion brand,” he continued. “It’s not something that’s just a flash in the pan so I can sell it and make a lot of money. This is about creating something that we’ll look back on in 20 years and still see in supermarkets.”

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