Ever wonder why your self-care routine comes at a prettier penny than your grooming-obsessed guy pals? Besides the fact that women's makeup alone costs a big chunk of change (a 2017 Groupon study found that women spend $91 on their face while men spend just $51 on average per month), there's also that pesky pink tax that makes products marketed towards women much pricer. (Case in point: These women's triple-blade disposable razors clock in at about 1.23 cents per piece, while these nearly identical men's versions ring up at about 61 cents apiece.)
Nobody knows this better than skincare-obsessed siblings Madison and Matthew Ruggieri, who founded men's grooming e-tailer The Motley nearly a decade ago in L.A. and are also the founders of Buckler's and Port Products. Their latest endeavor aims to cancel the pink tax: Meet Onekind, a new clean beauty brand for anyone who wants to pamper their visages without paying a premium.
Launched as of today online and exclusively at all of stylish facial bar Heyday's shops (there are currently two L.A. locations), the direct-to-consumer brand is ready to upgrade skincare regimens (minus all of the parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances), starting with our nighttime routines. There's the Dream Cream Moisturizer ($38) that's formulated with squalane and rosehip oil to infuse the skin with glow and hydration overnight, and Midnight Magic Serum ($42), a retinol- and peptide-packed concoction that reduces wrinkles and keeps the skin feeling firm and bright. The pleasantly-scented products are also available on subscription, so you'll save 10% while keeping your skincare #shelfie fully-stocked.
At the brand's launch party at Heyday Beverly a few weeks back (did you catch it on our IG Stories?), Madison let us in on a little secret: The game-changing products would easily cost about double if Onekind went the traditional retail route. And there's a starry connection, too: The label is a collaboration with actor Darren Criss, who's been an investor and business partner of the Ruggieris since 2013. Among his roles? Besides bringing in other potential partners, Criss also acts as a sort of skincare guinea pig during product development.
Here, we sat down with the Ruggieris to find out how what they've learned from working in the beauty industry for nearly a decade, the pros and cons of working with a sibling, and the next product that's set to arrive later this month (pro tip: You'll want to add your name to the list ASAP). Read on below, then shop Onekind online here.
How did your experience creating The Motley help you realize the need for Onekind?
Madison Ruggieri: Through The Motley, we've had a decade of experience working within the traditional beauty space, with a focus on men's grooming, and so we saw opportunities to do things differently with Onekind. We had all those years of development experience and an understanding of what has to be factored into pricing and realized that high quality, effective products really didn't need to cost what we were seeing on the shelves (especially those products targeting women) if we could remove traditional retail from our approach.
We also saw how bulky and multi-layered the traditional beauty retail model is and really wanted to streamline the experience between us and our customers. It was important to us to have a close relationship with our customers and direct-to-consumer is the best way to create that.
Why did you gravitate towards creating evening skincare products first?
Madison: We did quite a bit of research before going into development, and what we learned is that people invest the most care and money into their nighttime routines. Night creams and serums were consistently the types of products people were seeking out and felt were providing the most benefit to their skin. That makes a lot of sense because skin actually does its most intense repair while we sleep, so if you're going to do something good for your skin, a nighttime routine is the best place to start.
Given that you've both been working together for quite a while, what have been the pros (and pitfalls) of working with your own sibling?
Matthew Ruggieri: We definitely have a good understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses and how work gets divided. The downside is work never really ends at work, and for better or worse, our whole family likes to get involved.
How did you get introduced to Darren during the early days of The Motley, and how instrumental was he in the creation of Onekind?
Matthew: Darren was originally a repeat customer of The Motley, and he was interested in getting involved with a skincare brand, so bringing him on to The Motley made a lot of sense. As we were developing Onekind (as with all of our product lines), Darren helped give feedback on formulations, and he's been instrumental in establishing brand partnerships and making introductions to potential business partners.
How did you connect with Heyday, and what prompted the decision to debut the line there?
Madison: We've had a long relationship with Heyday since before they even opened their first shop. We admire what they've built and their entire team's expertise with skincare, from treatments to product knowledge. It was important to us that if we partnered with a retailer, that they be able to accurately educate customers about our line, and Heyday is the ideal fit for that.
Can you share more about any upcoming product launches?
Madison: After our initial launch with the Dream Cream Nighttime Moisturizer and Midnight Magic PM Serum, we do have a third product currently on pre-order that will be available by late October. It's called the Pore-fectionist Refining Facial and it's a pink clay mask with salicylic and lactic acids. We wanted to create a detoxifying treatment for grown-up skin, and the Pore-fectionist is perfect for battling breakouts and wrinkles at the same time.
