“I was always thinking beyond the face,” said Linda Thompson, founder and chief executive officer of skin care brand, Biography.
The line, which launched in 2021 with four hydrating, botanical-based face oils and a goal to establish itself as the “oil authority,” quickly gained prominence thanks in part to its many high-profile devotees, which include Sharon Stone, Naomi Watts and Meghan Markle, among others.
Now, the brand is extending its reach into body care and also introducing its first two facial cleansers. The Hand & Body collection will launch in March, consisting of a hand and body cream, $68, and a hand and body wash, $52, each available in scents First Edition and Open Garden.
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“We’ve been very niche in the face oil world up until this point,” said Thompson, for whom Biography is the fully realized vision of her first facial oil brand, Olie Biologique, which she started as a side hustle in 2012 while serving as Cartier International’s senior vice president of editorial content. She shuttered it when she introduced Biography.
“One of the takeaways from Olie was the potential of oils as modern moisturizers — not just something you layer under a cream, but something that moisturizes and helps you retain moisture in and of itself,” said Thompson, who harnessed babassu seed oil and camellia seed oil for the upcoming cream, and combined florals butterfly bush and white peony with exfoliants pumice and quartz for the wash.
Also in the pipeline for 2023: in April, the brand will launch its $46 babassu oil-infused Full Circle Face Cleanser, followed by the Sea Chrome Moisturizing & Firming Body Oil in June, $72, which taps a sacha inchi seed, cucumber and guarana oils.
Lastly, in September will come the Luxury Cleansing Mask Balm, $82, which seeks to gently exfoliate the skin while removing makeup and impurities, and contains moisturizing hibiscus and marshmallow extracts.
“The two cleansers are formulated for different needs; [Full Circle Face Cleanser] is a light, daily cleanser, while Luxury Cleansing Mask Balm can also be used as a mask — the texture is sort of like a whipped frosting that dissolves into a milk once you add water,” Thompson said.
While Thompson did not comment on the brand’s performance, industry sources estimate Biography is on track to exceed $1 million in total sales by the end of 2023.
In addition to entering the brand’s current lineup of retail partners, which includes Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Vavra New York, Goop and Onda Beauty, Thompson sees Biography’s body care products landing at hotels and other hospitality venues of the like — a strategy she has dabbled in previously and seeks to delve deeper into.
“We popped into Surf Lodge last year, where our serums joined other natural products in lieu of the typical minibar,” said Thompson, who formulates without alcohol, water or preservatives. “Partnering with hospitality spaces makes sense for us because we’re coming from a place of not being about youth and antiaging — we’re about the notion of time-independence.”