The Rhode products worth your money, according to FJ editors
WORDS BY lara daly
Clever marketing or genuinely good? Time for a rhode test.
In this line of work, it’s easy to feel fatigued by beauty launches when there seems to be a new one happening every week. So when a shrill yelp echoed through the FJ office at the news of Hailey Bieber’s brand, Rhode, coming to Australia, you know we genuinely excited.
As of next week (from February 12), you’ll now be able to try all the viral products that launched the #glazeddonut phenomenon. From Rhode’s Glazing Milk to the Peptide Lip Tint and Pocket Blush, we were lucky enough to receive the range in advance and have been diligently glazing our faces in anticipation.
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While the brand has only been around since 2022, the success of Rhode and its founder, queen of Clean Girls Hailey Bieber, is undeniable. Bolstered by Bieber’s 72 million social media followers, its products often sell out in minutes and fans will wait hours in line for Rhode pop-ups. In May last year, the company was sold to makeup powerhouse e.l.f. Beauty for $1 billion USD ($1.56 billion AUD) – the largest acquisition e.l.f. has ever made.
As evidenced by Bieber, whose own skin is as taut and poreless as a baby dolphin’s, the full Rhode offering prioritises skin care, ensuring that its products can be layered with abandon, even on sensitive skin types. All its products are available fragrance-free, and are vegan and cruelty-free (certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA). Read on to hear our honest first impressions of Rhode’s skincare and makeup products.
Daisy Henry, FJ’s Assistant Editor
Recommends: Barrier Restore Cream and Peptide Lip Tint.
I’ve been on the front lines over the past year, battling eczema and dry skin, so I was prepared to tread lightly when sampling out Rhode’s skincare. However, considering Hailey herself has been open about her own struggles with perioral dermatitis, I was hopeful she wouldn’t put her name to a skincare label that would wreak havoc on sensitive skin.
Much to my delight, the Rhode Barrier Restore Cream went on a complete treat. I used it as the final step in my routine, after toner and serums, and my skin is shockingly glazed up. I’ve had no reactions (to date), and it’s done a pretty good job at making my pores less obvious.
I also played around with the Pocket Blush and Peptide Lip Tint. In truth, the Juice Box blush shade took me by surprise when I opened it (it’s basically hot pink), but it glided on my cheeks easily and gave me a chic, sun-kissed glow. It’s a tad thicker than my Merit Blush Balm but rubs in nicely, so don’t be intimidated.
I also typically chicken out when it comes to bold lip colours, so for that reason, I liked the subtleness of the Salty Tan Lip Tint (it also tastes oddly good…). I wish I had a critique but in all honesty, my initial experiences with Rhode have left me desperate to try more.
Lara Daly, FJ’s Senior Editor
Recommends: Glazing Milk.
I picked up the Peptide Glazing Fluid, Glazing Milk and Glazing Mist. I have more oily/combination skin and prefer lightweight essences and serums to thick creams, especially during the day. Described as a ‘ceramide facial essence’, the Glazing Milk is a thin, milky texture as the name suggests, somewhere between an essence and a serum. Using it as the first step after washing my face, it feels soothing and hydrating going on, and it stays slippery for a while (thanks to the glycerine), so it’s perfect to use with a cold gua sha from the fridge (I always wake up puffy so this is a bonus for me!).
I spritz the Glazing Mist over to really moisture-sandwich it up, followed by a pump of the Peptide Glazing Fluid, which was much more watery than expected. Did it make my skin look like a glazed donut? Yes. But I also felt a little freakishly dewy by the time I’d biked to work, reaching for blotting papers for my T-Zone. My co-workers told me I was glowing in a good way, though, so perhaps I need to embrace it. Overall I’m impressed by Rhode but if I could recommend just one product from the range, it’d be the Glazing Milk – I’ve tried nothing quite like it.
Holly Villagra, FJ’s Branded Content and Production Coordinator
Recommends: Barrier Butter and Pocket Blush.
As it currently stands, my skin is about as close to a Sahara Desert level of dryness. With a couple of bad eczema flare-ups, my skin lately feels like it’s been flaying from the bone so I stepped cautiously into trying the new Rhode products.
I opted for the Barrier Butter because the first thing I noticed was the words ‘deep’ and ‘intensive’, and that it claimed to ‘seal in moisture for 24 hours’. I gave it a rhode (lol) test and quickly noticed a difference in my skin texture. After letting it settle for around five minutes, the persistent eczema dry patches I’d been battling for weeks under my eye and along my chin were visibly smoothed. I could apply concealer without it clinging to dryness or emphasising texture.
It’s non-scented, which is crucial for me and a little goes a long way – a small coin-sized amount made my skin feel dewy and genuinely gorgeous.
I also tried the Pocket Blush in Tan Line. It blends effortlessly with fingers which I always prefer and it doesn’t cling to skin texture. The shade gives an easy, sun-kissed flush (less eczema flare energy, more frolicking-in-the-sun-with-whimsy-in-my-heart kind of glow). I hate to make bold claims but I think Rhode might be my Cinderella story.
For more Clean Girl beauty, try this.
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