Behind the Brand: The Story Behind Spectacle Skincare’s Must-Have “Miracle Moisturizer”
Spectacle Skin Care Co-Founders Olivia Falcon and Andre Condit
Spectacle Skin Care, co-founded by Olivia Falcon and Andre Condit, debuted in April with its first hero product, Spectacle Performance Crème, a fragrance-free, multitasking moisturizer. Falcon, a beauty editor and founder of The Editor’s List, tracked down Condit, a model and cosmetic developer, after hearing about his “miracle moisturizer.” After trying and falling in love with the product, Falcon convinced Condit to partner with her to launch Spectacle Skincare.
We caught up with Falcon and Condit to get the full story behind the environmentally-conscious skincare brand.
Can you share a little about your journey in the beauty industry?
Olivia Falcon: I was a beauty editor at Condé Nast at British Vogue and then Tatler magazines for many years and about 4 years ago I set up The Editor’s List, the UK’s premier beauty concierge service that directs people to the world’s best cosmetic practitioners and procedures with honest, impartial advice.
Andre Condit: I first moved to New York City from Santa Fe, NM when I was 20 and was signed with Ford Models. After a few years and difficulty with my own skin, I decided to follow a childhood passion and started working in the development of cosmetics.
While continuing my education at the Institute of Personal Care Science in Advance Cosmetics Studies, I worked alongside an award-winning international research and development team with over 30 years of experience in the industry which was the base for bringing Spectacle Skincare to life.
I'm now fully dedicated to researching and developing innovative sustainable solutions to modernize the next generation of cosmetic goods.
How did you meet, and what was the connection between you that kicked off this journey to launching the brand?
OF: We met through a mutual friend who is a celebrity facialist in Los Angeles – In short, word traveled to London that there was a very small batch of a miracle moisturizer doing the rounds of celebrities' bathroom cabinets.
I managed to track down Andre in Santa Fe and beg him to send me a bottle of Performance crème to try. It was better than the hype. In fact, it was the best beauty product I have ever tried in my nearly 20-year career, so I asked for a few bottles and started recommending and selling to my editor’s list clients – they felt the same as I did.
I then sat him down and convinced him to let me be his partner to lay the foundation for a real brand based on this super hero sku - with a plan for sustainable packaging, streamlining care, developing a few additional hero products, and generally to get the power of this skin-transforming cream out to the wider world.
Thankfully, he said YES!
What is the signature product, Spectacle Crème about? What do customers love most about it?
AC: Clients love that Spectacle Performance Crème instantly makes skin look and feel look dewy, wonderful, smooth, primed, and hydrated in just a few pumps.
Use it once, you feel it hydrating. Use it for a week, and it starts to retexture and polish skin. Use it for a month, and you really up the quality and smoothness of skin texture with no skin purging or transition.
It happens like the ingredients, in micro-doses , but the results speak for themselves.
People also love Performance Crème’s simplicity – it negates the need for endless layering of serums. It saves a great deal of time and fuss as it has all the ingredients you need precisely dosed so even the most sensitive skin glows. Women also love how well it layers and sits under other products like SPF and foundation – it never balls up.
What is the Spectacle Crème primary "skin impact"?
OF: Spectacle Performance Crème delivers an immediate surge of nutrients and hydration while leaving the skin with an ideal finish for the perfect pre-makeup canvas.
It keeps balance and improves barrier function so skin works efficiently.
Within 2 weeks of use, the skin tone appears brighter with the skin barrier restored, and texture is refined, leaving the complexion with an aspirational glow.
Is there anything special you want people to know about the ingredients you feature?
AC: We focused on 3 core groups of ingredients and chose the most well-researched, premium materials in each category: Cell-communicating, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, and skin identical barrier repair.
Spectacle Performance Crème was formulated as a true multitasking product that delivers a broad spectrum of skincare’s most coveted ingredients.
We start with 2% Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, a next-generation skin tone modulator that reduces redness and inflammation while protecting and dimensioning UV-induced damage. We pair this advanced antioxidant with our copper peptide and amino acid complex, a non-sensitizing collagen elastin stimulator that supports the production of healthy and organized fibroblasts.
The phospholipid and Safflower Oleosomes provide a time-released delivery system for skin-identical complex (Multi-molecular weight hyaluronic acid, glycoaminoglycans, sphingolipids, bio-fermented squalane, and ceramides.)
How are your ingredients sourced?
The antioxidants we use are produced using sustainable green technology that yields an enhanced phytochemical profile vs. traditionally cultivated antioxidants.
Top beauty secrets or skincare tips?
OF: I raise a cynical eyebrow when I see “skinfluencers” layering ten products in convoluted routines. The skin’s primary job is to work as a protective barrier, and there is only so much it can absorb. Overdoing it with layers of super-strength acids, serums, and rich creams will usually upset the delicate microbiome and impair skin barrier function.
I don’t believe in double cleansing. I think one good wash is more than enough. I like cleansers that contain glycolic acid that gently exfoliate rather than harsh scrubs – one of my favorites is Dr Levy 3 - Deep Cleanser.
To keep skin tone tight on my body I like wild swimming even in the depth of the British Winter! I often plunge into the sea or the River Thames, as I live just outside London near Windsor.
I also love sleep masks. Dr. Stephen Harris (a very well-respected Dr. here in the UK) has launched a great one with little silicone dots that press acupressure points around the eye area that work overnight to deeply relax muscles and smooth out frown lines and Crow's feet.
I also am never without my Legology body brush – it’s the best thing to get the lymph system working and keep cellulite at bay – I got into body brushing at the Capri Palace Leg school in Italy about 20 years ago.
What should we watch out for next?
AC: We are very excited to build a collection around Spectacle Performance Crème with our next innovation to be released in the fall of 2022.
[Images courtesy of Spectacle Skincare]
Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer/editor. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA, and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram: @zillizy