A Legacy of Firsts — Cult Beauty Turns 18
From future favourites to viral sensations, we’ve always been first to spotlight the brands, ingredients and innovations that shape what’s next in beauty. As we turn 18, we celebrate the moments that have crystallised Cult’s legacy as the home of beauty discovery — and look ahead to the ones set to shape the future.
Industry-first innovations, endless waitlists, and blink-and-you-miss-it sell-outs — we’re not short of standout milestones. Here, the team reflect on the brands we’ve nurtured, backed and built into cult status for the past 18 years.
Escentric Molecules — 2008
On How Escentric Molecules Broke New Beauty Ground
Escentric Molecules was groundbreaking at the time of its launch in the mid-2000s. Fragrance then was extravagant, commercial and complex. Geza Schoen, the founder, came to market with the idea of minimalism: a fragrance built around just one single note, Molecule 01. This approach challenged traditional fragrance conventions and immediately resonated with our community, who are drawn to unique brands that truly differentiate themselves. It marked the beginning of our heritage as a retailer known for beauty discovery.
On The Cult Success of Molecule 01
Molecule 01 presented fragrance as a single note — a concept that had not really been explored in modern perfumery, and one many people doubted would succeed. Yet almost 20 years later, Molecule 01 still tops bestseller charts and remains one of the most iconic skin scents in fragrance.
On Keeping Minimalism at The Core
The brand has stayed true to its original minimalist roots and its desire to simplify fragrance, while gradually expanding the range to include other Molecule scents, such as 02 and 03, as well as the Molecule + collection.
On Cult’s New Fragrance Disruptors
For me, BORNTOSTANDOUT is a current trailblazer. Jun Lim, the founder, uses unique scent combinations and goes against the norms of what fragrance should look like in terms of format. They have some interesting developments in the pipeline for this year.
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Anastasia Beverly Hills — 2012
On The Arrival of Anastasia Beverly Hills
I remember our Buyer first referencing Anastasia Soare and having no clue that her brand —
On The Cult of Brow Wiz
Brow Wiz was huge for us — it ticked all the 'cult' boxes at the time; trend-defining, sought-after, expert-endorsed and, most importantly, a brilliant product. It was also inclusive, with a range of shades for all hair colours (including grey hair, which sadly felt quite revolutionary at the time) — all of which combined to make it one of our biggest success stories.
On The Golden Age of 2016 Beauty
When it comes to 2016 Beauty, we could probably summarise the trend with one word: DipBrow. Hot on the heels of the Brow Wiz sensation, DipBrow stepped things up a gear. We couldn't keep this little pot in stock, with people buying several shades to blend a custom colour. Tirelessly innovative, their palettes — Modern Renaissance, Soft Glam and Subculture — had staggering waitlists, and we poured so much love and ingenuity into each launch.
On Cult’s Enduring Spirit of Discovery
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Huda Beauty — 2016
On The Debut Everyone Was Waiting For
The next breakout brands will likely fuse clinical credibility with serious social buzz — combining results-driven formulas with strong personality and cultural relevance. Cult Beauty will continue to lead the pack by backing brands that feel both expert-led and culturally unstoppable.
On The Lip Launch That Sparked Global Trends
On Discovering Tomorrow’s Cult Brands
The next breakout brands will likely fuse clinical credibility with serious social buzz — combining results-driven formulas with strong personality and cultural relevance. Cult Beauty will continue to lead the pack by backing brands that feel both expert-led and culturally unstoppable.
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Patrick Ta — 2019
On Bringing Hollywood to Cult
The launch of Patrick Ta Beauty cemented our authority as the UK’s leading beauty retailer for curation and discovery, bringing the boldest and most exciting brands to market. At the time of launch, Patrick Ta was one of the world’s most influential celebrity makeup artists, known for creating radiant, glowing skin for Hollywood’s elite. His first drop of four curated Major Glow products was all about translating that signature, artist-led glow for the customer.
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Youth To The People — 2021
On Bringing California Cool to Cult Beauty
Cult Beauty became known for bringing the very best stateside brands to the UK and Europe — and Youth To The People was exactly that. A cool, California-born skincare brand with a cult-like following that everyone wanted to try. We fell in love with the brand’s vitamin-dense formulas and planet-conscious ethos, and the launch was an instant hit.
On The Cleanser That Sold Out Before Launch
The Kale + Green Tea Superfood Cleanser was an instant icon, generating a waitlist of more than 3,000 people before we had even launched the brand. Five years later, the cleanser remains a bestseller. Youth To The People is also one of the very few brands to have secured a residency spot within its first year of launching with us.
On Expanding The Superfood Universe
The Superfood Cleanser led the way for future icons, including the Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream — a gel-like, phytonutrient-rich moisture magnet — and the Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask, an antioxidant-packed, illuminating overnight treatment. The range also extends to targeted solutions for blemishes and hyperpigmentation, too.
On The Next Era of Skincare
Regenerative skincare and biotech are making waves across the beauty industry, with ingredients like exosomes and PDRN working to support skin repair at a cellular level. This movement is also driving more effective, sustainable, lab-grown ingredients — something we love to see. Wellness will continue to be a key theme across our virtual beauty shelves in 2026, with red light therapy growing in popularity. Lastly, sensory skincare remains firmly in focus — and Korean skincare in particular continues to lead the way, as we see these brands evolve, scale and innovate at pace.
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Sulwhasoo — 2026
On Introducing Sulwhasoo To The UK Market
We were thrilled to launch Sulwhasoo exclusively in the UK earlier this year. With its ginseng-led formulas and decades of scientific research, the luxury Korean skincare brand aligns perfectly with our focus on clinical credibility and formulation integrity over fleeting trends.
On The Product That Started It All
Already a bestselling serum in Korea, Sulwhasoo’s First Care Activating Serum has been the defining hero of the launch, a powerful introduction to the brand’s expertise. Its focus on hydration, radiance and skin health — powered by advanced ginseng technology — really leans into the broader shift we're seeing towards results-driven, science-backed skincare.
On Cult’s Move Into Wellness
Looking ahead, we’re really excited by a new wave of wellness brands that are opening up conversations around topics that haven’t always had the space they deserve, like menopause, fertility and sexual wellness. There’s something powerful about seeing these needs met with both credibility and care, and brands like Maude, which we’ve recently launched at Cult, really capture that shift. It’s about going beyond beauty and showing up for our customers in a meaningful, holistic way.
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Educated Mess — The Next
On Cult’s Next Skincare Player
This is a really exciting one for us. Educated Mess sits right at the intersection of everything our customer is gravitating towards right now: skincare that’s honest, science-backed, but with personality, and also doesn’t take itself too seriously while still delivering real results. For Cult Beauty, being the launch partner for a brand like this in the UK is exactly the move that keeps us ahead of the curve. Our customer discovers beauty here first, and that’s something we don’t take lightly.
On The Rise of Smart, Uncomplicated Skincare
In the same way
On The Skin Longevity Space
I’m watching the longevity skincare space very closely right now, and we’re already starting to see momentum with some of the brands we partner with. There’s a clear shift happening — skincare is no longer just about looking good today, but about investing in long-term skin health at a cellular level. I think the next defining brand for Cult will sit firmly in that space: science-led, founder-driven, and with a strong, credible point of view. Our customer is becoming increasingly sophisticated and highly research-led, which means the brands that will come out on top are those that can fully substantiate every claim they make. That’s the area I’m most excited about, and where I believe our next major discovery will come from.
