Belinda Rudd’s K Republiq reinvents viral skincare trend
From 7-steps to 3-steps – here’s how an Aussie beauty brand made a popular skincare trend easy and achievable.
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The world of skincare is incredibly vast and while there are multiple trends that come and go, one trend in particular is here to stay and that’s Glass Skin.
With over 2.2 billion views and over 371,000 posts on TikTok, the term ‘glass skin’ essentially refers to skin that is not only clear and smooth, but plump and dewy, and quite literally resembles glass. This new trend originated in South Korea with many people sharing their meticulous routines made up of as many as 7-steps to 15-steps.
As time consuming as it sounds, the ritual of taking care of your skin can be one of life’s simplest pleasures; luckily though, one Aussie brand has reinvented the concept of glass skin.
Reducing a multi-step process down to just three steps is K Republiq, a new beauty brand trailblazing the concept of Glass Skin – making achieving glass skin easy and accessible for Aussies that are concerned about ageing and want nothing more than to have that luminous, glass skin glow.
I tried K Republiq’s products for a few weeks as someone with dry and sensitive skin, here’s what I honestly think.
REVIEW: K REPUBLIQ’S PRODUCTS
Magic Balm Mega Bundle, $149 (down from $377) at K Republiq
Tried and Tested by Harriet Amurao, Shopping Writer
Get more bang for your buck with this bundle. Currently on sale for $149, this set features everything you could possibly need to start your glass skin journey – an essence, serum, moisturiser and a multipurpose balm.
It’s perfect for those that are relatively new to skincare and really helps to get you into a solid morning and night-time skincare routine.
Glass Skin Glazing Essence 50ml, $79 at K Republiq
Glass Skin Glazing Essence 50ml
Tried and Tested by Harriet Amurao, Shopping Writer
Packed with well-known actives like Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Panthenol and vitamin C; this essence is incredibly gentle on the skin and very lightweight. It has a watery texture and no strong scent, and it quickly absorbs into my skin straight away – it’s like my skin’s drinking water. It’s the perfect first step for prepping my skin as it helps with the absorption of my other skincare.
Glass Skin Glaze Serum 30ml, $120 at K Republiq
Glass Skin Glaze Serum 30ml
Tried and Tested by Harriet Amurao, Shopping Writer
I’ve used many serums in my time, and this one has got to be the most quick-absorbing of the bunch. It’s formulated with Polyglutamic Acid (PGA) and Bakuchiol which I honestly had never heard of until now. PGA is said to hold up to 10 times more moisture in your skin, which I can confidently agree with, and Bakuchiol is as powerful as retinol but more gentle, which is right up my alley as someone with sensitive skin. There’s also Niacinamide and many other great ingredients that make this serum incredibly effective.
It has a lightweight watery gel texture and a subtle scent that isn’t overwhelming at all. It absorbs into my skin instantly, feels very cooling and adds a subtle glow.
Glass Skin Finishing Glaze 50ml, $79 at K Republiq
Glass Skin Finishing Glaze 50ml
Tried and Tested by Harriet Amurao, Shopping Writer
What could be considered the main character of the K Republiq range, this moisturiser left me pleasantly surprised. It has a rich whipped cream-like texture that’s lightweight and easy to blend into the skin, and no strong scent. It’s formulated with moisturising agents like squalene, shea butter and PGA, as well as peptides and vitamin C to soothe, smooth and restore the skin barrier. It leaves a nice glow that truly emulates glass skin and makes me wake up with healthy looking skin.
Magic Balm 30g, $99 (down from $130) at K Republiq
Tried and Tested by Harriet Amurao, Shopping Writer
To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure about whether I’d like this balm because 1. The sound of a balm makes me think of something heavy and pore-clogging and 2. I just didn’t understand the purpose of a balm. However, this balm has actually been incredible.
It has a sweet, sugary smell and a thick waxy texture that melts effortlessly into the skin without any greasy residue. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin (make sure not to put too much on as a little goes a long way), and it truly leaves my skin looking glassy and luminous. I love applying this on dry areas like my nose, chin and forehead, and it stays moisturised for a long period of time.
The balm has been marketed as being versatile – so you can honestly use it anywhere that you feel needs a burst of hydration, and even in place of a moisturiser, highlighter and more.
‘THAT’S WHERE THE MOTIVATION CAME FROM’: THE LIGHT BULB MOMENT
What happens when two well-known beauty entrepreneurs join forces? A game-changing skincare brand is born.
What started as an idea sitting in the back of their minds is now a sought-after skincare brand that customers were stockpiling out of fear of running out when they launched.
K Republiq is the newest beauty brand on the block that’s bringing the popular skincare trend, Glass Skin to Australian’s by being a one-stop shop for those that want to achieve a glass skin look.
Boasting a long history of knowing each other and working together, Nude by Nature co-founder Belinda Rudd and Skinny Tan founder Louise Ferguson founded the glass skin empire, K Republiq.
Being no stranger to the beauty industry, Belinda had been noticing the Glass Skin trend floating around on TikTok. The trend boomed within the Korean beauty scene and with influential names like the Kardashians being on-board with the trend, it became a skincare goal that everyone so desperately wanted.
“I was crazy enough to just kind of like, run with it and just see where it goes … It was kind of the right place at the right time, and we both kind of were available,” Belinda told news.com.au checkout.
In order to achieve ‘glass skin’, a standard routine usually consists of 7-steps or more and requires a variety of different products to really hydrate and plump up the skin. However, Belinda saw an opportunity to make glass skin more accessible, achievable and simple for Aussies.
“If you go to Mecca, they go, ‘Oh yeah, you can buy these 10 products to give you that glass skin look.’ But it was all like a mixture of all different brands,” she told news.com.au checkout.
“I realised that there wasn’t one brand that owned the category to go, ‘Hey guys, just come to us, buy this and you’ll get the [glass skin] look.’
“That’s where the motivation came from. And then, we kind of just looked around for the best ingredients and the best ideas from everybody, and tried to combine it into one.”
K Republiq first went live with advertising in January this year and received a massive response that Belinda wasn’t quite expecting.
“We got an immediate response to the point that we hadn’t bought enough stock for the launch,” she told news.com.au checkout.
“So we essentially sold out and had to continue selling on a pre-order basis because we thought we’d play it safe and just have a little bit of stock, but that went quite quickly.”
In the same month they launched, their products sold like hot cakes which is unheard of for new businesses and while you could call the success of K Republiq ‘luck’, Belinda says that her knowledge and experience in the beauty industry helped immensely with the quick launch of the business.
Not to mention, the concept of K Republiq being a “one-stop shop” for glass skin takes the guesswork out of figuring out what products you really need to achieve it.
“We had the idea, we had the concept, and we’re both super familiar with skincare and cosmetics and all the ingredients, and we’re obviously super familiar with marketing and advertising and kind of what the consumer wants. So that part, we kind of knew that we’re confident there,” Belinda explained.
We just pulled on a lot of our contacts and we were lucky in that way. We didn’t have to go looking for formulators and looking for packaging people – we’ve got all of those contacts at hand. So in that way, we were lucky that some of those things that take a lot of time didn’t take us as long as it would otherwise.”
With the belief that the glass skin trend would be picked up more by the younger demographic, Belinda says they’ve been “blown away” by the response from the mature market.
“Obviously they’re facing different [skin] challenges, but they still want the same result, which is ultimately hydration, looking younger and looking like they have a glow,” Belinda told news.com.au
“It’s been quite interesting – when you start out thinking, ‘Okay, we’re going to jump on this glass skin trend’, but then you actually realise that everybody of every age is actually looking for the same result.”
But that’s not all, men have also been fans of the glass skin trend – Belinda said that she’s noticed a few men’s names sneaking through the order lists.
“100% men do love it. They have the same needs. They might not want it to come in the pink jar, but yeah, it’s definitely been well received by men,” she said.
The success of K Republiq isn’t just in Australia, in fact, they’ve gone global and now sell to the UK and the US, and word on the street is “they’ve been loving it”.
‘MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER’
What was once a complicated routine has now become as simple as 123.
“We’ve always had the philosophy that more is not necessarily better,” Belinda explained.
More is just more options, but you don’t actually need all of that stuff. Like, that’s the other thing that blew me away, with the glass skin trend.
“If you Google it, it can be up to like 15 steps. I’m like, ‘You have time to do 15 steps? I’m sure we can put all of these in like, one or two products, you know?’ That’s why we came up with three basics.”
K Republiq initially kicked off with a stellar trio – the Glass Skin Finishing Glaze ($79), Glass Skin Glazing Essence ($79) and Glass Skin Glaze Serum ($120), which sold out the same month K Republiq launched, which resulted in a waitlist of a whopping 700 people.
Manufactured in Australia, the products’ formulas are designed to suit people of all ages and those with sensitive skin. The groundbreaking ingredients at the forefront of their formulas are actives like Bakuchiol, which is a gentle alternative to retinol that smooths fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improves skin complexion and texture.
Then you have Polyglutamic Acid (PGA) which effectively hydrates the skin, maintains moisture, restores the skin’s elasticity and plumps the skin. Not to mention, PGA is said to have been proven to be a better moisturiser than hyaluronic acid, according to prequelskin.com.
Following the success of their first three products, K Republiq has slowly but surely been making additions to their glass skin line-up.
Say hello to the Magic Balm Instant Glaze ($130) – described as an ‘all-in-one’ beauty balm. It features anti-ageing properties to leave your skin looking youthful, revitalised and glowy.
Love Island bombshell, Georgia Murray, is one of many that swear by the balm for that ‘makeup less-makeup look’ and a glowy finish.
With its smooth, waxy texture, this balm effortlessly melts into the skin and acts as a replacement for your BB cream, moisturiser, highlighter, and foundation – talk about a girl-on-the-go’s dream.
It doesn’t stop there though, customers are able to save up to 67 per cent off the RRP by purchasing bundles – which are great for those looking to stick to the glass skin routine themselves, stocking up on favourites or even as gifts.
Bundles include:
- Glass Skin Trio Offer A free gift ($99, down from $298)
- Magic Balm Mega Bundle ($149, down from $377)
- Glass Skin Duo Offer A free gift ($199, down from $89)
- Buy More Save More – Get 2 kits for 2 month supply A free gift ($158, down from $556)
- Buy More Save More – Get 3 kits for 3 month supply A free gift ($177, down from $834)
- Buy More Save More – Get 2 Magic Balms ($129, down from $198)
- Buy More Save More – Get 3 Magic Balms ($149, down from $297)
You can also grab a Jade Gua Sha Facial Roller ($39) or the Jade Gua Sha Spa Set ($69) to elevate your skincare routine further.
‘WE WILL BE RIGHT ON TOP’: THE FUTURE OF K REPUBLIQ
The beauty brand may be considered new, however, they have plans to expand their offering in the future and even celebrate their birthday anniversary.
“We’re in the game of producing high quality skincare at an affordable price and just giving people what they want, basically. And we think we’ve come up with a pretty good range. We’re adding a couple of things now that will complement that,” Belinda revealed.
“We have a few new products ready to launch before the end of the year. So, we have one coming really soon. I think in a couple of weeks, we’ll be ready to put it on pre order, because we’re just waiting for it to actually be closer to being finished before we go ahead and promise that.”
Their next three products include: a cleanser, melting mask – which will melt collagen into your skin – and an eye stick that will provide hydration around the eye area.
“With our next few products that we’re adding in, we will definitely be a one-stop shop,” she said.
We’re not going to just throw things into the range just to take makeup shelf space. We’re just going to be putting in the things that are essential, the things that do work and the things that people want.”
“The aim is just to stay on top of the trends and the innovations. And like I said, we’re pretty confident with our history, our experience and our knowledge in the industry and we will be right on top.”
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