Before attracting 40,500 followers and 4 million likes on TikTok with approachable, real-time beauty content, Iulia Scvortova worked at Shoppers Drug Mart, helping customers navigate a high-low assortment spanning Dior, Maybelline, Lancôme and Chanel.
In her retail and content creation roles, Toronto-based Scvortova gained hands-on experience testing products, understanding formulation nuances and observing how consumers of diverse ages and backgrounds interact with cosmetics. She came to believe that, despite the beauty industry’s evolution, makeup remains largely rooted in a correction-focused mindset rather than one geared toward self-expression. She saw an opportunity to rethink how makeup is designed and marketed, with an emphasis on creativity, customization and play.
The result is Serotonin Beauty, a makeup brand centered on versatility and experimentation. Launching today and positioned in accessible prestige beauty, it’s making its debut in the lip category with the products $24 Dual Mood Lip Pencil and $20 Lucid Lip Gloss and an open-ended mandate encouraging consumers to interpret the products in their own way.
“Serotonin was inspired by one simple but powerful idea: makeup can shift how you feel and how you show up,” says Scvortova, who drew on the concept of serotonin as a “feel-good” hormone in developing the brand. “It’s rooted in the idea that makeup is tied to mood and identity, not just outcome.”
The launch arrives as makeup is, if not fully moving away from, at least in some circles reconsidering the minimalist “clean girl” aesthetic in favor of a bolder, more maximalist aesthetic. It also comes as lip products, including liners, oils and balms, have been key growth drivers in makeup, thanks in no small part to brands like Summer Fridays and Rhode. However, the category has become increasingly crowded, raising questions about how much room remains for new entrants and what meaningful differentiation looks like.
Rather than adding another standalone product to an already saturated space, Serotonin is touting multifunctionality, combining complementary shades into a single tool designed to reduce steps while expanding creative options and reinforcing value as consumers grow more selective with their spending. The brand urges consumers to layer, mix and customize rather than adhere to prescriptive makeup rules.
“It’s rooted in the idea that makeup is tied to mood and identity, not just outcome.”
Scvortova says, “It’s less about directing the user to one technique and more about giving them a system where small changes in placement and proportion create noticeably different results.”
Serotonin’s debut product lineup aligns with the resurgence of ’90s- and early-2000s-inspired lip looks characterized by deeper lip liner color and contrasting lip gloss or lipstick color. The trend is evident in Kylie Cosmetics bringing back its classic lip kits last year. According to data from trend forecasting and marketing intelligence company Trendalytics cited by The Business of Fashion, lip liner adoption has jumped 26% year over year.
Serotonin began to take shape roughly five years ago, but progress stalled due to misalignment with a manufacturer on formulation, minimum order quantities and product performance. Over the past two and a half years, Scvortova brought the brand to life in earnest and invested $100,000 from her personal savings into the business, with most of the capital allocated to inventory as she refined formulas and formats. Serotonin’s production is done in Germany and Italy, and its formulas are described as vegan and cruelty-free, with clean ingredients chosen for performance.
The Dual Mood Lip Pencil is a dual-ended product available in five variations, totaling 10 shades. It can be used as a traditional liner or applied across the lips like lipstick, with tones intentionally developed to adjust depth and undertone. Designed to avoid tugging, the pencil features a creamy, waterproof formula infused with jojoba oil to support glide and moisture retention.
Available in a universal shade, Lucid Lip Gloss is intended to deliver shine without the tackiness often associated with gloss. It’s formulated with shea butter and sweet almond oil to soften and condition lips.
While Serotonin is starting with lips, its long-term vision is to become a complete makeup line. Launching via direct-to-consumer distribution, the brand is prioritizing community-building through creators, media and immersive activations. As demand grows, retail partnerships are expected, with a beauty specialty retailer like Sephora a goal.
Serotonin plans to spend its first two years building awareness and cultivating relationships with nano- and micro-influencers. The brand will seed products to creators and editors to generate content demonstrating how a single tool can produce multiple looks and capture various moods.
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