DTC-First Prestige Skincare Brand Monday Muse Set To Launch At Harrods And Galeries Lafayette

After focusing on direct-to-consumer distribution since its launch in November 2020, Monday Muse is breaking into retail distribution with a high-profile splash.

The London-based prestige skincare brand is entering British department store Harrods this month and French department store Galeries Lafayette next month, when it’s due to reveal a holistic wellness selection upping its indie game. Founded by Dutch model Lune Martens, Monday Muse will bring a sophisticated, streamlined collection—it has four products at the moment—to the stores for shoppers interested in soothing products addressing skin issues such as acne, rosacea and dryness that aren’t intended for teenagers.

“With a lot of retailers, there’s a bit of a range gap in catering to temperamental, not so well-behaved skin,” says Martens. “There’s a lot of acne-targeted solutions for teenage skin and gen Z, but I don’t think there is this elevated approach using gentle actives for people with more reactive skin. In that sense, we sit in between brands where there’s that range gap.”

Martens originally conceived of the brand because she was painfully aware that gap existed based on her personal skincare experience. Growing up, she battled eczema and countless rashes that made her familiar with the inside of a dermatologist’s office. As she passed into puberty, acne arrived. Her skin cleared up in her later teen years, only to flare up with cystic acne in her early 20s combined with perioral dermatitis and a fragrance sensitivity diagnosis. From topical prescriptions like Differin Gel to drugstore acne remedies, she tried every product she could find, and they merely provided short-term fixes.

With Monday Muse, Martens set out to build a brand she could depend on to help her as her skin fluctuated—and that could help others going through the skincare tumult she has gone through as an adult. “I really want to be a brand that means something to people, and when they use our products on their face, they trust us enough to do that. We’re part of their bathroom cabinet and part of their lives in a way that’s more meaningful than just another product that’s sitting on the shelf,” she says. “Especially because I’ve dealt with all these skin conditions myself, I know what it’s like to get disappointed with products, so I hope we can be that brand for people who are insecure that can make them feel good again.”

“There’s a lot of acne-targeted solutions for teenage skin and gen Z, but I don’t think there is this elevated approach using gentle actives for people with more reactive skin.”

Not willing to settle with any old formula, Martens studied skincare formulation at digital cosmetic formulation school Formula Botanica prior to starting Monday Muse with a single product, The Nectar Vitamin Facial Oil, a lightweight oil with a strong dose of linoleic acid from Kalahari melon seeds. “The facial oil market is quite crowded and, for me in developing The Nectar, I wanted to create a facial oil that people with oily and more acne-prone skin could use,” she says. “People are scared of oils, but, when they try it, they are often surprised and will never not use an oil again.”

In May 2021, Monday Muse released its second product, The Juice Daily Serum, a multifunctional serum with hydration boosting as its main purpose. In October 2021, a third product joined the assortment, The Cleanser Soft Milky Gel, a non-foaming face wash devised to balance the skin barrier. Monday Muse’s fourth product and first addition outside of skincare, The Gloss Scalp & Hair Oil, recently debuted for people with issues that extend beyond their face. The brand’s full-size products are priced from 28 to 48 pounds or nearly $34 to roughly $58 at the current exchange rate.

Martens expects Monday Muse to introduce a product or two annually going forward. An enzyme exfoliator is slated to come out in the fall. A face cream and a balm cleanser are in its product pipeline as well as possible further inroads into the haircare arena. Martens isn’t keen on bombarding consumers or retailers with products. Instead, she prefers Monday Muse to concentrate on a product release at a time to not rush development and educate consumers deeply on individual products without overwhelming them.

“We formulate everything from scratch, so there is no white label involved. It really allows for a more unique, one-of-a-kind formulations, and we can have control over the whole process,” says Martens. “We decide exactly what ingredients we put in at which level and quality, so we can put out the best products for our customers.”

“We formulate everything from scratch, so there is no white label involved. It really allows for a more unique, one-of-a-kind formulations.”

At the beginning, Martens didn’t have the budget for a packed skincare lineup. She initially invested 20,000 pounds or almost $24,500 to establish Monday Muse. Retailers were closed for pandemic precautions as the brand got underway, but Martens had strategically planned to steer clear of them for a year, pandemic or no, to forge close connections with Monday Muse’s customers. “It was important to organically grow, and test out the products and see how people would respond to them before rolling out to different retailers,” she says.

The DTC approach seems to have paid off. While it stuck to digital distribution, Monday Muse amassed a social media audience surpassing 45,000 followers, 100-plus five-star reviews on its website from verified customers and influencers such as Estée Lalonde and Caroline Hirons as fans. This year, Martens kicked off a podcast called “Beauty Muse” featuring interviews with Lalonde, Absolute Collagen founder Maxine Laceby and Wizz&Co. founder Wizz Selvey, among several beauty and wellness industry insiders. It’s already listed in the top 40 beauty podcasts in the United Kingdom.

Without retail, Monday Muse’s sales have jumped 250% from 2020, and it’s drawn a repeat purchase rate of around 30%. Its 2022 sales are projected to hit a six-figure total, but the exact impact of retail distribution remains to be determined. Online, Monday Muse has reached customers in approximately 45 countries. The United States is responsible for its biggest customer group, and the brand is in discussions with a major American retailer.

“Partnering with retailers is great for reach and awareness,” says Martens, noting she anticipates DTC will stay an integral component of Monday Muse’s business. “For us, it’s all about finding the right retailers that have a synergy with our brand and that understand our brand. We won’t just partner with anyone and everyone. We want to keep it tight and build the relationship with the retailers we work with.”

Although the growth of prestige skincare has slowed, and there’s a chance the beauty industry could be moving out of skincare being a dominant force driving sales in favor of makeup, Martens is confident Monday Muse can thrive amid a shift. “I don’t think people will stop using skincare for makeup. People will always have their skincare routines,” she says. “Also, the people we cater to have more temperamental skin, and they are pretty regimented in their skincare routines. In that sense, I’m not too worried about it.”