POPbeauty Creative Director Sarah Strand explains why skincare should be fun and accessible

POPbeauty is a brand that believes beauty should be fun, accessible and effective. It originally started as a cosmetics line and has recently expanded into skin care products. The brand offers products for less than $15 in brightly colored packaging and with cute, playful names like Lit AF Essence and Extra Lit-B Shot. We spoke with Creative Director Sarah Strand to learn more about how POPbeauty is trying to make skincare simple, fun and accessible to everyone. 

Tell us about your background and how you got started with POPbeauty. 

I started out as a singer and makeup artist. During the day I worked with many major fashion magazines around the world and backstage at many fashion shows, and continued to play music at night. My mission as a makeup artist has always been to help people stand out and be themselves without any apologies. When we first launched POPbeauty in 2002, we really wanted to fill a gap in the market by creating fearless and fun products that also offered recipes that could be used right on the pulse and no-compromise professional pigments. 

Can you explain your role in POPbeauty and the inspiration for the brand?

   As Creative Director, I strive to set the tone and voice of the brand and I continue to be actively involved in product development, marketing and social media. Initially, we drew inspiration from London's edgy pop culture in fashion, art and music. 

Why did the brand decide to get into skincare? 

POP aims to spice up your face, your beauty routine, and your day, which is why we wanted to create skin care solutions that are playful yet effectively do what they say they do. We wanted to help you take the guesswork out of beauty by helping you take care of your skin with clean, effective formulas.

Can you tell us about the products, packaging and ingredients used in the skin care line?

All products contain high quality ingredients such as niacinamide, cica, yuzu, calamansi lime, vegan squalane and more. We wanted to offer a wide range of products from skin serums to masks and moisturizers. Most importantly, we want skincare to be fun, not intimidating, and accessible. We are also 100% vegan, cruelty free, and all of our packaging is recyclable and sourced from certified sustainable forests.

What is your daily skin care routine? 

It totally depends on the day and my current skin mood. I'm all for feeling the vibration of your skin and then adjusting my routine around that - I like to mix it up. Some days you need extra hydration, some days your skin feels a bit dull and may need to be brightened, other days your skin is moody and needs a little balance. I do what I feel best on this day. 

What is your favorite product from the POPbeauty skin collection? 

It's always a difficult question because I love everything, but it all depends on the day. Today I love Lit AF Essence, the product I would take with me to a desert island. It hydrates, energizes and brightens skin with a variety of ingredients such as yuzu, vegan squalane, niacinamide, ginseng and more. Plus, it smells more than delicious. If I could, I would bathe in it. Whenever my complexion looks a bit dull and needs some extra boost, I use Extra Lit-B Shot. It is a gentle exfoliating serum rich in antioxidants. I like to use it as a night serum and let it work while I sleep to wake up with a clearer, brighter complexion.

Beauty is... 

Make it pop, confidence, individuality, be true to yourself, humor, fearlessness and self love.