Ohii, the newest beauty brand on the market, has a sleek packaging that needs to be ‘grammed and cool colors in spot-on trend-shades – as if they were taken right from the runway. The textures are exciting; applying Lip Jelly makes you feel like being one step ahead of all mass-market consumers. But, we’re sorry to say: this brand, as cool as it seems, is just as mainstream as a drugstore label. Ohii is crafted and sold by Urban Outfitters, a global fashion chain.
Looking at this release, it’s clear that the masses are ready for hip aesthetics and special products. Maybe mainstream doesn’t mean boring anymore –
and the borders between mass and niche dissolve.
One part is a modern packaging, another is the actual content. While there is no name (yet) to drop at Ohii, many big chains turn to beauty subculture’s darlings to seek creative input. Isamaya Ffrench, one of the most progressive make-up-artists, was named global ambassador for H&M cosmetics just a few months ago. & Other Stories is working with Niche’s perfume hero Ben Gorham (creator of Byredo) on their scents from the brands beginning about four years ago. Coming back to the obvious: both beauty lines features a Copenhagen-cool look throughout their whole range.
Thanks to these fashion big-players, modern make-up is now accessible to almost everyone. Prices range between 5 to 30 Euro, so they are affordable. But alsoeasy to buy in stores and online, while smaller niche brands‘ distribution is limited very often.
So not only an elite can curate a pretty and progressive beauty collection now – Cool has become democratic.
