To say that the Rhode beauty products, created by Hailey Rhode Bieber, are a hot commodity would be an understatement. You saw the launch party at Krispy Kreme in Times Square, both Biebers and NYC’s most followed influencers in attendance. Maybe you’re trying to decide whether the hype is real or if it’s that marketing budget and Bieber’s naturally good skin — which, of course, is not exclusively to the credit of a serum — that’s causing the commotion.
Since the launch of Rhode, I’ve been using all the products — the new Glazing Milk, serum, moisturizer, and every flavor of the Peptide Lip Treatment — and I’ve gotten a lot of questions about whether or not I like them. Mostly, I’d say that all are very well-designed. Honestly, I like what Bieber did here.
To be candid, I was gifted the full Rhode collection, as a part of my job. However, I attest that the price point is an important factor to start with, because it’s not a barrier to entry: Everything is under $30. After trying the $200 creams, Bieber decided that the mark-up wasn’t worth it. “There’s a lot of PR surrounding skin care that makes you think that when something has a big price tag on it, it’s supposed to do something way more significant than something that’s affordable — in my experience, that just wasn’t true,” Bieber explains. Because the “high-end expensive stuff” wasn’t giving Bieber what she wanted — glowing, clear skin all the time — she started analyzing ingredients. “You can have amazing and effective products that are still affordable, and that’s why I wanted to do with the brand: make amazing formulas with ingredients that I love and that I had seen work for me.”
So, let’s get into the formulas and what’s the most worth it.
Rhode Glazing Milk, $29
This is my favorite skincare launch of the entire summer. I’ve optimized my routine for lightweight layer of hydration, making skin milk the first and most enjoyable step. There’s no actual milk in here — just ceramides (fatty acids that help the skin retain moisture), magnesium (to reduce skin inflammation), and beta glucan (a hydrator akin to hyaluronic acid). But it looks and feels milky. The texture is a bit thicker and more substantial than a face mist or water essence (very popular in K-Beauty products), but lighter than a serum.
I shake the bottle upside down and let a few drops of the milk land in my palm. The I rub my palms together and press them into my face. It’s soothing and my skin drinks it up instantly. I love the ritual almost as much as the results; it leaves my skin super dewy. I’d take the glazing milk over the rhode serum or moisturizer, maybe even the Peptide Lip Treatment, but let’s talk about those.
Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment, $16
Honestly, I was surprised that Bieber launched Rhode with a lip treatment. (I initially assumed it was a simple lip gloss — it’s not.) However, after meeting Bieber in the flesh, I understood. This might be weird to say, but her lips are plump and shiny. Plus, she told me that she “can’t handle dry lips”, and so a lip balm of sorts was important to her.
Out of all three Rhode products, this Peptide Lip Treatment has the most reviews, so far (over $7,000). And if I were to recommend one single Rhode skin-care product, this would be it. I use it all the time. I carry it around with me and it keeps my lips hydrated and a little glossy. My recent lip combo has been a lip stain (like Benefit’s Benetint) for color, with a little bit of Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment over the top. It comes in five different flavors: Strawberry Glaze (a collab with Krispy Kreme, but I get more strawberry than glaze), Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Watermelon, and Unscented. Mine and Bieber’s favorite is the Salted Caramel; it smells a little like Cinnabon, so you have to like having a sugar smell on your lips.
It’s thicker than a gloss but more viscous than a Laneige Sleeping Mask, but I prefer this Rhode formula because I can squeeze it from the tube instead of digging my fingernails into a jar. Of course, I assume that’s a big plus for Hailey, too, since people are still talking about Rhode and her manicure with equal enthusiasm. However, it must be said that the missed opp here is that none of the Peptide Lip Treatments are tinted.
Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid, $29
The serum is a gel-based formula — kind of like a glaze — so a bit heavier than a watery liquid that would come in a dropper. I do two pumps on my fingers and rub it into my skin. It feels nice and refreshing. You know when you sometimes put on a serum and you feel it tightening your skin? This is not that; it’s super gentle. The formula is made up of peptides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and marula oil — so nothing that would cause an adverse reaction on my dry skin, or anyone else’s, probably.
It was a seamless addition to my simplified summer skin-care routine: I splash my face with cold water, then use the Glazing Milk, Peptide Glazing Fluid, and the Barrier Repair Cream (which we’ll get to). I only use it in the morning, because I’m using actives at night, but I suppose you could use it at night as well.
What makes this serum interesting, in my opinion, is that Bieber uses it after makeup, too. In a TikTok video, she shows how she uses it after makeup — pumps it on the back of her hand and bounces it over her cheeks with a Beautyblender — almost like a liquid highlight, to add an extra dewy finish to her glam. I’ve tried the off-label approach. Midday, I put more Glazing Fluid just on my cheekbones and under my eyes. It worked to refresh my concealer and make my makeup look less makeup-y, but I’d probably only recommend that to someone with dry skin that’s prone to creasing.
I do have one con though, and it’s the bottle. For me, it’s a little big and clunky and not ideal for traveling (though, it’s TSA safe, 50 mL). Also, there’s not a ton of glazing fluid in the bottle. I ran out of serum pretty quickly, in less than three weeks, so I’d recommend once-a-day application to avoid having to repurchase immediately.
Rhode Barrier Restore Cream, $29
Bieber calls this the “BRC”, but you can think of it as a simple, no-frills, unscented moisturizer. Like the serum, it’s purpose is to sooth and hydrate. It’s made with peptides, fatty acids, squalane, and more niacinamide.
Why is niacinamide in the Peptide Glazing Fluid and the Barrier Repair Cream? Bieber says that it’s the single ingredient that made the biggest improvement in her skin, in texture and tone, which is why she put it in both. For context, niacinamide is essentially a form of vitamin B3 that can curb excess oil, minimize the appearance of pores, and soothe acne flareups. The other ingredients mixed in the cream — peptides, fatty acids, squalane — provide hydration and do the barrier repairing.
I use the BRC in the morning, directly after the Glazing Fluid and before my sunscreen. Do I think it’s the best or most hydrating day cream I’ve ever put on my face? Nah, but it does its job at making my skin dewy and keeping it that way through the day. Again, for a simple, lightweight moisturizer, the price is a factor — in this economy, probably pay ballpark $29 at CVS. Also, unlike the Peptide Glazing Fluid, the Barrier Repair Cream is loaded in its tube. After three weeks, I still have a little bit left, which I’m surprised about because its about the size of a hand cream.
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