a peptide glazed review of hailey bieber’s rhode
The clean girl favourite has launched in Ireland, and I love a bandwagon.
I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber, per se, but it’s hard to avoid her culturally. I’ve just ended up knowing a lot about her – her marriage to Justin, her dealings with his fans, her unexpectedly self-aware “nepo baby” response, her complicated feelings about Halloween.
What I am most fascinated by is her true power as a celebrity: setting mundanely attainable beauty trends. “Glazed donut” (nude chrome) nails, “cinnamon cookie butter” (which I think is just brown) hair, “brownie” (again, I think it’s just brown) lips. Every time she steps out of the house, her makeup look is breathlessly given a name, discussed down to the last detail, and replicated on TikTok. Unsurprisingly, she has decided to monetise this by setting up her own skincare brand, Rhode.
Rhode’s tagline is “one of everything really good,” which is a cute if nonsensically phrased idea. Whoever’s advising her is a genius, because they’ve managed to tap into exactly what people seem to want from skincare right now. That’s how they got me, a person who is not particularly interested in Hailey as a famous person. “Peptide,” “glaze,” “barrier repair” – tell me more! I’m listening! So when Rhode launched in Ireland a few weeks ago, I was right there ordering two of its flagship products, the Peptide Glazing Fluid and Peptide Lip Treatment.
The Peptide Glazing Fluid is a hydrating serum containing the titular peptides alongside niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and marula oil. “Glazing fluid” makes me think of something like Glossier Futuredew, which to me sits more in the makeup category (though it’s actually in the skincare section on the Glossier website… I could have sworn they were marketing this as more of a primer before). However, even though Rhode advises you to mix it with your foundation for a dewy look, I feel it’s primarily skincare - it’s got a light, gel-like texture that sinks in to the skin.
I use one pump in the morning on damp skin, before going in with my SPF. Am I more “glazed” than I would be with any other hydrating serum? It’s hard to say. My skin is looking a lot healthier these last few weeks – I’m sure the barrier-loving ingredients in this help, but paring back my overall routine is probably the main contributor. It’s a nice, basic serum! It hasn’t rocked my world enough to warrant an immediate repurchase, though I’d consider it in the future if I was stuck on what to buy. At €35, it’s within the price range of other products I like (or cheaper – your girl loves that Skinceuticals stuff), so it’s a contender.
I am much more sure in my feelings about the Peptide Lip Treatment. This is a truer skincare-meets-makeup product than the Peptide Glazing Fluid – it’s SO glossy, as glossy or glossier than any traditional lip gloss I own, while feeling gorgeously hydrating. She really did something here. I got the Salted Caramel scent and it’s delicious, though I would argue that the “salted” descriptor is pointless given salted caramel doesn’t smell any different from regular caramel. Anyway. I’m enjoying it so much that I’m thinking about buying the tinted version, maybe in the shade Toast? Perhaps I am a Hailey Bieber fan after all.
I’m always prepared to scoff at celebrity beauty ventures, but Rhode has surprised me a little bit. The products are good, the brand makes sense with Hailey’s image, and I’m interested to see what they launch next. Am I ten years older than the target demographic, just going by their socials? Yes. Am I going to slick on the Peptide Lip Treatment like I’m a cool lil TikTok girly anyway? Yes. To paraphrase Mrs Bieber herself, I am claiming these products for the glory of God and all the desperate millennials.
Thanks for reading Vanity Project! Are you interested in trying Rhode? Are you celebrating the victorious church that has overcome by the blood of the lamb? Enquiring minds want to know.