• Skin Generics

    Written by Alicia

    The korean 12 step skincare routine is trending all over the world, but we can all agree that it's very time consuming and takes a lot of storage. Skin generics came up with the brilliant idea to downsize it to only needing 3 products in your bathroom cabinet but still get all of the skincare benefits as a 12 step routine.

    What inspired the creation of Skin Generics, and what specific skincare concerns or gaps in the market were you aiming to address with your products? 
    SKG was created to offer the consumer a very high ingredient based, high performing skin care range that is cosmeceutical but at an affordable price. We don’t believe the consumer should have to pay huge levels of money for amazing results driven skin care. We wanted to keep things simple and give the consumer only what they needed without having to buy so many products. This is the Korean inspiration of offering a number of steps in one product. We also wanted to make sure we cover all skin needs with cleansing, brightening, anti-age & Moisturising.

    Can you describe the core philosophy or mission behind Skin Generics and how it reflects in the formulations and ingredients you choose for your skincare line? 
    We are a high percentage cosmeceutical brand offering the highest % of ingredients. Our formulations are the foundation of the products which are Korean inspired which in turn leads to offering a very unique texture to all our serums and creams. The texture is created to ensure the ingredient works and delivers the results.

    Skincare trends are ever-evolving. How does Skin Generics stay innovative and adapt to meet the changing needs and preferences of consumers? 
    We are leading in the category, not following. We work closely with all our Labs to ensure we are at the forefront of what the consumers need. Be it new ingredients or new textures. This can be seen in many of our recent launches such as SPF50 mixing drops and Gel to Ice Snow Mushroom Moisturiser.


    Sustainability is a growing concern in the beauty industry. Could you share some of the eco-friendly practices and initiatives that Skin Generics has implemented in its product development and packaging? 
    As a brand we are keen to ensure we factor in sustainability. All our packaging must be recyclable through the materials of Glass & Card. As a business we source all our ingredients from within Spain, we are fully made in Spain and only some of our packaging comes from Italy. We keep it all in Barcelona to make sure we reduce the carbon footprint. Our warehouse has also been awarded ISO 14001:2015 which is the highest standard for Environmental Management Systems.

    Personalization is becoming increasingly important in skincare. How does Skin Generics offer a personalized approach to skincare, catering to different skin types, ages, and concerns? 
    Are ranges are all catered for all skin needs. We categorize them into the 5 categories so consumers can easily pick their products. Such as deep moisturizing, they can choose a moisturizer from the “Moisturising Range”, but can also add ant-age with a serum from the “Anti-aging” range. Cleansing can be used by all skin types. But again we are making sure it is affordable.

    Can you provide an overview of the key ingredients and formulations used in your skincare products and explain how they benefit different skin types and concerns? 
    All our products are formulated with an Active Complex, which is a carefully studied mix of different active ingredients, in order to satisfy more than one need at a time with a single product. With our products we do not treat different types of skin, we focus on different needs that the skin may have throughout life, and that change due to multiple external factors such as climate, stress, age,… There are hero ingredients that cannot be missing in most of our products, especially those that provide extra hydration to our skin, because we know that the basis of healthy skin is proper hydration, without which we cannot treat all the others. problems with our skin such as wrinkles, spots, blemishes… So low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid, which provides hydration by penetrating the deepest layers of our skin and hiding expression lines, Pentavitin, a super moisturizing ingredient, Lipochroman, a very effective antioxidant, are some of our key ingredients. that we use in many of our formulations.

    Skincare routines can be overwhelming. Could you share some personalized skin care tips or product recommendations for individuals with specific skin concerns, such as acne-prone, sensitive, or mature skin? 
    In every routine there must be some moisturizing product, which as we mentioned is the basis of healthy skin. Then we can go to deal with the specific problem. For oily or acne-prone skin, proper cleansing of the skin is essential, so an oil-based cleanser or a water-based cleanser cannot be missing from your routine. Glycolic acid or salicylic acid are other perfect allies to help combat imperfections and show off skin with a more uniform tone. In an effective anti-aging routine, retinol and peptides cannot be missing, which are invincible to help combat wrinkles, spots and loss of firmness in the skin. Delicate skin needs less aggressive products, but they still don't have to give up the benefits of the ingredients we mentioned above. They can use retinol if it is encapsulated and anti-wrinkle formulations with wakame and aloe vera, which in addition to helping combat wrinkles, calm the skin and hydrate it. Chamomile is another star ingredient for this type of skin.

    Can you explain the research and development process behind selecting and formulating the active ingredients in Skin Generics products to ensure they address various skin concerns? 
    At SKG we work with different laboratories in Barcelona, ​​specialized in facial care, which allows us to develop very innovative products and stay ahead of market trends. It is a joint process and a team effort, since the development input usually comes from the head office but then the proposal and mix of all the ingredients that make up the active complex usually comes from the R&D technicians. We are constantly looking for innovation in ingredients, textures, formats at fairs, seminars, and other markets and never stop looking at the Korean market, which is a constant source of inspiration for our products. I think that among all professionals we add a sixth sense that allows us to be right with the selection of ingredients to ensure effectiveness and results for different skin problems.

    Achieving the right balance of active ingredients in skincare products is crucial. How does Skin Generics ensure that its products are both potent and safe for consumers to use, particularly for those with sensitive skin? 
    It's right. Achieving the right balance of active ingredients in skincare products is crucial and it's the goal that every brand has to achieve. In our case, when we start to develop a new product, we always try to find the right balance between natural ingredients and “conventional” ones. Being transparent and clear, if we talk about effectiveness, once you have found the product that meets the needs of your skin, in terms of results there should be no difference between natural and conventional cosmetics. The promise of a product, as expressed on its packaging, must be fulfilled by law. If this does not happen, something is wrong. At SKG we agree that the choice of a cosmetic should be made based on its results and effectiveness, without giving up the enjoyment of the application and the sensory experience. And to achieve this purpose we cannot do without many conventional ingredients tested and created in the laboratories with which we work and that allow us to be certain that our products are effective, in addition to the fact that most of them are respectful of the most sensitive skin.

    In the skincare industry, there's a growing demand for clean and transparent labeling. How does Skin Generics communicate the percentage of active ingredients in each product, and how do you ensure accurate and honest labeling for your customers? 
    Regulations are very tight in the industry and we maintain the highest of standards making sure we meet all these requirements for all countries across the globe. We are very transparent in how we share details with our consumer by listing our Active Complex breakdown of percentages on the side of every box. We don’t expect our customer to try and read the small print or discover ingredients on a tiny leaflet.

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    Monki x Iggy Jeans

    Written by Josie McNeill by Josie McNeill

    Growing up, Ingrid “Iggy” Berg, founder of Iggy Jeans, the latest company to collaborate with Scandinavian street style brand Monki, said her aesthetic was influenced by two polarizing styles: that of Scandinavian minimalism and Italian classicism.

    When I came to Stockholm, I noticed a big contrast to Italian culture with dressing up and the general approach to fashion,” Berg said. “It was a contrast to the Scandi-minimalist street style approach. That in itself was not negative for me. Rather I think it had an interesting impact on how I balanced the two worlds.”

    Berg said that looking back at the time she moved to Stockholm, she sees “how growing up in both Italy and Sweden have affected my way of seeing fashion.”

    She found inspiration in the colorful patterns of the ’60s, especially those involving the Gruppen-10 in Sweden. This group, which Brigitta Hahn, Berg’s grandmother, was a part of rebelled against the Swedish “folkhemmet” in the ’60s and ’70s with its use of bold patterns.

    Berg integrated the use of bold patterns and colors and used them on a timeless fabric: denim. Thus her designs were both modern and chic and also maximalist and trendy. She created the brand Iggy Jeans after collaborating with orjanandersson on a 10-piece painted jean collection for the brand in 2017. She then went on to showcase at Stockholm Fashion Week in 2018 when she was just 15 years old, completed a year-long internship with Miu Miu in January 2023, and now, she is onto her second collaboration with Monki.

    Berg grew up in Treviso and Milan, Italy before moving to Stockholm for school when she was 10 years old. She later started painting denim after school and on weekends. Berg said she found that painting denim allowed her to “merge [her] artistic side with [her] interest for clothes.”

    Odalisque Magazine sat down with Berg to discuss her interest in fashion from such a young age, music inspiration, and her evolving work with Monki.

    Before releasing your first collection with Iggy Jeans you did a previous collaboration with Monki. How does the new Monki x Iggy Jeans collaboration differ?
    Our first collaboration was smaller, just a story about me and I painted a couple of Monki jeans that I kept myself. This time around, it’s a much bigger collaboration where I’ve designed pieces for Monki that will be sold in stores in Europe, and we’ve created a campaign around it where I’ve been creative director. I’ve gotten complete trust from Monki on creative decisions and ideas, which I am grateful for.

    For someone like shopping for the collection, how would you describe the collaboration between Iggy Jeans and Monki?
    This is a very fun collection but also something that you can wear every day. At first glance, when you see everything together, it might be kind of shocking, like, oh my God, I've got all these colors and bows. But my thought in the whole process has been that I want to create something that is different from the work that I've done earlier. I wanted to create something where I have thought of my everyday wardrobe as a starting point. Like could I wear this maybe with a shirt and a cardigan or like you know just a t- shirt and not feel like I'm overdressed? It's so versatile.

    Is there any element of the new collection that is most special to you?
    Of course it’s been very exciting to work with different elements such as print and patches. I really wanted to merge the maximalist part of me with my more minimalistic part and think about my everyday closet, as with italy vs swedish expressions.

    Did your internship with Miu Miu affect your approach to designing this collaboration?
    I learnt a lot working with professionals within denim design at Miu Miu, and the technical process of designing but also how to convert ideas to something that has a red thread, and how to create a red thread within a brand.

    I read that you have a passion for the music scene as well. How does music influence your designs in general, but especially your designs for the Monki x Iggy Jeans collab?
    When I have thought about the person wearing my designs, music has helped me understand who that person is. For example, when I listen to The Hives (whom I’ve done costumes for) or one of my all time favorite artists ShitKid, I think about a girl that has a naif spirit, a rebelliousness that encapsulates the feeling of being a teenager but also some sort of tenderness. For specifically how music has inspired my collaboration with Monki, I looked at sound waves and the shape of them and their repetitiveness, which is reflected in the green shapes on my designs.

    What was it like showcasing Iggy jeans’ first collection when you were 15 at Stockholm fashion week?
    It was a long time ago, I was just a child at the time. I’m grateful for the opportunity that I got to do it and that it pushed me to keep on going. But at the same time, I know that it’s rare for a 15 year old to do such a thing. I still believe that if you do something out of will and pure desire, it doesn't matter if it’s during Stockholm Fashion Week or for a couple of friends in your living room, it is what keeps you going forward.

    How do you think your designs have changed since creating the Iggy jeans brand when you were 15?
    When I was 15 I worked more with patterns and not the jeans in context to a person or story. Now I think more about who will wear my things, who I want that person to be, and how I’m styling the clothes I make. I’ve created a bigger story in my mind of how the world of Iggy Jeans is and all that comes with it.

    Can you elaborate on what you envision this “bigger story” of Iggy Jeans to be?
    Gosh, that's such a complex question. I have this note on my phone, which is like four pages long, just explaining who this person is. It's a person that's gender neutral, but in some way plays so much with femininity and being a young girl that is verging on being a grown up but still has this rebellious side. She has this super classic, basic wardrobe, but she wants to do something much more crazy. So she picks up her grandfather's old jeans and, you know, does something with them but pairs them with a trench coat. So it's this kind of attitude and lifestyle of not caring too much about what other people think. But at the same time, everything that comes with being a young woman is what I'm thinking that the Iggy Jeans girl is.

    Do you think denim is always going to be your main thing?
    That's what I feel like now, but I don't know. I don't know if it will always be. But I think that is definitely my biggest interest, just because of the versatility. Everybody has a pair of jeans, it's the first thing you get when you're like, seven, eight years old. You get a pair of jeans. So everybody has them throughout their life. I'm taking something that comes from such a background of being workwear that doesn't always have a fashion aspect, doesn't at all have, at the beginning, any meaning other than to be practical. So that's what I find interesting with it, and probably why I only like denim.

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  • BREITLING NAVITIMER 32 & 36

    Written by Jahwanna Berglund

    To mark the debut of Breitling's latest additions, Navitimer 32 & 36, Breitling together with Grau Studio, organized an exclusive dinner at Restaurant Petri in Stockholm, inviting close friends and associates of the brand.

    The Navitimer is one of the most recognizable watches ever made. It’s on collectors’ lists of the greatest watches of all time. What began in 1952 as a tool for pilots has gone on to mean something profound to every single person who has had this timepiece along on their personal journey.

    Now Breitling introduces two new additions to the Navitimer collection, in new 36- and 32-mm sizes for people who love the look and feel of a smaller diameter watch. But these showstoppers have so much more to offer than just their trim new sizes. Pops of pastel, mother-of-pearl, and traceable precious materials combine with the Navitimer’s distinct beaded bezel to create timepieces with a jewelry-like appeal—giving the legendary navigational watch a versatile elegance that’s ready for wherever the journey takes you.

    The campaign for the Navitimer 36 and 32 stars Academy Award-winning actor Charlize Theron who shares the personal journey that took her from remote South Africa to the international A-list. Theron’s NAVITIMERFOR THE JOURNEY campaign is part of an intimate series told by Breitling’s brand ambassadors in their own words.

    You can spot someone from across a room and know they are wearing a Navitimer. It’s just that recognizable,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern. “Charlize Theron so wonderfully represents this line because she too is an icon known the world over for her strength, beauty, talent, and powerful journey.”

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