Hola Sugarcups, say hi to Lemontini!

Summer is officially summering in London, and guess who just dropped the zestiest lip tint of the season? Yep, Hailey Beiber’s Lemontini is here to serve citrus, shimmer, and serious main character energy all in one glossy yellow tube.

Hydration? Check. Vitamin C vibes? Double check. It’s giving “cocktail on the lips, SPF on the cheeks, and zero time for dullness. Hailey Bieber’s Rhode has just launched a new Peptide Lip Tint called Lemontini. It smells like a lemon drop martini which, frankly, is the closest most of us are getting to a beach holiday this summer. But beyond the glossy yellow packaging and the cheeky towel-clad campaign, there’s a much bigger story brewing here. And as someone who’s spent the last decade consulting on brand partnerships and marketing strategy, I’m here to tell you: this is so much more than a lip-balm, it is brand evolution, consumer psychology, and post-acquisition momentum.

Rhode’s New Lemontini Lip Tint Is The Future of Beauty Space

Rhode’s taken their existing lip tint formula (and no, not another glazed donut selfie, but already a cult favourite, mind you) and zhuzhed it up with a limited-edition twist: Lemontini. Think salted caramel and watermelon’s sassier, sun-kissed cousin.

The Product Play Let’s break it down like a proper post-campaign debrief: 

- Packaging: Glossy yellow tube. Screams “poolside Aperol spritz” but make it Gen Z. 
- Formula: Same peptide-rich hydration cocktail with amino acids, vitamin E, shea butter, but now with a sheer golden shimmer that says “I’ve just come back from Mykonos” even if you’ve only made it to Brighton. 
- Price Point: $20. Accessible luxury. Rhode’s sweet spot.

And here’s the kicker… they’re sunsetting the original six tints and four peptide treatments in August. Bold move. But it’s a classic scarcity-meets-refresh strategy. Keeps the SKUs lean, the hype high, and the customers clicking “add to cart” like it’s a reflex.

The Campaign Execution: Now, if I talk creative. Hailey’s perched seaside, balancing a martini glass on her head like she’s just emerged from a Vogue editorial and a hen do simultaneously. Wrapped in a yellow towel, lip tint in hand, it’s giving “effortless post-beach goddess,” but with a wink. The visuals are drenched in sun and self-awareness. It’s was more than a product launch, but a  lifestyle vignette. And let’s be honest, the madame Hailey knows her audience.

The Product: Lemontini as a Strategic Signal All this comes hot on the heels of Rhode’s $1 billion acquisition by E.l.f. Beauty. So yes, there’s capital to burn and market share to claim. The Lemontini drop is less about the tint and more about momentum. Gone is the grainy texture some users flagged; in comes a smoother, more luxurious glide thanks to a switch from solid to liquid shea butter

The Bigger Picture: Post-Acquisition Acceleration Let’s rewind to May 2025. E.l.f. Beauty acquired Rhode for a cool $1 billion. Why? Because Rhode had already clocked $212 million in net sales, doubled its consumer base, and topped the charts in Earned Media Value with a 367% YoY growth. That’s not just impressive; that’s unicorn-level velocity.

E.l.f. didn’t just buy a brand. They bought:
> A hyper-engaged Gen Z audience
> A minimalist, high-performance product line
> A founder with cultural capital and a direct line to TikTok virality
And now? They’re scaling it. Fast.

Fashion Meets Function: The Accessory Play Rhode isn’t just selling skincare. They’re selling a lifestyle. The viral belly chain that doubles as a lip tint holder. Is it practical? It’s debatable. Is it culturally sensitive? That’s another conversation. But is it strategic? Absolutely. This is Rhode building a universe, one where your lip gloss has a home, your mist has a magnet, and your aesthetic is curated down to the last accessory. It’s Y2K nostalgia meets modern minimalism, and it’s working.

Trend Watch: The Rise of “Skinwear” Here’s what the data’s telling us:
> Hybrid products (skincare + makeup) are dominating the beauty space
> Gen Z consumers are prioritising ingredient transparency and efficacy
> “Slow beauty” which means fewer, better products gaining traction
Rhode’s peptide-powered lip tints, blushes, and mists hit all three. They’re not just riding the wave, they’re shaping it.

Quick Takeaways: Whether you’re in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, or even AI; here’s what you should be clocking from this launch:

Insight	Why It Matters
Product as Persona	Rhode’s products aren’t just functional but they’re extensions of identity. Think beyond utility.
Post-Acquisition Agility	E.l.f. didn’t slow Rhode down, in-fact they turbocharged it. Keep your brand nimble, even at scale.
Community-Driven Innovation	The formula upgrade came from user feedback. Build feedback loops into your product lifecycle.
Aesthetic Ecosystems	Navigating belly chains to blushes, Rhode is building a world. Don’t sell products; sell a universe.
Social-First Storytelling	Every campaign is a meme waiting to happen. If your content isn’t shareable, it’s forgettable.

It’s a signal to the market by Rhode: “We’re not just playing in the skincare sandbox. We’re building the whole beach.” And while Hailey’s off sipping martinis, The brand’s also been busy launching a face mist with Harris Dickinson (yes, him from Babygirl). The contrast? Hailey’s campaign is all colour and cheek; Harris’s is moody, monochrome, and misty. It’s a clever duality, two aesthetics, one brand.

Final Take From a brand partnerships, hack these strategies:
> Seasonal relevance (summer cocktail, summer drop – check
> Product lifecycle management (sunset the old, spotlight the new)
> Visual storytelling (cheeky, aspirational, and on-brand)
> Strategic diversification (skincare, lip care, now mists, Rhode’s building a full-stack beauty ecosystem)

So, if you’re in the business of building brands that stick or just fancy a lip tint that smells like holiday and hydration; Lemontini’s worth a look. And if you’re not? Well, at least now you’ve got a solid strategy to name-drop at your next pitch meeting.

Cheers to that!

Until next post, 
Love
Jasmin