Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Beauty Finally Lands in Australia – Here’s Everything You Need To Know

When Rhode announced last month it was finally coming to Australia, it surprised no one in the beauty industry. Rumours had been circling for the better part of a year. The only real surprise? The speed.

Today, the Hailey Bieber-founded skincare line lands online at Mecca and its flagship stores – on George Street in Sydney and Bourke Street in Melbourne – before rolling out to other stores on February 13.

That’s just over three years since Rhode launched in 2022, and a mere three months after debuting in Sephora UK. For context, it took Glossier a decade to launch in Australia, by which point the cult US beauty brand’s hype had softened to a murmur.

Rhode’s entry here makes sense; the brand says Australians rank first in total subscribers on its international waitlist.

From the outset, Rhode has kept its offering tight, launching with three products: the Peptide Glazing fluid, the Barrier Restore cream and the Peptide lip treatment. Each strategically tapped into key beauty trends of 2022 – K-beauty-inspired glass skin, a focus on skin barrier health, and the buzziest ingredient of the decade: peptides.

Celebrity beauty brands are ubiquitous these days. In Rhode’s case, the products hold up.  Prominent American cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, whose CV spans major beauty players like L’Oreal and Estee Lauder, develops the formulations. The products are accessible in price, use high-quality ingredients and focus on hydration and barrier strength – two elements currently dominating the skincare conversation.

Of course, Hailey Bieber is the brand’s most potent marketing lever, with her 56-million-strong Instagram following, and a viral, sticky catchphrase for the look she is selling: “Glazed doughnut skin”.

She’s also got seasoned retail and beauty executives in the c-suite. Co-founder and president Lauren Ratner cut her teeth in marketing for fashion labels including Michael Kors and Reformation, and CEO Nick Vlahos, appointed in 2024, was formerly at The Honest Company, Jessica Alba’s beauty and baby products business. Vlahos was integral to Rhode’s billion-dollar sale to Elf Beauty last year. 

The range now spans more than 10 skincare and make-up “hybrids” (make-up with skincare ingredients), alongside merch and its viral lip gloss-holding phone case. Having tried almost all of them, these are my thoughts.

The heroes

Glazing Milk, $55

The Glazing Milk is a bestseller, with good reason. You may never have used a post-cleansing product (like a toner or essence), but this will have you rethink that. Milky in texture, it really does leave your skin noticeably moisturised, prepped and glowy. I love it layered under serum and moisturiser for deep hydration.

Peptide Lip Tint, $35

This actually lives up to its virality. The Peptide lip tint walks the line between aesthetics and function. It offers hydration with a sheer wash of colour that’s just enough to feel polished. It’s also incredibly high-gloss, delivering shine without tackiness.  

Pocket Blush, $43

I wasn’t especially excited to try the Pocket blush (mostly because I own an embarrassing amount of blushes) but the MO for these is a natural-looking flush that melts into the skin. And it does make your cheeks look naturally, perfectly flushed. Creamy and lightweight, it blends easily with a satin, not glossy finish. Plus, it works across lips, too.

The nice-to-haves

The Peptide Glazing fluid ($55) is a solid hydrating gel-serum and layers well with the Glazing Milk. The Barrier Restore cream ($55) would be a good choice for drier skin types and has a potent ingredient list which includes niacinamide, peptides and bisabolol – a natural compound derived from chamomile said to calm and soothe the skin. And the Peptide Lip Shape ($41) is a lip-contouring crayon that adds definition, if that’s your thing.

Next on my list to try

The Glazing mist, $52

This hydrating face spray has an impressive ingredients list including ectoin, ceramides and glycerin – all hydration heavyweights.

Caffeine Reset Sculpting cream mask, $66

Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it temporarily narrows blood vessels to reduce puffiness and redness. We often see it in eye creams, but I’m interested in the whole-face effect here.

@rhode

@meccabeauty

Sarah Tarca is a journalist, editor and the co-founder of Gloss Etc, a weekly beauty newsletter by two of Australia’s top beauty editors.