Just when I was ready to shout about my new DI*Klipstick from Isamaya, they pulled a plot twist that changed everything I admired. I was obsessed with every new drop, until the last one…
Instead of the wild, conversation-starting energy that made Isamaya so addictive, they introduced the Core Collection, a lineup of minimalist, simple shapes inspired by lab aesthetic. No shock factor. No bold statement pieces. Just…normal.
Isamaya’s DNA has always been about provocation, making a statement, and dropping collections that feel like a subcultural fever dream—BDSM aesthetics, wild girly rockstars, cowgirl fantasies. The kind of beauty that demands attention.
And it worked. The brand achieved impressive financial success in its first year, hitting seven-figure revenues, according to Ffrench herself. That means at least $1 million in sales, no small feat for an independent beauty brand.
So, what happened? Did the audience fail to buy into beauty as collectible art?
Here’s why we think things shifted:
- The fanbase loves the brand’s aesthetic but isn’t necessarily buying it. Plenty of admiration, but just as many abandoned shopping carts.
- Producing avant-garde beauty takes time—multiple iterations can delay launches. And from what Isamaya herself has shared in interviews, she’s involved in every stage of the process, which adds even more complexity.
- Statement pieces like DI*K Lipstick (around $90) are often bought solo, while mainstream beauty brands move full-face kits (4-6 items per order), making their sales strategy more profitable.
The new strategy is clear: streamlined production, same price with higher margins, and a stronger emphasis on formulas.
But here’s the problem: I don’t want generic. Sure, the quality might be great, but my love for Isamaya was about the shock factor, the punk attitude that felt like a statement.
I get the logic of having a basic line, something more people can afford. But if your brand is built on provocation, you have to commit to it. Think couture brands, they drop wild collections just for the buzz, even if they don’t sell out.
While Isamaya’s iconic pieces have faded into the past, let’s take a look back at some of the most collectible creations—beauty as art, at its finest.
Industrial: beauty with bdsm edge
Debuting 2022, Industrial cemented Isamaya Beauty's reputation as disruptor. Embraced visual language of BDSM, pierced product caps, mascara wrapped in black rubber, 3D-printed sculpted naked torso. This collection challenged traditional beauty standards, embracing raw, mechanical aesthetic.
Branded as "unadulterated freedom and individuality," it wasn't designed for mainstream. It was for those who treat makeup as extension of identity rather than just finishing touch.
Isamaya Ffrench, BOF: "I think in a way my brand has never been just about the makeup. It's more about engaging with a concept or an idea or a dream or fantasy in the same way I suppose that fashion's always allowed you to do that world building. And in the same way that maybe BDSM or a subculture does that. And, so, what I've always tried to do with my makeup and the storytelling is to go beyond."
The Industrial collection didn't sell makeup. It sold subcultural participation. The 3D-printed torso mascara wasn't just packaging. It was signal: I understand BDSM aesthetic language, I participate in communities valuing freedom and individuality over conventional beauty. That's brand as tribal identifier, not cosmetics company.
Strategic pattern: Avant-garde beauty brands function as cultural gatekeepers rather than product manufacturers. Isamaya's Industrial collection (BDSM aesthetics, pierced caps, 3D-printed torso) signals subcultural fluency to target audience. Purchase isn't about mascara formula, it's about participating in identity tribe valuing transgressive aesthetics. This creates passionate fanbase but limits addressable market. You're selling to people who identify with subculture, not people who need mascara.
Wild star: rhinestones, gold, unapologetic excess
Launched late 2022, Wild Star took Isamaya Beauty into Western-inspired glam. Rhinestones, gold accents, suede textures made this collection love letter to kitsch, excess, unapologetic self-expression.
It wasn't just about cowboy aesthetics, it was full-throttle ride into world where beauty meets spectacle, embracing fantasy of frontier glamour with extravagant twist. The Wild Star aesthetic works because it's committed maximalism. Not apologizing for excess. Not toning down rhinestones or gold or suede. Full send into cowgirl fantasy territory.
This is what made Isamaya distinctive. Each collection inhabited complete aesthetic world. BDSM Industrial. Cowgirl excess. Not mixing. Not hedging. Total commitment to single vision per launch.
Lips: when beauty gets bold with anatomical accuracy
In early 2023, Isamaya Beauty didn’t just release a lipstick, it made a statement. The LIPS collection featured sleek, anatomically correct cock’n’balls chrome case, instantly turning heads and selling out in no time.
Captured through Zhong Lin’s lens, the campaign blurred the lines between beauty, art, and rebellion. Beyond aesthetics, Isamaya Beauty backed it up with a donation to Planned Parenthood, reinforcing its stance on sexual and reproductive rights.
The DI*K Lipstick at $90 sold out not because of formula superiority but because of cultural positioning. It became collectible art object, political statement, conversation piece. People bought it to signal values (sexual freedom, reproductive rights, rejection of conventional beauty norms).
That's provocation strategy working perfectly. Product generates media coverage, social conversation, brand awareness far exceeding paid advertising budget. Single product does work of entire marketing campaign.
Isamaya Ffrench, BOF: "People called it a risk, but I really believed that we were at the right time culturally, societally to do a product like that. Now more than ever, with gender politics at the forefront of a lot of conversations in fashion and beauty, and abortion laws in America and nudity on TV, sexuality and gender is a big topic because ultimately it relates to your personal identity. And I think, more than ever, people are trying to really take ownership of that. So, it just felt like the right time to do a dick."
Isamaya knows true innovation comes from collaboration. Teaming up with industry experts like FaceGym and Lashify ensures Isamaya Beauty delivers game-changing products. These partnerships blend cutting-edge technology with pro-level expertise, pushing beauty beyond ordinary.
FaceGym collaboration (tools 2024) and Lashify partnership (Silver Cushion Fuse Control Wand 2024) demonstrate strategic thinking. Isamaya brings brand aesthetic and cultural credibility. Partners bring technical expertise and manufacturing capability.
This is smart for independent brand with limited resources. You can't develop every product category in-house. Partner with specialists who already solved technical problems, then add your brand DNA to their expertise.
Core: basic shapes, formula-focused minimalism
New CORE COLLECTION takes inspiration from sleek, clinical world of lab injections, like Substance movie vibes. Nod to sculpting essentials Isamaya relied on both backstage in professional work and personal makeup kit.
Focus here is functionality, with products built around active ingredient core, blending skincare benefits with high-performance makeup. Wide range of sculpting shades and tones allows seamless, natural skin enhancement.
Unlike previous creativity-driven drops, this collection leans into product performance and ingredients, almost as if team convinced Isamaya to tone it down this time.
The strategic logic is clear:
- Streamlined production (no 3D-printed torsos, no anatomical chrome cases, no rhinestone-covered packaging)
- Higher margins at same price points (simpler manufacturing, fewer iterations)
- Multi-item purchase potential (sculpting shades work together as system, encouraging 3-4 item orders vs single statement piece)
- Broader addressable market (people who want good makeup, not just subcultural participants)
This isn't why people fell in love with Isamaya. Believing commercial viability requires abandoning brand DNA that created original differentiation. Isamaya's shift from provocation (BDSM Industrial, anatomical LIPS) to streamlined basics (Core Collection lab aesthetic) solves profitability challenges (higher margins, multi-item purchases, faster production) but risks alienating fanbase built on shock factor and subcultural fluency. Couture fashion proves alternative model exists: wild collections for buzz and brand building, commercial lines for revenue. Completely replacing provocation with practicality erases the spark creating original fan loyalty.
What we're seeing: Core Collection 2025 shift to minimalist lab-inspired basics represents strategic response to profitability pressure—streamlined production, higher margins, multi-item potential, broader market. Question remains whether brand can retain rebellious spirit creating original differentiation while embracing commercially viable path, or if safety erodes spark making Isamaya distinctive.
July 2, 2025
.png)