Twenty-three years after staking a claim to pared-back California cool, Jenni Kayne has created a world that is fully immersive. From the designer’s cult-favorite soft knits to the furniture and homeware lines she added in 2017 featuring supple bedding and sleek furniture in soothing neutrals, the Jenni Kayne universe makes you feel as if you’re stepping into a Nancy Meyers movie. Oak Essentials, the beauty line Kayne launched in 2021, provides yet another touchpoint to her brand of uncomplicated, quality essentials.
“For as long as I’ve known her, every- one wants to know what [Jenni] uses on her skin,” says Lauren Harris, a Jenni Kayne veteran who became CEO of Oak Essentials last year. As the story goes, Kayne’s favorite face balm was discontinued, so she decided to create her own version of the ultra-moisturizing, clean formula—a rich, melting salve with a base of skin-softening cocoa butter and smoothing sea buckthorn oil. A cleansing balm, hydrating mist, face oil, and restorative mask soon followed, providing her customers with a full, spa- like experience. Those customers turned out in droves. Last fall, Harris helped close a round of growth funding to expand Oak Essentials as a standalone brand—and in Ulta stores.
But the proof of concept was there: The offerings are enjoyed—and heavily shared—by the top clients and influencers invited to Kayne’s hyper-curated spaces (including her eponymous farmhouse and Oak Wellness Club in Tivoli, New York) that all but force you to respect the holistic lifestyle the brand is designed to support. “We’re excited to begin introducing more performance-driven products,” Harris says, revealing what she and Kayne are targeting next, including Oak Essentials’ new barrier-supporting Firming Plant Peptide Serum, launched last month. You can almost picture the soft-white glass bottle sitting on one of the blonde- wood finishes in Kayne’s experiential destinations as your skin soaks up its plumping marine plankton, which, of course, is precisely the point.
Taken from 10 Magazine USA Issue 04 – MUSIC, TALENT, CREATIVE – on newsstands now. Order your copy here.
