Feels like one of those quiet inflection points that only looks obvious after the dust settles. YSE Beauty just closed a $15M Series A, and if this still reads as “celebrity skincare” to you, the mirror is lying. This is about wisdom, spelled YSE, pronounced “wise,” and engineered for women who have zero patience for noise and a very high bar for proof. Molly Sims did not wake up one morning chasing glow. She spent 3+ years battling hyperpigmentation, stresstesting hundreds of formulas, and learning exactly what works when the stakes are your own skin.
Founded in April 2023 and based in Los Angeles, YSE Beauty went straight at a customer most of the industry politely ignores while quietly cashing her checks. Gen X women, 35+, represent ~25% of U.S. beauty spend and bring receipts, standards, and memory. YSE met them with clinically tested, hero-driven products and a routine that respects real life. Exfoliate, brighten, glow, then move on. No 12-step rituals, no trend cosplay, no wasted time.
The metrics speak clean and loud. 120% YoY revenue growth in 2025. 43% customer return rate. 108% YoY customer acquisition growth. A Sephora launch in June 2025 that put YSE Beauty online and into 361 U.S. doors, with expectations to triple retail-driven sales. A DTC engine that keeps compounding, powered by Lipstick on the Rim, co-hosted by Molly Sims and Emese Gormley, where community is not a buzzword, it is the business model.
Silas Capital led the round, with Brian Thorne backing a brand that understands clinical rigor and storytelling are teammates, not rivals. L Catterton joined with global perspective and long memory in prestige beauty. Returning investors Willow Growth Partners, led by Deborah Benton and Amanda Schutzbank, and Halogen Ventures, founded by Jesse Draper, leaned back in because disciplined growth leaves fingerprints. The capital is going where it counts: nationwide Sephora expansion, accelerated product development, and scaling e-commerce without breaking trust.
YSE Beauty is not loud. It is precise. Built by a founder who tests everything herself, listens before speaking, and understands that simplicity is earned. A projected ~$30M in 2026 revenue is the headline some will chase. The real signal is a prestige brand proving that results, restraint, and wisdom still win when the audience knows exactly what she is looking at.
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