Wonderskin CEO Michael Malinsky on turning a viral product into a thriving beauty brand

Michael Malinsky’s 6-year-old brand Wonderskin could have easily become a one-hit wonder.  Wonderskin launched in 2020 with a peel-off lip stain that immediately went viral on TikTok for its metallic blue formula and social media-friendly reveal. Since launch, the brand has sold more than 6 million units of the $22 Wonder Blading Lip Stain Peel-Off Mask, according to Malinsky.  “The unique visual ‘wow factor’ helped us tremendously in capturing attention, but just standing out is a small part [of success],” Malinsky said. “Delivering curiosity, entertainment and ultimately the desire to try a product is what we spent the first two years of the business really honing in on.”  In fact, Wonderskin’s viral success took years to build. “Our virality curve wasn't instant and up into the right; it was a slow-building momentum while we figured out the right messaging, the right visuals, the right branding, the right communications, the right packaging, the right pricing,” he said. “Only when we were very, very confident in the complete package were we more comfortable in activating the bigger partnerships and shouting a little bit more loudly about our product.”  As early adopters of TikTok Shop and live selling, Wonderskin leveraged seller tools to grow an online community and saw a 328% increase in return on ad spend, plus a 182% increase in click-through rate, according to a TikTok case study on the brand.  “The digital entrepreneurs’ anxiety is always there, because whenever something is working well in digital, there's always the concept of the half-life, because at some point, it will be less efficient. At some point, it will be less viral,” Malinsky said. But what happened next could be considered the more novel part of Wonderskin’s rise: The brand successfully launched into several more categories, including eye and complexion; took on $50 million in funding led by Insight Partners; and launched into traditional retail with Sephora.  This growth is partially fueled by Malinsky’s data-first approach to performance marketing, including a test-and-learn philosophy to new product launches. "We are confident and comfortable enough to move away from things that don't work," he said. Wonderskin’s sales revenue grew by 300% in 2023 and 2024, and in 2025, the brand did more than $125 million in revenue, according to Malinksy. Today, Wonderskin sells DTC and through Amazon and TikTok Shop, plus Sephora, Boots, Nordstrom and Revolve.  Malinsky joined the Glossy Beauty Podcast to discuss the challenges in turning a viral product into a full-fledged beauty brand, including learnings along the way and advice for fueling the fire behind a viral product.