Picture-Illustration: by The Minimize; Images: Getty Photos, Leaked Labs
The net magnificence neighborhood isn’t any stranger to controversy. (If you happen to’re an OG member, flashbacks to all of the Dramageddons of YouTube and the “Bye Sister” video from Tati Westbrook are in all probability taking part in in your thoughts.) 2026 is experiencing one in every of its huge ones proper now, and it has to do with TikTok darlings Alexis Androulakis and Dr. Christina Basias Androulakis — also referred to as the Lipstick Lesbians — and their newly launched magnificence model, Leaked Labs. All of it includes lasagna-inspired eyeshadows, confused prospects, and a “State of the Union” tackle that doesn’t appear to have gone to plan. If you happen to’ve had your telephone Bricked (good for you!) and do not know what’s occurring, let me break it down for you.
Alexis Androulakis and Dr. Christina Basias Androulakis are married enterprise companions who went viral on social media when Basias Androulakis (who has a Ph.D. in digital training) started filming Androulakis (a product developer) as she shared insider information about magnificence formulation and packaging. Presently, the couple has 1.2 million followers on TikTok and 559,000 on Instagram.
Leaked Labs is the Lipstick Lesbians’ newest model. (It seems additionally they had a model known as Fempower Magnificence, which shuttered late final yr.) Moderately than launch full-fledged merchandise with remaining formulation and packaging, the model “leaks” restricted portions of prototypes from product producers that, for no matter purpose, haven’t been picked up by one other model but. The concept is that the model’s prospects would then check the lab samples and share their suggestions, serving to form and decide the destiny of every product. As a substitute of customers ready years for a model to convey improvements to market, this mannequin is supposed to present them entry to the event course of.
@thelipsticklesbians
Earlier than it was Leak 1.0 v1, it was an experiment sitting at an Italian lab that no one needed to take a danger on. It was our understanding that it was TOO conceptual. TOO totally different. TOO onerous to coach on… The second we noticed it, we knew you magnificence queens wanted to expertise it. 👀 It was a versatile powder sheet, engineered and impressed by pasta-making. Layering. Urgent. Drying. The identical inspiration that creates completely supple lasagna grew to become the start of a blueprint for a subsequent technology pigment that bends, amplifies its depth with liquid, and reforms again to its unique state. That is what we prefer to name the duality of a dehydrated emulsion. Extra on that quickly… And so we traveled to Italy to know the manufacturing philosophy that made Amplify Flexi Powder potential. Leak 1.0 v1, Amplify Flexi Powder, coming quickly on 3.6 #make-up #BeautyTok #thelipsticklesbians #leakedlabs #beautyproductdevelopment
♬ unique sound – The Lipstick Lesbians
On March 6, the model launched Leak 001: Amplify Flexi Powder. Described by Androulakis as “the world’s first versatile powder” and supposedly impressed by “completely supple lasagna,” the product is a water-activated “pigment disc” that feels type of like al dente pasta (due to a seaweed-derived polymer) and is available in 4 colours: pink, bronze, silver, and gold. Though you’re supposed to have the ability to use the disc dry for a light-weight shimmer impact, you’ll get extra of a full-pigment, metallic end by wetting it with water or wetting spray and swiping it instantly onto your face. As a result of it’s round, you possibly can simply wrap it round your finger to make the appliance simpler. And as you utilize the product, it’ll get smaller and smaller till it will definitely disintegrates. To get in on the testing course of, prospects have been in a position to purchase a small tin during which all 4 shades have been stacked collectively (weighing 0.07 ounces whole) for $34 plus no less than $6.25 in transport. The product offered out the day it launched.
@thelipsticklesbians
Typically it is advisable get forward of the leak with a purpose to management your personal narrative. A brand new mannequin of magnificence is on the horizon, magnificence queens!! Did you actually suppose we’d simply launch one other influencer model? Extra on @leakedlabs quickly. 👀 Your first trace: The way forward for pigment is FLEXIBLE make-up beautytok thelipsticklesbians beautyproductdevelopment leakedlabs
♬ unique sound – The Lipstick Lesbians
At first, the Lipstick Lesbians’ viewers appeared excited in regards to the new model. Feedback below one of many Leaked Labs announcement movies, which was filmed like a press convention, have been by and huge optimistic — unsurprising, since their followers have seen Androulakis check numerous magnificence merchandise and show her seemingly encyclopedic information in regards to the trade. Followers commented issues like “You don’t perceive how completely satisfied I’m” and “Can I purchase inventory?! Belief you guys with my life.”
However because the influencers started releasing demonstrations of Amplify Flexi Powder, the overall sentiment took a flip. In a TikTok, Androulakis swiped the discs onto her brow and throughout her cheeks to indicate how they utilized each moist and dry — which appeared to trigger some confusion. One of many high feedback, with over 10,000 likes, reads, “What’s the purpose? To have my arms additional soiled by the point I’m executed?” Others expressed that they weren’t followers of the colours, and a few have been involved that the product felt like a “gimmick” or that it could not keep hygienic over time due to how a lot contact it has together with your arms, pores and skin, and liquids.
In the meantime, on Reddit, the criticism started early with customers balking on the idea itself. “So, let me get this straight, they’ll launch formulation which can be thought-about unpopular or dangerous by huge manufacturers, in order that we as customers purchase them and provides them suggestions about it?” wrote consumer MrsBridgerton below a submit in regards to the model in r/BeautyGuruChatter. “So we might be PAYING to do the market analysis for this [company] whereas everybody else earnings? Oh hell no.” Underneath one other submit within the sub-Reddit, consumer dryloaf questioned what the “innovation” needed to supply common make-up customers. “What is that this consistency supposed to supply us when it comes to coloration payoff, efficiency or ease of utilization?” they requested. “As a result of in all of the movies they’ve proven the colour payoff was ghastly, which is insane to suppose since shimmers normally present up method simpler.” One other commenter, glowgirl1111, didn’t mince phrases: “I really feel like her model goes to find WHY these merchandise have been deserted,” they wrote.
Longtime magnificence YouTuber Jen Luv additionally posted an in-depth evaluate of the product on March 12. Though she loved the impact of the method as soon as utilized and favored that it was travel-friendly, she famous that the discs might develop into harder to make use of as they get thinner and that the appliance course of was messy. “I can’t think about utilizing these on trip in a useful method and having fun with that course of, with having to do the setting spray and all — completely not,” she stated. “The very last thing I need to do on trip is make a large number.” She concluded that Amplify Flexi Powder was in the end much less handy to make use of than your common powder product. “Ultimately, it’s my opinion that there’s a purpose why these by no means got here to market earlier than,” she added. “It doesn’t fill any type of hole for the client; it’s solely making issues more durable. It’s overcomplicating one thing that works effective.”
@thelipsticklesbians
Magnificence queens … or ought to we are saying @leakedlabs beta baddies 😏🧪 We’ve seen the questions on Flexi and sanitization – which is smart, since this powder is a brand new format to the market and desires extra training! To elucidate this a bit deeper, we phoned a good friend, our chemist bestie Julio (20+ years in beauty chemistry). Here is the deal: 〰️ From a hygiene standpoint, utilizing Flexi isn’t any totally different than dipping your finger into a standard powder or eyeshadow compact. The format is new, however the method behaves like different powders designed for finger software. 〰️ He confirmed that like most beauty merchandise, Flexi went by way of strict security and stability testing earlier than launch, together with a 28-day Microbial Problem Take a look at confirming the preservative system can stop microbial progress throughout regular use. All Leaks comply with the usual testing for cosmetics to make sure security. Essential to notice, that whereas Leaked Labs innovation could also be early in its lifecycle, each Leak remains to be a completely completed beauty product that has handed trade security testing earlier than reaching your arms. 🙌 TLDR: Flexi was formulated and examined to be protected. We admire all of the questions round this – curiosity is a part of the Leak Cycle. 👀🧪 #leakedlabs #productdevelopment #make-up #beautytok #thelipsticklesbians
♬ unique sound – The Lipstick Lesbians
They posted a collection of movies: one during which Androulakis demonstrated the best way to use the discs moist, one other during which they known as a beauty chemist to handle the hygiene considerations and assert that the method was completely safety-tested earlier than launch, and one, posted three days in the past, that was formatted as a “State of the Union” tackle meant to quell individuals’s major considerations. In response to the query “Why am I paying to check and supply suggestions for an unfinished product?,” the Lipstick Lesbians replied that the discs have been really completed merchandise and that buyers really weren’t paying to do the model’s homework. “You’re paying to take part in magnificence’s largest public focus group that’s being documented,” Androulakis stated. Basias Androulakis added that what they needed to do was instantly ship producers’ “completed items” to customers to check with out all of the additional tailoring that manufacturers normally do. “However relaxation assured, Leaked Lab’s merchandise are protected to make use of, go all cosmetics and regulatory testing, prepared for launch, and hygienic to you,” she defined.
The couple went on to debate the model’s future, asserting that “nobody actually is aware of” the way it would possibly evolve however that they need to proceed “[rescuing] merchandise that deserve the highlight.” Androulakis additionally invited different magnificence manufacturers to check future improvements with prospects by way of Leaked Labs.
The final query was, nicely, “Is Flexi a gimmick?” To that, Androulakis requested again, “If you need this product for use the best way you’ve used all of your different powder merchandise, is it actually modern? It’s actually only a query of ‘Is it price it to discover?’” The 2 then went on to check the product to the invention of the selfie digicam in addition to the method of realizing you’re a lesbian. “Take me, for instance,” Androulakis stated. “I solely dated males till I attempted a lady, and boy, was I shocked.” Basias Androulakis adopted that with, “You could be versatile.”
Customers had three major complaints about that final TikTok. Some claimed that focus teams are nearly all the time paid to check a product — versus paying to attempt them. Others took concern with the tone of the video, which some known as “aggressive.” “This made it worse,” one remark learn. “No want to speak all the way down to us.” Lastly, many identified that the model was getting precisely what it requested for — suggestions — and that they have been confused by the Lipstick Lesbians’ response to these trustworthy critiques. “‘You simply don’t get it’ because the response to poor suggestions is an fascinating option to make,” a consumer commented. Jen Luvs adopted up on her evaluate with one other YouTube video reacting to the “State of the Union” that echoed that sentiment. “This video was primarily saying, ‘We don’t need suggestions like that,’” she stated. “And to me that exhibits that they weren’t searching for suggestions in any respect. They have been searching for validation.”
The Lipstick Lesbians had cross-posted the video onto their Instagram web page, the place it appears to have gotten a barely hotter welcome and extra optimistic high feedback, like “Excellent response 👏 i like what you women are doing. That is really thrilling!!” However clearly, the duo is studying all of the reactions, each good and dangerous. Yesterday, they commented on an announcement below the Reel. “Hello everybody,” they started. “Firstly we see you and we hear you and we’re genuinely sorry this video missed the mark on tone. It was definitely NOT our intention in any respect.” They went on to clarify that they’re mid-travel however promised to make yet one more video “to handle some recurring considerations we’re seeing in these remark sections.”
Now, is that this little web kerfuffle the top of Leaked Labs? In all probability not. Contemplating the primary batch of merchandise offered out, there’s clearly an viewers for this kind of factor, and to customers who need to really feel like they’re part of the product-development course of, it’s definitely an intriguing idea. However it’s in all probability going to take lots of training, prospects who’re keen to pay a premium for lab samples, and the fitting advertising strategy for the Lipstick Lesbians to win again most of the people. I say this with love: It could be time to return to the lab, women.
Keep in contact.
The most recent in model, self, tradition, and energy in your inbox.
Vox Media, LLC Phrases and Privateness Discover