Marie von Behrens-Felipe Wants to Influence Your Skincare Routine
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If you count yourself among model Marie von Behrens-Felipe’s one million-plus Instagram followers, chances are you’re already familiar with her streamlined, quiet-luxury fashion aesthetic.
Today, von Behrens-Felipe is extending that same elevated lens into the beauty space with the release of Sonsie, her first-ever skincare range. “My skincare journey has been a long one,” she tells Bazaar.com. “I started struggling with my skin as a teenager; my concerns began with milia under my eyes—which is genetic—and many hormonal breakouts around my chin and forehead. I was self-critical, and always wanted to find the causes behind my issues.”
To help others build routines that are minimal but still as effective as possible, von Behrens-Felipe formulated each Sonsie product as vegan, and without ingredients like sulfates, parabens, and silicones. The brand even meets or exceeds the intensive standards set by the European Union.
The model and her husband are also awaiting a new addition to their family on the heels of Sonsie’s release, an experience von Behrens-Felipe says has directly affected her routine and rotation of beauty favorites. “Since pregnancy, I’ve started breaking out again,” she explains. “It’s part of being human—we all have hormonal, changing bodies, and that’s beautiful. I’ve learned to embrace it while also taking the best possible care of my health. I have gotten to know my skin so much better, but I’ve also learned that the perfect skin I used to strive for is not realistic.”
While Sonsie was created over the course of two years as a no-fuss option to help its users manage common skin issues, like dryness and irritation, the line is also a reflection of what the influencer has learned about beauty and lifestyle over the years. “Sonsie was built on the idea of simplifying our lives in positive, healthy ways and creating meaningful connections—stripping things down and going back to basics,” she says. The brand is shaped around three core tenets: progress over perfection to move intentionally toward goals; less is more meaningful to help minimize distraction; and a hyper-focus on the moments that truly matter.
Here, Bazaar.com catches up with von Behrens-Felipe to learn more about Sonsie’s development process and the model’s ongoing struggles with her skin—plus, the one product from the brand her husband can’t live without.
What inspired you to develop a skincare line?
I moved to New York when I was 21, and was traveling and working constantly. While I enjoyed being in this new, exciting city, I wasn’t taking the best care of myself or paying much attention to the food I put into my body. Always on the go, I was eating out almost every single meal and it definitely showed in my skin. When the pandemic hit, I was forced to truly slow down and go back to the basics: home-cooked food and simple routines.
Because of my work, I had access to a lot of skincare products. I was trying too many serums and eye creams, toners and lotions; it was simply too much for my young skin. With more time on my hands, I began doing research and cut most products out of my regimen. I wanted just a few nourishing ingredients that were easy to use. Skincare doesn’t need to be a 10-step routine. That’s when I started conceptualizing my own line. I contacted a chemist, and over a two-year development process, they helped me bring my dream products to life—every product was formulated from scratch.
Where does the name Sonsie come from?
Sonsie is a Scottish word that has a few meanings, one of them being “having a healthy inner and outer appearance.” We came across the name soon after deciding to build the brand, and it was the perfect match—both in meaning and in the way it sounds.
How does Sonsie’s packaging design reflect your personal style?
Simple, yet playful and elegant. The older I get, the more I crave simplicity, in clothes, interiors, and in everyday life. I used to be drawn to louder styles, but now I love everything muted and sophisticated—which doesn’t mean boring. There is always a twist.
Why did you choose to launch with a serum, balm, and mask, specifically?
Honestly, I was thinking about my own skin concerns and the products I had always wanted but couldn’t find. The Sonsie Super Serum was my first priority: I was looking for a simple, one-bottle wonder to hydrate and calm down my stressed skin.
Next, came the Multi Moisture Mask—I rarely used masks in the past because I found them inconvenient and time-consuming. I asked our chemist if we could work on a mask that was deeply hydrating, totally invisible after application, and that would absorb fast enough that you could put it on the minute before going to sleep. While testing the final version, we realized it also works brilliantly as a moisturizer on top of the serum on colder days, or as a hydrating treatment wherever needed on the body.
The Basic Balm was last in development, but I think every girl knows the struggle of finding the perfect lip balm. We created a natural formula with the texture I had always wanted: a little gooey, but not sticky. It’s layerable or wearable on its own.
As I know you’re expecting, was making each product’s formula pregnancy-safe a priority during the brand’s creation process?
I wasn’t thinking specifically about pregnancy-safe formulas, but about clean formulas for sensitive skin that would be safe for everyone to use. I personally have been using all the Sonsie products throughout my pregnancy. Every mother’s journey is different, however, so I think it’s always best to consult with your doctor or midwife first.
Which Sonsie product does your husband steal from you the most?
The Super Serum is definitely his favorite. He has amazing skin and has never needed a big skincare routine, but this serum is his absolute go-to, day and night. I noticed early on that he would always make sure he had his own bottle in the bathroom so that he wouldn’t have to share with me.
What’s the best skincare tip anyone has ever given you?
It isn’t solely a skincare tip, but something that has helped me so much over the years is this: Perfection isn’t the goal, which is especially true in relation to your outer appearance. For so long I wanted flawless skin, until I came to the realization that blemishes, breakouts, and aging are all part of being human.
Sonsie is exclusively available at sonsieskin.com, starting at $22.
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