Introduction

CUPID's KISS

Cupid's Kiss is a luxury haircare brand founded in Denmark in 2023 by Annika von Holdt. The products are conceptualised and designed by Annika and expertly formulated by a PhD in bio-chemistry and a cosmetic chemist, while the formulation strategy is devised by a biology student from Copenhagen University.

Antonio Canova's neo-classical masterpiece, Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss serves as the muse for the brand's name, embodying the resurrection theme that parallels how the formulas revive the hair structure, restoring its strength and vitality.

GENESIS

It began with my own hair problem: progressive degradation of my silver locks. 

Trapped in a Faustian pact with purple products that delivered a lot more cloud than silver lining, and ordinary hair products that disappointed in another way or just played second fiddle to the status quo, I eventually began reading INCI lists and came to an eye-opening realisation: I had used all these well known products, with their hard-core chemicals, on my delicate scalp and hair for years: sulfates, colourants, volatile alcohols, petrochemical oils, siloxanes.

Skin doesn't stop at the hair line. And proper skincare shouldn't be only for the face. So I decided to create a solution for the hair structure using the same ingredients and technologies afforded to facial skincare.

Years of dedication, meticulous ingredient selection, tireless work on performance and countless formula tests later, my ambitious dream is realised without the burden of compromise. Exactly as I envisioned it.

With Cupid's Kiss I hope to empower you to feel beautiful, confident, unstoppable and fabulous — with the best hair days of your life.

Annika von Holdt

Formulation Strategy

TREAT | PROTECT | REVITALISE

Our formulation strategy considers all the hair's biological structures — the inanimate as well as the living parts — to support and optimise the functions they are programmed for.

Cupid's Kiss targets the damaging impact of free radicals, environmental aggressors and hair weathering, ensuring effective treatment, protection and revitalisation of the whole hair structure — scalp, follicles and strands.

TREAT

Problem | Free Radicals: Unstable, highly reactive molecules, formed by energy, that extract electrons from stable molecules in a process called oxidation, causing damage to hair proteins and lipids, which impacts hair health and appearance.

Consequence: Compromised overall hair quality, weakened hair follicles, impaired anchoring, scalp sensitivity and hair loss. Hair loss and thinning can occur because oxidative stress triggers an inflammatory response in the scalp, impairing the normal function of the hair follicles.

Solution | Neutralise Free Radicals: Boasting high concentrations of phytoantioxidants, Cupid's Kiss formulas offer powerful antioxidant\redox-balancing properties, providing electron donation and singlet oxygen quenching, neutralising free radicals and minimising oxidative stress-related degradation and hair loss.

PROTECT

Problem | Environmental Aggressors: UV radiation induces photochemical reactions that permanently alter the structure and colour of the hair. Environmental pollutants can cause scalp inflammation, leading to cortical degradation and cuticle damage. Hot styling break the hydrogen and disulphide bonds, weakening the hair.

Consequence: Progressive degradation of the hair structure with holes in epi-and endocuticles, bond breakage, loss of tensile strength, yellowing and photo-bleaching.

Solution | Protect Proteins and Lipids: Utilising phytoextracts and innovative complexes featuring strong antioxidant\redox-balancing properties, Cupid's Kiss protective formulas safeguard the hair against protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation. This minimises UV-induced degradation, photo-yellowing and pollution-induced oxidation. Additionally, our protective formulas deliver thermal shielding up to 450°F/230°C.

REVITALISE

Problem | Hair Weathering: Friction, combing, brushing, bleaching and dyeing are some of the mechanical and chemical stressors that speed up the hair’s ageing process. 

Consequence: Broken and split fibres, depletion of amino acids and damage to the cuticle layers and the cortex with alterations of viscoelastic properties and tensile strength.

Solution | Repair, Reinforce and Beautify: Harnessing the rejuvenating powers of phytoextracts, vitamins, botanical stem cell extracts, plant peptides and high-potency skincare actives, Cupid's Kiss formulas repair, reinforce and beautify the whole hair structure, building resilience and tensile strength with every use.

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