Stryx

Stryx is a men's cosmetics and skincare company that develops corrective products formulated for male skin, which it describes as oilier, rougher and thicker than women's skin. Its stated aim is to let men address blemishes, redness, dark spots, oiliness, dark circles and razor burn with products that are matte, subtle and imperceptible on the face and that can be applied without a brush or sponge. The company describes itself as the first to design cosmetic and skincare products for men from start to finish rather than relabeling women's products.

The product line is sold under a numbered system and includes a Concealer Tool (from $18), Tinted Moisturizer (from $22.50), Energizing Eye Tool (from $26.10), Advanced Lip Balm (from $7.20), Brow & Beard Gel Comb (from $19.80), Anti-Shine Tool (from $29.70), Bronzing Gel ($59.99, discounted to $34.99) and Collagen / NAD+ Blend Capsules ($79.99, discounted to $59.99), plus accessories such as a Pro Blending Wedge, Microfiber Cleansing Disc and pimple patches. Multi-product bundles are also offered, including the Starter Kit, Essentials Kit, Selfie Kit, Perfect Skin Kit, 'Conceal & Heal' Kit and a Shark Tank Kit described as featured on Season 13 of Shark Tank. Some kits are offered on an auto-renew basis, and digital gift cards are sold.

Product design is a stated focus: packaging is intended to look discreet and masculine, to travel well, and to avoid resembling conventional makeup — observers have compared the concealer and moisturizer formats to a pen, a vape or a USB stick. Durability and scratch resistance, and a click dispensing mechanism that indicates a measured dose, are highlighted as design features.

Founding story

Stryx traces its origin to an incident in which a pimple nearly disrupted a wedding, which the founders generalized into the observation that men lack socially accepted, easy ways to correct a blemish before a first date, a meeting or a video call, while women have many. The founders, who reported their own awkward experiences with cosmetic and skincare products, commissioned design firm Prime Studio and spent close to two years on research and development before launching with two products, a concealer tool and a tinted moisturizer. Co-founder and CMO Jon Shanahan, who previously worked in technology and retail and in 2015 launched The Kavalier, a menswear review website and YouTube channel, co-founded Stryx in October 2019; other named co-founders are Devir Kahan, Co-Founder and CEO, and Isaac Rami, Co-Founder.

Business model

Stryx sells branded men's cosmetics and skincare products directly to consumers through its own e-commerce site, offering individual products, discounted multi-product kits, accessories, subscription-style auto-renew kits and digital gift cards.

Revenue comes from online product sales, with unit prices ranging from about $5.40 for an accessory to $79.99 for supplement capsules, bundled kits priced at a discount to component totals, free shipping on orders above $35, and at least one kit offered on an auto-renewing basis.

Traction

The company expanded from an initial two-product launch to a catalogue of roughly ten products plus accessories and multiple bundled kits, several of which are listed as sold out, and it appeared on Season 13 of the television program Shark Tank.