The Form Factors that makes Hailey Bieber's brand 1 billion dollar

How smart form design—and one iconic lipstick tube—helped Rhode become a billion-dollar brand.

Jun 01, 2025

The talk of the town this week is the acquisition of Hailey Bieber’s cosmetic brand Rhode by e.l.f Beauty for 1 billion dollars.

Hailey Bieber — Founder of Rhode. Image by Flagship

This is the fastest 1 billion dollars created by a cosmetic brand (Take them less than 3 years).

It would be a big mistake to assume all celebrity brands would hit this big. Many flopped hard, even with star power behind them.

We have to talk about a major force behind Rhode’s success, that few discussed in depth:

Their form factor.

What is form factor?

Form factor refers to the size, shape, and physical specifications of a device or component, especially in industrial design and digital product design.

For Rhode Cosmetics, the form factor is their packaging and their product forms.

Why do you need a great form factor?

Excite the customers
Make you stand out from the competition
Hook customers into their daily habits
Generate free media for your company

Whether you design software or physical products, the lessons below would make you a better designer and strategist.

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Why did Hailey Bieber’s brand create one of the smartest forms in the game?

Modernist masters like Oscar Niemeyer and John Lautner inspired the design language of Rhode’s forms.

Niemeyer designed the layout and the most prominent building of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil where Hailey Bieber’s family came from.

Rhode packaging is sculptural and architectural–and stands out in a super crowded beauty market.

Rhode reinvented the shape of common cosmetic products.

It has been very common for brands since at least the 1960s to use the shape of squeeze tubs to contain lip balms. But Rhode is a pioneer in the trend of putting the color lip products in a squeeze tube, breaking the barrier between a caring product and a makeup product.

This may contain: a pink plate topped with lots of different types of cosmetics and personal care products on top of a polka dot tablecloth — Harper Bazaar Product Review in 1966

While the majority of modern makeup brands still use the same form that we invented in the 1960s. Rhode’s squeeze tubes are different though. If you look at the bottom right, there is a distinct geometric cut, that reminds you of a lipstick tip.

There are two smart factors about this design:

The form follows the classic principle of MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable). The principle was crafted by the father of industrial design, Raymond Loewy. The form is familiar, yet innovative with the elliptical cut. It excites consumers but not alienates them.
The immediate affordance of the form. Consumers know right away what to do with the products. They do not have to f*ck around to find out.

The internet loves the Rhode lip tints so much. It was a driving force in their net revenue of 212 million USD in 2024. A massive feat for 2 2-year-old brand.

The ultra success of their lip tints pushed other brands like NYX to invent new forms of squeeze tubes for lip products.

Successful forms always inspire copycats.

A consistent design language, with a nod to California Design

Rhode Moisturizer packaging with the same geometric cut. This cut works really well in ads

If you look at the products of Rhode, you will see consistent designed-in-California aesthetics. The clean lines, and the use of heather gray —a color that becomes iconic with Apple product uniforms.

Rhode essential kits, look like they come out of Jony Ive’s design lab for Apple.

But there is more than that, the inspiration from Organic Modernism makes the brand more friendly and authentic.

Another distinct design language:

Not many beauty brands use sci-fi fonts, but Rhode uses them well. The choice of this form of type came from the brand's focus on the scientific foundation for their products, and perhaps a nod to California’s production of the world’s most famous sci-fi franchises.

The forms that follow the users

If one day Hailey Bieber is tired of her influencer job and being an ultra-millionaire, she could become a product designer.

Sure, you may say Hailey has a squad of designers who work for her. However, it takes an owner with strong design thinking to produce these user-centric makeup products.

Bring user-centric design to cosmetics

I hate how the most common blush form design falls off, and requires a brush to apply whereas the Rhode blush enables you to apply right away to your skin.

Hailey saw a common behavior in girls who use their lipsticks as blushes on their cheekbones. She turned the blush form into a giant lipstick, which is super easy to hold.

The form is also distinctive and social-media friendly. The moment a beauty influencer poses with a Rhode blush. You know.

The product form for a smartphone generation

The Rhode phone case was the talk of the town when it was launched. Every IT girl wants one. The case helps to protect your phone, make it stylish, and carry your Rhode lip tints.

The form is extremely smart because it follows user habits, and molds them into a routine that keeps them buying the Rhode lip tints. You can change the look of your phone with different colorful lip tints. Many girls buy multiple phone cases ($38 each) to match their lip tints.

The iconic Hollywood designer Judith Leiber once talked about the form of her bag.

You only need [a form] that carries your lipstick and $100 – Judith Leiber

Hailey Bieber seems to take the advice from a 50s icon and make her contemporary version. Many collaborators who work with her praised her for her ability to understand design and work with designers.

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A logo that energizes the form factor

To tie up the cutting-edge looks of her products, Hailey Bieber picked a custom logo mark for her brand. The designers cited the influence of vintage jet-ski graphics. My favorite details:

the ink-bleed effect to give a hand-crafted feel
the chunky ascender of h and d to frame the letter o
friendly, optimistic counters.

I love how the logo mark blends in so easily with the aesthetics of the packaging form yet also conveys warmth and personality.

Their creative agencies are Flagship Agency and Chandelier Creative.

Key Takeaway

Rhode’s billion-dollar win isn’t just good branding—it’s a case study in design-led growth. A reminder that when form follows culture, not just function, you get magic.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday 🌞