How Claudia Sulewski Evolved From a YouTuber to the Founder of a Cult-Favorite Brand
“CYKLAR truly is for everyone.”
In the sea of influencer-founded beauty brands, CYKLAR is emphasizing the sensorial self-care experience over flashy campaigns and mindless endorsements. Rather, the brand was born from founder Claudia Sulewski‘s genuine passion for her body care routine. Three years after the brand’s debut, CYKLAR continues to reinvent the way we pamper ourselves.
Although Sulewski’s journey as a brand founder started only recently, she’s no stranger to the beauty space. Back in 2009, Sulewski launched a channel under the name BeyondBeautyStar, translating her lifelong love for beauty into a successful YouTube career. While the influencer landscape has undoubtedly changed since then, Sulewski has molded that same expertise into a cult-favorite brand. Above all else, the founder says being both a creator and a viewer has deeply influenced her relationship with skincare.
Today, CYKLAR lives at the intersection of everyday rituals and sensory-driven luxury. Rather than treating scent as an afterthought, the brand expertly curates its signature fragrances to stimulate the senses — all without compromising on formulation or sustainability. For Sulewski, carving out time for self care is a nonnegotiable, and that exact sentiment is echoed in CYKLAR’s ethos.
Described by Sulewski as “efficacious and credible, while still feeling sexy and luxurious,” CYKLAR’s lineup includes everything from hydrating creams to mandelic acid-infused deodorants and glowy body oils. Whether it’s perfecting its formulas or dreaming up packaging that is an outward extension of the brand’s affinity for indulgence, CYKAR is anything but a mindless step in your routine.
Ahead, we speak to Claudia Sulewski about the inspiration behind CYKLAR and all of the products she’s yet to release.
On How CYKLAR Was Born
The seed of the idea for this brand really began with my love for body care. My relationship to body care has always paralleled my journey with self care and listening to my body. I found that my version of self care meant physically slowing down, taking a bath and carving out time to be alone. That’s when I came up with the idea to create a brand that transforms those daily self-care rituals. With every formula, I’m thinking about what ingredients can maximize one’s routine and how we can deliver a rich, physically indulgent encounter.
On Her Vision for the Brand
When I first started CYKLAR, I dreamt of creating products that were efficacious and credible, while still feeling sexy and luxurious. Packaging has been a huge part of helping to tell that story — since that first launch (which felt a little more minimalist) I’ve embraced color more, giving each fragrance its own identity. That has been such a fun part of building out my product assortment.
On the Importance of the Sensorial Experience
I believe that one of the fastest ways to feel truly present and grounded in my body is to tap into all my different senses. That sentiment has really become a north star for my brand: from the formula texture to our fragrance blends [and how] the packaging looks and feels. Often times we only have a few minutes after stepping out of the shower to take that extra self-care step. These moments are precious and limited so I want to create products that help you feel a little more present in your day.
On What Drew Her to Skincare
YouTube! I’ve been making beauty, fashion, lifestyle and self-care focused videos on YouTube for over 15 years but more importantly, I’ve been a viewer for just as long. I’ve learned so much from watching other creators talk about their routines and favorite products. Word of mouth, trial and error, searching through reviews — all of it has helped shape and inform my relationship to skincare.
On Who CYKLAR Is For
CYKLAR truly is for everyone. There is of course a through-line vibe and aesthetic to my brand, but with every launch, I’m constantly thinking about how I can cast a wider net for newer audiences. Whether it’s a new fragrance family or tackling a different type of skin concern, I always want everyone to feel like they can find themselves within one of my products at a reasonable price.
On Her Favorite Project So Far
Planning our Sephora launch party at the start of this year was so special. So many things were coming together in that moment and it was the first time I felt like we were able to curate a physical environment and experience that really represented the energy of CYKLAR. We don’t throw a lot of events so when we do, it’s so much fun to tackle.
On the Future of CYKLAR
I’m excited to continue exploring the world of fragrance within our perfume oils and expanding our core body care fragrances. From an innovation and category standpoint, I have so many ideas for other in-shower products. Maybe one for the bathtub one day? Ideas are swirling!
