LONA Beauty Brings Texas-Inspired, Two-in-One Skincare to Modern Routines
LONA blends prickly pear, desert clays and blue agave into high-performance, low-maintenance skincare essentials
At the height of the pandemic, Annie Vallely found herself living in two very different realities. As a beauty brand growth expert, she was flying to Los Angeles and New York for work — shooting campaigns filled with “Malibu sunsets and Erewhon smoothies.” Then she’d return home to Austin, where life wasn’t quite like the aspirational images beauty brands were selling.
“I kept getting frustrated that I was flying away to go create the dream,” Vallely says. “Then I’d come home and see this community so hungry for something of their own.”
Born between coasts
“Beauty was still reflecting where most of the teams were living — New York and LA,” notes Vallely. “We were inspired by Texas as a region and by other interior regions that historically were overlooked .”
That disconnect eventually became part of the motivation for LONA, a new adaptive skincare brand co-founded by Vallely (CEO) and longtime collaborator Kathryn Bain (Chief Creative and Brand Officer). Reflecting on this, Vallely says, “We asked ourselves, ‘What would skincare look like if it actually reflected how women live now?’ Less noise, fewer steps.”
Vallely and Bain didn’t arrive at the idea overnight. The two beauty veterans have worked together across the industry for nearly a decade, helping shape brands from the inside. Vallely worked with brands including KORA Organics and Hatch Collection, while Bain, founder of the creative studio Georgette Creative, helped build the identity of companies like TULA Skincare.
Their partnership is rooted in both professional history and personal background. “Kathryn and I have worked together for over eight years on different brands,” Vallely says. “Where we intersect is that we both come from outside the traditional beauty hubs. I was born in Texas, she was born in Tennessee and raised in Ohio, and we were those girls who always dreamed of being near trends and influence.” Shaped by Texan and Midwestern roots, they note that their upbringing taught them to be practical, resilient and comfortable in their own skin.
A return to simple routines
During the pandemic, both founders began noticing a shift in how they were thinking about pace and place — not just in their own lives, but in consumer behavior. “I started to see a change not only in how I was living and wanting to live slower — hiking, being — but also in the consumer data,” Bain says. “Texas was already a massive market. But beauty brands weren’t really reflecting that lifestyle.”
At the same time, skincare routines were only becoming more complicated. “Beauty was still perpetuating this idea of, ‘Let’s add more steps: mouth tape, red light, vibration tools, 12-step routines,’” Bain says.
Lower-maintenance skincare
LONA was designed as the opposite, with fewer products that do more. “The first pillar of our products is that every SKU has to be a two-in-one offering,” Vallely says. “We’re giving time back.”
The brand launched with a lineup including Cactus Silk, an oil-serum hybrid powered by prickly pear; Desert Dust, a powder cleanser that transforms with water into a gentle exfoliating treatment; and Babe Balm, which doubles as a lip balm and an eye serum. All products are clean, vegan and cruelty-free. Additionally, a percentage of every sale is donated to environmental causes.
Western influence
The formulas draw heavily from plants that thrive in harsh Texas climates — prickly pear, blue agave, desert clays — ingredients chosen for their resilience. “Prickly pear is one of the most hydrating ingredients you can use,” Vallely says. “It’s the cactus that holds moisture the longest in drought.”
Design also plays a role in the brand’s identity. LONA leans into shapes and materials inspired by the American West. As for the name, they wanted to capture the effortless Western girl without being overly literal. It’s a subtle nod to “Lone Star.”
Bain says, “When we thought about the West, we thought about joy.”
What began as a brand inspired by Texas quickly resonated more widely. “We thought we were building something for Texas,” Vallely says. “But people from Florida, Arizona, Utah — even New York — kept saying, ‘This is me.’”
Ultimately, the founders say LONA reflects a broader shift in how women approach beauty — prioritizing practicality without lowering standards. “High standards, lower-maintenance skincare,” Vallely says.
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