Glöd - Sophie Elise

Glöd - Sophie Elise is a Norwegian beauty brand built around self-tan, founded by the Norwegian influencer and blogger Sophie Elise Isachsen. It was developed by Elle Basic, a product-development house, in close collaboration with Isachsen, and today sits within the portfolio of The Feelgood Company, an Oslo-based house-of-brands company in wellness and beauty [2]. Self-tan is the brand's core category, alongside smaller ranges in skincare and makeup, and its products are positioned as fully vegan and cruelty-free.

The brand remains active. Its products continue to be sold through Nordic retailers and airport duty-free, and its Instagram account is still posting [10]. The name is usually written "Glöd" (Norwegian: glow), and some sources render it "Glød".

⚑ Thinner sourcing. The article relies largely on the brand's own statements (T2–T3). Glowpedia is seeking independent sources.

The brand grew out of the work of Sophie Elise Isachsen, who began as a blogger in 2011 and became one of Norway's earliest successful bloggers [4]. In January 2016 she established the holding company Sophie Elise AS, of which she is both chair and managing director [4]. The Glöd trademark was developed under that company, and Isachsen — a heavy user of self-tan who has described herself as an "expert" after testing most products on the market — set out to create a self-tan line she felt was missing.

According to Elle Basic, the developer of record, the brand "started as a dream of creating a kick-ass Self Tan brand that would be vegan." Elle Basic, which operates from Henrik Ibsens gate in Oslo under The Feelgood Company, dates the launch to 2019 [3]. The Norwegian Wikipedia article on Isachsen does not give a specific launch year, stating only that the Glöd products were developed via Sophie Elise AS at some point after the company was formed in 2016 [4].

Self-tan is by far the largest part of the range. According to Elle Basic, Glöd is organised into several categories — self-tan, skincare, makeup, hair removal and beta-carotene — with self-tan dominating. The self-tan line includes a Self Tan Mousse, a Gradual Tan, Self-Tan Drops, a remover and applicators. The skincare side is smaller, with items such as a Walnut Face Scrub and a sheet mask, and the makeup offering includes a four-shade Face Palette for a sun-kissed and highlighted complexion, plus mascara.

The brand's central promise is that vegan and cruelty-free formulas can match conventional ones on quality. The Feelgood Company describes Glöd as "a 100% vegan & cruelty free beauty brand with high quality formulations" [1]. The company also frames sustainability around packaging: on the retailer Lyko, the brand states that "since day one" it has focused on minimising packaging and plastic. Elle Basic attributes this to Isachsen's stated concern for animal welfare and the environment, saying strict standards were set for production, packaging and ethical decisions "without compromising on the quality of the formulations" [3].

Glöd's current ownership is described differently across sources. The Feelgood Company lists it among its portfolio brands and is treated here as the operational parent; Elle Basic, a Feelgood Company arm, develops and produces the line [2]. Norwegian Wikipedia, however, attributes the Glöd trademark to Isachsen's own company, Sophie Elise AS [4]. The exact current trademark and ownership structure is not stated explicitly in available sources.

The Feelgood Company describes itself as "a house of brands and e-commerce company" focused on wellness and beauty, with sales across the Nordic countries and some export. Its portfolio also includes brands such as Bodylab, Camilla Pihl and Care by Therese Johaug.

Glöd gained early industry recognition. At the Norwegian Cosmetic Award 2020, run by the cosmetics suppliers' association, the brand was nominated in three categories and won two as a newcomer with its self-tan line [8]. Some retailer sources name the two wins as Launch of the Year and Broad Care of the Year, though the association's own press releases confirm the count of wins without listing the categories. The brand's self-tan products have also been cited as test winners in the Norwegian magazine Min Mote and on the consumer-affairs television programme TV2 Hjelper deg [3].

Separately, Isachsen herself was named Business of the Year ("Årets business") at the 2019 Vixen Influencer Awards [4].

In 2021, Sophie Elise AS — the company behind Glöd — received the "Gullbarbie" anti-award from Press – Redd Barna Ungdom, a youth organisation, which criticised what it described as an unnecessary focus on sexualisation and body image in advertising content [4]. The criticism concerned Isachsen's wider influencer activity rather than Glöd-branded products specifically.

The brand is active. It is maintained within The Feelgood Company's portfolio, continues to ship products, and is distributed through Nordic retailers including Lyko and the Norwegian duty-free channel. Its Instagram account, @glodsophieelise, remained active in 2026 [10].