OBAYATY

OBAYATY is a men's beauty house that describes itself as "born in Los Angeles, refined in Stockholm" [2]. Its products, formulated for men's skin and grooming routines, launched in December 2023, and the company operates from Stockholm, where its founders and creative direction are based [6]. Editorial coverage has treated it as a Swedish brand, while the Los Angeles reference points to where the idea first took shape rather than to a corporate base.

The company frames men's beauty as a matter of confidence and self-expression, and positions itself, in the words of its creative director, "at the intersection of innovation, luxury, and culture."

According to the company and to editorial reporting, the brand idea was conceived in the studio of songwriter and music producer Max Martin "many years ago" before reaching the market [5]. Its founding team is usually named as Pontus Frankenstein, creative director of Frankenstein Studio; Max Martin; marketing executive Lajjo Strand; and investor and entrepreneur Anna Ryott [5]. Frankenstein serves as creative director.

The brand dates its market launch to December 2023, with products available from early December of that year [7]. A 2021 conception date has occasionally been suggested, tied to the idea's origins in a Los Angeles music studio, but that earlier date is not documented in the brand's own materials or in editorial coverage; the December 2023 launch is the point at which the company reached the market.

Early financing was bootstrapped before the company secured outside investment from a mix of backers, including climate-focused venture funds such as CC.VC [5].

OBAYATY sets out to "reinvent men's beauty through science, innovation, and creativity," and says it aims to help men "refine their daily rituals, boost confidence, and explore self-expression and wellbeing on their own terms" [2]. Its formulas, the company says, are designed around concerns it associates with men's skin, including coarser texture, larger pores, higher oil production and shaving irritation. The products are marketed as simple to use, without brushes or shaking, with an emphasis on quick, natural-looking results.

The intended customer is described by the founders as a curious, urban man interested in identity, style and self-expression, characterised by outlook rather than by conventional market segments.

At launch the range comprised seven cosmetic and skincare products, among them a tinted eye cream, a stick concealer, a lip balm, a bronzer, a highlighter, coloured eye pens in five shades, and nail polishes [6]. The company later described a collection of around ten products, each developed in both formula and packaging.

Named items include the Skin Perfector, a daily moisturising primer that the company identifies as its bestseller; the Eye Booster tinted eye cream; the Retouch Stick concealer; the Face Contour sculpting bronzer stick; and a Tinted Moisturizer [5]. The packaging is a recurring theme in coverage: compact, gunmetal-toned components designed to be kept in a pocket, deliberately avoiding the opaque black styling common to men's grooming.

OBAYATY says its mission is "to craft clean, safe products that are good for you and for the planet," and states that every product is formulated to meet ECHA regulations along with an extended internal blacklist of ingredients. Its bottles, tubes and caps are made from post-consumer recycled materials, which the company describes as "among the highest levels in the industry" [3]. A custom refill system uses mono-material refills that detach for recycling and pumps built without metal springs or magnets, and its aluminium cases are presented as durable "keepers" rather than disposable packaging. No third-party sustainability certifications are documented.

The company sells directly through its own website and through specialty and lifestyle stores rather than traditional beauty retailers [5]. It has reported that several European retail partners sold out within weeks, and its early retail presence included the Voo Store in Berlin and a pop-up at Selfridges in London, placed on the men's apparel floor rather than in the beauty department [5].

The brand drew press attention around its launch, including features in Wallpaper* and Culted in 2023 and a profile in Beauty Independent in 2024. Coverage has frequently noted Max Martin's involvement; he is a co-founder and backer of the company rather than an outside endorser [5].

OBAYATY is active. It continued direct sales and European retail expansion through 2024, and its website carries a 2023–2026 copyright notice, consistent with ongoing operation.