Skindinavia

Skindinavia is an American makeup brand best known for its Makeup Finishing Spray, a mist designed to hold makeup in place through heat and humidity. Despite its Scandinavian-sounding name — a play on "skin" and "Scandinavia" — the brand is based in the United States and manufactures there; it lists no Nordic retail partners [5]. It is credited as the first company to release a consumer-facing setting spray [8], and it remains active as of 2026, with a live e-commerce site, a current product range and ongoing international distribution.

The company positions itself around makeup longevity, marketing to both professional makeup artists and everyday consumers who want their makeup to survive long days and warm conditions.

Skindinavia traces its beginnings to July 2005, when, according to the company, founder Allen Goldman watched a woman named Ashley struggling with creasing, fading makeup in the heat and humidity of a South Beach Miami club. The moment prompted Goldman to work with chemists on a solution, and the result was the Makeup Finishing Spray [1].

The brand's own About page names Allen Goldman as its founder. Wikipedia's article on setting sprays instead names two founders, Allen Goldman and Neil Goldman, describing the pair as jointly running the parent company [8]. Both are recorded here: Allen is the founder in the brand's own narrative, while Neil appears as co-founder in the third-party account.

The founding date is likewise recorded two ways. The company dates the brand to 2005, the year the Makeup Finishing Spray launched, and uses the line "Since 2005" in its marketing. Wikipedia gives 2004, but that year refers to the formation of the parent holding company, Smart Cosmeceuticals LLC, rather than the brand itself.

Skindinavia is owned by Smart Cosmeceuticals LLC, described as the founders' jointly owned company, which was formed in November 2004 [8].

The company frames itself around quality ingredients, minimal fragrance and safety testing, summing up its outlook with the statement, "We believe in giving back and using the finest ingredients." Its product philosophy is deliberately narrow: in its own words, it launches new products "only ... when and if they fill a gap. If you don't need it, we don't launch it" [7].

Skindinavia describes itself as "a luxury brand that is synonymous with excellence and quality" [1]. Independent pricing tells a more modest story: a professional makeup artist reviewing the sprays noted retail prices from about $11 for a travel size to $39 for the largest, placing the range in mid-to-premium territory rather than true luxury [9].

The brand's catalogue centres on aerosol-free facial sprays across three groups: Makeup Finishing Sprays, Makeup Primer Sprays and Makeup Artist Kits. The Makeup Finishing Spray comes in several variants, including a Bridal Formula and an Oil Control Formula, and the line also includes a Makeup Primer Spray, a Makeup Remover Spray and a Maskne Control Spray for makeup worn under masks.

At the centre of the products is what the company calls its Temperature Control Technology, which it says was the subject of a US patent. Skindinavia describes the formula as "the world's first and only patented cooling-based setting spray formula," invented by Allen Goldman in 2007 [4]. According to the brand, the spray forms "a lightweight, breathable web" over the makeup that releases slowly over roughly 16 hours and draws heat away from the skin as it evaporates [3]. Listed ingredients include aloe barbadensis leaf extract, caprylyl glycol and tocopherol (vitamin E), alongside alcohol and fragrance.

The company markets the products as vegan and cruelty-free, stating that it does no animal testing during research and development, and describes them as non-comedogenic, paraben-free and made in the USA [1]. It also lists them as gluten-free, soy-free and free of several common allergens.

Skindinavia's Makeup Finishing Spray has been reviewed by Allure, which described it as a setting spray that boosts the staying power of makeup while producing a fine cooling mist [10]. Wikipedia credits the product as the first consumer-facing setting spray and notes that it gained popularity in Hollywood, where it was used on programs such as Project Runway and Dancing With The Stars [8]. The brand also lists features in a range of magazines including Vogue, Byrdie and Glamour, though this is its own self-reported press list rather than independently confirmed coverage.

Within the professional community, the sprays have a following among makeup artists. One reviewer, who reported testing more than ten setting sprays, called Skindinavia's the best she had used and named the Oil Control formula her go-to for warmer weather and for models changing outfits many times during a photoshoot. The same review notes that Urban Decay's setting sprays are reportedly manufactured by Skindinavia under slightly different formulas [9].

Skindinavia is active. It operates a direct-to-consumer and retail website with a current product catalogue, maintains active social media accounts, and distributes internationally through Amazon and a network of retail partners across countries including Australia, Canada, Poland, Switzerland and Vietnam. The company is based in the United States; its contact page lists a mailing address at 1 Chestnut Street, Suite 222, in Nashua, New Hampshire [6].