Cénée Paris: French Start-up Redefines Makeup with Skincare

A new French beauty start-up, Cénée Paris, is gaining traction in the cosmetics world by blending the performance of makeup with the long-term benefits of skincare. Launched in June 2025, the direct-to-consumer brand has quickly carved out a niche in the growing hybrid beauty segment, appealing to consumers seeking both pigment-rich colour and skin-loving ingredients in their makeup products.

A Hybrid Vision Born from Industry Experience

Founded by beauty veteran Nassim Hamek, whose background includes leadership roles in product development and experience with brands like Typology, Cénée Paris was created out of a desire to address a persistent gap in the market, makeup formulas that offer skincare-level actives without compromising colour payoff or wear.

Hamek observed that many “hybrid” products on the market either delivered insufficient pigment or contained only trace amounts of active ingredients, falling short of genuine skincare effect. His vision for Cénée was to do “much more with these two dimensions,” combining high performance makeup with efficacy-tested skincare molecules all backed by rigorous formulation standards.

Dermo-Active Makeup: Performance Meets Skin Benefits

Cénée Paris describes its line as dermo-active makeup products that are not only richly pigmented but formulated with active ingredients at concentrations comparable to facial serums.

The brand’s initial portfolio spans four key categories:

• Eyes: Mascara enriched with peptides designed to strengthen and promote lash density.

• Lips: A half-matte liquid lipstick infused with hyaluronic acid plus a nourishing lip oil with apricot kernel oil.

• Nails: Nail polishes fortified with plant-based keratin and accompanying base and top coats.

• Face: The new Teint Céramides liquid blush a hydrating complexion product featuring both pre- and post-biotics to support the skin barrier.

All products are developed and manufactured in France, with a formulation charter that excludes over 300 controversial ingredients often found in conventional makeup, emphasising a clean, sensitive-skin friendly approach.

Early Success and Expansion Plans

Since launching, Cénée Paris has garnered positive feedback from early adopters and industry observers alike. While initially available exclusively online, the brand has begun dialogue with retail partners and plans to enter physical stores from 2027, aiming to determine the best-fit channels  from pharmacies to prestige beauty outlets.

Recognising global interest in hybrid beauty products, the company also has its sights set on international expansion, particularly in Asia and the United States, where demand for multifunctional makeup remains strong.

A Future Beyond Basics

Looking ahead, founder Nassim Hamek envisions a broadening product catalogue that could eventually cover all makeup categories while upholding the brand’s dual focus on skincare efficacy and true colour performance. “We aim to become a global brand, in all categories and formulation types,” Hamek said, underscoring the start-up’s long-term ambition.