“It’s type of this look-good-feel-good mentality,” said Athletic Cosmetic Company cofounder Kate Solomon.

After selling her plant-based skincare brand Babo Botanicals to Mustela in 2018, Solomon — who previously accomplished stints at L’Oréal and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton — decided she’d take a break from the sweetness business.

That was, until her teenage son enrolled in Florida’s elite sport training academy, Club Med Academies, to play competitive tennis. “That’s type of where this concept blossomed — this cross-intersection between beauty and fitness,” said Solomon.

Such was the genesis of Athletic Cosmetic Company, the sweetness veteran’s latest enterprise developed alongside Club Med Academies cofounder and former skilled Dutch tennis player, Dominique van Boekel.

Launching Oct. 2 with a $42 hyaluronic gel serum, a $28 waterproof mascara and a $22 hybrid lip and cheek stain, the brand goals to increase the “athluxury” trend beyond apparel and into the sweetness realm.

“We’re tapping into the identical kind of value proposition as, say, a Lululemon,” said Solomon, who toyed with quite a few brand name ideas including For the Love of Color and For the Love of Sport before sticking with Athletic Cosmetic Company. (“It’s a saturated market — sometimes it’s higher simply to be explicit in what you’re attempting to do.”)

Between the emergence of social wellness, wherein gyms and fitness clubs are actually considered hangout spots just as much as exercise venues, and the rise of social media, the athletic beauty space proved to Solomon and van Boekel ripe for innovation.

“When you have a look at the Peloton coaches — they’re wearing numerous makeup,” Solomon said.

“Being within the sports world, we’re all the time fascinated about image — much more so now with social media,” added van Boekel, who has been piloting the brand’s debut stock keeping units among the many athletes at her academy.

Consequently, the lip stain has been rigorously formulated to not wear off during hydration breaks, the mascara is sweat-proof, and the hyaluronic acid serum’s gel texture goals to chill the skin upon application.

Solomon and van Boekel estimate the brand could do around $500,000 in first-year sales, and are planning to link up with college athletes to achieve its audience.

“We’ve already had emails from gymnastics teams, volleyball teams, cheerleading teams, so I believe there’s a lot room here — and it can be reasonably priced, because lots of these teams want sponsorships even on a small-scale basis,” Solomon said.

Upcoming innovation from the brand includes cooling sensation eye shadows, a tinted SPF 40 serum, a cleanser and a facial exfoliant.

“Definitely there are trends, but there hasn’t been a latest beauty category in — I don’t even understand how long,” said Solomon, who has coined the category “athbeauty.” Her goal is to supply performance makeup akin to that of a MAC Cosmetics or a Milk Makeup, but geared toward the “outdoorsy, sporty type.”

When it comes to distribution, the brand is eyeing partnerships with wellness retailers and fitness venues along with its direct-to-consumer channel.

“We would really like to talk to that one that just desires to move, feel powerful and healthy with their body — ‘athlete’ shouldn’t just be someone who’s in a position to perform high-level sports,” Solomon said.