In my mind, Scarlett Johansson is one of those iconic actresses who seems larger than life, exhibiting out-of-this-world talent in countless realms, mirroring the superhero qualities of her on-screen personas à la Black Widow. So, it was only fitting that the first time I had the pleasure of meeting the Lucy star was 70 stories above the clouds in a penthouse decked out in all things The Outset—Johansson’s brainchild skin-care brand.
As we sat admiring the sky-high views of Central Park and critiquing the feng shui of the living room, Johansson quickly felt like an old friend, lighting up the room with her down-to-earth persona and easy conversation, through which her heartfelt passion for her brand is palpable. I was given the wonderful opportunity to meet Scarlett on behalf of The Outset to learn more about the brand’s latest innovation and first lip launch, the Lip Oasis Glossy Treatment ($28), which launched yesterday. We talked about all things beauty, from creating her new lip-loving product to her struggles with adult acne, the beauty trend she hopes never comes back, and her signature scent.
There is such a high volume of celebrity beauty brands right now. What are you proud of The Outset doing differently?
“It’s hard to say what we’re doing ‘differently’ because I don’t wanna place judgments on what other people have got going on, but I think The Outset is special because it comes out of my own needs—my own desire for a clean skin-care line of everyday essentials. I have had many years of acne into my adulthood and at some point, I was like, ‘Ok, I guess I have acne and wrinkles at the same time.’ I was in such despair over my skin woes. For anybody who has acne, whether you have a public-facing job or not, the breakouts and the redness and dryness can make you feel so insecure—at least it did for me. It blankets your whole day.
For years, I was terrified of using anything with oil in it. I was scared it would make it worse. But one day, out of sheer frustration, I just thought, ‘You know what, I’m going to try something different.’ I switched to hydrating products instead of drying. Growing up, I felt like skin care was all about exfoliating and stripping and getting rid of everything instead of moisturizing and hydrating. Within a week, my skin was healing itself. The term ‘skin barrier’ wasn’t in my vocabulary then, but that was kind of my ‘aha’ moment where I thought to myself that I wanted to create an elevated line of everyday essentials that is transparent, clean, safe for sensitive skin and just something that as many people as possible can participate in. We say The Outset is like the white tee shirt of skin care—you can pair it with whatever you’re using. It’s not about never touching your other products again, but knowing you have something you can always go back to.”
Lip Oasis is the Outset’s first lip product. What did it take to get to the final product and what approach did you take to the lip category when there are so many variations nowadays?
“We had originally developed the Barrier Rescue Balm ($38) as a sort of lip treatment since we formulated it to be used on any areas that need extra hydration, from your elbows to your cuticles and lips. I started thinking about how much I love the balm as a lip treatment and wanted to create a lip gloss product that still provided that surge of hydration you get from all the other Outset products. The idea was exciting to me because I love lip gloss—I grew up in the era of all the tubes and glass bottles of gloss, but those products, for whatever reason, always seemed to tear off the top layer of my lips. We decided we wanted to play in the cosmetics space and create a really shiny, glossy product that still incorporated our Hyaluroset Complex and gives the same benefits you see with all our other products. In four weeks of using Lip Oasis on its own, you can really see the plumping and healing benefits, but you can also layer it over your favorite lip liner and still get that gorgeous glossy finish without the stickiness. Oh, and without your lips peeling off—that was important to me [laughs].”
What has being a brand founder taught you about beauty and self-care?
“It’s funny, but I didn’t realize going into this process how incredibly helpful everyone is. It’s a very big family in the beauty industry. After all of the outreach I’ve done, whether it was just questions on marketing or distribution or any questions I’ve had about different aspects of this industry, I’ve found I can reach out to other women in the industry, particularly; they’re so helpful and open. It’s not necessarily like that in the entertainment industry—it feels more competitive and closed. It’s a competitive industry, of course, but it feels much more closed off in the entertainment industry in the sense that you don’t want people to know what you have. It’s a completely different world. There’s room for everyone here, and we can all reach customers in different ways and not feel like we are in competition. It’s been so pleasant.”
Speaking of not gatekeeping, are there any beauty or on-screen hacks you’ve learned from Colin or vice versa?
“Oh gosh, I don’t know if he’s necessarily taught me any beauty hacks, but it is so funny watching him wash his face and apply the products. He sort of makes this weird face like this *she purses her lips and squints*. I’m always like, ‘Why are you stretching your face out like that?!’ Who knows, maybe that’s keeping him looking so good—maybe that’s his secret.
I know it’s not really a “hack,” but we both love to gua sha. The Moisture-Boosting Oil ($44) is great for use with a gua sha, too, and it works really well under makeup. We put our serums in the fridge, too.”
Believe it or not, the year is wrapping up. What are you most excited about personally and professionally in 2025?
“We have a new product launching in April that I’m really excited about—it takes us into the cosmetics category a little bit. We’re also entering Credo, which is super exciting. For me personally, I’m turning 40, which I thought I would be weirded out by, but I feel like I’ve really earned it. I’m really excited about that chapter. I’m ready to enter the ‘I don’t give a f***’ era’ of my life.”
My personal fascination: do you have a signature scent?
“I don’t have a signature scent, per se. When I was growing up, my go-to was The Body Shop’s Ananya—I rediscovered it a few years ago and it smelt exactly the same. I love Hermès Terre ($285). I love anything Narciso Rodgriguez and pretty much every Celine fragrance. I tend to gravitate towards scents that are smokier and have amber notes.”
What is one beauty trend you hope makes a comeback this year and one that you hope never comes back?
“Oh god. I guess they go kind of hand-in-hand, but I hope that over-tweezing your brows never comes back. I hope we keep the natural, fluffy brow look going. I tell my daughter all the time, ‘Don’t touch those beautiful French girl brows. Leave them alone because once they’re gone, they never come back.'”
