This joyful new skincare brand is formulated to boost your mood – and every product costs under £20
We were among the first to try ROCCO ahead of its launch at Boots - here's what we thought
Broadcaster, creative director and Glassette co-founder Laura Jackson has officially entered the beauty space with the launch of ROCCO Beauty, a colourful new skincare brand that landed in Boots stores earlier this week.
I'll admit, my initial reaction was one of scepticism. Not because I don't admire Jackson – her personal Instagram account and homeware platform Glassette have long been a source of interiors inspiration for me – but because beauty brands launched by well-known personalities are hardly in short supply. What could ROCCO possibly offer that we haven't seen before?
The answer, it turns out, is joy. While many skincare brands focus on complicated actives and lengthy 12-step routines, ROCCO has been built around the connection between skin and mood. Every product in the collection features the brand's signature FaceFeels scent, developed using aroma wellness technology and designed to evoke a positive emotional response. Better still, every product comes in at under £20.
I tried Laura Jackson's new ROCCO beauty range – these are the products I'd recommend
Having tested the range ahead of launch (hence the lab sample packaging above) there were several standouts. In fact, it was the formulas, rather than the branding or mood-boosting concept, that impressed me most.
The first product to earn a spot in my bathroom cabinet was the Soft Reset Foaming Cleanser. Inspired, in part, by the harsh cleansers Jackson grew up with, the formula combines moisturising baobab with soothing panthenol and has been designed to deliver that fresh-faced feeling without stripping the skin barrier in the process.
One of my favourite products from the range, the pale pink formula transforms into an airy foam that feels incredibly lightweight and satisfying to use. Unlike many other foaming cleansers I’ve tried, it leaves skin feeling soft, comfortable and hydrated rather than tight or dry. I'm hooked.
Another standout is the Triple Up Hydrating 3-in-1 Toner & Primer, a milky formula that tones, hydrates and preps skin for makeup in one go. Blended with baobab, hyaluronic acid and glycerin, it delivers a hefty hit of hydration while helping skin look smoother and more radiant.
It's also a great example of Jackson's love of multifunctional products. Combining skincare and makeup prep in a single step, it's a product I find myself reaching for on busy mornings when I want my skin to look healthy and glow-y without adding multiple steps to my skincare routine.
If you're more of a cleansing balm devotee, TLC Melt Hydrating Balm Cleanser is well worth a try. Blended with key hydrators (including rosehip oil, squalane and sodium hyaluronate), the solid balm dispenses via a clever grinder-style mechanism before melting effortlessly into the skin.
Designed to remove makeup, SPF and daily grime, it quickly breaks everything down before transforming into a silky milk on contact with water. Seriously nourishing, it leaves skin feeling soft, comfortable and hydrated rather than coated in residue.
My standout product from the collection has to be Sunshine Dew Glow Essence. The golden-hued formula (laced with saffron and vitamin E) instantly makes skin look brighter and more radiant.
The colour itself was a labour of love. During development, Jackson told me she trialled multiple versions of the glow, carrying samples on the Elizabeth Line and stopping strangers to ask for their honest opinions. "I had five more pinky glows and five more golden glows," she recalled. "People didn't know the brand, so they were very open and honest."
The final formula strikes the perfect balance. The glow is noticeable enough to make skin look healthy and well-rested, but subtle enough that it never tips into glittery territory.
Rounding out the collection is Cloud Bounce Hydrating Moisturiser, an everyday face moisturiser designed to deliver lightweight hydration. While Sunshine Dew may have stolen my heart, this is the product I can see appealing to the widest range of skin types.
The texture sits somewhere between a gel cream and a traditional moisturiser, absorbing quickly while still leaving skin feeling soft, comfortable and nourished. For anyone who finds rich creams overwhelming but still wants that plump, hydrated look, it's an excellent middle ground.
When I met Jackson ahead of the launch back in April, her enthusiasm for the concept was impossible to ignore. “Your skin and your brain are in constant conversation,” she told me. “How you feel affects your skin and how your skin feels and looks affect your mood.” The goal, she explained, was to create skincare that helps people feel good, rather than another brand telling them they're not doing enough.
From the formulations to the branding, every detail has been designed with that feel-good ethos in mind. The packaging is playful and uplifting, with cheerful stripes that bring to mind vintage beach parasols and sun-drenched holidays. It's the sort of skincare you'd happily leave out on display, and it looks far more expensive than its Boots price tag suggests.
One thing that quickly became apparent while speaking to Jackson is that she isn't interested in products that only serve one purpose. "I love things that are multifunctional," she told me. "If I've got a vase, I'll put my flowers in it, I'll use it for my utensils – so why can't we apply this to skincare?"
It's little surprise, then, that ROCCO is home to several multi-taskers. From a 3-in-1 toner-primer hybrid to a glow-boosting essence, the products have been designed to simplify your routine. At the heart of every formula is baobab, a nutrient-rich superfruit chosen for its moisturising properties and with it you’ll find skincare favourites including hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane and vitamin E.
Fragrance was always going to be a key part of the ROCCO experience, but not at the expense of the formulas. The uplifting scent is used at a low 1% concentration and the products have been dermatologically tested, including on sensitive skin. "If we're talking to mood, it has to smell good," Jackson told me.
