The Glow Up: How Beauty CEO David Yi Found His Light
Welcome to The Glow Up, Highsnobiety’s series examining the bathroom shelves of beautiful people.
David Yi believes in the power of the moth. The founder of digital beauty destination Very Good Light and skincare brand good light, Yi is enraptured by the fuzzy insect — beleaguered by its reputation as the butterfly's ugly little sister — for its symbolism: "The moth will always find the light. And so too, shall we."
"The moth is the unsung hero," Yi gushes over the phone, explaining why he selected the winged species as the mascot for good light. "[The moth is] the underdog, the creature that is relegated to the darkness and the shadows while the butterfly is revered by society. But I would say that the moth is more beautiful in so many ways, because it is the creature that is less considered."
Yi, a Korean American raised in Colorado Springs, knows what it feels like to be less considered. "I never felt beautiful. No one told me I was beautiful," Yi reflects. Navigating the judgement of others, the lack of Asian representation in pop-culture and media, and his parents' belief in self-care is a means of self-respect, Yi began philosophizing about the weighty notion of beauty at a young age.
"I wanted to know what beauty meant apart from what society in the Western world viewed it as," he says. Eventually, Yi funneled his fascination with aesthetics and identity into a career as a fashion and beauty journalist, a way for him to "delve into how beauty has always signified power."
Now, as a brand founder and CEO, Yi hopes to embolden those "less considered" — be it Asian Americans, disabled folks, or gender non-conformists — to empower themselves through wellness and self-care, a practice he first learned from his father.
"My dad would jut slather his skin with potions and serums... I realized that as an immigrant, this was his way of self-preservation," Yi says. "That's how he empowered himself. That's how he survived the cruelties of America, through self-care and through skincare."
Much like his father's approach to skincare, there's something sacred about Yi's tightly curated good light lineup. "We are a celestial-based brand," he says. "We're about the stars and the occult and also astrology."
And in case you forgot — good light is all about the moth, too. The brand's upcoming product, order of the eclipse hyaluronic cream, takes its name from the collective noun for many moths. "Just like you'd say a swarm of bees or a gaggle of geese, an eclipse signifies many moths together," Yi informs me.
Formulated with three types of hyaluronic acid, hydrating squalene, and anti-inflammatory meshima mushroom, the cream will leave you so glowy that you might just attract an eclipse of Yi's favorite flying insects.
As we wait for order of the eclipse to launch at good light's website on June 27 (join the waitlist now), Yi tides us over with his favorite beauty finds, new and old.
First-ever beauty purchase
DY: Giorgio Armani's Acqua di Gio. It's such a throwback — Acqua di Gio was my high school experience. I felt so powerful and rich. I was like, 'I'm wearing Armani.'
Biggest splurge
DY: I think my biggest splurge is probably this red light mask from Dr. Dennis Gross. I think it's, like, $500. I always do [an infrared light mask] as the last step at esthetician offices — let me just do this on my own.
Drugstore favorite
DY: I love Cetaphil. It's something that I enjoyed in my younger years and in my older years too. I also love NYX Cosmetics when it comes to makeup. I love their eyebrow pencils and their brow pomade.
Holy grail
DY: These days it has to be [good light's] order of the eclipse hyaluronic cream. It's that one cream that is going to hydrate you from day to night without that sticky or that oily feel.
Best under-the-radar beauty brand
DY:I don't know if this is a small brand, but a brand that has been getting my attention is Half Magic. I think they're going to going to slay, especially because they have that A24 money. Everything that's beauty-centric today comes from [Half Magic founder and Euphoria makeup artist] Donni Davy's brain and the trends that she's created.
Beauty hot tip
DY: I think I learned this from my mother. It's really about not using anything else, like a cotton round or a cotton pad, when you're putting things on your face. Directly put that toner or that essence onto your face. The Korean way is that you sink it into your skin by putting it into your palms and just gently going over your face. Don't slap it, 'cause that damages the skin — pat, because that promotes blood circulation. And then what you'll do is put your palms over your face. Not only because it allows the product to sink in faster because of the heat in your palms, but this way you're hugging your face. I like to hug my face and look in the mirror. Practice that self love. Just say, 'I love you. You're doing well. You got this.' And then go on with your day.
