Allies of Skin Founder Nicolas Travis Stepping Down as Alicia Valencia Joins

Nicolas Travis is stepping down from Allies of Skin, the Singapore-based luxury skincare brand he founded in 2016, with beauty executive Alicia Valencia joining as interim president.

Travis, who also serves as chief executive, informed employees of his resignation earlier this week. He is giving six months’ notice and will depart the company on February 10, 2027, according to internal emails reported by The Business of Fashion.

The leadership change comes a decade after Travis launched Allies of Skin with three hero products, following two and a half years of research and development.

He originally conceived the brand after experiencing complications from facial reconstructive surgery, leveraging his academic background in biomedical and pharmaceutical science to develop ingredient-focused formulas.

The business initially operated direct-to-consumer via Shopify, with Travis personally fulfilling orders. Allies of Skin expanded into international retail in its first year through partnerships with Space NK and Cult Beauty, eventually establishing broader distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia. As independent skincare labels scale internationally, strong retail partnerships remain essential even while U.S. prestige beauty sales rise across core categories.

Valencia steps into the interim president role bringing extensive experience in brand building, merchandising, and commercial expansion. In January 2026, she stepped down as Global President of Makeup by Mario after guiding the prestige cosmetic brand through its initial launch and worldwide retail expansion.

Prior to Makeup by Mario, Valencia held senior leadership roles at Pat McGrath Labs, Bobbi Brown, and The Estée Lauder Companies. During her 20 years managing brand portfolios at Estée Lauder, she oversaw prestige names including Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, La Mer, and Jo Malone London.

In 2015, Valencia was named Senior Vice President of Beauty at retail network HSN, directing beauty merchandising, product development, planning, and programming. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade at Federated/Allied Stores, the predecessor to Macy’s.

Her appointment provides Allies of Skin with experienced executive guidance during Travis’s six-month transition period.