Allies of Skin founder Nicolas Travis to exit

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 leave the company on 10 February 2027, according to emails viewed by The Business of Fashion.

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

He began developing the business after experiencing complications from facial reconstructive surgery, combining his interest in skincare ingredients with his studies in biomedical and pharmaceutical science.

The company initially operated through Shopify, with Travis packing and delivering orders himself. It entered international retail in its first year through Space NK and Cult Beauty, before building a wider distribution network spanning the US, Europe and Asia.

Valencia joins Allies of Skin with experience in brand building, merchandising and international expansion. In January 2026, she left her role as Global President of Makeup by Mario after helping lead the makeup brand from launch through its global retail rollout.

Before joining Makeup by Mario, Valencia held senior roles at Pat McGrath Labs, Bobbi Brown and The Estée Lauder Companies. She spent 20 years managing brands within Estée Lauder’s portfolio, including Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Crème de la Mer and Jo Malone London.

In 2015, she was appointed Senior Vice President of Beauty at HSN, where she oversaw beauty merchandising, product development, planning and programming. Earlier in her career, she spent 10 years at Federated/Allied Stores, now Macy’s.

Her appointment provides Allies of Skin with an interim leader during Travis’s remaining six months with the company.