Molly Sims' YSE Beauty Names First CEO Ahead of Full Sephora Launch

Molly Sims built YSE Beauty on instinct. Now she's bringing in someone to build the infrastructure around it.

YSE Beauty, the skincare label Sims founded in 2023 for women over 35, named Doreen Arbel as its first chief executive officer, with Arbel set to assume the role on March 30, 2026. Sims moves into the chief creative officer seat, a title that fits: she's been the brand's loudest, most visible force since launch. The operational heavy lifting now belongs to Arbel.

"The next chapter is all about scaling the foundation with discipline," Sims said. "I've been leading this company by my gut. And my gut is good, but I need a true partner who sees the field and wants to win."

Arbel arrives with serious credentials. She spent more than two decades at L'Oréal across cosmetics, skincare and fragrance before moving to Charlotte Tilbury, where she served as general manager for North America. That's a resume built entirely in premium beauty, which is exactly where YSE is trying to plant its flag.

The timing of the appointment is deliberate and a little tight. YSE Beauty launches in all U.S. Sephora doors on March 13, more than two weeks before Arbel officially starts. The brand entered Sephora in June 2025 in an initial rollout; the March 13 expansion represents the full national push. Arbel's first order of business once she's in seat: strengthen that Sephora relationship, build operational efficiency, and shore up the direct-to-consumer channel.

YSE Beauty, pronounced "Wise," has been gaining real traction. The brand closed a $15 million Series A round led by Silas Capital, with L Catterton, Willow Growth Partners and Halogen Ventures participating. It won The Business of Beauty Global Award for Business Innovation last year, recognized specifically for filling a gap in the market for Gen X shoppers, a demographic that legacy beauty brands have chronically underestimated.

The product lineup reflects that positioning. Hero SKUs include the "Your Favorite Ex" exfoliating pads at $75 and the Skin Glow illuminating primer with SPF 30 at $54, both priced at a premium tier that signals the brand isn't competing on value. It's competing on relevance to a consumer who has money, opinions, and no patience for formulas designed for a 22-year-old.

The founder-to-executive handoff is one of the more consequential moves a brand can make, and Sims is handling it publicly and without apology. Bringing in a L'Oréal and Charlotte Tilbury veteran to run day-to-day operations while retaining creative control is a structurally sound model for a brand at this stage. The Sephora full rollout landing before Arbel's start date creates a brief window of overlap, but the infrastructure built around that launch will be what Arbel inherits and scales from March 30 forward.