Bowie co-founders Kate Smith and Claire Barnes (along with Barnes’ husband Matt) have created a microneedling tool that brings professional-level skincare into your bathroom. You might have seen the slick red branding and stylish dermal roller on social media. If so, you’ve probably watched Smith and Barnes having a yarn in the car while candidly discussing their beauty routines. We spoke to Smith about their results-driven innovation and why consistency is key.
Kate Smith: We are both busy working mums, who had always talked about wanting to create a brand of our own. We were blown away with the instant results we saw from microneedling at home, whilst watching the rise of microneedling in clinics and realised there was a gap.
We wanted to create something that actually fits into real life. Something simple, considered and safe, and something you could actually stick to. Microneedling is a quick treatment — a few minutes, a couple of times a week — but the results really build over time. We’ve seen improvements in skin texture, fine lines, scarring, overall brightness and tone.
Claire and I are actually quite different when it comes to skincare. She’s very minimal, and I’m definitely more of a “try everything” person. But the one thing we agree on is that we’re time poor, so it has to fit into your life as it already is.
What people often misunderstand is that this isn’t an overnight fix. It’s not about doing something intensely for a short period and expecting long-term change. It’s like going to the gym — small, regular effort that stacks up. That’s where our “little and often” philosophy comes from.
We say it all the time because it’s true: consistency is what drives results. One incredible example was a customer who microneedled just one side of her face for eight weeks (unbeknown to us). The difference in lifting, texture, and lines was undeniable and was a really powerful reminder of what consistency can do.
We were able to source the best manufacturing there is and be confident in what we were producing. However, we wanted the design to be ergonomic and the only way to do that was to engage an industrial designer to create a custom design, then build our own tooling with the factory. This is expensive, but it has meant we have been able to make the tool more user-friendly than what was on the market whilst being super chic and entirely bespoke to our brand.
We’ve created a really open, supportive space where women are sharing their skin journeys with us, showing up confidently and being honest about where they’re at, whether that’s concerns or progress. There’s something really powerful in that. It feels less about perfect skin or looking younger and more about feeling confident in your own skin. In part, that’s come from us: two women in our 40s, regularly baring our faces on social media. It sets the tone and makes it feel safe for others to do the same.
This article originally featured in the Winter ’26 issue of Fashion Quarterly.
As told to: Lucy Slight.
Imagery: Supplied.
