Beauty Outsider

Prolific beauty brand and product developer Jenny Frankel has created it all: from full coverage phenomenon CoverFX to no-makeup makeup Nudestix. Did we mention that she also created MAC’s iconic LipGlass? She did that, too.

On today's episode, we sit down with Jenny to hear about how her early interest in science led her down a storied cosmetics career that married marketing and her love of formulation. Listen in as I discuss Jenny’s fascinating career path and the philosophy behind everything she's created. From a chance meeting in a parking lot that turned into the creation of LipGlass, to a family vacation where Nudestix was conceived with her daughters, Jenny is building the next First Family of Beauty.

Topics: 

• Jenny’s first beauty experience
• Learning how science meets beauty
• Developing and creating MAC LipGlass
• The importance of staying on top of trends and technology
• The creation and sale of full coverage CoverFX
• Founding and launching Nudestix
• Passing down a legacy to her family

On the 20th anniversary of her brand, I sat down with makeup icon and entrepreneur, Laura Geller. We discussed everything from her start in the business, to the philosophy behind her line, product creation and distribution, customer education, and even parenting.

Though Laura got her start working as a theatrical makeup artist, she built her brand around teaching Upper East Side woman how to do their own makeup and find their own beauty. Her storefront transcended a beauty studio to become a local hangout. Laura took this love of educating her customer to QVC, and her business has been growing ever since.

“My path wasn’t something that was plotted out, but more based on the demand of what people were asking for.” -Laura Geller

Topics:

• Laura’s early experiences working in Film, TV, and Theater
• The philosophy of the Laura Geller makeup brand
• On creating your own products
• The big thing that changed her brand forever
• Different ways to reach/educate customers
• QVC
• Being a mother and a thriving beauty icon

Today’s episode will feature another interview I did while on site at the CEW Conference. However, there is a bit of a twist: the guest is a High School classmate who also found herself a late-comer to the beauty industry. Lillian Tung, co-founder of Fur, a pubic hair care line, discusses how she got into the beauty business and how she promotes her brilliantly niche product.

While in China, Lillian Tung did TV broadcasting. She was inspired by her makeup artists and found the beauty world intriguing. She went to business school and ended up at L’Oreal. From there, she met her partners and founded Fur. Because of her path, Lillian has a lot of interesting insights into start-ups and the beauty industry in general. Join us as we discuss what it is like to be beauty outsiders.

Topics:

• How she broke the news of becoming an entrepreneur to her family
• What celebrity endorsement can do for your brand
• Launching Fur
• Being a beauty outsider and how it may affect success
• Branding
• A day in the life of a beauty entrepreneur

Resources:

Fur

Fur on Instagram

CEW Homepage

On today’s episode, I record live from the CEW conference in order to speak with Lisa Pryce, the founder of Carol’s Daughter. We dig into the issues of building a beauty business and how Lisa was not only able to build her success, but find a work/life balance.

Carol’s Daughter started in Lisa’s kitchen as a way to give family and friends original, homemade gifts. Eventually, she began selling her products at craft fairs and flea markets. When she realized she had a successful line of products, Lisa slowly built her business up to what it is today. After a twenty year journey, Carol’s Daughter was acquired by L’Oreal.

Today’s Topics:

• Lisa’s first beauty experience
• How TV production prepared her for entrepreneurship
• How starting a business affects those around you
• Transitioning from an at-home business to a national brand
• Closing stores to make the business stronger
• Selling to L’Oreal
• Surrounding yourself with honest people, not just “Yes Men”
• Learning from failures

Resources:

Carol’s Daughter

Carol’s Daughter on HSN

CEW Homepage

On this episode of Beauty Outsider, I get the opportunity to speak with Divya Gugnani, the founder of Wander Beauty, a company specializing in cosmetics for the intrepid traveler. We discuss her company, her personal career journey, and beauty hits and misses.

Divya got her start working in finance at Goldman Sachs, then went on to train at the French Culinary institute before building various companies. It is through owning and selling various companies that Divya gained the experience to create Wander Beauty and build it into a successful business. Join us as she shares some great insight for beauty aficionados and entrepreneurs alike.

Today’s Topics:

• “Wander” women
• How Wander provides luxury to the average consumer
• Building a partnership
• Divya’s career journey
• Streamlining your beauty routine for travel
• Finding the beauty in other places and cultures
• Sourcing product ingredients
• Beauty trends on the rise
• Korean beauty trends
• Worst travel mishaps
• Best moisturizers that should come in travel sizes
• Leveraging social media
• Wander’s method for product testing
• The future of Wander
• Advice for beauty entrepreneurs

Quotes:

 “Whatever the day may bring, you can take your Wander products with you.” -Divya Gugnani

 “One piece of the brand that is distinctly ours is that we believe in global inspiration.” -Divya Gugnani

Resources:

Wander Beauty Website

Divya's Twitter Account

Divya's Instagram Account

BeautyRx by Dr. Schultz Website

On today’s episode, I get the chance to sit down with Eleanor Langston, the CEO and founder of nail art studio, Paintbox. We discuss how Paintbox stays ahead of the curve and keeps nail art designs current.

Eleanor Langston got her start working in the magazine industry. She worked as the beauty editor for Fitness, Self, and Cosmopolitan magazines. Taking the knowledge she gained as a beauty editor, Eleanor set out to create a one-of-a-kind nail art studio that gives clients a unique and relaxing experience. Join us as we discuss her business and nail art trends.

Today’s Topics: 

• Eleanor’s first experience with the beauty industry
• The mission statement for Paintbox
• Manicure trends
• The inception of Paintbox
• Paintbox’s target audience
• Appealing to their customer base
• Staying current with and identifying trends
• Preparing a business to outlast trends
• Upcoming collections at Paintbox
• Picking the right location for your brand
• The future of Paintbox

Quotes:

“There is no age limit…or barrier to getting cool things done on your nails…” -Eleanor Langston

“We’re really trying to help women step out of their comfort zone.” -Eleanor Langston

“We brought editorial touches to manicures and really made nail art approachable…” -Eleanor Langston

Resources:

Paintbox

Paintbox on Twitter

Paintbox on Instagram

BeautyRx by Dr. Schultz

Today I sit down with Christine Chang of Glow Recipe, a Korean Beauty brand curator. Glow Recipe specializes in natural and clean K-Beauty skin care products and seeks to widen the scope of the Korean skin care market.

Christine spent a decade working for L’Oreal before starting Glow Recipe. Glow Recipe is now a top distributor of international beauty products and has contracts with many major beauty retailers, such as Sephora and Ulta. Listen in as we discuss Glow Recipe’s mission and why the Korean skin care market it blowing up.

Today’s Topics:

• The importance of “skin health”
• Christine’s most memorable beauty lesson
• Glow’s mission as a beauty curator
• Glow’s target customer base
• Korean skin care innovation
• What drives the Korean beauty market
• Choosing products that produce positive results
• Challenges of being an international brand that has headquarters in New York
• Beauty in translation
• Competing on “Shark Tank”
• The future of Glow Recipe

Quotes:

“Our number one thing that we look for in curation is really a point of difference… We’re just always on the look for brands that offer innovations…” -Christine Chang

“Korean manufacturers, because they have such a strong local customer base… [it's] a market that innovates at hyper-speed.” -Christine Chang

“We wanted to make sure that these efficacious, natural, wonderful brands were also being given visibility and having a voice in the U.S., as well.” -Christine Chang

Resources:

Glow Recipe

Glow Recipe on Twitter

Glow Recipe on Instagram

BeautyRx by Dr. Schultz

Stuart Schultz, President and Co-Founder of BeautyRx, is a fish out of water in the beauty world. But he's getting the inside scoop from the experts who know it, and sharing their insights, experiences, and stories with you.

A fish out of water in the beauty world getting the inside scoop from the experts who know it.