WEBVTT 00:00:12.559 --> 00:00:15.300 Hello and welcome to the Smart Beauty Podcast. 00:00:15.859 --> 00:00:18.699 I'm your host, Viola Levy, beauty journalist 00:00:18.699 --> 00:00:21.640 and founder of copy led branding agency, Smart 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:24.379 Beauty Creative. We're here to create your brand 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:31.300 voice and craft the story behind it. Welcome 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:34.500 back. Today I'm speaking with Susie Griffin -Dunn 00:00:34.500 --> 00:00:38.079 from Hilden Beauty, an Irish makeup brand that 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:40.619 is revolutionizing how we think about beauty 00:00:40.619 --> 00:00:43.280 manufacturing and community building. Now, I 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.679 think the reason why there aren't as many indie 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:50.320 makeup brands launching as opposed to skincare 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:54.820 and perfume and haircare is that in terms of 00:00:54.820 --> 00:00:58.140 the different products, the categories are so 00:00:58.140 --> 00:01:00.399 wildly different. so you know the difference 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.179 between a serum and a moisturizer and a face 00:01:03.179 --> 00:01:06.159 oil compared to the difference between an eyeliner 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:09.560 pencil an eyeshadow a mascara and foundation 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:12.959 it's just so wildly different and the products 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.879 are kind of designed to work in completely different 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:19.780 ways whereas you know a serum or a moisturizer 00:01:19.780 --> 00:01:22.340 they they're sort of doing the same job just 00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:25.799 a different degrees and intensities whereas you 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:28.219 know the way a mascara works and the way a foundation 00:01:28.219 --> 00:01:31.659 works are very different and completely different 00:01:31.659 --> 00:01:34.640 ingredient profiles. So as a result you need 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:37.780 to go to different manufacturers because there 00:01:37.780 --> 00:01:40.099 are some manufacturers as Suzy explains that 00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:42.260 can do some products a lot better than others 00:01:42.260 --> 00:01:45.760 and Suzy is somebody that has done her homework 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:49.459 so So yeah, that's what struck me about Suzie 00:01:49.459 --> 00:01:51.980 is just her, that commitment to quality, which 00:01:51.980 --> 00:01:55.540 I can attest to because having tried her eyeliners, 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:58.379 I'm an eyeliner girl and I've worn eyeliner for 00:01:58.379 --> 00:02:01.599 the best part of 30 years. These are just really 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:06.079 gorgeous formulas. So I tried the Spice Pecan 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.900 eyeliner that was a collaboration with designer 00:02:08.900 --> 00:02:12.219 Hannah Martin and it is stunning. Honestly, it's 00:02:12.219 --> 00:02:14.870 not that kind of stark black. pencil that can 00:02:14.870 --> 00:02:18.050 look a bit harsh especially if you're in your 00:02:18.050 --> 00:02:21.969 later years as I am but it's this beautiful shimmering 00:02:21.969 --> 00:02:26.210 like tawny brown and really really lovely but 00:02:26.210 --> 00:02:29.750 beyond the quality we look into Suzy's real authentic 00:02:29.750 --> 00:02:32.110 approach when it comes to community building 00:02:32.110 --> 00:02:36.189 and she's part of the thriving Irish beauty scene 00:02:36.189 --> 00:02:39.860 what I love about Cult Irish beauty brands the 00:02:39.860 --> 00:02:43.360 founders, you know have this really strong and 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:46.180 connection with their communities and It's produced 00:02:46.180 --> 00:02:48.780 some really exciting brands from that region. 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:51.979 So yes, we've got some great insights whether 00:02:51.979 --> 00:02:54.360 you're building a beauty brand yourself or Simply 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:56.379 curious about what goes on behind the scenes. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:59.659 Let's dive in So it's Susie. Thank you so much 00:02:59.659 --> 00:03:01.919 for joining me on the podcast. So lovely to be 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:04.419 chatting with you today Thank you so much for 00:03:04.419 --> 00:03:06.860 having me, Viola. I'm a big fan of your podcast, 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:10.639 as I said. Thank you. Really appreciate it. What 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:13.240 was the original spark that made you want to 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:15.000 create your own range? Because obviously, I think 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:17.819 it takes so much guts, especially in this market. 00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:21.060 So I began actually as a beauty writer. I was 00:03:21.060 --> 00:03:26.300 writing beauty reviews for Yeah, for a few years, 00:03:26.659 --> 00:03:30.719 and I never really realized that I could kind 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:34.240 of make a living from beauty. I was always a 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:38.479 beauty nut, always mad about makeup. And when 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.139 I was writing, I was writing beauty reviews in 00:03:41.139 --> 00:03:44.610 as kind of like a sideline to my main job. But 00:03:44.610 --> 00:03:47.770 I just as I got to meet more of the kind of founders 00:03:47.770 --> 00:03:50.430 and the creative directors of some of the world's 00:03:50.430 --> 00:03:53.849 biggest makeup brands, I just got absolutely 00:03:53.849 --> 00:03:58.250 obsessed with the product and formulas. And then 00:03:58.250 --> 00:04:00.990 when I went on Matleave, I was thinking to myself, 00:04:01.009 --> 00:04:03.669 I wonder, would there be a way that I could create 00:04:03.669 --> 00:04:06.430 a beauty brand that was able to hold its own? 00:04:07.009 --> 00:04:10.789 along with the kind of top shelf luxury brands. 00:04:11.009 --> 00:04:13.310 Yeah, I just felt like there was a bit of a bit 00:04:13.310 --> 00:04:16.689 of a gap between like the high street kind of 00:04:16.689 --> 00:04:20.209 makeup and the top shelf luxury makeup. And there 00:04:20.209 --> 00:04:23.449 was no kind of in between kind of mid luxury 00:04:23.449 --> 00:04:27.470 brand that was able to guarantee kind of the 00:04:27.470 --> 00:04:30.370 same performance as those top shelf brands. So 00:04:30.370 --> 00:04:33.389 and also beautiful. packaging, stuff that you 00:04:33.389 --> 00:04:36.050 felt good about having in your makeup bag. So 00:04:36.050 --> 00:04:38.850 I that was kind of my mission from the very start. 00:04:39.009 --> 00:04:43.889 And then as I got more involved and met more 00:04:43.889 --> 00:04:45.709 and more manufacturers and started to branch 00:04:45.709 --> 00:04:48.850 out into different categories, I decided that 00:04:48.850 --> 00:04:51.129 I wanted to kind of push boundaries with our 00:04:51.129 --> 00:04:54.490 products and develop products that hadn't been 00:04:54.490 --> 00:04:56.970 done before. And that was kind of where our melting 00:04:56.970 --> 00:05:00.699 ban formula came from. This was made with a manufacturer 00:05:00.699 --> 00:05:04.199 in Korea, and Korea is kind of the home of that 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:07.620 melting balm formula that you'll know from Makeup 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:12.079 by Mario and Tarte. Mac has one as well. This 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:16.060 is a really particular melting gloss, sheer gloss 00:05:16.060 --> 00:05:19.699 formula. So I went to Korea and met with these 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:22.100 manufacturers and decided I wanted to make a 00:05:22.100 --> 00:05:25.399 balm lipstick hybrid that was kind of like a 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:28.629 melting lipstick. So that was something we did 00:05:28.629 --> 00:05:31.370 that was completely unique. And yeah, so this 00:05:31.370 --> 00:05:32.949 is something that I've been trying to do more 00:05:32.949 --> 00:05:36.230 and more now is to kind of create products and 00:05:36.230 --> 00:05:38.310 push boundaries in different formulas. And working 00:05:38.310 --> 00:05:41.269 with Korean manufacturers has been amazing because 00:05:41.269 --> 00:05:43.730 they're so creative, they're so tenacious, and 00:05:43.730 --> 00:05:46.670 they're able to. kind of experiment a little 00:05:46.670 --> 00:05:49.430 bit because they're a little bit a lot smaller, 00:05:49.610 --> 00:05:51.910 some of the manufacturers as well. So, yeah, 00:05:51.910 --> 00:05:54.009 they're able to kind of react and work with me 00:05:54.009 --> 00:05:56.370 on new products, which has been so exciting. 00:05:56.769 --> 00:05:59.589 So I suppose, yeah, it's a mixture of just always 00:05:59.589 --> 00:06:03.250 high performance products. And if something I 00:06:03.250 --> 00:06:06.250 create is not the very best in that category 00:06:06.250 --> 00:06:08.790 that I've personally ever tried, it won't be 00:06:08.790 --> 00:06:11.290 launched. I wouldn't actually be able to sleep 00:06:11.290 --> 00:06:15.180 at night. No, nothing better out there. I mean 00:06:15.180 --> 00:06:16.740 we were talking a little bit about manufacturers 00:06:16.740 --> 00:06:19.839 when we had a quick catch up the other day and 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.379 they really we were saying they're really at 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:23.899 the forefront of the kind of latest beauty trends 00:06:23.899 --> 00:06:25.720 aren't they I mean people don't really talk about 00:06:25.720 --> 00:06:27.860 them that much but it's really looking at what 00:06:27.860 --> 00:06:30.439 the manufacturers are doing that's going to change 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:32.139 the you know what the market is and what brands 00:06:32.139 --> 00:06:35.740 are doing. I have been, obviously, I have a lot 00:06:35.740 --> 00:06:37.459 of good relationships with manufacturers and 00:06:37.459 --> 00:06:41.680 I feel like those relationships are key because 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.699 they will then let you know about new technologies 00:06:44.699 --> 00:06:48.420 or new ingredients that they have that they know 00:06:48.420 --> 00:06:51.600 that I'll be excited about because I'm mad, makeup 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:54.079 mad and formula mad and I love anything new or 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:57.800 innovative. But yeah, I think from going to trade 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:01.240 shows, you will see that the manufacturers are 00:07:01.810 --> 00:07:04.689 attempting to predict the trends in 18 months 00:07:04.689 --> 00:07:09.350 time. They will showcase at the trade shows a 00:07:09.350 --> 00:07:12.069 collection that they believe reflects what the 00:07:12.069 --> 00:07:13.730 makeup world is going to look like in 18 months 00:07:13.730 --> 00:07:18.209 time. And a lot of the beauty buyers that attend 00:07:18.209 --> 00:07:22.009 these shows will kind of depend on the manufacturers 00:07:22.009 --> 00:07:25.389 to tell them what's trending and what's going 00:07:25.389 --> 00:07:28.209 to be the next big thing in makeup. So it's a 00:07:28.209 --> 00:07:30.750 kind of a mixture of. watching, obviously, what's 00:07:30.750 --> 00:07:34.209 popular now and trends and also then working 00:07:34.209 --> 00:07:36.029 with manufacturers. I mean, they're the ones 00:07:36.029 --> 00:07:38.930 who are dealing with the big beauty conglomerates 00:07:38.930 --> 00:07:41.350 and they're the ones who are being asked what 00:07:41.350 --> 00:07:43.689 they're the ones who are getting all the requests. 00:07:43.750 --> 00:07:47.250 So they know what the demand is right now. And 00:07:47.250 --> 00:07:49.889 they also are able to, I suppose, through experience, 00:07:50.069 --> 00:07:52.050 kind of predict where it's going to go next. 00:07:52.470 --> 00:07:54.850 So. having really good relationships with a number 00:07:54.850 --> 00:07:57.629 of different beauty manufacturers has been really 00:07:57.629 --> 00:08:00.709 important for me and for Hilden as well, I think. 00:08:01.089 --> 00:08:03.850 And as a smaller founder -led brand, from speaking 00:08:03.850 --> 00:08:05.670 to other founders, it can be a bit tricky, that 00:08:05.670 --> 00:08:07.290 relationship with the manufacturers, especially 00:08:07.290 --> 00:08:09.709 if they're used to dealing with bigger conglomerates. 00:08:10.050 --> 00:08:11.389 I mean, what were the main things you learned 00:08:11.389 --> 00:08:14.069 about the best ways to get the most out of that 00:08:14.069 --> 00:08:17.050 relationship? Yeah, definitely can be. And I 00:08:17.050 --> 00:08:19.199 definitely would have... been, I suppose, some 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:22.480 of the biggest manufacturers in the world, you 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.959 can feel like you don't get like the same treatment 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:27.660 sometimes that they that, you know, the bigger 00:08:27.660 --> 00:08:31.680 beauty brands would get. But because right the 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.399 way the beauty industry has shifted, there is 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:39.100 so many founder led brands now. And some of the 00:08:39.100 --> 00:08:42.250 top biggest, most expensive manufacturers in 00:08:42.250 --> 00:08:45.210 the world have said to me begrudgingly now, they 00:08:45.210 --> 00:08:49.190 do have to listen and work with the smaller founder 00:08:49.190 --> 00:08:51.409 led brands because they're the ones that are 00:08:51.409 --> 00:08:53.769 blowing up and becoming the biggest in the world 00:08:53.769 --> 00:08:57.210 in three or four years. So they don't want to 00:08:57.210 --> 00:09:01.669 miss the boat on these brands. But obviously 00:09:01.669 --> 00:09:05.110 they are not. hugely happy with having to make 00:09:05.110 --> 00:09:09.190 smaller quantities for these brands per SKU because 00:09:09.190 --> 00:09:11.309 it costs the same price for them to turn on the 00:09:11.309 --> 00:09:14.690 machines for L 'Oreal as it does for me. So they 00:09:14.690 --> 00:09:17.919 like to remind me about that as well. I work 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:19.919 with a lot of different manufacturers and some 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:23.399 of the really big ones as well are so respectful 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:25.860 of the small beauty brands and give them just 00:09:25.860 --> 00:09:29.539 as much time as well. And especially I find in 00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:32.259 South Korea, they are obviously they're a lot 00:09:32.259 --> 00:09:35.320 quicker at turning around formulas. So they can 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:37.539 they do have the capacity to work with a lot 00:09:37.539 --> 00:09:39.980 more brands because they're able to manufacture 00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:43.820 a lot faster. So they can take on multiple then 00:09:43.820 --> 00:09:46.190 multi -level beauty brands as well. Is that the 00:09:46.190 --> 00:09:48.710 reason why you decided to go with a Korean manufacturer 00:09:48.710 --> 00:09:51.649 because they were a bit more experimental and 00:09:51.649 --> 00:09:55.049 a bit more flexible to work with? So there are 00:09:55.049 --> 00:09:59.759 some products that the South Korean manufacturing 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:02.980 is just not as good as they are in Europe. And 00:10:02.980 --> 00:10:05.019 I mean, there's no, there's no nice way to put 00:10:05.019 --> 00:10:07.039 it. There's some products that you're just not 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:09.980 going to get the same standard. And they have 00:10:09.980 --> 00:10:13.679 amazing technology. And both yet. So, for example, 00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:17.360 pencils, I would say eyeliners and lip liners. 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:19.720 And Italy, Germany is where you're going to get 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:22.200 the best in that, in that particular category. 00:10:23.769 --> 00:10:25.870 And then lipsticks, if you're looking for like 00:10:25.870 --> 00:10:29.129 a traditional really good quality lipstick, you'll 00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:32.590 see a lot of the bigger, most popular lipsticks 00:10:32.590 --> 00:10:35.570 in the world are made initially. I think 60 % 00:10:35.570 --> 00:10:37.629 of all the makeup in the world is made initially. 00:10:37.929 --> 00:10:40.129 So basically I will try and find a manufacturer 00:10:40.129 --> 00:10:43.110 that is a specialist in powders or a specialist 00:10:43.110 --> 00:10:45.129 in emulsions or a specialist in lip products 00:10:45.129 --> 00:10:47.330 and work with them on that particular category. 00:10:47.889 --> 00:10:51.629 And some of the manufacturers also have a brand 00:10:51.629 --> 00:10:55.090 library room, which is basically every product 00:10:55.090 --> 00:10:58.269 they've ever made. So on display kind of for 00:10:58.269 --> 00:11:00.389 you to see. I'll never forget the first time 00:11:00.389 --> 00:11:03.250 I got into, I got to visit a brand library and 00:11:03.250 --> 00:11:06.570 we were manufacturing products in Italy for two, 00:11:06.570 --> 00:11:09.029 we were there for two days and they said, now 00:11:09.029 --> 00:11:11.049 everybody leave your phones, put them on the 00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:14.049 desk. We're going to walk you upstairs. It was 00:11:14.049 --> 00:11:16.570 just amazing. I think I was there for two hours 00:11:16.570 --> 00:11:20.200 and I was just like in heaven. i mean do you 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:22.019 think that's why that when you're looking at 00:11:22.019 --> 00:11:23.779 a lot of the indie brands a lot of them seem 00:11:23.779 --> 00:11:28.240 to be skincare fragrance, not as many, not as 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:29.919 many makeup brands. Do you think that that's 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:31.559 the reason just because of all the different 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:34.159 components of makeup brands? So, you know, like 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:36.860 you saying the pencils or a blusher or, you know, 00:11:36.899 --> 00:11:38.659 there's so there's such different formulas that 00:11:38.659 --> 00:11:41.179 it requires a bit more legwork. Yeah, maybe because 00:11:41.179 --> 00:11:44.240 it is a little bit more complicated with makeup. 00:11:44.379 --> 00:11:46.759 I think if you're if you're going to go and find 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:50.019 the very best manufacturer in each for each category. 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:53.519 And it does take a lot more work and it is a 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:55.700 lot more complicated. Yeah, it is more of a headache. 00:11:55.740 --> 00:11:58.899 And I do know that some brands do work with one 00:11:58.899 --> 00:12:00.600 manufacturer on everything. So some of their 00:12:00.600 --> 00:12:03.539 products might be a little bit stronger than 00:12:03.539 --> 00:12:07.639 others because they're just for logistical reasons, 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:09.600 working with one manufacturer on everything. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:12.279 And you probably notice that with some brands 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:14.279 that some of their products are really strong 00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:17.139 and some of them are just OK. But I just think 00:12:17.139 --> 00:12:20.240 because I'm a small brand. pretty much all the 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.440 time when people buy Hilden, they don't know 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:24.320 that it's they don't know anything about me. 00:12:24.340 --> 00:12:27.960 They've no allegiance to me. So they need to 00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:30.500 they need to fall in love with the product. And 00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:33.360 that's why I work with all a lot of different 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:35.340 manufacturers. And that's why I'm so fussy about 00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:38.340 who makes each product in our kind of range. 00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:41.399 And when it comes to skincare, infused makeup, 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:43.220 like you were mentioning, is that just a given 00:12:43.220 --> 00:12:46.299 now? It's not really a selling point. It's just 00:12:46.299 --> 00:12:49.529 people expect it. Pretty much. I mean any of 00:12:49.529 --> 00:12:55.059 the manufacturers I work with will any of the 00:12:55.059 --> 00:12:56.919 products, the samples that when I go to trade 00:12:56.919 --> 00:12:59.700 shows now, any of the collections they're presenting, 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:03.360 blushers, powder blushers, highlighters, a lot 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:06.580 of them will, I'd say now 85 % of them will say 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:09.200 and this has hyaluronic acid in it and this has 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.700 niacinamide in it. They all kind of seem to have 00:13:11.700 --> 00:13:15.519 a skincare element, you know, sprinkled in there 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:17.740 somewhere. So, yeah, I think it is kind of a 00:13:17.740 --> 00:13:20.659 given and I think people are kind of used to 00:13:20.659 --> 00:13:23.460 it now. But at the same time, you want makeup 00:13:23.460 --> 00:13:25.440 that's going to last and that's going to perform 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:28.279 well. So there has to be a little bit of a balance 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:31.200 there between products that are, you know, skincare 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:33.480 focused, but also makeup products that are going 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:35.279 to deliver results and last all day. And you're 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.220 not going to have to top up in an hour or, you 00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:40.360 know, that kind of thing. And coming to your 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:42.820 collaboration with Hannah Martin, you were saying 00:13:42.820 --> 00:13:45.889 earlier before we... started recording that it 00:13:45.889 --> 00:13:48.289 had such a great reception. I mean what made 00:13:48.289 --> 00:13:51.350 you decide that now was the time to, you know, 00:13:51.429 --> 00:13:53.409 that it was the right fit for your brand and 00:13:53.409 --> 00:13:56.850 it would be the perfect collaboration? So Hannah 00:13:56.850 --> 00:13:59.269 and I worked on last year, this was our second 00:13:59.269 --> 00:14:02.649 collaboration, so we worked last year on an eyeliner 00:14:02.649 --> 00:14:06.389 for Hilden which was called Spice We Can. And 00:14:06.389 --> 00:14:08.929 Hannah was, as I was saying, when I started my 00:14:08.929 --> 00:14:11.950 makeup brand, I launched with just two eye pencils 00:14:11.950 --> 00:14:14.450 and I sent them to all my favorite makeup artists 00:14:14.450 --> 00:14:17.169 who didn't know me from Adam. And they just got 00:14:17.169 --> 00:14:19.850 these pencils in the post. So some of the makeup 00:14:19.850 --> 00:14:22.690 artists and beauty lovers and editors that I 00:14:22.690 --> 00:14:24.970 sent them to immediately noticed that the formula 00:14:24.970 --> 00:14:28.509 is exceptional. It's high performance. And Hannah 00:14:28.509 --> 00:14:30.710 was one of those. And she just kept picking up 00:14:30.710 --> 00:14:33.690 my eyeliners every she has this kind of Sunday 00:14:33.690 --> 00:14:36.889 live ritual that everybody tunes into. It's hugely 00:14:36.889 --> 00:14:38.850 popular. It's every Sunday morning on our Instagram 00:14:38.850 --> 00:14:41.129 page. And she kept picking up my eye pencils 00:14:41.129 --> 00:14:43.049 and using them time and time again without knowing 00:14:43.049 --> 00:14:45.889 who I was. And she would just say, comment, like, 00:14:46.009 --> 00:14:47.690 I just love these eye pencils. I just love how 00:14:47.690 --> 00:14:49.750 easy they are to use. They're so high pigmented. 00:14:49.830 --> 00:14:52.549 They just blend so easily. So I reached out to 00:14:52.549 --> 00:14:54.330 her after about a year of this. I reached out 00:14:54.330 --> 00:14:57.549 to her lovely agent, Aoife. And I said, Aoife, 00:14:57.649 --> 00:14:59.210 like, is there any chance I could meet Hannah 00:14:59.210 --> 00:15:01.830 to say thank you? She has been amazing for my 00:15:01.830 --> 00:15:05.929 little brand. And he was like, yep, Hannah would 00:15:05.929 --> 00:15:07.830 be delighted to meet you. So I met up with Hannah. 00:15:08.149 --> 00:15:12.049 We had lunch. And yeah, we ended up just hitting 00:15:12.049 --> 00:15:15.169 it off. She's a makeup nut, just like me. She's 00:15:15.169 --> 00:15:18.450 a beauty nut. And we just could talk makeup and 00:15:18.450 --> 00:15:21.789 beauty and formulas forever. And at the end, 00:15:22.009 --> 00:15:24.370 Hannah just turned around and said like, What 00:15:24.370 --> 00:15:26.669 about if we made our own eyeliner? Like, what 00:15:26.669 --> 00:15:28.710 about if we made a particular, I have a shade 00:15:28.710 --> 00:15:31.629 in mind that I think would be amazing in your 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:34.210 range. So I was like, yeah, absolutely. So we 00:15:34.210 --> 00:15:36.549 got to work. We made an eye pencil called Spiced 00:15:36.549 --> 00:15:39.950 Pecan, which was our best selling shade is pecan. 00:15:40.110 --> 00:15:44.649 So Spiced Pecan is it's like pecan, but with 00:15:44.649 --> 00:15:48.080 a shimmer running through it. So. a bronzy shade 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:51.120 and this shade just people just went nuts for 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:54.139 it it sold out and that was last year so after 00:15:54.139 --> 00:15:56.720 that then obviously we kept in touch and we were 00:15:56.720 --> 00:15:59.200 saying like we would love to bring it back but 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:01.860 add to the collection this time so we've been 00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:04.259 working on this for a year now we decided that 00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:07.600 we were going to do eyeshadows and I was really 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:09.899 keen to work with this particular South Korean 00:16:09.899 --> 00:16:12.259 lab that I already work with and I was like I'd 00:16:12.259 --> 00:16:14.480 love to make the eyeshadows with this team Hannah 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:16.360 like What do you think? And Hannah was like, 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:18.200 yeah, absolutely. I went down to Korea. I had 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:20.779 Hannah on FaceTime. And we were originally just 00:16:20.779 --> 00:16:22.480 going to do one shade. But then when I was down 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.220 there, it's great when you're small. You can 00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:26.879 make tweaks like this. Then when I was down there, 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:28.580 I was like, Hannah, I think we should do two 00:16:28.580 --> 00:16:31.279 because the formula here is amazing. So we made 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:35.360 two shades together. And Hannah is known for 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:39.639 radiant, kind of illuminous. kind of skin care 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:42.779 and her skin is always gorgeous and glowy so 00:16:42.779 --> 00:16:46.240 she was keen to create a kind of a face product 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.919 but that wasn't sticky or overly glittery that 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:50.940 would give you that kind of lit from within look 00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:53.720 and one that was a universal shade. So that was 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.080 how the Sheer Glow Face Gel came about. I worked 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:59.019 with an amazing manufacturer in Italy. For the 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:00.679 first time I've worked with them actually was 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:02.440 on this product and definitely gonna work with 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:05.470 them again because they are like just the team, 00:17:05.609 --> 00:17:07.750 the labs, everything. It's like you're literally 00:17:07.750 --> 00:17:10.549 stepping into the future. They're so good. So 00:17:10.549 --> 00:17:13.750 they worked with us on this face gel and yeah, 00:17:13.750 --> 00:17:16.470 so we brought it out. We shot everything in Ireland 00:17:16.470 --> 00:17:20.470 and then we launched it just last week and it 00:17:20.470 --> 00:17:22.789 has just flown. I don't know how long we'll have 00:17:22.789 --> 00:17:25.769 it for because everybody was just ready to shop 00:17:25.769 --> 00:17:28.430 when this came out and it's just had an amazing 00:17:28.430 --> 00:17:31.849 response. Yeah, it's been great. Oh, huge congratulations 00:17:31.849 --> 00:17:37.170 on that. I'm sure like, collaborating with somebody 00:17:37.170 --> 00:17:39.609 is an interesting journey, because you're both 00:17:39.609 --> 00:17:43.130 kind of strong visionaries. How do you kind of 00:17:43.130 --> 00:17:44.950 navigate that relationship? And what are the 00:17:44.950 --> 00:17:47.750 main things that you sort of learnt from that? 00:17:48.190 --> 00:17:51.329 Is it just mainly your dynamic, if you guys gel, 00:17:51.369 --> 00:17:55.589 then it's a goer? Is that kind of the best way 00:17:55.589 --> 00:17:58.609 to judge it? Yeah, well, Hannah really understood 00:17:58.609 --> 00:18:01.410 the brand, and she was already a fan of the brand. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.960 I was actually already really interested in Hilden's 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:08.400 products and looked forward to using them. So 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:12.059 that's kind of something I would look for in 00:18:12.059 --> 00:18:15.720 a lot, because I do get a lot of creators and 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:17.400 makeup artists reaching out. I want to work with 00:18:17.400 --> 00:18:20.160 Hilden. I want to make content. And if it's somebody 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:22.359 who's already a fan of the brand and someone 00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:25.880 who already is regularly using the brand like 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:29.779 I'd say that's the best way for influencers and 00:18:29.779 --> 00:18:31.700 creators to kind of get on board with the brand. 00:18:32.059 --> 00:18:34.519 So I knew Hannah was already a fan of the brand 00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:38.500 and she's also just like myself, just a really 00:18:38.500 --> 00:18:40.980 open book and like what if you thought you get 00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:43.799 and very kind of genuine and like an honest, 00:18:44.019 --> 00:18:46.380 authentic person. So she was really easy to work 00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:49.829 with them that way, as in we just kind of. have, 00:18:50.009 --> 00:18:52.029 we're just on WhatsApp all the time and videos 00:18:52.029 --> 00:18:54.990 and we're just always trashing out different 00:18:54.990 --> 00:18:58.329 formulas. But we both love the same kind of high 00:18:58.329 --> 00:19:02.630 performance and stand out makeup formulas. So 00:19:02.630 --> 00:19:05.250 we're on the same page in that way. And we have 00:19:05.250 --> 00:19:07.410 the same similar taste in a lot of the makeup 00:19:07.410 --> 00:19:09.730 that we would both have in our makeup bag anyway. 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:14.480 So it was kind of easy in that way. And yeah, 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.640 Hannah is just so easy to work with. She's just 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:20.380 a really easy going person and just another beauty 00:19:20.380 --> 00:19:23.799 not like myself who just loves makeup. So yeah, 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:26.160 it was super easy. And I wouldn't have we wouldn't 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:27.980 have come back together and done a second collection 00:19:27.980 --> 00:19:29.720 if we didn't have so much fun the first time. 00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:32.019 No, for sure. Where is Hannah from? She's British, 00:19:32.500 --> 00:19:34.359 right? Hannah's from London. Yeah, she lives 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:37.359 in London. Yeah. So I was going to say like there 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:40.059 are so many like fantastic beauty brands coming 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:41.799 out of Ireland at the moment and like you guys 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:43.900 like love your beauty and a client I actually 00:19:43.900 --> 00:19:46.359 worked with a few years ago as a skincare brand, 00:19:46.380 --> 00:19:50.619 Skinition, who are just fantastic. I mean, what 00:19:50.619 --> 00:19:53.940 do you think is the kind of Irish approach to 00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:55.599 beauty and how would you describe the beauty 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:01.630 scene? Irish women love makeup. We absolutely 00:20:01.630 --> 00:20:03.970 love our makeup and we're really serious about 00:20:03.970 --> 00:20:07.210 our skincare as well. So yeah, I think that in 00:20:07.210 --> 00:20:09.890 Ireland there is a little bit of a beauty revolution 00:20:09.890 --> 00:20:11.789 happening. And a lot of people are saying that 00:20:11.789 --> 00:20:14.190 to me. A lot of editors in the UK are saying 00:20:14.190 --> 00:20:15.769 that to me as well, like what's going on with 00:20:15.769 --> 00:20:18.890 Ireland. So obviously we have sculpted by Amy, 00:20:18.930 --> 00:20:22.329 who we're super proud of. And Amy has kind of 00:20:22.329 --> 00:20:24.930 left the door open for some of the smaller beauty 00:20:24.930 --> 00:20:27.349 brands and we'll be forever grateful for that. 00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:31.759 So Amy is obviously the biggest Irish beauty 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:35.099 brand and she is going global at the moment. 00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:39.839 So there is just kind of a real appetite in Ireland 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:43.759 for beauty. The Irish customers are very loyal 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:48.130 to Irish beauty brands. The Irish beauty scene 00:20:48.130 --> 00:20:51.769 is so popular. Like we just love our beauty and 00:20:51.769 --> 00:20:54.430 makeup. I think Ireland is the number one consumer 00:20:54.430 --> 00:20:58.210 of fake tan in Europe as well. We are fake tan 00:20:58.210 --> 00:21:01.769 crazy here in Ireland. There's a lot of fake 00:21:01.769 --> 00:21:04.329 tan brands. You see like Bare by Vogue, super 00:21:04.329 --> 00:21:07.849 popular brand by Vogue Williams. And we're also 00:21:07.849 --> 00:21:09.589 yeah, really serious about our skincare, the 00:21:09.589 --> 00:21:11.349 likes of Ella and Jo. I'm not sure if you've 00:21:11.349 --> 00:21:13.710 heard of them. That's an Irish skincare. I'll 00:21:13.710 --> 00:21:15.509 definitely check them out. Yeah, you should. 00:21:15.750 --> 00:21:18.930 They're amazing. Charlene and Niamh, they are 00:21:18.930 --> 00:21:21.869 just a gorgeous brand by two lovely ladies. So 00:21:21.869 --> 00:21:24.730 yeah, I think being authentic and genuine is 00:21:24.730 --> 00:21:28.289 something that is really prevalent with Irish 00:21:28.289 --> 00:21:30.509 brand founders, but also it's not something that 00:21:30.509 --> 00:21:32.630 people that you can fake and people see through 00:21:32.630 --> 00:21:34.890 it straight away. So there's no time for anything 00:21:34.890 --> 00:21:37.279 else in Ireland. Would you say that's something 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.039 that international brands should really bear 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:41.079 in mind when they're launching into Ireland about 00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:44.599 that market that authenticity really is key when 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:48.039 speaking to that market? Yeah, and I think that's 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:50.440 why the likes of Caroline Hirons resonates so 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:53.559 well with Ireland because we kind of see her 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:57.559 as one of our own and she's just really good 00:21:57.559 --> 00:22:00.359 fun and she's a great personality, really authentic, 00:22:00.859 --> 00:22:04.599 which resonates with Irish women a lot and she'll 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:06.759 say like, this isn't, you don't need this product 00:22:06.759 --> 00:22:09.119 or you do need this product. So I think Irish 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:12.200 women love Caroline Hirons for that reason. And 00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:16.460 we love having genuine recommendations as well. 00:22:16.740 --> 00:22:19.240 The Irish women are very educated now on makeup, 00:22:19.380 --> 00:22:23.859 and we know good formulas. We're mad for makeup. 00:22:24.099 --> 00:22:26.720 I was only saying to someone recently, if a Sephora 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:28.539 ever opened in Ireland, it would be a national 00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:32.680 holiday. No one would be in work that day, and 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:35.660 the streets would be filled. Because if you're 00:22:35.660 --> 00:22:38.200 in Ireland and you're going to the States on 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:40.839 holiday, you will get a list for Sephora from 00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:45.400 your neighbours. We are mad for Sephora. We just 00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:47.980 love it. It's in our DNA. It's like the number 00:22:47.980 --> 00:22:51.599 one place we'll go to when we go abroad. Yeah, 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:53.920 I think Irish women are just so passionate about 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:57.200 makeup and we can on the makeup world has got 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:00.180 so small now with social media. I mean, it feels 00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:03.140 natural to buy a product from Rare Beauty just 00:23:03.140 --> 00:23:05.720 as much as it does from sculpted by Amy to us. 00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:08.319 Like it's not a huge deal anymore. They're so 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:11.460 accessible, you know, that way. So, yeah, I think. 00:23:11.740 --> 00:23:14.019 We and Irish women are very loyal as well to 00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:16.140 Irish brands, which has been amazing for little 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:19.079 beauty brands like myself cropping up and has 00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:21.700 given us kind of the ability to then spread our 00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:23.480 wings a little bit further because we have the 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:25.500 back end of our Irish community, which is amazing. 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:27.539 I think having that community is really key, 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:30.079 isn't it? I think something that I've learned 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:32.440 building a business is you can't work on your 00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:34.660 business without working on yourself. I think 00:23:34.660 --> 00:23:37.160 it takes a lot of mental resilience. You need 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:39.079 to do a lot of kind of work on yourself, I think. 00:23:39.140 --> 00:23:40.960 I mean, have you found that in building the business? 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:43.920 Were there any personal challenges that you encountered 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:46.579 that you were able to move through and overcome? 00:23:46.890 --> 00:23:50.430 Oh, yes. Oh, God. I think I've learned more in 00:23:50.430 --> 00:23:53.789 the past since I've started this beauty brand 00:23:53.789 --> 00:23:56.230 you've just had. It's been an absolute roller 00:23:56.230 --> 00:24:00.269 coaster of emotions. Yeah, like there's been, 00:24:00.529 --> 00:24:02.529 you know, obviously along the way, like there's 00:24:02.529 --> 00:24:04.869 been people I thought were on my side and then 00:24:04.869 --> 00:24:06.970 turns out they're not. And like you do get let 00:24:06.970 --> 00:24:09.829 down in the industry by that kind of thing. But 00:24:09.829 --> 00:24:12.470 it's also been like I think you just have to 00:24:12.470 --> 00:24:16.269 work hard and focus on your own personal goals. 00:24:16.299 --> 00:24:18.819 because it's an ever changing industry as well. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:20.619 Like there's always going to be new trends and 00:24:20.619 --> 00:24:22.839 there's always going to be new brands and that 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:26.059 kind of thing. But yeah, and also like just day 00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:29.640 by day, tipping along and moving it forward day 00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:32.740 by day, I think is key as well. And just a little 00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:35.500 bit at a time. And like when I first started, 00:24:35.859 --> 00:24:38.920 I heard this great quote and it was like, the 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:41.839 braver I am, the luckier I get. So like you say, 00:24:41.940 --> 00:24:44.359 I don't think it's about working hard all the 00:24:44.359 --> 00:24:46.359 time or putting in the airs it's about being 00:24:46.359 --> 00:24:49.359 brave sometimes and just you know take a step 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:52.599 and approaching that manufacturer and go into 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:56.660 that trade show on your own and walking up to 00:24:56.660 --> 00:24:59.000 the you know the manufacturers of the of the 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:01.799 brands that you want to work with and just staying 00:25:01.799 --> 00:25:04.500 true and you know starting and just putting one 00:25:04.500 --> 00:25:07.079 foot in front of the other and just tipping along 00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:10.650 day by day. Because eventually all those days 00:25:10.650 --> 00:25:12.769 add up and the effort will pay off in the end, 00:25:12.769 --> 00:25:14.930 you know? Yeah, it's about doing scary things, 00:25:14.990 --> 00:25:16.309 isn't it? And getting out of your comfort zone, 00:25:16.509 --> 00:25:18.289 even if it's, you know, having your body is like, 00:25:18.349 --> 00:25:21.130 what the hell are you doing? Get out. Which is 00:25:21.130 --> 00:25:25.579 fun and exhausting. And it takes all day. But 00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:27.700 I mean, it's such a fun business as well. Like, 00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:30.059 and that's what I love about it as well. It's 00:25:30.059 --> 00:25:34.000 such a creative industry. You know, it's, it's 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:35.940 just something that I've always, I've always 00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:39.220 been a makeup nut and to be able to, like, it 00:25:39.220 --> 00:25:42.079 was only a year ago, just over a year ago, when 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:46.369 I was able to leave my full time job. and pay 00:25:46.369 --> 00:25:49.230 myself more than I was making in my full -time 00:25:49.230 --> 00:25:52.950 job to run my beauty brand. So that's something 00:25:52.950 --> 00:25:55.470 that I'll never forget. And even my husband will 00:25:55.470 --> 00:25:57.130 say to me every day, you're already winning. 00:25:57.309 --> 00:25:58.910 You're getting up. You're working on something 00:25:58.910 --> 00:26:02.829 that you love every single day. So you've already 00:26:02.829 --> 00:26:06.210 won. Don't stress. Do you know that way? And 00:26:06.210 --> 00:26:08.710 it's all thanks to our little community that 00:26:08.710 --> 00:26:11.910 we've built, which I'll be forever grateful for. 00:26:12.210 --> 00:26:14.960 But it's so powerful as well. yeah community 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:17.059 really is key isn't it and I think sometimes 00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:20.099 it can feel quite lonely as a founder or an entrepreneur 00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:21.859 but I think having that community and having 00:26:21.859 --> 00:26:24.019 that little sort of cheerleading squad, I think, 00:26:24.380 --> 00:26:26.460 is invaluable because they're kind of, I think 00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:27.900 they say, you know, it takes a village to raise 00:26:27.900 --> 00:26:29.559 a child, but I think it equally takes a village 00:26:29.559 --> 00:26:32.200 to build a business in that sense. I've got to 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:35.380 doors. Yeah, and I do kind of like really depend 00:26:35.380 --> 00:26:38.039 on them. And every time they're online all the 00:26:38.039 --> 00:26:39.420 time and they're always there to give me their 00:26:39.420 --> 00:26:42.980 feedback. And yeah, I do really like appreciate 00:26:42.980 --> 00:26:45.200 that it wasn't for them. Obviously, Hilden wouldn't 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.690 be here. And yeah, it's just it's just amazing 00:26:48.690 --> 00:26:51.910 how when like other women or when, you know, 00:26:52.089 --> 00:26:54.710 makeup lovers believe in a brand, they will champion 00:26:54.710 --> 00:26:57.230 it. And you can't underestimate that. Like that's 00:26:57.230 --> 00:26:58.930 what it's all about. You know, what would be 00:26:58.930 --> 00:27:01.390 the ultimate dream for you? You know, I'm actually 00:27:01.390 --> 00:27:05.410 not great at these kind of five year plans because 00:27:05.410 --> 00:27:07.789 sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed. But I'm going 00:27:07.789 --> 00:27:10.359 to use I don't know if we'll be there. And I 00:27:10.359 --> 00:27:14.039 don't not one for like vision boards or manifesting. 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:16.680 I'm not really one for that. I'm more kind of 00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:20.400 like I just try and put on my blinkers and focus. 00:27:20.579 --> 00:27:23.420 So for me, I wouldn't say like, oh, my God, I'll 00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:26.339 conquer this market or that market or it's more 00:27:26.339 --> 00:27:29.779 just about. the organic natural growth of the 00:27:29.779 --> 00:27:32.519 brand, which I think will continue to happen 00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:36.539 if I just concentrate on creating beautiful products 00:27:36.539 --> 00:27:38.960 and products that people will stop in their tracks 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:41.039 when they watch them and try them. We'll just 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:42.660 keep growing. If we can keep growing at the way 00:27:42.660 --> 00:27:44.880 we're growing, I'd be really happy. Yeah, well, 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:46.220 like you say, just been able to get up every 00:27:46.220 --> 00:27:48.759 morning and do something you love as a job, I 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:52.180 think is kind of... That's it, isn't it? And 00:27:52.180 --> 00:27:54.480 thank you so much, Susie, for speaking to me 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:57.059 today. I really appreciate your time. Congratulations 00:27:57.059 --> 00:27:58.940 on what you've built with the brand and look 00:27:58.940 --> 00:28:02.160 forward to see where you take it next. Oh, thank 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:04.900 you so much, Viola. I loved our chat today. I 00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:06.539 can't wait to listen to more of your podcast. 00:28:06.619 --> 00:28:21.500 As you know, I'm a big fan. I hope you enjoyed 00:28:21.500 --> 00:28:23.859 that episode. All links will be in the show notes 00:28:23.859 --> 00:28:27.200 and feel free to visit smartbeautycreative .com 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:29.759 or visit us over on Instagram to find out more 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:31.920 about what we do. And if you enjoyed listening, 00:28:32.359 --> 00:28:34.119 please don't forget to rate and review Smart 00:28:34.119 --> 00:28:36.680 Beauty on iTunes as it helps people find us. 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:37.720 See you next time!