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When you think about the no-makeup makeup concept that promotes shades to bring out your natural glow, the first brand in the market that will strike your mind will probably be Nudestix. Specially curated from paraben-, gluten- and cruelty-free vegan ingredients, Nudestix is made for #BabeBosses who are stretched for time and looking for easy means to get dolled up in the morning without much hassle.
Co-founded by Taylor Frankel who is also the brand’s Chief Brand Officer, her mum Jenny Frankel (CEO and Co-founder who oversees operations, finance and marketing) and sister Ally (who is currently pursuing Dermatology in medical school and advises the team on new product launches), the initial idea to come up with the brand in 2014 was to patch the gap between artistry and skincare in the beauty industry while solving the generational demand of makeup products in the market. We had the chance to speak to Taylor about her journey as a beautypreneur and how she and the brand have evolved over the past years, and here’s everything that she had to say about her exciting yet challenging journey.
Can you share with us about your growing up years and your personal connection to makeup?
“I’ve never been a beauty addict, but I do consider myself a beauty baby. My mum, Jenny, has been in the industry for over 20 years. She started her career at M.A.C when I was in diapers and developed another beauty brand when I was a toddler. In the span of my childhood and young adolescence, she’d always bring her work home, so I appreciated beauty products and had access to a ton of cosmetics. Although I wasn’t obsessed with makeup, colour and artistry, I was into products, quality and performance. I wanted products that helped me look like myself – enhance my natural beauty without masking it and products that were easy and fast that fitted my daily routine and lifestyle.”
What was the makeup trend during your growing up years and how has it evolved to the current trend that you see today?
“Growing up, the trend was all about artistry and transformational makeup. It has evolved over the past few years to become more minimalist and ‘less is more’, which, thankfully for us, as a brand that has had a minimalist and effortless mission in the past eight years, we’re seeing it being adopted by other brands and consumers on a mass level. It’s interesting to see the shift of trends from transformational makeup to minimalist and natural makeup.”
What were some of the ideas that you wanted to introduce through Nudestix that you held close to your heart and are still relevant today?
“Some of the key values and pillars that we continue to speak of and have spoken about since the brand’s inception revolve around promoting minimalist makeup and effortless beauty. We believe that makeup is part of one’s lifestyle and our community is made up of modern-day women who are busy and on the go. We want to simplify their routine and make them feel like the best version of themselves by just enhancing their features. We also believe in sustainability and we’ve always been conscious about lessening the use of one-time packaging and ensuring that at every point of the journey, we’re always considering how we create a more sustainable process. Fun fact: our Nudestix tins are made up of a material called tin plate, which is 100 per cent recyclable and reusable. At the same time, our next pillar is Clean Beauty, which is to ensure that clean formulation is used and that our products are safe for all skin types. Not forgetting, inclusivity – not only from a skin tone perspective, but also considering genders and all beauty ideas.”
What are some of the makeup looks that Nudestix has introduced in the past which you find extremely empowering to women out there and that will always be staples?
“Nudestix has always been about nude makeup. When I say nude makeup, I mean no-makeup makeup. It’s about embracing your natural beauty and I don’t think that trend will ever go away. We have always empowered our community, and our hashtag, #GONUDEBUTBETTER promotes the idea of enhancing rather than masking your natural beauty. We do believe that there are definitely looks for different occasions and that there are different ways to go nude – sometimes it’s a glam kind of nude, sometimes it’s a toned down, neutral look that’s fresh but ultimately, our goal is to always empower our community to feel their best and feel their most confident by looking like themselves.”
What did you learn from having travelled all over the world for Nudestix before the pandemic hit?
“One of the first things that I always talk about, and my mum and I feel very passionate about, is how we’re all very similar to global women. We’re all mums, we’re all students, we’re all businesswomen, we’re all on the go and we’re all busy. That was one of our aha moments that we had when we would travel to all our different markets as Nudestix resonated in all these markets; we’d have women approach us and say, ‘I want natural makeup’ or ‘I love your products because I can find a nude shade for my skin tone.’ It didn’t matter where we were in the world – women are the same, and that for me was the most eye-opening experience.”
What important lessons did the pandemic teach you as a person and a beautypreneur?
“Personally, I’ve focused on my wellness and mental health. I think many of us can speak to this, how prior to Covid, we did glamourise the burnout culture. But when Covid hit, it forced us to take a step back and identify what’s important and that if we don’t focus on our wellness and mental health, we can’t give as much of ourselves to other areas of our life. That was a key learning point for me and something that I’ll continue to practice. Also, there’s something to be said and there's confidence in saying no. Prior to Covid, I’ve said yes to every opportunity. I think it’s important as individuals and as beauty entrepreneurs to know that we can say no. I know when we first launched Nudestix, we wanted to say yes to everything. But now, I think we have the luxury of saying no if it’s not meaningful and we feel that we need to for our personal growth.
“As a beauty entrepreneur, I’d say there’s nothing about being an entrepreneur that’s necessarily fixed. There’s always so many ups and flows in the business; things can change and move so quickly, and there’s the importance of pivoting. I’ve learned a lot when it comes to the people you surround yourself with, ensuring that we had a strong team throughout the pandemic that had been willing to work hard and change through all of the pain that we experienced during that time. The other lesson was the shift to digital. Digital and social shopping is the future and we’ve seen an increase in digital and e-commerce over the past two years because of Covid. I don’t think that’s going to change. If anything, it accelerated that movement and we’re doing everything we can in investing in that digital growth.”
What are some of the new innovations that fans of the brand can expect this year?
“We have so many exciting innovations and my favourite is that we’re getting into sunscreen! I’m excited about our Nudescreen Daily Mineral Veil which is a 100 per cent mineral SPF30 that’s reef safe, non-nano zinc, universal (we have three options) and it’s multitasking too (it preps, primes and protects). It’s the most beautiful formula and for us, it’s about educating the importance of daily SPF wear – to protect one’s skin from UVA, UVB and blue light. We have exciting Nudies Launches, which is our bestselling hero category globally, and we’ll be dabbling in some additional Nudies textures and new kits when Fall comes.”
In a nutshell, what’s your take on makeup and its ability to empower women?
“I think makeup can be incredibly empowering, especially as an artistic expression. I truly believe in holistic beauty and that makeup is a way for us to express our inner beauty and confidence. It allows us to show up and be our best selves, but I do think the work starts from within. If we don’t truly have that inward beauty, whether it's kindness, intelligence or empathy, makeup can only go so far. Makeup empowers us when we use it as a tool to express our innermost beauty.”
What’s the best advice you’ve received from your mum, and as a woman in this day and age, what do you think is your superpower that keeps you going?
“The best advice that I’ve received from my mum is ‘It’s not about the destination, but the journey’. She’s been telling me this since I was 12 and it speaks about the importance of being present and taking in every single moment of life while ensuring that you’re not taking anything for granted, regardless of what point of life you’re in. My superpower is my passion, and my incredible team and community are what keeps me going.”
Photography: Nudestix
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