How Lauren Napier Went From Zero To Beauty Guru

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Courtesy of CLEANSE by Lauren Napier

Lauren Napier is determined to make a name for herself on her own terms. She could have rested on a career as a celebrity makeup artist working with Estee Lauder, M.A.C. Cosmetics and Saturday Night Live. Or been satisfied with having her work featured in fashion magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair and Essence. But an innate call to entrepreneurship, and a passion to give back to other women, wouldn’t let her settle. So in 2014, she launched a line of luxury cleansing wipes with only her savings account and an American Express card.

CLEANSE by Lauren Napier soon garnered a cult following for its no-BS take on on-the-go skin cleansing with all natural ingredients. And FLAUNT followed as the first unapologetic pro-aging makeup remover. The mission was to empower all women to love their personal beauty, the beauty that exists under their makeup and the differences in their complexions. The larger vision, to expand the definition of beautiful in the mainstream beauty industry, an industry that is only now seeming to embrace products for a diversity of skin tones, ages, and skin sensitivities.

I met Lauren while covering the Project Beauty Expo in August. And we recently had the chance to dig deeper into what it’s like to branch out on your own in the beauty world, how to save up enough to fund your own startup and the old-fashioned steps that got her into retailers around the world. like NET-A-PORTER, Harvey Nichols, Anthropologie, Selfridges, Colette and boutiques around the world.

Shani Syphrett: When did you fall in love with entrepreneurship?

Lauren Napier: I realized very early on that I was an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship was something that was in my blood. All four of my great grandparents were entrepreneurs in the segregated South. On my father's side, my great-grandfather had a convalescent home and funeral home. And, on my mother’s side, my grandparents owned a steakhouse. While they might not have necessarily had a formal education, I always heard stories about how impactful they were in their community. And that influenced me. I also have the drive to go out there and get it done.

Syphrett: How did you have to change your mindset to move from makeup artist to founder?

Napier: I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but I didn't really know exactly what I wanted to do. As a makeup artist, I think people see you as a person who is doing something that's not as important or valuable—it's just pretty. But, if you're serious, you’re booking clients and working on a schedule. You’re sending invoices, keeping records, accounting and managing your supplies and inventory. Those were really important skills that I developed. I was approached by a couple of different beauty lines to collaborate and I found that it was something that I was really interested in. The color part of the industry—eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks and true cosmetics—is a very saturated market. I didn't want to jump in and be another red lipstick or orgasm blush. So, I took my time and, through personal experience, I discovered the products that I could really stand behind.

Syphrett: Were you still working as a makeup artist as you were getting the brand off the ground?

Lauren Napier

Napier: Absolutely. I was working as a makeup artist and I kept my secret. Everyone knew that I was working on something because I would turn down dinner invites by saying, "I'm on a financial plan." I brought the product to work and tested it out but I wouldn't tell anyone that it was mine. People really liked it and when they asked about it, I would just tell them that is was something that I found that I thought was cool. I was vague about it at work, not because I was concerned about proprietary issues or my own intellectual property, but because it didn’t want to mix the two. I wanted to maintain a level of professionalism.

Syphrett: What’s it really like going from zero to beauty brand? What steps did you take to realize your idea?

Napier: Going from zero to beauty brand is like being on fire and not being able to put yourself out because you just can't stop running. No time to stop, drop and roll! There's always something to be done. I didn't have a formal business education but I had the willingness to research and learn. It sounds simple but, Google is your greatest resource. I got online and found what steps to take. Every bit of information is available and you can find it for free. If you are willing to take the time, and you have the patience, you can get there. I found an accountant. And while I was formally establishing my company, I was simultaneously working with a manufacturer and a cosmetic chemist to create the product’s formula. From there I worked with a friend, who is a lawyer, to get my trademark.

Syphrett: If you were to give a number of what your startup costs were, what would that be?

Napier: It was a really slow build up and I was able to manage it in step. Over the course of nine months, it was between $20 - $25,000. I think people are often intimidated by the financial aspect of starting a business. One thing I've been doing for years is working on being financially responsible. I know that it’s really easy not to be when you can go out and grab a Starbucks or have cocktails and run up a big bill at any restaurant. It’s also very easy to shop online. But I really put a stop to that and saved. Although my family is full of entrepreneurs, it was a different time and era so they weren’t able to send me money. Culturally, we don’t see that often. So, I really had to work hard on my own. I was also able to use my tax returns to fund my business.

Syphrett: That’s a great start! How were you able to scale and get your products into so many retailers?

Courtesy of CLEANSE by Lauren Napier

Napier: I had to be daring and risky. As a kid, I faced a lot of rejection so I’m no longer intimidated by hearing the word “no.” If someone tells me “no” I just assess and redirect to figure out what I can do to peak their interest in another way. I'm incredibly resilient in that aspect. There was a lot of thinking outside of the box and knocking on doors. I think people today are really afraid to have voice-to-voice or face-to-face contact. But sometimes you actually have to just pick up the phone or just walk into the room. If you're really passionate about your product, your initiative will speak to that as well. I was fortunate enough that people, especially the beauty editors and beauty buyers, understood the product and the point of difference. People who use it love it and they understand the philosophy.

Syphrett: What is the philosophy behind your brand? Where did it come from and what do you hope people take from it?

Napier: As a makeup artist, people would sit in my chair feeling incredibly insecure. But, by the time I was finished doing their makeup, they felt so good about themselves that they would want to hire me to do their makeup every day. I built my career on enhancing beauty but I believe there is beauty in the canvas that I'm starting with. So my philosophy was always that there is beauty in taking it off. It's not just about a makeup remover or a facial cleanser. Though it is a product that is equally as beautiful as the makeup that you’re putting on, I want people to see that there's beauty in taking off your makeup. There’s beauty in that end-of-the-day routine of kicking off your heels and putting your hair in a ponytail. There's beauty in feeling good about yourself.

I’m a minimalist and my products are manufactured with simple ingredients and solar energy. I like everything to be super easy. I like to do my makeup in five minutes and I like to take my makeup off in even less time than that. And I like to be aware of what I am putting on my skin. Everything that I'm working on is about ease, convenience and simplicity.

Syphrett: And I have to ask, since FLAUNT is a pro-aging product in a sea of products that want to reverse that process, what made you go against the grain of the current beauty standards?

Napier: My brand’s philosophy is to encourage women to feel confident, no matter the condition of their skin. Most products for women over 30 are called “anti-aging” products. FLAUNT by Lauren Napier is a pro-aging beauty product. We’ve been conditioned to think that beauty ends at a certain age and we can no longer be alluring unless we hide behind something. But we can't stop that process. We have to embrace our confidence. Removing the veil makeup that can cast is the most rebellious act.

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