Launched: 2018
Founder: David DiLorenzo
Key Executives:
2024 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: $30 to $50 million
Offline points of distribution globally projected for 2024: 75
Primary Category: Personal Care
Other Categories: Nails
Key Markets:
Primary Distribution Channel: Online
Other Distribution Channels:
Funding Rounds: Self-funded / None
Over five years ago, we began our journey with the mission to redefine the beauty industry’s standard of “pretty.” Pink and white packaging became a norm that promoted a one-size-fits-all mentality and we refused to buy into it. We wanted to build a brand for our audience to feel like they truly belonged. A space that honors differences and highlights unique self-expression. Our dark black, matte bottles are a simple way of doing just that; we don’t fit into the status quo, and it’s okay if you don’t either (and hey, it’s okay if you do). We believe you should be who you are and express yourself as you wish; we aren’t here to judge you, and the community we’ve started isn’t either.
Insight shared by David A. DiLorenzo, CEO
What are your key business initiatives for 2024?
Product development and expansion and brand and partnership collaboration.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
We’re extremely proud of the growth we have unlocked with zero external funding. Specifically, we have increased our brand’s revenue by 2,300% and earned a spot in Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list in only five years. We feel as though we are just scraping the surface of our potential and are really excited to see what the next five years holds for us.
What has been the biggest surprise?
Of course, with running a business, we are constantly experiencing new and interesting hurdles. If we had to narrow it down to a single surprise, it would be the difficulty in product development. Our team is very careful and selective with what we put out, as we never want to disappoint our customer base with something that doesn’t live up to our brand’s quality. As such, this sometimes requires product testing for months or years before releasing an item!
What fuels your competitive advantage?
We are for the nail obsessed. Our collection of high-performance products is unlike anything currently on the market. Our brand represents a new direction in nail care—a premium and diverse product line that seamlessly interweaves nail art and lifestyle.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
We’re seeing tons of brand collaborations with the goal of reaching new customer bases—for example, Native and Girl Scouts. We are anticipating this to continue to happen in new and thoughtful ways. Perhaps a truce between Hailey and Selena via a Rhodes, Rare Beauty collaboration? A new superhero movie costume designed by SKIMMS? The possibilities are endless. We also anticipate long-form content on Tik Tok becoming more popular, especially as the platform moves away from their music partnership with Universal.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Bet on yourself.
What is the best mistake you've ever made?
Perhaps our biggest mistake was not hiring (or sadly, firing) fast enough. Our company grew seemingly overnight, and it was really hard to figure out which key employees we needed and where. Because we are a family owned company, we perhaps gave too much responsibility to employees and spread them thin. We quickly learned who had an “I can” attitude and those people have been given all the tools to succeed —often spearheading departments or initiatives. We’ve restructured to ensure they are no longer spread too thin and now feel like our company is thriving with happy employees. We also learned to quickly identify when an employee or contractor isn’t a good fit, so we can pivot swiftly, which we’ve found is ultimately better for all parties.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give to someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
Avoid pandering to certain demographics as that can come off disingenuous. Listen to your loyal customers. Lead from the back within your organization. Do not be afraid or too stubborn to try new things.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry what would it be?
We are still working to eliminate the one-size-fits-all standard the beauty industry has set—and we feel inspired by other brands who are on a mission to do the same. We are still the only brand who has our gel polish on multiple skin tones to allow for customers to get an idea of what each hue might look like on them. We would rather them feel represented and order the correct product for them. This is a big priority for us. and although we know a lot of brands are focusing on this too, we wish this opinion was even more widely held.
