A crop of resourceful new homegrown beauty brands utilizing natural ingredients, technology and marketing savvy are making waves in and beyond Australia’s shores.
Hissyfit
Fusing sunscreen, moisturizer and foundation in its star product, Saving Face, this two-year-old brand is poised to expand its body and face care into color cosmetics with a lineup of tinted lip balms. The Australian brand, acquired by the American pharmaceutical firm Valeant Pharmaceutical last year, has already made inroads into the U.S. market after enlisting Oprah Winfrey’s makeup artist, Reggie Wells, as international
creative director.
Kore Complex
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Developed by Melbourne-based ex-jockey Ron Yates, Kore Complex’s active ingredient is bovine colostrum, a nutrient-rich milk produced by cows after calving. As the milk is used as a food supplement for athletes and racehorses to boost performance and recovery rates, Yates noticed the skin-restorative properties of colostrum after trainers accidentally spilled it on their hands feeding horses. It took several years and $1.9 million to develop liquid colostrum into a paraben-free antiaging skin care line, which Yates will expand with an oral supplement by 2011.
Grown
Melbourne-based brothers Jeremy and Keston Muijs created Grown in 2008 when a friend had a reaction to cosmetics during her battle with cancer. The lush-smelling skin, body and hair care products are a blend of certified organic ingredients without parabens, sulfates, chemicals or dyes, like the vanilla and orange peel hand cream and camellia and geranium blossom facial moisturizer.
Lanolips
Refining lanolin extracted from wool fleeces into a fragrance- and color-free, ultramoisturizing and naturally glossy lip balm, Sydney-based Kirsten Carriol launched Lanolips nationally late last year. The brand will expand into hand and skin care this year, and is eyeing a move into the U.S. market.
Evo
The brainchild of Garth Gauvin, professional hair care Evo takes a tongue-in-cheek approach: A gel is dubbed Gangsta Grip; a volume-enhancing conditioner, Bride of Gluttony. Tired of seeing how other companies falsely marketed products manufactured in his parents’ factory in South Australia, Gauvin created Evo in 2008, and has since landed distribution in the U.K., Canada, Denmark and Hong Kong. Look for skin care later this year.