Lulu & Lipstick Launch ft Fleur Madden.
Last month I was so excited to be invited to the launch party of the latest website offering Australian consumers an exciting mix of Australian and International cosmetics; Lulu & Lipstick!
So on a Wednesday evening I traipsed off to the Surry Hills offices of Public Relations Agency Red Republic for a personalised introduction to some of the exclusive brands offered by Lulu & Lipstick as well as glass of bubbly and chat with PR powerhouse and Lulu & Lipstick founder Fleur Madden.
Lulu & Lipstick offers Australian beauty lovers lots of new and never before accessible brands such as Pink Holiday and Mermaid Hair as well as cult beauty brands Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics and Velour Lashes and one of the most coveted beauty brands at the moment; Anastasia Beverly Hills.
An Anastasia Beverly Hills representative was present giving lots of the bloggers and editors in attendance brow makeovers while the rest of us watched on sipping on champagne and playing with some of the products on offer.
In addition to the myriad of local and international brands Lulu & Lipstick will also be offering some of their own branded products in the form of super soft brush kits and cute cosmetic pouches and cases.
Fleur Madden is a women after my own heart, with a penchant for pink pouts and champagne she cuts a fine figure with her fiery red hair. She effortlessly oozes the confidence of a smart and driven women who has achieved great things. You can tell she loves what she does.
I was lucky enough to interview Fleur as I thought there would be no better way to introduce the website than to give you some insight into the lady behind the brand.
You’re a
busy and successful business woman, who has just become a whole lot busier with
the recent launch of Lulu & Lipstick. What inspired you to start up the
website?
busy and successful business woman, who has just become a whole lot busier with
the recent launch of Lulu & Lipstick. What inspired you to start up the
website?
I am the CEOof Lulu and Lipstick, an online beauty destination with unique and hard to find
beauty brands from around the world. We launched only 2 months ago and anyone
who has launched a new business knows how crazy the first year is! But before
that I have spent the last 14 years of my career building brands for my clients
through The Red Republic, a national brand experience and PR agency. I love
building communities; brand experiences and seeing brands evolve. I have always had a passion for beauty and
indeed over the years we have launched many beauty brands into market. I was
living in NYC in 2012 and when I returned to Australia, many of my new
favourite brands were no longer available to me or anyone in Australia, which
is when Lulu and Lipstick was born. I believe in the power of online and I am
excited to see where Lulu goes. I have a passion for beauty and building
brands, so hopefully this is just the start of a wonderful journey.
Which
brand are you most excited to be stocking on Lulu & Lipstick?
Ah
so many, I have personally tried all of them before we decided what brands we
wished to stock, so I do feel passionately about all of them. A few of my
favourites though are celebrity cult brand Anastasia Beverly
Hills Brows.
Brows are imperative this year in makeup and I am now mortified that I haven’t
been using these products my whole life. Honestly it changed my life, or at
least my look! Hot tip, ombré eye brows are the next trend.
so many, I have personally tried all of them before we decided what brands we
wished to stock, so I do feel passionately about all of them. A few of my
favourites though are celebrity cult brand Anastasia Beverly
Hills Brows.
Brows are imperative this year in makeup and I am now mortified that I haven’t
been using these products my whole life. Honestly it changed my life, or at
least my look! Hot tip, ombré eye brows are the next trend.
I
am also madly in love with Derma Doctor’s
Wrinkle Revenge range, a skincare brand from the US. At this years Oscar’s
Camila Alves credited Derma Doctor with her beautiful skin. If it is good
enough for Camila, it is good enough for all of us!
am also madly in love with Derma Doctor’s
Wrinkle Revenge range, a skincare brand from the US. At this years Oscar’s
Camila Alves credited Derma Doctor with her beautiful skin. If it is good
enough for Camila, it is good enough for all of us!
Pink Holiday Lipsticks from
NYC is a gorgeous range of pink and nude lipsticks in the most amazing
packaging. They are exclusive to us in Australia and given that I wear pink
lipstick every day of my life, I have to confess to being infatuated with this
brand.
NYC is a gorgeous range of pink and nude lipsticks in the most amazing
packaging. They are exclusive to us in Australia and given that I wear pink
lipstick every day of my life, I have to confess to being infatuated with this
brand.
Developing
our own brand of products has been tremendous. Our signature Lulu and Lipstick 12 piece
makeup brush set is just magic and is one of our best sellers. They are the
perfect gift too.
our own brand of products has been tremendous. Our signature Lulu and Lipstick 12 piece
makeup brush set is just magic and is one of our best sellers. They are the
perfect gift too.
Why do
you think Aussie beauty lovers have been left out in the cold when it comes to
access to the best in beauty for so long?
you think Aussie beauty lovers have been left out in the cold when it comes to
access to the best in beauty for so long?
The
reality is with importing tax and shipping costs we are definitely in the too
hard basket for many brands.
You’re
well known for your love of pink lipstick, what is your current favourite?
Lime Crime’s
Airborn Unicorn
is baby pink and super sweet. Lime Crime’s Pink
Velvet
is a real statement lip that I also love. But for something more neutral Pink Holiday
Lipstick’s Weekend in Como is divine.
Are
there any exciting products that will be hitting the website in the near
future?
Absolutely,
Laqa and Co from NYC will be on our shelves by December for Christmas and they
have stunning lipsticks, glosses and nail polishes in fabulous colours and they
are packaged in artwork from local NYC artists. We have gorgeous gift packs
from them like the Box of Awesomeness with lipstick and nail polish packs too
just for Christmas.
Laqa and Co from NYC will be on our shelves by December for Christmas and they
have stunning lipsticks, glosses and nail polishes in fabulous colours and they
are packaged in artwork from local NYC artists. We have gorgeous gift packs
from them like the Box of Awesomeness with lipstick and nail polish packs too
just for Christmas.
We
have several new makeup brands launching into the Australian market for the
first time in 2015 with us and indeed I am on a buying trip in January, so
watch this space!
have several new makeup brands launching into the Australian market for the
first time in 2015 with us and indeed I am on a buying trip in January, so
watch this space!
Describe
your perfect day
The
perfect day involves my beautiful French Bulldogs Roy Elvis and Frank, my
gorgeous man and NYC. Everything good happens in NYC. A few glasses of
champagne, a cheese platter and some shopping would be the cherry on top!
perfect day involves my beautiful French Bulldogs Roy Elvis and Frank, my
gorgeous man and NYC. Everything good happens in NYC. A few glasses of
champagne, a cheese platter and some shopping would be the cherry on top!
In terms
of your professional life, what has been your proudest moment thus far?
I
was a finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards this year and it was
something I had aspired to for a long time. I didn’t think I was ready, but I
was nominated by the very clever Emma Isaacs from Business Chicks and I thought
if she thinks of me so highly, I need to go for it. It was a wonderful journey
to be part of it and I was pleased to take my team on that journey too.
Special thanks to Fleur and Red Republic for the invitation and their warm hospitality as well as the great little goody bag!
Until next time!
Sarah Foote
November 20, 2014Wow, what a great post Rosa! It's so cool you were able to interview Fleur! She sounds like an amazing lady. I'll definitely be checking out the site! I try to support australian retailers whenever I can :)
Sarah | Bows & Pleats