The beauty industry – encompassing skincare, cosmetics, hair care, fragrances and personal care – is undoubtedly a huge part of our lives. But only very few take the giant leap of creating their own brand and manufacturing new products for other women and men to benefit from and enjoy. We chat with Cassandra Nichterlein from Velvet Concepts and Isabella Loneragan from The Dermal Diary about their entrepreneurial journeys.
Cassandra Nichterlein
FOUNDER, VELVET CONCEPTS
You have been in beauty all your working life. How did you start out?
When I was 21, I got a job at a really cool, trendy PR agency. I was very lucky to be looking after great clients such as Aveda and Becca Cosmetics, learning so much at a young age and meeting the amazing creators of these prestigious companies. I fell in love with the industry straight away.
How did you take the next step of founding your own Beauty PR agency and becoming the boss?
After working for other agencies for a decade, I developed chronic fatigue and burnout from running around too much and surviving on 10 coffees a day. I decided I need to run my own schedule. I was also inspired by the really great international brands that weren’t available here locally at the time, so I decided to import them and do all the marketing. I started Style Patisserie with some really special brands, such as Butter London nail polish, and they blew up and sold well from the start.
Your favourite international brands became your
