From lockdown to entrepreneur, we interview Chloe Vo for an insight to her brand new beauty brand Rituelle™.
Tell us about the journey that led you to launch your brand Rituelle™…
The journey all started mid last year during the pandemic when everyone or at least in Melbourne, Victoria where I am was in a state lockdown. I was working in an office job and travelled quite often before the world had changed and I found myself having to shift my working conditions and fast paced life to working from home. This allowed me to slow down and really think about what I wanted to do with my time and refocus myself. I developed a lifestyle of slow living, really start to enjoy the simple things in life owning less or curating only the essentials that brought me joy in my everyday routines. It allowed me to tap into my creative side and the entrepreneur inside of me as I’ve always wanted to have my own business. I combined my love of makeup, fashion, travel and lifestyle and saw a gap in the market for affordable luxury makeup brushes that were sustainable, minimal, stylish and functional for both home and travels. I started sketching the designs myself and had the product made and that was how Rituelle™ was born and since then it has organically grown to where it is today.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I would have to say is finding the perfect manufacturer to produce a product from scratch that was a completely new design and concept. It took a few manufacturers before I finally found the right fit who specialised in both traditional makeup brushes and specialise in magnets which is the unique design most traditional makeup brush manufacturers had no experience of. Through great communication and a belief to push the boundaries, I found a manufacturer who aligned with my values of sustainability and also take on the challenge of a completely new design which was tried and tested to ensure the concept was functional and works.
If you were to describe your business mantra in three words, what would they be?
Sustainable, Minimalist and Multipurpose.
What advice would you offer anyone interested in venturing into the world of eco-conscious makeup brushes?
I would say be really clear about what you want to achieve not just from a product perspective but think about what you can give back to the community and the environment. When you start to strip back everything it makes your vision clearer and you have a purpose to bring your eco-conscious makeup brushes but also making a difference to the community and the environment which is a more sustainable way of venturing into any business in the long term. I think that businesses have now shifted from being just product focused to now sustainable eco-conscious businesses, it’s adding another layer in order to be sustainable in the long term. It’s a marathon rather than a sprint and I think consumers are now even more educated in making their choices before purchasing from any brand.
Talk us through an average business day in your life…
An average business day in my life would look something like starting my day or at least the first hour enjoying my morning coffee, breakfast, go for a walk and getting some fresh air before I check my emails and social media. This then sets me up for the day and allows me to start my day with intention rather than in response mode.
I then check emails and social, engage with my audience and community is an important part of business because behind every curated feed or brand is another human being. It also makes me happy to know there are people out there who love what I have to offer and are passionate about the same things I am, it makes my “business day” real and relatable like hanging out with a friend. Listening to podcasts, communicating with manufacturers, researching, learning new programs and applications, creating content, taking product images and wearing multiple hats as you would being an entrepreneur and showing up every day. I like to end my day either listening to a podcast or reading this is the last step to relax my mind and body.
Business can be an upward struggle at times, what do you do to stay positive?
Business is definitely an upward struggle at times and is always a jagged path rather than linear but I think its these times that really allows us to challenge ourselves and grow. I like to listen to positive motivating podcasts, business podcasts, speak to a business coach and join a community of likeminded entrepreneurs or who are also going through the same journey as you, having that support system is so important for anyone starting or on their business journey. Always think about why you started, having that internal conversation with yourself about why you started can be a great reminder and motivation to stay positive.
What is your go to quote when lacking motivation?
This is a great question, I have so many! If I had to choose one it would be:
“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?
Social media has played a huge role in the success of the brand, to think that only 10 months in we had already been approached by Vogue to feature in their July issue was a huge milestone for me. I’m excited for what the future holds for Rituelle™, I’m so grateful we live in a time where social media has opened up opportunities I would never have imagined possible for the brand and reached out to other countries around the world.
How do you want people to feel when they first see your brushes?
When I created the product, I wanted to solve my own problem which I experienced myself as a busy woman and a frequent traveller. I designed a product that would solve this problem for myself and other women to give them back time to enjoy the important things in life.
I want people to not only feel beautiful externally but also emotionally and internally. The aim was to create a product that is both stylish and functional, to feel at ease knowing we’ve curated the 4 essential makeup brushes you need packed in a convenient world first compact case to keep their dual ended brushes in hygienically and conveniently. A brush set you can pop in your handbag for travels and get on with your day. Designed to feel feminine, organized, calm and good about giving back to the planet as we will be planting a tree for every product sold with our partners at Carbon Neutral. We also love our furry friends so our customers can feel good about a product that is vegan and cruelty-free!
Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list, and which makeup brushes would you pack in your suitcase?
I cannot wait to travel again once we’re allowed to. I would have to say Italy or France is at the top of my bucket list. I’ve used many brushes throughout my life, but I tend to gravitate towards my 4 essential brushes for a full everyday and glam makeup look which are the powder brush, blush brush, flat eye-shadow brush and my eye-shadow blender brush.
What’s next for you and your brand?
I’m currently working towards launching, it feels like a long way to go but I wholeheartedly believe in this product that everything I’m building is carefully thought out so that when the time comes it will be everything I envisioned the brand to be and more.
I would love to see more diversity and BIPOC in the beauty industry and be an example for other young entrepreneurs who want to be in the beauty industry alongside other amazing female beauty entreprenuers who are taking the world by storm.
In terms of big goals, I’d love to have Rituelle stocked in major beauty department stores globally, but we’ll have to wait and see where this wild and exciting journey takes me.
Where can people find out more about Rituelle™?
You can find Rituelle™ on Instagram at @rituellebeauty, Facebook and Pinterest at @rituellebeauty
Website coming soon at www.rituellebeauty.com
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