Joanna French – SUZY. Lipsticks
Life Instyle chats with Joanna French, Owner of SUZY. Lipsticks to discuss the brand, how the idea first came about and her brands plan for the future.
Can you give us an insight into your retail brand's history and the journey that led to its creation?
SUZY. Lipsticks was born in 2013 through the search for the perfect lipstick - a lipstick that was affordable yet delivered in terms of pigment, formula, colour and packaging.
What drew you to exhibit at Life Instyle this year, and how does the show reflect your brand’s ethos or aesthetic?
I visited Life Instyle last year to visit one of our stockists, and I thought the whole setup was amazing! I bumped into a couple of other brand founders that I knew who were also exhibiting and they encouraged me to exhibit this year.
What gap in the market—or personal passion—sparked the creation of your brand?
In my early twenties I worked in cosmetics marketing & brand management, and I always loved lipstick for it’s transformational qualities. As a young consumer at the time, I found good quality lipsticks to be overpriced and somewhat out of reach, and the range of colours lacking. I vividly remember wanting a dark plum lipstick to wear with a white silk shirt on a night out, and just being gobsmacked at the price of anything with decent pigment! Back then the options were beauty counters or pharmacies - and I wanted the beauty counter quality at the pharmacy price point. And so the seeds were sown to start my own brand that married affordability and quality, along with my personal values surrounding kindness and sustainability.
What do you believe sets your brand apart in today’s competitive retail space?
Quality, affordability, local manufacturing and a focus on sustainability and kindness (our products have always been vegan and cruelty-free).
Could you share your personal favourite product from your brand's collection and tell us why it holds a special significance for you?
My absolute favourite lipstick is our ‘Mink’ satin lipstick, which is part of our Latte Collection of nudes. It’s simply the perfect everyday lipstick. The formula is ultra nourishing as it’s infused with jojoba seed oil, shea butter and avocado oil so it’s so super comfortable to wear and the colour is so flattering on my skin tone. Also obsessed with the latte pop-up packaging, it’s so chic.
What were some of the biggest hurdles in starting your brand, and how did you overcome them?
Quality control and manufacturing for sure. When I first started the brand we produced in HK & China. A year later and after many, many issues we brought the manufacturing local and since then have exclusively manufactured locally in Melbourne. It was a life-changing move.
What feedback or comments do your customers frequently give about your products and brand, and what aspects do they appreciate the most?
We often hear that our lipstick is the best lipstick people have ever used. This makes my day! Especially when a customer is in their 70’s or 80’s and will come into our showroom, and tell us that they’ve been searching for a lipstick like ours for their entire lives and they’re so happy that they’ve finally found ‘the one’.
How did you first get involved with Life Instyle, and how do events like Life Instyle help you connect with your customers or community?
This is our first Life Instyle but we look forward to connecting with some of our existing stockists, it’s always incredible to put a face to the name! Some stores on the other side of the country have stocked our lipsticks for over a decade and when we get to meet them at expos like this it really is very special.
Can you highlight some of the proudest achievements or milestones your brand has achieved since its inception?
Personally I’m so proud that the business survived through COVID, as our wholesale business was essentially shut down overnight. Mandated mask wearing also affected lipstick sales worldwide! In terms of milestones, I was thrilled to celebrate our ten year anniversary at Beauty Expo a few years back with so many of our incredible stockists and makeup artists, it was a really special moment for me.
Is there a piece of business advice that has significantly influenced your journey as a retail brand owner?
“Follow your intuition”
Are there any brands in your industry or related sectors that you admire or draw inspiration from?
I really admire Miss Frankie nails who are quite similar to us in terms of values, and produce really beautiful products.
How do you stay in tune with what your customers want and need as trends evolve?
We are talking to our customers everyday, we’re a small team so very hands on - and we love to hear feedback! Naturally we’re constantly evolving and moving forward and it’s such an exciting process.
Could you outline the core values that steer your brand's decision-making processes and relationships with customers?
We’re constantly looking to evolve, grow and elevate, and be the best version of ourselves. Lately we’re really focused personally and as a brand on incorporating as many natural ingredients into our lives and formulas as possible. It’s also a dialogue that we are having more and more with our wholesale & retail customers. Our lipglosses that we launched last year are made with 99.8% natural ingredients, as well as being affordable, vegan, cruelty-free, and made locally in Melbourne. I feel that we’re heading in this ‘natural’ direction more and more and it’s becoming a core value alongside kindness, affordability & sustainability.
What’s next for your brand—and what dreams are you chasing over the next few years?
We are currently working on a 100% natural ingredient lipstick, as well as a 100% natural lip & cheek tint pot which we’re super excited about! We hope to grow our stockist network to over 2,000 stores and enter into our 13th year stronger than ever.
Rapid Fire Questions
Do you have a personal motto or mantra that keeps you motivated?
I love the word ‘rhythm’ and all that it stands for. The concept of ebb and flow, ups and downs, and most importantly always moving. Sometimes it’s sideways, and that’s ok, as long as you keep moving. Another concept I find helpful is that ‘things always happen for a reason’.
If you could have dinner with anybody, who would it be and why?
I’m obsessed with Tonya Leigh (School of Self Image) lately and her personal development and self image work - I’d love to have dinner with her and pick her brilliant brain!
What's a hobby or interest of yours that people might be surprised to learn about?
I don’t have any secret hobbies however I think that people from my youth would be surprised at how obsessed I am with weight lifting these days!
What’s your go-to song when you need a pick-me-up?
‘Seve’ by Tez Cadey - best song ever!
What is your advice to those looking to start their own journey?
Research, research, research! Make sure your numbers are rock solid, you won’t last the distance if you don’t have a good understanding and control over these. Dream, be inspired, prioritise finding space and room to truly create - easier said that done in our busy lives!
