Australian supermodel and former Victoria’s Secret model Jessica Hart sits down with Anita Quade to reveal the inspiration behind her Australian made, naturally sourced beauty line – LUMA.
Tell us why you originally launched Luma in 2014?
“There was a huge gap in the market at the time for affordable, naturally made beauty products. Most makeup companies were telling us to conceal our features rather than enhance them. I am a big fan of natural beauty and skincare so launching LUMA became a passion project of mine.”
How important was it to have an Australian Made product to release into the market?
“It was important to me as Australia has such a great reputation in the beauty industry for our ingredients and formulations. Manufacturers in Australia really listen to what you are trying to create – that’s so important to me. Plus I’m Aussie so it’s great to have a beauty brand that embraces and epitomises my homeland.”
Can you tell us any challenges?
“Where do I start! There have been so many. I have learnt a lot along the way; trust your gut instinct and listen to yourself. So many people will tell you their opinions but you have to remember why you started in the first place.”
How hard is it to source Australian ingredients?
“It’s not hard at all. Most of our ingredients are sourced in Australia though we did have trouble finding our key ingredient, crushed pearl powder, in Australia as the formulation wasn’t quite right so we found a manufacturer in Italy who had perfected the crushed pearl formulation.”
Were you involved heavily in the formulations? Any lessons you learnt?
“Lots of lessons! One important lesson for me is not to lose sight of what you were originally trying to create. You can get so caught up in the development process.”
What was one of the most important parts of the product development process?
“Getting the formulation and textures exactly how I wanted them. The right texture is imperative! It can take up to year to perfect a formulation – if it isn’t right then you need to start all over again.”
What are your favourite products?
“Liquid Light Illuminating Highlighter and Lip and Cheek Tint in Muse.”
An item you can’t live without?
“Oh that’s a hard one! I’d say my Lip and Cheek Tint in Muse as it’s a great multi-tasking product.”
You relaunched LUMA 2 years ago – tell us about that and what has the reaction been like to new products and packaging?
“The reaction has been incredible. From industry insiders to our consumer, it has all been really positive. Yes there are still a few things that I would like to change but I’m so proud of what we have created. Watch this space!”
What are your plans for expansion?
“We are now also stocked in Germany, USA , South Africa and Singapore.”
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