Fitcover founder Nova Jane found cystic acne compromised her confidence at the gym. The combination of sweat and cosmetics further compromised her skin, but going barefaced meant her confidence took a hit. How did she address the issue? By creating the first fitness makeup line, creating to be worn while working out. The line has gone global and the South Australian entrepreneur is opening up to B2B partnerships. We spoke to Nova about finding your confidence and your calling in the same place.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and experience prior to launching Fitcover?
Before I created Fitcover, I was working as a full-time dental nurse in Melbourne for about six months. I then moved over to New Zealand Queenstown with my then partner where I helped him build his own company – an indoor snowboarding centre. We had to move into a caravan when building this company as we could not find a rental that we could afford at the time. To add another layer, I was also pregnant and daily dreamt of starting my own empire (Fictover).
I have always had a love for sport and fitness my entire life, however, I struggled with bad skin and felt self-conscious about training barefaced at the gym. I saw a gap in the makeup and fitness market for a product that would not aggravate my skin or run whilst training so in 2017, I took the plunge and created Fitcover.
I always felt so self-conscious about my bad acne and knew that if I was going through this, other girls out there were too. I could not find a product specifically for training and sweating that could cover my acne in the gym whilst not clogging up my pores and aggravating my acne even more.
In just over three years in the market, Fitcover has already achieved remarkable business growth driven by its very niche marketing strategy and loyal following among fitness lovers and professionals, not just in Australia, but globally.
2. What inspired you to get involved with beauty? Were you always a beauty lover?
I have always been a beauty lover, seeking out the newest makeup products and putting them to the test. Noticing the gap in the market for a makeup brand that was made for active people inspired me to take this on myself to achieve. I was aware of what products I enjoyed and what my skin loved and needed which sparked the inspiration for Fitcover products. I don’t think Fitcover would be as successful as we are today if I didn’t have a passion for both beauty and fitness.
3. Australians are more interested in wellness and health than ever, how important was it for you to create a cosmetics brand that worked with skin issues like acne and dermatitis, rather than against them?
Ensuring that Fitcover products are skin-loving, created with the skin’s health is one of our top priorities. Operating in the cosmetic industry, we have recognised that some ingredients can be extremely problematic for skin. They ultimately lead to clogged pores and breakouts. With our products, we ensure that every ingredient which is included in the formula is beneficial for the skin. Every product is all-natural, vegan and free from harmful ingredients. They’re designed to nourish and heal your skin and allow it to breathe even while sweating. By working closely with a pharmacist, we can ensure that the ingredients that are incorporated are only benefiting the skin. Some key beneficial ingredients that our products feature include Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E and Olive Squalene.
From this, we have gained so much feedback from our numerous customers letting us know how amazing their skin has become after using Fitcover products for some time. We’re bringing awareness to the importance of what we not only put in our bodies but also on our skin. After all, our skin is the single largest organ we have!
4. Given Fitcover’s synergy with skin health, do you have plans to partner with salons in future?
At this time we are opening up to B2B partnerships and are very excited to see the brand expand in many ways. However, in saying this, we are cautious to be very selective with who we choose to work with as we don’t want to steer away from being a fitness, makeup brand.
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