@girlsinbusinessuk at Instagram
Did you face any challenges setting up your business?
Honestly, it wasn’t the start I’d hoped for my new brand. I had a full-time job and wasn’t in a position to leave job security to be able to fully invest my time into getting the brand launched. The idea got parked and I went back into the 9-5 of the corporate world.
When coronavirus broke out, it also took my job. My company were making financial cuts and unfortunately my job was lost. Initially, it was a shock and a struggle trying to figure out what I was going to do. However, rather than seeing it as a setback, I saw it as an opportunity. An opportunity presented to me in order to get the business set up. I’ve been focusing full-time on it since the middle of May and I honestly can’t believe how far I've come in these short 6 weeks.
The biggest thing I’ve had to overcome is imposter syndrome. I can sometimes feel incredibly foolish for trying to start a business in an already incredibly saturated market, with basically zero skills aside from my biology degree which has been essential in helping me formulating my product and understand the skin
Natural skincare is all the rage at the moment, what are the benefits?
Natural ingredients are not only better for skin but also the environment. I am proud to say that 88% of our ingredients are natural, with 6% being nature-identical (our pigment) and 6% being a synthetic compound which is used in the mining of our clay. Natural ingredients are packed full of beneficial qualities to help promote healthy skin. My products are also paraben, palm-oil, alcohol and artificial fragrance free.
Consumers have become more interested in what they are putting on their skin, and I want my brand to be as transparent as possible in showing what ingredients I use and why.
Being a female business owner is hard! Why is it important for more female entrepreneurs to emerge?
Having a brand that is created by a woman is, I hope, inspiring. All too often I see headlines such as “Men twice as likely to become entrepreneurs than woman,” and numbers support this – the amount of British female entrepreneurs still remaining surprisingly low, with just 5.4 women entrepreneurs for every 11.1 men. Is it because men were risk takers, with women being notoriously more risk adverse? For me, I knew I was a risk taker, and I know when I’m passionate about something I will not stop until I’ve achieved it. I hope using my passion to start this business can help empower other women to follow their dreams.
Do you think there is a lot of pressure on women to have flawless skin/appearance based on the influencer culture?
I definitely think there is a lot of pressure to have flawless skin, which has been perpetuated through years of airbrushing and photoshopping of images to remove blemishes, uneven skin and texture. To me, it is such a shame that women (and men) feel they have to hide and cover up any imperfection. Also, nowadays there are lots of apps around where you can edit your skin in seconds, it’s too easy for people to quickly ‘improve’ their appearance at the click of a button.
Do you think much is being done to combat this?
there have been movements to spread positivity surrounding skin and embracing the skin you are in. Acne awareness month has just ended, and there are a lot of new Instagram accounts that are all about promoting acne, blemishes, uneven skin etc. I do think there is a big responsibility on big brands and influencers alike to begin promoting all skin, which is anything from textured, to blemished and uneven. When I have the budget to do shoots, I’ll be sure to choose a variety of models with differing skin types embracing their imperfections. There is no way I will be promoting ‘perfect’ skin, as it simply doesn’t exist.
Why is it important to empower women to feel confident in their own skin?
Being able to promote your own skin and body in a positive light is vital as everyone is different. We can’t all conform to one ‘perfect’ stereotype portrayed by media, e.g. slim, light skinned and with perfect skin, as it is simply impossible. By being able to encourage the notion that everyone is different and beautiful in their own right helps to dismantle the pressure put on females to look a certain way.
Do you aim to empower women through PERLcosmetics?
By using my platform to do so is something that gives me great pleasure. By creating PERLcosmetics I hope to be able to highlight that loving yourself and your skin is the most important thing someone can do. Confidence is your most valuable asset, and accepting yourself, imperfections and all, is a positive step in being able to live your best life.
Tell us about Girls In Business!
Girls in Business came after I’d set up PERLcosmetics. After trying to find ways to help promote my new business, I saw there was gap for a platform to help inspire and encourage other women in business. Whilst trying to get the word out about my new business, I thought of how many other women there were who have or are setting up their own businesses.
It’s a platform on Instagram where I feature women in business each day, telling their story and providing their insights on their journeys into business. I also have a closed Facebook group where we can come together to connect and share ideas. I actively encourage self-promotion and encourage new joiners to share an #introductionpost to introduce themselves and tell us about their business!
Already I’ve had so many women tell me the platform has inspired them to take the plunge and take their idea from a dream to a reality. By being able to share advice and tips from women who have been there and done it, it provides a supportive community where we can all learn from each other.
What are your goals over the next 12 months for PERLcosmetics and Girls in Business?
It would be my absolute dream for PERLcosmetics to become a source of stable income, but I have to think realistically about it. Getting big in the skincare industry, which is an already saturated market, will be difficult. So, my aim is to manage the business alongside a job I have accepted which will begin in the autumn. By then, I hope the business will be in a solid position to manage a full-time job alongside it. Within the next year, I'd love to expand my product range to provide a cleanser, moisturiser and even exfoliator. There are big plans for PERLcosmetics, but currently I am remaining level-headed and not getting too ahead of myself! But, catch me in an edition of vogue one day…gotta start manifesting!
For Girls in Business, again I hope it will continue to grow into a large supportive community of brilliant businesswomen. Already day by day it continues to grow, and I am so proud the platform can inspire other women that they can do it too! I am enjoying being able to connect with women all over the globe and hearing their incredible stories. I’m tempted to do either a YouTube channel or an IGTV where I interview the women and their stories, which would be super fun. I hope once PERLcosmetics is up and running smoothly, I’ll have more time to focus on expanding Girls in Business.
What advice would you give to any aspiring female entrepreneurs?
One of my biggest pieces of advice is to follow something you're passionate about. I ended up in an uncreative corporate job and I was miserable. I chased a nice salary and that was all I cared about. Because of it, my mental health really suffered. I’m now unemployed, with no salary, and I’ve never been happier because I’m doing something I genuinely love and am able to be creative and learn a wealth of new skills! The most important thing is your happiness, make sure you’re happy doing what you’re doing, and the rest will fall into place. That is my promise to you.
You can shop Isobel’s innovative skincare range at https://perlcosmetics.com/ and make sure to follow PERLcosmetics and Girls in Business on Instagram @perlcosmetics & @girlsinbusinessuk. Isobel also has a blog where she’s opened up about her struggles in both her personal and business life: https://perlcosmetics.com/the-silver-lining-of-coronavirus/
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