The Lineup is a monthly series where we’re giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of cool fashion people, editors, makeup artists, hairstylists, and estheticians—all the people we trust the most. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can’t-live-without products that make their worlds go ’round.
I believe that your life shows you a preview of your true calling at a young age. For me, I always loved writing and reading beauty and fashion magazines—and look where I am now! Toni Ko, the founder of Nyx Professional Makeup and Bespoke Beauty Brands, had a similar experience. Ever since she was young, she loved makeup and would watch in admiration as her mom applied her lipstick in the morning. From the age of 14, Ko worked at her family’s beauty supply store, where she learned the behind-the-scenes of the industry and what it takes to run a company.
Ko told me that Nyx Professional Makeup—now a $500 million brand—was born out of her experience as a consumer. “I remember going to the department stores and swooning over the high-end beauty brands, but they were too expensive for me to buy,” she said. She wanted to re-create the high-end packaging and high quality of department store cosmetics but make them affordable, so she founded Nyx Professional Makeup at just 25 years old. “The only way to succeed is to focus on finding a solution, rather than focusing on the problem,” she says, reflecting on her entrepreneurial journey. She also notes that out-of-the-box creativity, trend forecasting, and having a strong narrative are the most important factors in creating a successful brand.
Emma Walsh
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