How an Australian beauty brand is making the world a better place

Tell us about your brand and what inspired you to start it.
After more than 30 years in the industry, we saw an opportunity to offer beauty lovers “more” in their makeup by creating a brand that reflects our personal mission to make the world a kinder place. We decided that we wanted to – as a female-owned and run company – create a brand that wasn’t “just pretty”, but one that really cared, with products that are kinder to the environment, 100 per cent vegan and cruelty-free, and perfect for the skin.

While it can be fun, a 10-step beauty regime isn’t always practical for most of us. We wanted to create multi-purpose cosmetics that are cutting-edge, infused with powerhouse native skincare ingredients sourced and made in Australia.

Tell us about your business model and operations.
We saw a big opportunity in the UAE market for a brand like The KIND Collective. Women here are not only passionate and knowledgeable about beauty, but they also have an appetite for brands offering high-performing vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics.

One of our key brand pillars is supporting women. As a business founded and run by a team of women, we are excited that women in this region are fully empowered and are pioneers and leaders in various fields, and we wanted to be part of this.

As with any new market expansion, we always make sure we keep our local target consumer at the heart of what we do. We work with a local team of experts to make sure we are offering something new and exciting while staying true to our values, positioning, and product offering. We are available in the UAE and Saudi Arabia exclusively with Faces.

Sustainability is a key USP of your company, as is being a vegan and cruelty-free brand. Tell us more.
When launching The KIND Collective, we set out to create a range of consciously driven, vegan and multi-purpose cosmetics that anybody could add to their beauty routine. We also work closely with our supplier partners to make our products as affordable as possible without compromising on quality.

We believe it’s important to be transparent with our customers on where our products are made and the steps that we’re taking to ensure our range is held to a high standard without compromising on efficacy or price. This includes important practices such as our PETA accreditation, our boxes being made from TreeFree bamboo packaging, and our hero Australian-made range.

What are your best-selling products?
I’ve loved watching the response to our brand in the Middle East, and seeing the popularity of products grow. Our most best-selling product is the Miracle Glo Serum, which is a good example of a multi-purpose product that gives your skin an amazing luminosity. It creates the smooth base of a primer and the megawatt glow of a highlighter, all while nourishing skin with a serum base of hyaluronic acid and natural plant botanicals.

To complement this, our Hero Brow Groomer 2 in 1 Colour and Treatment has been really popular, as the brushable tint helps to thicken, shape and define brows while also using nourishing ingredient to stimulate brow growth.

How have you sustained your business as entrepreneurs?
Pia and I have been business partners since 2004 and have worked with leading Australian retailers in the beauty industry across creative, strategy, brand planning, exclusive brand development, buying and product sourcing. Our experience, knowledge and solid business foundation have allowed us to self-fund and launch KIND.

As with any new opportunity, particularly a large undertaking such as ours, we have had to be meticulous in prioritising resources and time.

We are in the fortunate position of having many amazing opportunities for us, so one of our biggest challenges is making sure we are clear on the vision and strategy for the brand moving forward and making sure we are investing in the
right areas.

What’s next for the company?
Right now, we’re working on establishing KIND as a trusted Australian, women-owned beauty brand that offers more than just the opportunity to “look pretty”.

We want to become the new go-to for beauty consumers looking for active, nourishing and cutting-edge cosmetics.

In the years to come, we are up to the challenge to grow to be a global powerhouse, and with that scale and volume, we will be able to build greater recognition for our charity partners through supporting women.

How can brands walk the sustainability path without hampering their bottom line?
Ultimately, we believe that there is no other option. Research has been showing for years that consumers – especially the empowered younger generation – are looking for brands that offer more than just a product; they are rewarding brands that stand for something with their spending power. We have seen this firsthand with the loyal ‘’KIND” community we are building.

While sustainable practices can often come at a cost, with advancements in technology more sustainable options are becoming more accessible and that’s a great thing.  Being true in purpose is also a great way to keep good people. Many businesses don’t take into account the cost of losing people and retaining a talented team.  There is so much more required of a business to attract and keep a team and this goes a long way.

Any words of inspiration for female entrepreneurs?
Just go for it. Make sure to surround yourself with the right support network who will be able to mentor, encourage and challenge you.

You don’t need to know all the answers, but you do need to know who to call on for advice and help.  Be generous with your time in helping other business owners. It feels good and you always have someone happy to help you when you need it.