Beauty Diary: Melbourne beauty brand launches in Costco
Three mates from Melbourne who launched a product in lockdown have just secured a huge retail deal after earning $4 million in a year.
Face & Body
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We’re all familiar with mascara, the beauty product we turn to make our eyelashes appear thicker and longer.
But in the last few years, an alternative option has started booming in popularity, with many women now attempting to grow their lashes using serums.
The results are very appealing, naturally longer and fuller lashes, without needing thick coats of black mascara.
Eyelash serums claim to work by boosting hair growth and repairing existing hairs with ingredients such as keratin, a protein naturally found in hair that is responsible for the strength and structure of the hair. Many lash serums also contain peptides, believed to stimulate hair growth at the follicle.
Despite the fact most require regular application for about three months to see benefits, lash serums are now so popular, one Aussie brand has just secured a deal to be stocked in Costco stores across the country.
Lash Therapy Australia was created by Melbourne friends Lauren Rugolo, 27, Emma Spiliopoulos, 27, Jessica Arthur, 26, and launched in September 2020.
The trio created their product after being “left with bare, brittle natural lashes” when their extensions fell off during the pandemic when beauty salons were closed.
In formulating the product, they focused on using natural ingredients that wouldn’t cause irritation or damage user’s health.
“Throughout our lives we faced the common struggle of ineffective, overpriced, harsh chemically enhanced beauty products,” Lauren told news.com.au’s The Beauty Diary.
“That’s why we set out to create a range of products would provide results without any risk of irritation or damage to our health.”
While the trio said business was slow at first, the brand quickly gained momentum, and now Lash Therapy Australia offers a variety of lash and brow products.
As a result of the success, Costco recently began stocking $69.95 “lash bundle”, which contains the best-selling serum alongside the brand’s mascara.
“We have received insane demand for retail from our customers who want to be able to get their hands on our products as soon as possible,” Emma said.
“Costco approached us via email in September 2021 after they had seen our brand all over social media.
“It’s been a long process but we are so excited to finally see it in stores.”
The three best mates, who met when they were just 18, have just celebrated their biggest month yet, earning $630,000 in May and ending the financial year with over $4 million in sales.
“May was our biggest month to date, we credit our rapid growth to our expanding customer base worldwide,” Jessica said.
“Our sales can’t be credited to one product as our brand has been adapted as a whole ‘lash & brow routine’ where the majority of customers are buying the complete collection.
“Every month we receive more and more custom results and reviews from our customers. We share these results on our social media where we have a combined reach of over 300,000 people.”
On Instagram, one customer – who is not a paid ambassador for the brand – shared her “hectic” before and after photos after using the serum for eight weeks.
Another described the difference to her lashes as “life-changing”.
This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad-free. If you have a question about a beauty product or an item you’d like to see road tested in The Beauty Diary, jump into our official Facebook group where you can join like-minded beauty junkies. You can also catch me on Instagram or tweet me – don’t forget to hashtag #TheBeautyDiary.
Originally published as Beauty Diary: Melbourne beauty brand launches in Costco