My Glow 2 Glove fake tan removal TikTok sends brand viral

Removing old fake tan is a dreaded chore for women so when friends Catie and Olivia found an easy fix they knew it was a winning idea.

While shopping in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey, a bit of local beauty advice changed Catie O’Neill’s life in more ways than one.

Enjoying her European holiday back in 2019, the Melbourne woman was spending a lot of time in the sun and her skin had become dry and flaky, the 25-year-old told news.com.au.

“I came across this fabric store and this Turkish woman noticed my skin and said ‘kese mitt’. She told me to go and try it for my skin,” she says.

What the woman was referring to was a silk mitt used by therapists to exfoliate the skin during a bathing ritual that takes place at a hammam (bathhouse). A common practice in Turkey and Morocco, this intense treatment removes dead skin cells for baby-smooth result and improved circulation.

“It exfoliates your skin on a level I’ve never experienced before. You can visibly see your skin peel away right before your eyes,” she said. “I felt like a new lady that day.”

Catie was so impressed with the results she bought another mitt for her high school friend, and now-business partner, Olivia Burrows.

Olivia (left) and Catie’s (right) personal wins with the kese mitt inspired them to start My Glow 2. Picture: Instagram.

At the time Olivia had been suffering from a mild form of keratosis pilaris for multiple years. The condition creates rough patches of skin and small bumps due to blocked hair follicles and the 26-year-old was unable to find anything to get rid of it. And despite being dubious about the mitt, she was converted after just four weeks of use.

“I was quite sceptical but Catie raved about it so I took a before and after and luckily I did,” says Olivia.

“The entire texture of my skin had completely changed. It didn’t have any bumps and there was a shine to it I hadn’t seen before.”

Inspired by their results, Catie and Olivia tried to find similar gloves for their friends, and after their search proved unsuccessful, they realised there was a clear gap in the market. As a result, My Glow 2 was born.

While they were able to finance the business with their savings and a loan from Catie’s dad, finding a mitt that delivered the same results proved difficult.

After trialling subpar options from other countries, their hunt for a supplier took Catie back to Turkey where she “rocked up” at a manufacturer’s door.

“Since then we’ve had this amazing relationship with them. We’re in constant contact and work really closely together,” she says.

Their take on the kese mitt counts the likes of Sharni Grimmond, Tegan Martin, Keira Maguire and Bonnie Anderson among its many fans. Picture: Instagram.

When it came to marketing My Glow 2, the brand’s use of social media platform TikTok has taken their business global. Despite being less than a year old – Catie and Olivia officially began My Glow 2 in November, 2019 – they’ve already achieved viral success on the platform.

One of their most successful videos has since clocked more than 10.3 million views since it was posted in April and showed their signature silk glove in action. The eight second clip featured a woman using their silk glove to remove fake tan from her foot, with clear brown and grey strings of tan and dead skin being effortlessly scrubbed away.

“The mitt has been woven using a centuries-old Turkish technique and the interweaving thread swells when it’s wet,” explains Olivia.

“Although the fabric feels silky when you first get it, it does harden and get coarser once it’s wet. This allows it to grab onto the dead skin.”

The difference between the before and after was evident.

Picture: Tiktok @myglow2

Since then, Catie and Olivia have created an additional TikTok channel, @behindtheglow2 that documents how they run My Glow 2. Unlike Facebook and Instagram, the business partners claim TikTok doesn’t require brands to spend large amounts of money to generate reach.

It’s a business technique that’s clearly worked to. My Glow 2 has had a 1077 per cent

“Thanks to the visuals, voiceovers and music, you can achieve a reach that you can’t with other platforms. You can really sell your product without being salesy,” adds Olivia.

Although Catie and Olivia have amassed millions of views through their TikTok videos, their brand has also found a following with influencers on Instagram. Picture: Instagram.

From fake tan removal to smoother skin, fans of My Glow 2 have shared their drastic transformations on social media. Picture: Instagram.

Gearing up for the first anniversary, Catie and Olivia are taking the time to celebrate their wins, while looking to expand their brand. Currently, Catie is working on the business full-time, while Olivia is juggling it as a side hustle and also working as a high school teacher.

However beyond extending their product range, the friends have loftier ambitions to change the way Australian women think about skincare and beauty. Whether that’s including a rose quartz stone in every order or sharing meditations and mini yoga sessions through their IGTV channel on Instagram, they want to continue fostering holistic and wellness-based element through their brand.

“The approach to beauty in Turkey is so different to what we experience here. It’s a lot slower and it’s a lot more therapeutic and focuses on the mind and body,” says Catie.

“We recognised that that was another gap in the market itself. Not just for the product but also for a brand that champions these messages and rituals.”