Smart Beauty is a podcast for beauty business owners (particularly female founders) who are looking for tips on how to hone their brand voice and the story behind it – or anyone who’s just curious about business and branding. It's hosted by Viola Levy, journalist and founder of copy-led branding agency Smart Beauty Creative. We also sit down with guests from some of the industry’s leading and disruptive beauty brands, as well as industry-insiders.
Scroll down to listen to the latest episodes…
SERIES 1 EPISODE 14
What is the Smart Beauty Method? Part 2
In this second part of our mini-series, we explore our unique approach to working with clients that breaks away from the traditional agency model. Last episode, we touched on why the traditional retainer model could be tedious and inefficient for both client and creative—be sure to catch up if you haven’t already. Today, we’ll delve into how our immersive workshop model puts you at the heart of the creative process, making the work more engaging, productive, and perfectly tailored to your brand.
To book a discovery call, click here or email hello@smartbeautycreative.com
SERIES 1 EPISODE 13
What I learnt from working with two powerhouses of beauty retail
In this episode, host Viola Levy shares invaluable lessons from her time working with two of the most influential women in beauty retail, Alexia Inge, founder and former CEO of Cult Beauty, and Rhea Cartwright, who until recently was Head Beauty Buyer at Liberty London.
Having known and worked closely with both women, Viola looks at what it takes to get your brand into top retailers, she discusses the power of strong brand identity, the importance of understanding your market, and how brands can position themselves to stand out in a crowded space. She highlights the nuances of retail relationships, emphasising the importance of storytelling, authenticity, and staying true to brand values. With insights on how the buying process works and what retailers are really looking for, Viola's experiences provide a playbook for brands aspiring to secure coveted shelf space.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 13
How to bring a perfume to market, with Pia Long & Nick Gilbert
The perfume world is notoriously tricky to succeed in. (How do you market an invisible product that everyone will experience differently?) In today’s episode, I’m delighted to welcome two of my favorite people in the British fragrance world, Pia Long and Nick Gilbert, the fiercely intelligent and wonderfully unfiltered founders of Olfiction. Known for their bespoke perfumery and consultancy services, as well as their own candle and perfume range Bougie Bougie, Nick and Pia represent everything that’s great about the independent British fragrance industry.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 12
Why feminism is the future of beauty branding
In this episode, Viola Levy discusses why her branding agency proudly identifies as feminist. She delves into the historical male dominance in the beauty industry, the rise of female founders, and the importance of creating authentic, empowering marketing strategies that resonate with modern consumers. She also explores the misconceptions around feminism and beauty, advocating for a fresh approach that prioritises empowerment and self-care over playing on insecurities. Tune in to learn how Smart Beauty Creative is helping to reshape the beauty industry with a feminist perspective.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 11
Understanding the Middle Eastern beauty market, with Arooba Anwar, founder of Arooba Beauty
Today, we're talking to Arooba Anwar, founder of Arooba Beauty and an expert in the Middle Eastern beauty market. With Euromonitor International valuing this market at over $46 billion, projected to reach $60 billion by 2025, it undoubtedly has lucrative potential – especially if you're a brand founder. Arooba Beauty launched into the UAE last year followed by a UK launch this February. Arooba herself is based in Dubai, and the brand reflects her own cultural heritage and the needs of makeup users in this region which we'll delve into. The range focuses on eye makeup palettes, with eyes being identified as the most expressive feature among Middle Eastern women. Their formulas are dubbed "skincare/makeup for the eyes", and star Middle Eastern botanical ingredients with skincare benefits. There are so many reasons why it makes sense for beauty brands to tap into the Middle Eastern market, but as Arooba points out, it's important to understand the variety of cultural differences and sensitivities in this region and adapt your messaging accordingly.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 10
What is the Smart Beauty Method? Part 1
At SBC, we work a little differently to the traditional agency model, based on Viola's experiences working at such agencies as a copywriter. She witnessed firsthand the pitfalls of the retainer model: bloated budgets, lagging timelines, and inefficient use of creative talent. These challenges not only inflate costs but also hamper productivity, particularly for smaller brands with limited budgets. In this first of a three-part miniseries, she talks about what led her to create the Smart Beauty Method.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 9
How should beauty brands approach journalists? With beauty writer Keysha Davis
Beauty journalist and copywriter Keysha Davis brings over 20 years of industry experience to the table. She has collaborated with numerous hair and makeup brands and her byline has appeared in a wide range of publications, including Glamour, Stylist, Hairdressers Journal, and Black Beauty and Hair. Additionally, she writes trend reports for Cosmetics Design Europe so it’s safe to say she knows how to sift through a multitude of press releases and identify compelling brand stories.
Keysha excels in advising on the best ways to approach journalists, particularly in the realm of Black beauty and hair. In addition to her freelancing work, she is also working with us here at Smart Beauty Creative on a new offering, providing consultancy and auditing services to refine your brand's messaging and boost its appeal to a diverse market. For more details, email hello@smartbeautycreative.com
SERIES 1 EPISODE 8
When's the right time to revamp your beauty brand? Just Ask Huda Beauty…
This week, we dive into the exciting world of rebranding with a spotlight on Huda Kattan, the influencer-turned-beauty mogul behind Huda Beauty. Huda has just unveiled a sleek new look for her brand, sharing all the details in a YouTube video about the rebrand and why it was absolutely necessary.
In this episode, we'll explore the reasons behind Huda Beauty's stunning transformation and discuss why so many of our clients are eager to revamp their brand story, tone of voice, and copy.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 7
How to get your beauty brand into top retailers
Imagine your beauty brand proudly displayed on the shelves of SpaceNK and Sephora, turning your dream into a reality. In this episode, we delve into the essential strategies for making this vision come true. We’ll guide you through the art of crafting a compelling brand story that resonates with both consumers and industry leaders. Discover how to elevate your brand’s narrative to highlight its unique strengths and build the authoritative brand copy needed to grab attention from major retailers.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 6
In this episode, our founder talks about what actually happened with The Body Shop; how it went from a plucky, pioneering brand to a household name, to then eventually falling into administration – and why their tone of voice had a crucial role to play in all of this.
Share your opinions by dropping us a line: hello@smartbeautycreative.com
Why The Body Shop’s story proves that tone of voice does matter…
SERIES 1 EPISODE 5
A bit about Viola, our founder
Meet Viola Levy, the founder of Smart Beauty Creative. In this brief introduction, she shares her journey into the beauty industry, her passion for it, and what inspired her to establish her agency.
Inspired to shake up the beauty world and help build brands that match her vision, Viola set up Smart Beauty Creative. As established beauty journalists, Viola and her team know their onions when it comes to compelling copy, using their editorial background to give brands they work with a serious edge in a saturated market.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 4
Founder of Faace Skincare and The Known Community
Jasmine Wicks-Stephens
Viola chats to Jasmine Wicks-Stevens, Founder of PR and Branding Agency The Known Community as well as Faace Skincare. Jasmine is kind of like the Da Vinci (or the JLo!) of the beauty world, in the sense that she doesn’t limit herself to one pursuit – with her PR hat on, Jasmine has repped the world's most prestigious beauty brands for the past 15 years. And if that weren't enough, she launched Faace skincare – in lockdown no less – which she describes as a "no BS, faff-free, ethical skincare collection" currently stocked in 23 countries and retailers like Harrods and Look Fantastic. She recently graced our screens on Dragon's Den, where she secured investment totalling £60,000 from Touker Souleyman, Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett.
She’s also mum of two small boys – and she has recently launched the Substack newsletter "Failings of a Female Founder" to talk about how she juggles it all. We chat more about that, her career journey thus far and how building a great brand and building a great business are two different things.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 3
Perfumer & Founder of Ormonde Jayne
Linda Pilkington
Nestled in Mayfair’s Royal Arcade, the Ormonde Jayne boutique offers some of the most unique concoctions on the planet, with ingredients sourced from all around the globe, worlds away from the many typical bland commercial scents on the market. Its founder Linda Pilkington creates perfumes which echo an era of bygone glamour when perfumes actually were perfumes, designed to be worn with a cocktail dress and many glittering jewels, as one sashays off out into the evening.They are also stocked in London’s top department stores such as Selfridges and Harrods and she has previously collaborated with the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge. Ormonde Woman is probably her best-seller, with enveloping notes of black hemlock, underscored with rich jasmine and violet. But Tiare is my personal favourite – with its sparkling citrus and exotic floral notes and a name that sounds like ‘tiara’ – and to be honest when you spray it on, it does feel like you’re wearing one.
As the company founder and perfumer (a rare combination) Linda is memorable, punchy and charismatic as the perfumes she creates. When lockdown hit, she instantly pivoted to online, hosting scent discovering sessions remotely with clients from all over the globe. The brand has gone from strength to strength, with many new and exciting scents added to the Ormonde Jayne cannon, as well as a personalisation service, which allows customers to dial up the intensity of their chosen fragrance should they so wish. But it’s the fact many of her staff – together with her lovely PR Sara – have stayed with her for years is a testament to how lovely she is. We chat about how Ormonde Jayne grew out of her obsession with 'unusual' scents and why budget will never stop her from striving for perfection, whether it's creating the most exquisite perfume bottles, or finding the most rare and exotic ingredients the natural world has to offer.
SERIES 1 EPISODE 2
Perfumer & Founder of 4160Tuesdays
Sarah McCartney
Sarah McCartney started out in business at age 7, in her words “buying wooden beads, making them into things and selling them on to my friends.” That is until her horrified mother found out and swiftly put a stop to it. Fortunately this didn’t dampen Sarah's entrepreneurial spirit, and after stints writing for The Guardian, and LUSH (where she was editor of ‘The LUSH Times’), it was writing a novel about a problem-solving perfumer which led her on the path to actual perfumery. She set up 4160Tuesdays in 2010 – its name is taken from the number of Tuesdays we should expect to see if we live to see 80, stressing the importance of making the most of every day. The cheery offbeat branding of 4160 Tuesdays is everywhere you look not least in the perfumes themselves with names like “The Sexiest Scent on the Planet Ever”, “ Damn Rebel Bitches” and “Tarts Knicker Drawer.”
Growing up in Tyneside, Sarah’s dry northern wit and straightforward approach makes the world of perfume far less intimidating than its normal shiny department store dwellings. She is also co-author of The Perfume Companion - The Definitive Guide to Choosing Your Next Scent, that she wrote with perfume writer Samantha Scriven. Last year, the book was a finalist in the UK Fragrance Foundation Jasmine Awards.Sarah is described by fragrance writer and expert Lizzie Ostrom as a “punk perfumer” (although she describes herself as more of a "folk perfumer") and she can be credited as one of the brands successfully combining fragrance with tongue-in-cheek British humour – even if this doesn't always translate elsewhere! We talk about her career journey, what she learned from Mark Constantine at LUSH and the challenges of building an indie perfume brand "using her own voice".
Founder of Olfactive O
SERIES 1 EPISODE 1
Olivia Da Costa
Fragrance entrepreneur Olivia Da Costa is yet another colourful addition to the wonderful world of British perfumery. She is the founder of luxury scent brand Olfactive O, where each perfume pays tribute to a fragrance family, from floral to woody, to fruity to gourmand. The latter was nominated for a prestigious Fragrance Foundation award, and the range is stocked in Les Senteurs - one of London’s poshest perfume boutiques. It will also soon be making its television debut on QVC, with Olivia gracing our screens as a guest presenter following in the footsteps of Joan Rivers and Martha Stewart.
Olfactive O perfumes are designed to be warm and inclusive, reflecting Olivia’s modern orthodox Jewish upbringing, where food was a big part of family life. In previous interviews she has said “There's so much synergy between perfume and food, and probably a lot of my cultural heritage has subconsciously seeped into the perfumes I create!” And as someone who has tried more perfumes than I’ve had hot dinners, I can totally attest to that. We chat about how she developed her business and her brand, making mistakes with big agencies, our mutual obsession with the film 'Joy' with Jennifer Lawrence and what it takes to get a brand on QVC.