Founded in 2019, it has quickly become a leading skincare and makeup option for men around the globe. The brand recently made its way to France and is exclusively available at department store Printemps in Paris.
How would you describe the concept of ‘Beauty’ today? And how has it changed?
Beauty has evolved so much, for the better! It has become more and more inclusive and it’s now more about self-expression than simply looking good. This is also why we love this industry, it’s because of the huge impact on one’s self being and confidence beauty products can have. When it comes to beauty for men however, there is still a big gap and a long way to go.
“We are all beautiful and we should love ourselves the way we are.”
What’s your take on social media / beauty via digital? Filters, etc?
Social media certainly helps democratise beauty to a much wider audience and age bracket, however, it has come with a negative side too, which is to highlight people’s insecurities about their appearance and also create unrealistic expectations about the concept of ‘beauty’. This is a big issue that we think all brands and stakeholders in this space should put more effort into and focus on improving.
Any clear trends for 2024?
We don’t really follow trends as in the past we have seen trends come and go, and fads are short lived. These ‘fast beauty’ and ‘fast fashion’ models encourage wasteful consumption and create negative impacts on the environment and go against our brand ethos. Instead, we focus on what the customers need and are asking for. We identify the real gaps in skin solutions to tackle some of the biggest skin issues and concerns that our customers face.
What are your most popular products?
This depends on the market globally. In the Western market, our Instant Lifting Eye Cream: AGE DEF-EYE and our Tinted Moisturiser: LET’S FACE IT are our top two best sellers.
Any other products you can’t live without?
Jake: I absolutely love our FACE 4WARD Pro-Youth Serum, which I mainly use as a night treatment before bed every night. It’s so nourishing, I wake up with soft, supple and bouncy skin every morning.
What’s the ultimate beautiful face to you?
Or who? Every face is beautiful in their own unique way. We are all beautiful and we should love ourselves the way we are. Beauty products should be seen as an enhancer for people if they feel insecure about their skin issues, imperfections or blemishes. We are here to help. However, we would much rather promote self-love and self-care. And skincare is a form of self-care.
How’s life as an expat?
We love the UK and it’s a great environment for entrepreneurs. The business community is very welcoming to everyone, whether you are a UK citizen or not. The weather could use some improvement though.
“Social Media can create unrealistic expectations about the concept of ‘Beauty.”
Any pinch me moments you can share?
As we are proudly Chinese British, it was particularly a proud full circle moment when we launched our brand, which is 100% created and produced in the UK, in our birth country: China. Not only did we launch it there, we became the NO.1 men’s cosmetic brand on TMALL, China’s largest E-commerce platform. This is definitely one of our career highlights to date.
Life Motto?
“Live life as if everything is rigged in your favour”- Rumi
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IG: @shakeup.cosmetics




