Gemma: Hi Emma! Can you tell us all about your skincare brand, The Face Planner?
Emma: The Face Planner is my newly launched skincare brand, 100% developed and manufactured in Italy. I was inspired by the ingredients grown on my family’s estate in Tuscany; olives, lavender, citrus fruits and several grape varieties. The estate is now the brand home and we offer annual retreats offering clients a 360 degree approach to skincare with movement, nutrition and meditation.
The idea for The Face Planner came while I was preparing for my wedding in April 2022. I was looking for a simple and effective skincare plan but I was overwhelmed with the skincare choices online or in beauty retailers.
While developing The Face Planner, I worked with Dr. Catherine Borysiewicz, an acclaimed London-based dermatologist. Together we created the first six individual products and skincare plans. Through combining our Italian plant-derived ingredients with Catherine’s oversight of the balance of active ingredients, we ensure that the products and plans never overwhelm the skin. Instead, the products are designed to work together and enhance one another.
The brand is on a path to being as sustainable as possible. We’ve chosen glass as the outer packaging for the products instead of plastic. It’s more sustainable and more easily recycled. All of the plastic components such as the pumps and caps, are post-consumer recycled plastic. Our boxes are made from FSC certified cardboard with no synthetic dyes. Plus, we believe that by promoting skincare plans instead of individual products, we are promoting a more sustainable way to shop beauty.
G: Your career before The Face Planner was in finance. What inspired you to transition from banking to starting your own beauty brand?
E: Before The Face Planner, I worked in finance for both Deloitte and Citibank in Madrid, London and New York. It was hard work but an amazing experience for 9 years. Then in 2020, much like the rest of the world, I slowed down in my busy career and started to think about what was really important to me and what I wanted to achieve.
I had always had an entrepreneurial itch and had a passion for skincare and wellness. I felt if I could build a business selling a product that I felt truly passionate about, I would be able to make it a success. I had watched my family whisky business develop and grow with a true focus on provenance and how the end product was produced. I wanted to bring those learnings to a skincare brand.
G: How did you get started with the launch? Did you have an idea in mind for a while or did you identify gaps in the market?
E: It took three years of research and development until I had products ready to launch. For the majority of this time, I continued to work at Citibank. I knew that to stand out in the skincare crowd, I would need to have one or two unique selling points. I believe that advocating for selling in plans is unique and you don’t see other brands doing it. That, combined with our hyper-focus on the ingredient supply chain and the experiential element of our retreats sets us apart from other skincare brands.
G: As a young female entrepreneur in Scotland, what specific challenges did you face when starting your beauty brand and what lessons have you learned?
E: Wow, there have been a lot of lessons learned in three quick years! I’ve learned that everything worthwhile takes time, everything costs more than you expect it to and customer feedback is the most important thing.
I found that navigating the government support and funding networks for female entrepreneurs is quite difficult and unclear. Also, beauty is not one of Scotland’s primary traditional trades. It’s a market dominated by whisky and seafood, so it can be quite hard to break through these barriers and gain attention on your home soil.
G: How do you navigate the competitive landscape of the beauty industry and differentiate your brand from others?
E: The Face Planner is different because we sell plans, focus on our supply chain of ingredients from source to lab, and we have dermatologist-approved formulas that our customers can trust.
I’m trying to not look too much at other brands and instead focus on my customer feedback. I have found that hosting small, intimate, in-person events and pop-ups is successful in increasing brand awareness and gaining first-hand feedback, so I have focused a lot on that this year. Compare that to digital ads, for example, which may work better for larger, more mature brands.
G: What role has networking, mentorship, or support from other entrepreneurs played in your journey as a young female entrepreneur?
E: This is incredibly important. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely at times and I have found being able to quickly email or WhatsApp a contact with a question or thought is very helpful. I love meeting people and hearing their stories and journeys so I am always taking every opportunity I can to meet or network with others.
G: Can you tell us about any collaborations or partnerships that have been instrumental in the success of your brand?
E: It is still very early days, however I have started working with an independent retailer in London called big. Beauty which has been very interesting. They launched this summer in Hackney and they are a zero-waste beauty store. They share the same ethos as The Face Planner, that skincare should be simplified. They only stock a maximum of 15 or so brands, so as not to overwhelm their customers. Customers have been hugely receptive to this new store and have placed a lot of trust in their product selection. I am proud to have The Face Planner stocked in there.
G: What advice do you have for other young female entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses, especially in industries that are typically dominated by men?
E: The world needs more female entrepreneurs. Women excel at the soft skills needed for effective leadership and more diverse leadership has been proven to be financially beneficial to companies. When women succeed, they are more likely to invest back into their communities. These ripple effects from more women starting businesses and going for leadership roles typically dominated by men shouldn’t be ignored.
G: What advice would you give to young women who want to get started in business but might feel intimidated or discouraged by the high stakes and risks associated with entrepreneurship?
E: Speak to other female entrepreneurs first. They are often very honest about their experiences (both personal and professional) and it will help you to make the decisions that are right for you.
Make sure you are really passionate about what you are selling. You have to be resilient. Know where you want to be in 10 years and not lose sight of that.
Want to try the products in person? The Face Planner will be popping up at Maeve this Saturday, 25th November, from 10am – 6pm, and will kick off with a skincare masterclass at 11am. There will be exclusive in-store promotions and free gift-wrapping all day. Find them at 45 – 47 Barclay Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4HW. Book your spot at thefaceplanner.com.
You can find out more and shop The Face Planner online at thefaceplanner.com and follow on Instagram at @thefaceplanner.
