Indie Beauty Profile
Begoña Sanjuán and Isabel Ramos, AYUNA • less is beauty
AYUNA • less is beauty was created by two immensely accomplished women. Among their impressive credentials: Isabel Ramos heads up the Scientific Affairs Committee as a board member of the Spanish Society of Cosmetic Chemists, is an Executive Board Member at Cosmetic Consultants Europe, and a Lecturer for the Master of Cosmetics and Dermal Pharmaceuticals degree program at the Centro de Estudios Superiores de la Industria Farmacéutica in Madrid.
And, Begoña Sanjuán, describes herself as “a passionate beauty industry professional, expert in product development, Spa and Wellness therapies, and aesthetic treatments.” Sanjuán has worked in spas such as The Ritz Carlton, Banyan Tree, and Bliss at W hotels, as well as at prominent department stores like Harrods, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman.
Here, the beauty entrepreneurs share a profile of themselves and their brand.
Names: Begoña Sanjuán, CEO, and Isabel Ramos, CSO (Chief Science Officer)
Indie Beauty Company: AYUNA • less is beauty
Launched: January 18-19 20017 We launched AYUNA • less is beauty at the Indie Beauty Expo in Los Angeles, California.
Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain
Dollars and sense: AYUNA • less is beauty is diligently saving for the big purchases.
Whether it’s the next production or the down-payment on expensive ingredients, packaging, testing, etc., those are costly expenses coming up that take months of planning. As a young company, we not only had a plan but actively made headway towards our goal.
Team work: 4 full-time (3 executives and an office coordinator). We also have 3 multi-brand independent sales reps and other contractors.
Distribution: AYUNA • less is beauty has a multi-channel wholesale distribution strategy. Given that today’s consumer discovers, explores, buys and re-purchases beauty products across various channels, it is important to operate a multi-channel distribution to meet the consumer where she or he shops and looks for information.
The four main distributions channels for Ayuna are: independent retailers and specialty shops, including BeauTeaBar and Cedra Pharmacy; spas and beauty salons, like the Saint Regis, Gran Fiesta Americana, and Casa Velas in México; niche online retailers, such as Beauty-Heroes.com and LUX&ECO; and department stores like Neiman Marcus.
Years in beauty: We hold over 4 decades of combined skincare knowledge and progressive experience in developing award-winning cosmetic products as well as facial and body treatments.
Years at AYUNA • less is beauty: Almost 2 years, since Dec 15, 2015.
Entrepreneurial experience: This is our first indie beauty brand.
The business: The brand competes in the luxury skincare market as an eco-lux cosmetic....its unique identity, advanced use of biotechnology, impressive results and sensorial experience…the combination of those assets plus Ayuna’s sustainable development…will allow Ayuna to carve out an untapped niche in a luxury market that is increasingly saying ‘yes’ to green.
Also, Ayuna wants to transform [the anti-aging] fight into a positive movement, replacing it with the concept of ‘well-aging’, a modern, integrated approach to beauty that promotes harmonious and elegant aging.
The wow-factor: The product range perfectly expands the ‘less is more’ philosophy into our belief of ‘less is beauty’ - the simplicity and power of 4 products is all you need to make a difference in your skin - a soap, a cream, a balm, and an essence.
The customer: AYUNA • less is beauty is for the newly emerging eco-lux consumer. Eco-lux consumers know exactly what they are buying and why they are buying it. They do not want to renounce the results of an effective product nor the frills of luxury, but they hold in equal regard a set of eco-focused values that direct them towards purchases that will feel like a responsible gesture.
Milestone moment: We are beyond excited that Ayuna · less is beauty has been nominated in two categories at Indie Beauty Expo 2017 Best in Show Award.
Advice for fellow indie beauty entrepreneurs: Forget about the fear of making mistakes, do it and learn!!
Just one: Asked about their must-have desert-island beauty product, Sanjuán and Ramos, said they’ll take a mask. Because, masks work as an at-home express facial providing instant glow and immediate results.
