The men’s skin care, grooming, and makeup businesses are picking up with consumers; and modish, mainstream brands like Rebels Refinery are adding to the momentum. With a product portfolio spanning hair care and hair styling, body care and soap, skin care and beard care, and packaging-driven lip care (sold in eos-like containers in the shape of pineapples or skulls), the team at Rebels is endeavoring to make a name for themselves in the affordable skin care market.
Here, the personal care entrepreneur shares a profile of himself and the brand.
Name: Eric Fallon, Founder and CEO
Indie Beauty Company: Rebels Refinery
Launched: 2013
Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario
Cash flow: Chain-wide [distribution] at Target changed our lives forever.
Team work: 7 full-time employees
Distribution: Rebels Refinery is sold at all US Target locations and soon ULTA.
Years in beauty: Almost 6 years
Years at Rebels Refinery: Since it was a silly idea floating around my head [that] I impulsively acted on.
Entrepreneurial experience: This is my second company I worked on from scratch. The first one was a company with my dad making complex soap dispensers. I think we almost tried to kill each other. Not nearly as fun (or sexy) as Rebels.
The business: premium natural skin care for humans with an edge
The wow-factor: Men’s grooming and women’s lip balms that focus on high design and high-quality ingredients at affordable prices.
The customer: Discerning humans
Milestone moment: Our favorite UFC fighter uses our products religiously—Mike Bisping. Also, every time Refinery29 writes about us we lose our sh*t. Teen Vogue the first time shocked us. Just trying to make our mother’s proud and our customer’s happy.
Advice for fellow indie beauty entrepreneurs: Find a mentor who’s done it. Something we wish we had done. And, you have to be ALL in.
Just one: Our skull shaped lip balm in passion fruit (shameless plug). But it’s impossible to choose one of anything.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.