We uncover Nudestix’s journey, its commitment to clean and cruelty-free multi-taskers, and exciting new ventures in skincare and body care.
In the world of makeup and skincare, it’s not every day that you come across a brand that perfectly bridges the gap between artistry and everyday simplicity. But Nudestix is one of the pioneers of minimalist makeup. Founded in 2014, when heavy contouring, smokey eyes and bold lips were all the rage, Nudestix offered a fresh perspective in the form of simple, multi-tasking sticks of magic. The brand is known for its sleek and portable makeup crayons (yup, we’re talking about the famous Nudies All Over Face Blush Color pencils), designed to enhance your features effortlessly.
Sisters Taylor and Ally Frankel, along with their mother, Jenny, are the formidable forces behind the brand. Since co-founder and chief brand officer Taylor came by our shores for the recent Sephora press day event, I had a chance to chat with her about the journey of Nudestix, its philosophy and challenges, its skincare line Nudeskin, and exciting new launches.
As our conversation begins, we find ourselves transported to a quiet room, away from the bustling main hall of brands sharing their beauty launches. To get things started, Taylor shares her personal connection with Singapore, describing how it feels like a family reunion every time she visits. Singapore’s heat, a stark contrast to the long winters in Canada, always brings a smile to her face. This sets the stage for a candid conversation about her brand.
On the birth of Nudestix
Taylor’s story takes a surprising turn as she confesses to not having a deep love for makeup in her early years. However, her mother’s background as a chemical engineer in cosmetics (she worked at Mac Cosmetics and was the co-founder of Cover FX) laid the foundation for what would become Nudestix.
Growing up surrounded by beauty products, Taylor and her sister – who were ages 17 and 14 – recognised a gap in the market: cosmetics that enhance natural beauty without the heavy artistry.
“Back in 2013 to 2014, you had beautiful artistry brands. At the time, during the OG YouTube days, the heavy contouring, brows and eyeshadow – as beautiful as it was – weren’t relatable although we could appreciate it,” says Taylor.
“We were students and we just wanted to look and feel like the best version of ourselves. That still meant wearing a little concealer or blush – something to enhance what we already had. That was the ‘a-ha’ moment for us.”
The challenges of being a female founder and pinch-me moments that follow suit
Taylor highlights the importance of not letting self-doubt hold women back. She encourages women to break free from self-limiting beliefs and embrace their limitless potential. The key, she says, is to appreciate the journey and not be too hung up on perfection.
Reflecting on her career, Taylor shares that it’s the small, heartfelt moments that have made the biggest impact. Meeting customers in places like Singapore and hearing their stories of how Nudestix products have improved their lives has been incredibly rewarding. These micro-moments, she believes, are the heart and soul of the brand’s success.
Nudestix’s minimal makeup approach and attention to diversity
Taylor adds that Nudestix emerged from a desire to cater to modern women who lead busy lives. These women, whether students or working professionals, didn’t have the luxury of spending hours on elaborate makeup routines. Nudestix’s philosophy of “less is more” resonated with them, as the brand’s products are designed to enhance natural beauty effortlessly.
As a brown-skinned girly, the diverse range of shades available stood out to me when I first came across the brand. Taylor shares that living in a multicultural city like Toronto helped with the process of developing a wide range.
“It was very clear to us that a nude [shade] spans across the fairest all the way to the deepest skin tones. We now have 35 shades of Nudestix, between blushes and bronzers. So community feedback is also incredibly important to us. Any type of customer service, review, influencer feedback, all of it, we listen, look into that and develop products based on that feedback.”
The launch of Nudeskin
Nudestix recently ventured into skincare, a move that seems logical given their “less is more” philosophy. Taylor reveals that this collection was years in the making, coinciding with the onset of Covid when the skincare trend surged. “It was a little bit of a blessing”, she says. The pandemic made it tough to launch new products, but the feedback was positive about achieving great skin with less makeup.
“For me, when I think minimalist makeup, I’m still wearing my brows, lashes, blush, concealer, and lip. But, if you want to use less makeup, your skin is the base for everything. We wanted to provide that to our communities and share that there are so many factors to good, healthy skin.”
In an age where skincare routines can be overwhelming, Nudeskin offers a simple yet effective regimen: cleanse, exfoliate, tone, and moisturise. The Nudeskin 3-Step Citrus Renew Skincare Set is a great intro to the skincare line.
Staying clean and cruelty-free while keeping up with beauty standards
Nudestix takes pride in being clean, vegan, and cruelty-free. Taylor explains that their clean standards are globally harmonised, making it easier to develop innovative products that align with their philosophy. She emphasises that achieving these standards is more achievable today than ever before.
Aside from the clean and green formula, Nudestix also uses reusable and recyclable materials with environmentally friendly packaging. The Nudestix Save A Tin refill program encourages consumers to opt out of getting a new tin during their next purchase. These travel-friendly tins can be reused to store jewellery, earphones, cotton swabs, menstrual products and more. Plus, the Nudeskin’s PET packaging is 100% biodegradable when in landfills.
Exciting new launches coming up soon
Our interview concludes with a sneak peek into Nudestix’s latest launches. An excited Taylor unveils “Nudies Matte + Glow Core”, a skincare-meets-makeup collection launching in Singapore in September 2023. The innovative makeup stick features an outer blush and inner glow cream core. The outer core offers the award-winning Nudies soft matte cream blush colour, while the inner core contains a Nudies Glow skin brightening balm enriched with skin-plumping peptides to provide instant radiant dewiness and luminosity.
Additionally, she also shares their body care line, Nudebody, a collaboration with Sofia Richie. Launching online around September to October this year, the line offers a three-step routine (an exfoliating butter body wash, resurfacing body toner and peptide body creme) for pampering the skin.
I sampled the exfoliating body wash and was immediately hit with soothing bergamot and lavender notes. It also contains 40% salt for effective exfoliation on dry skin.
The body toner features 10% alpha hydroxy acid and is designed to target less frequently treated areas like elbows, knees, underarms and bikini lines. This toner helps even skin tone, brighten the skin, and address issues like hyperpigmentation and rough skin, making it suitable for various skin concerns. Safe to say I’ve got my eyes on this!
As I conclude my conversation with Taylor, one thing becomes abundantly clear: her passion and dedication shine through in every aspect of Nudestix. From redefining beauty with minimalist makeup to venturing into skin and body care, Taylor’s journey is a testament to her commitment to fuss-free beauty. Her personal connection with her customers adds a unique touch to the brand’s success.
