#MOTHERMUSE: Emily Perrett
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Do you Love Makeup and Hate Plastic? Well we have a solution for you!
Introducing Emily Perrett, The Founder / CEO of Flavedo & Albedo. A vibrant, wearable, high performance makeup brand with completely plastic free packaging.
It’s MOTHER’s go to make up brand - the formulas are long lasting and they have a fun range of shades. We chat to Emily about her mission of creating a completely plastic free makeup brand.
Tell us about Flavedo & Albedo and the catalyst behind starting it?
The beauty industry produces 120 billions units of plastic packaging each and every year. And even with the best recycling intentions the vast majority of these (85%) wind up in landfill. We love makeup, but hate the idea that an eyeshadow palette will be around for 500 years longer than we will.
We created Flavedo & Albedo to see if we could get really high performance products and formulas into completely plastic free packaging. We wanted to create a line that didn’t force a consumer compromise, on aesthetic or performance.
What has been your biggest hurdle so far?
There have been many. The design of the packaging in the first place had its challenges - especially trying to find a way to make the High Glow illuminator jars airtight without a PE plastic liner for the lid. In the end we settled on a cork disc that does the job just as well!
Massive COVID shipping delays that delayed our launch. Wading through the complexities of global shipping and logistics. The list is long.
Is there anything that you feel like is not talked about enough when it comes to starting your own business? Or you wish you knew sooner?
That whilst it’s incredibly exciting, it’s terrifying in equal measure.
But there’s nothing I wish I knew sooner, sometimes I think that a little naivety is a good thing, otherwise you mightn’t take the leap.
What does a typical day of operations look like for you at Flavedo and Albedo?
Every day is completely different. We do everything ourselves - whether that’s packing orders, talking to retailers, social media, product development, photo shoots - all underpinned by an insane amount of administration and paperwork.
Do you have any must have rituals to help set your day up for success?
Does it count if I know what they should be?! A list prepped the night before, no phone before exercise first up etc etc. but consistency my problem. Most days involve a large pot of coffee and just getting straight into work.
What’s your favourite thing about running your own business and on the flipside, the one thing you dislike the most about running your own business?
I love the independence. That it’s all brand new. That we can make decisions quickly and move on. That it’s creative and we’re making things we’re proud of.
But I do miss the energy of big groups of people and the variety of perspectives you get from being in a bigger company.
Can you recommend any good apps/podcasts/books/resources etc that have helped you grow Flavedo and Albedo? - Can be on a business front or a personal development front.
There are so many opinions out there it can be really overwhelming, I’m taking a break from ‘work books’ at the moment. We’re clear on our strategy and what metrics matter to us and we need to concentrate on that. I get 50 emails a day from people telling us (often bluntly) what we’re doing wrong / how they can help etc etc and it’s exhausting. It’s very easy to get distracted and lose sight of what you really think is important. So at the moment, I’m all fiction.
I like listening to the stories of other people and companies, like How I Built This or whatever. The real story of people’s careers and companies is never as glamorous or linear as you think - and that’s reassuring.
I’ve also had some great conversations with other Founders of small businesses just by saying hi and asking a few questions. People are really generous with their time and sharing their experiences, so that’s also been really helpful.
The item you use the most from Flavedo and Albedo is?
Definitely Velvet Eyeshadow in Hazelnut. Every day.
The beauty industry produces 120 billions units of plastic packaging each and every year. And even with the best recycling intentions the vast majority of these (85%) wind up in landfill. We love makeup, but hate the idea that an eyeshadow palette will be around for 500 years longer than we will.
We created Flavedo & Albedo to see if we could get really high performance products and formulas into completely plastic free packaging. We wanted to create a line that didn’t force a consumer compromise, on aesthetic or performance.
What has been your biggest hurdle so far?
There have been many. The design of the packaging in the first place had its challenges - especially trying to find a way to make the High Glow illuminator jars airtight without a PE plastic liner for the lid. In the end we settled on a cork disc that does the job just as well!
Massive COVID shipping delays that delayed our launch. Wading through the complexities of global shipping and logistics. The list is long.
Is there anything that you feel like is not talked about enough when it comes to starting your own business? Or you wish you knew sooner?
That whilst it’s incredibly exciting, it’s terrifying in equal measure.
But there’s nothing I wish I knew sooner, sometimes I think that a little naivety is a good thing, otherwise you mightn’t take the leap.
What does a typical day of operations look like for you at Flavedo and Albedo?
Every day is completely different. We do everything ourselves - whether that’s packing orders, talking to retailers, social media, product development, photo shoots - all underpinned by an insane amount of administration and paperwork.
Do you have any must have rituals to help set your day up for success?
Does it count if I know what they should be?! A list prepped the night before, no phone before exercise first up etc etc. but consistency my problem. Most days involve a large pot of coffee and just getting straight into work.
What’s your favourite thing about running your own business and on the flipside, the one thing you dislike the most about running your own business?
I love the independence. That it’s all brand new. That we can make decisions quickly and move on. That it’s creative and we’re making things we’re proud of.
But I do miss the energy of big groups of people and the variety of perspectives you get from being in a bigger company.
Can you recommend any good apps/podcasts/books/resources etc that have helped you grow Flavedo and Albedo? - Can be on a business front or a personal development front.
There are so many opinions out there it can be really overwhelming, I’m taking a break from ‘work books’ at the moment. We’re clear on our strategy and what metrics matter to us and we need to concentrate on that. I get 50 emails a day from people telling us (often bluntly) what we’re doing wrong / how they can help etc etc and it’s exhausting. It’s very easy to get distracted and lose sight of what you really think is important. So at the moment, I’m all fiction.
I like listening to the stories of other people and companies, like How I Built This or whatever. The real story of people’s careers and companies is never as glamorous or linear as you think - and that’s reassuring.
I’ve also had some great conversations with other Founders of small businesses just by saying hi and asking a few questions. People are really generous with their time and sharing their experiences, so that’s also been really helpful.
The item you use the most from Flavedo and Albedo is?
Definitely Velvet Eyeshadow in Hazelnut. Every day.
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