Irish beauty
Ireland’s beauty brands started out with dedicated cult followings but have grown to be heavy hitters on an international level. Aisling Keenan showcases some of the best, along with their hero products...
The Irish beauty brands making a mark on the international market
“We definitely punch above our weight and I love that in us.” Ellen Kavanagh
We’re more famous for green, rolling landscapes, Guinness and whiskey than we are for beauty products. However, for a relatively small market, Ireland’s beauty brands have shown their mettle and now regularly compete with some of the world’s most established brands. From high-end candles, to professional-standard makeup brushes and lots more, the female-centric Irish beauty industry is making products consumers want and are willing to invest in.
Of the brands featured here, the vast majority have a woman at the core of the business. Entrepreneurial in spirit, these female beauty industry founders spoke to us about their businesses, how it is to start out in Ireland, and how supportive Irish customers can be.
THE LAND OF SAINTS AND SKINCARE
Niamh Hogan is the founder and owner of Holos, a skincare brand with a holistic approach. She says that Ireland’s size makes it a great starting point for a small business.
“Ireland is a great place to start as it is physically small, so it is relatively easy to reach the customer, journalists and other supports you need to grow your business. The beauty space is very competitive now, and you need to be innovative with new products to stay relevant. If you want to really grow, you need to look beyond Ireland.”
Irish brand owner Pamela Laird came in third-place candidate in BBC’s The Apprentice in 2019. She’s the brains behind Moxi Loves, an innovative, beauty hacksbased business.
She agrees with Niamh, saying: “As far as building the brand Ireland is good but when you take our neighbours the UK having such a massive population, the opportunities outside Ireland are huge.”
LOOK OF THE IRISH
Are Irish customers as friendly and supportive as you would hope them to be?
Ellen Kavanagh, owner of Waxperts, one of Ireland’s biggest beauty names, says yes.
“We started Waxperts in 2008 and even grew through a recession. Our customers, their loyalty and cheerleading, continues to be a massive contribution to our success as an Irish brand.
“We are a smaller market so that lends itself well to ambitious entrepreneurs looking to take a leap. I think Irish people are naturally very curious to explore new brands which is amazing. And I do think we are super at supporting our own. When we see an Irish person or brand do well in a global arena, I think as a nation we feel immense pride in that success and know we had a part to play in it,” Ellen continues.
“We definitely punch above our weight and I love that in us. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of such a strong, innovate group of Irish beauty brand owners,” Ellen adds.
Pamela Laird echoes Ellen’s feelings, and has seen the support firsthand since her appearance on one of the UK’s biggest reality TV shows. “Irish really do back their own. I see the support from Irish customers and even other Irish businesses too. It’s been brilliant, appearing on The Apprentice, so many Irish tuned in which was so nice. Since the show the support has been even better,” says Pamela.
BRAND BRILLIANCE
These are just some of the countless Irish beauty companies making their mark at home and abroad...
Pestle & Mortar
Specialising in no-fuss, Instagrammable packaging and seriously results-driven skincare, Pestle & Mortar was co-founded and is currently run by Kildare-based Sonia Deasy. Their hyaluronic serum is a gamechanger, but our stand-out product is the Superstar Retinol Night Oil, €76.
Kinvara
Founded by Joanne Reilly in Galway, Kinvara’s focus is on plant-based, all ecocertified ingredients. The say they make “really, really effective, concentrated, multitasking, plant-packed formulas with certified organic plant oils” and began as a reaction to Joanne not being able to find
products that aligned with her values. Their hero Cleansing Oil, €€22.95, is hard to beat.
Holos
For Niamh Hogan’s brand, Holos, skincare is an extension of health care. The brand is very clear on their holistic approach, creating skincare with nutritional, therapeutic and age preventative benefits to the skin. Their ingredients are simple and pure, as demonstrated in their divine rose cream Love Your Skin cleanser, €€21.50.
Warrior Botanicals
Reidin Beattie built her brand around one philosophy - providing a natural alternative to chemical-laden beauty and self-care products. The anchor product, as we see it, is her very effective Deodorant Cream, €12.50, which developed from a small-batch endeavour into something international brands like Urban Outfitters wanted to stock. It works, without any of the nasties.
The Burren Perfumery
The Burren Perfumery is a family company, run on a small scale by a family and supportive local staff. They say their aim is to be better than the best of the large brands in the quality of their products. They make everything from perfumes (of course) and hand creams to divine facial serums like these below, from €€22.50.
Blank Canvas
Una Tynan’s incredible Blank Canvas brand first came to public attention because of their now-iconic Pippa Palette, a collaboration with top Irish influencer, Pippa O’Connor.
Budget-friendly but professional standard brushes are their bread and butter. This Most Wanted kit, €€69, which contains their bestselling, award-winning F20 foundation brush, shows exactly how brilliant a brand it is.
Moxi Loves
Pamela Laird’s Moxi Loves brand, with its innovative, problem-solving products, not only impressed the Irish market upon launch, but also caught the eye of Alan Sugar. Pamela brought her beauty brand to BBC’s The Apprentice, finishing in third place. With every product becoming a hit, her latest launch is Dry Shampoo Sheets, €€3.95, which are a non-aerosol way to soak up grease in your hair.
“The beauty space is very competitive now, and you need to be innovative with new products to stay relevant.”
Niamh Hogan
Cloon Keen Atelier
Multiple award-winning Connaught brand, Cloon Keen Atelier, is internationally recognised as a heavy hitter in fragrance. Two filmmakers founded the company, creating scents that are “deeply entwined with Irish landscape, history, and tradition”. Stocked in Brown Thomas, Ireland’s highend department store, Cloon Keen’s Roisin Dubh fragrance, €€130, combines rose, black pepper and cedarwood to echo the name, which means “little black rose”.
Waxperts
Run by two Irish women and headquartered in South Dublin, Waxperts have gone from a salon that specialises in wax to a creator of new, innovative wax products and a business that distributes to salons across Ireland, the UK and further afield. Their home-care products are great too, with these - their Waxperts Pads, €€20.45 - becoming a must-have for exfoliating skin, helping fight in-grown hairs and more.
Seavite
Created by Irish sisters Doctors Katherine and Jane Mulrooney, Seavite harnesses the goodness of the sea and turns ingredients like nutrient-rich seaweed into skincare products that will help even the driest skin. The Doctors Mulrooney sell their products both online and in their Eglinton Road clinic, and their Super Nutrient Intense Moisture Body Cream, €€27.50, even works to soften the dreaded Keratosis Pilaris.
Ella & Jo
Irish makeup artist Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan came together with a common goal - to get their makeup brushes squeaky clean. With that, their Squeaky Clean
Brush Cleaner was born. From there, the two developed a hydrating mist, and most recently they’ve launched this Hyaluronic Serum, €€40, which can be used morning and night alongside their hydrating mist.
Nima Brush
Founded in 2012 by Niamh Martin, Nima’s provenance is in brushes. Striving to provide professional makeup artists like herself with a high and reliable standard of brushes without bankrupting them, Niamh devised her initial products. Since, she’s provided the vegan market with brushes and has created travel-friendly sets like the best-selling Girls On Tour, €€60.