Pointers from a pioneer
Mineral makeup maven Jane Iredale shares her secrets to staying relevant after 30 years in business with Ashleigh Cometti
Fortunately, it was the doctors who first realised the benefits of mineral makeup. Their acceptance and use of our makeup on their patients, helped us over that first hurdle.
JANE IREDALE
DECADES BEFORE the clean beauty movement materialised, or the term “green beauty” became a buzzword, there was one woman setting foot in previously uncharted territory.
Unknowingly, Jane Iredale’s mission to create makeup that would illuminate skin, not irritate it, would position her as the original mineral makeup pioneer.
That was in 1994, when Jane, while working between New York and Los Angeles as a casting director and producer alongside the likes of Lauren Hutton, Jaclyn Smith, Susan Sarandon and Sarah Jessica Parker, grew increasingly weary over actors struggling with problematic skin under the heaviness of stage makeup.
Her quest culminated in a single, mineral product that is now considered revolutionary for its time — the Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder. Success came quickly, with dermatologists and plastic surgeons praising its ability to soothe, cover and protect skin. It remains a best-seller today.
Built under the tagline “the skincare makeup”, Jane sought to differentiate her brand from the masses by cocktailing goodfor-skin ingredients with highly pigmented, pure mineral powders that promised the same level of coverage and performance as their chemical-based counterparts.
Thirty years later, Jane Iredale’s eponymous mineral makeup line turns over upwards of $83 million in revenue annually, has developed more than 400 products, and is distributed in day spas, salons, luxury resorts, medical offices and select retail stores in more than 50 countries around the globe.
Complexion products remain the brand’s bread and butter, with its selection of primers, foundations, hydration sprays accounting for roughly one-third of the business.
“It is incredible to think that we started this mission to improve the makeup women used 30 years ago and we really have helped so many women all over the world,” Jane says. “The products we dreamt of and make today truly have changed customer’s lives and we are elated to celebrate that.”
And celebrating she is, starting with a newly launched floral-inspired collection called Ready To Bloom. Jane says Ready To Bloom acts as a homage to the beautiful beginnings of the brand and the future confidence she hopes to instil in women.
“The collection was inspired by florals and the use of natural and botanical ingredients in our products since our inception,” she says, adding the shade range of peach, apricot and coral are intended to impart a sense of warmth, happiness and femininity.
“It also nods to our future, with the name itself suggesting we are still changing women’s lives and have so much further to go. We will continue to develop products and solutions for women to feel their best in their own skin.”
The future of the brand looks bright. In 2019, Jane’s profitable beauty conglomerate drew the attention of San Francisco Equity Partners, who bought the brand under the proviso that former CEO Jane would be involved in its day-to-day operations.
The private equity firm appointed as new CEO Chris Payne as the new CEO, whose credentials at L’oreal, Clarisonic and PCA Skin proved him a worthy successor.
A period of stagnation is often table stakes with heritage beauty brands, especially after decades of trying to engage a consumer set with ever-changing preferences. But industry veteran Chris felt motivated to honour the brand’s heritage roots and current consumer base, while also appealing to the next generation of makeup aficionados.
It comes as a little surprise, then, that Jane Iredale experienced a meteoric rise in 2023, opening 396 new doors and reporting a 93 per cent revenue increase.
Back in 1994, creating a category from scratch wasn’t without its challenges, Jane says, adding she struggled to cement the credibility of mineral makeup initially.
“Fortunately, it was the doctors who first realised the benefits of mineral makeup. Their acceptance and use of our makeup on their patients, helped us over that first hurdle.”
Education came next, a slow process considering the lack of conscious consumerism at the time.
“Thirty years ago, people weren’t even reading ingredient labels, let alone understanding what formulas were damaging to their skins and what were beneficial. Educating on ingredients became essential,” she says.
One of the foundations to her success? Securing makeup artists to help her continue this mission to educate and inspire women when it came to application techniques.
“Mineral makeup is different — easier in many ways than traditional makeup — but different. Women aren’t born with a makeup gene; they need guidance. Our makeup artists are educators; we have always placed emphasis on that,” she says.
Today, laboratories and ingredient manufacturers are much more willing to experiment, especially now that there’s such a large market for clean ingredients.
“It’s no good innovating if there isn’t a market for it,” Jane says. “Now there is and it’s growing every day.”
It’s a much quieter existence for the Ukborn Jane these days, with both she and her namesake brand HQ based on an organic farm in rural Massachusetts.
As far as product development goes, Jane says her successor in that space, Nicole Mosco, involves her in every product launch.
“She has just sent me samples of a new product which I’m very excited about. In fact, I’m using it every day and wondering how I lived without it,” she says.
This is exactly what it all boils down to for Jane: A deep understanding of her “why” — the women that use it.
“Inspiration for our products has always come from the desire to enhance the lives of women. So apart from making sure that the formulas are beneficial for the skin, we also want to produce products that make lives easier through their speed and effectiveness,” she says, adding that the brand will continue to innovate in the makeup space for years to come.
“Makeup lines shouldn’t be static. There’s always room for improvement and that next great product.”