Entrepreneurial Excellence
US beauty entrepreneur Nancy Twine traded a successful Wall Street career to establish inclusive natural haircare line Briogeo, with the aim of providing solutions for every hair type.
It’s a side-hustle-to-successful-career trajectory that is likely familiar to many entrepreneurs. But quite how successful – and swift – Nancy Twine’s journey from kitchen-sink beauty formulator to multi-milliondollar success story was makes for a compelling brand inception.
Particularly given the 35-year-old New York City resident chucked in a successful Wall Street career to push a line of plant-based shampoos and conditioners based on a family recipe. The career switcheroo paid off, and a matter of months post-launch, her startup haircare company, Briogeo, was lining the shelves of Sephora, the biggest beauty retailer in the US. Six years on, it’s just landed here at Mecca.
“Growing up, I struggled with my hair because the products on the market were just not right for my hair texture,” explains Twine. “Instead, my mom and I would make homemade beauty products in our kitchen with ingredients from our local health food store, which was something she learnt from her own mom. I was inspired by this family tradition of making natural beauty products from scratch and learnt that making effective beauty products without harsh or harmful ingredients is definitely possible.”
WALL ST TO BEAUTY BOSS
That background planted the seed of an idea for a brand – one that grew during her post-college years as a successful investment banker in which she climbed the corporate ladder to become vice president of commodities sales and trading for New York City-based firm, Goldman Sachs.
But it was the unexpected loss of her mother in 2010 that prompted Twine to follow her entrepreneurial spirit. Wall Street suddenly didn’t seem so fulfilling after all, and she began devoting nights and weekends to the development of a line of haircare with performance-based formulas for a diverse array of hair textures and types.
Using her savings, she created samples and presented Briogeo – named as an amalgam of the Italian word for ‘liveliness’ with the Greek word for ‘earth’ – to large US retailers at Cosmoprof, North America’s largest beauty trade show. Soon after, Sephora called and at age 29, Twine became the youngest Black woman to launch a line within the US beauty giant’s stores, as well as ranging the products at hip fashion and beauty retailer Urban Outfitters.
Twine’s corporate background quickly paid off in terms of contracting suppliers and long-game thinking, and she was able to secure additional funding to scale up relatively quickly. “When I was working in finance, I quickly learnt the importance of multitasking, as well as how to think strategically, thoughtfully, and outside of the box when making decisions,” she says.
“When you’re running your own company, problem-solving becomes a part of your everyday routine. While I eventually realised working in finance wasn’t where my passion was, it really groomed me in how I approach challenges and come up with solutions.”
In the US market at the time, hair lines were sometimes designated by ethnicity, and although the cleanbeauty industry was rapidly growing, Twine felt many of the formulas left a lot to be desired performance-wise. In addition, most of the items available were makeup and skincare. There was little in the way of elevated haircare with a natural-ingredient approach, even less suitable for curly or textured hair.
Though her range was partly inspired by not being able to find products to suit her own hair type, she says her general intention was far larger. “From day one, I knew I wanted Briogeo to be about way more than just me. I wanted Briogeo to be about everyone.
“Right from the beginning, I created this brand to offer a wide range of clean, natural haircare products for every hair type, hair texture, hair need, ethnicity, background and person. Products that offered solutions for every individual’s unique healthy hair journey was our ‘must-have’.”
As such, Briogeo now offers eight full collections – a selection of which is available at Mecca – meeting a number of hair ‘needs’ such as damaged, frizzy, curly, dull or thin. There are lots of options, but the intention is to provide two or three products that perfectly meet the needs of each person.
CLEAN AND SIMPLE
Given her mother’s original hair solutions were simple, Twine follows the same principles, using whole-food natural ingredients such as kale, banana, coconut, rice amino, avocado and ginseng.
Because performance is also a focus, the line is not completely natural, instead the brand’s website states each product is between 93-100
“WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING YOUR OWN COMPANY, PROBLEMSOLVING BECOMES A PART OF YOUR EVERYDAY ROUTINE.”
NANCY TWINE
per cent natural – the balance of ingredients included is to ensure ‘maximum product efficacy’ and carefully considered before inclusion.
Twine and the brand’s website regularly reference consulting the Environmental Working Group on ingredient safety. The US health advocacy group’s research is sometimes the centre of dispute over its science around testing and specific skincare ingredient ‘hazard scores’, but is regularly referred to as a source by clean-beauty brands, citing traditional ingredient concerns.
Briogeo’s ‘free-from’ list is certainly extensive. The line is vegan, and has no sulphates, parabens, phthalates, DEA, artificial dyes and, of particular challenge, also avoids silicones – a smoothing ingredient present in the majority of current haircare lines. “Silicones are found in many haircare formulas because they effectively increase smoothness and shine, but they also coat the hair shaft and prevent nutrient absorption, says Twine. “Luckily, clean-ingredient alternatives do exist. For example, we formulate some of our products with macadamia nut oil, a natural shine enhancer that won’t cause build-up.”
Part of the reason for Briogeo’s ongoing success lies in customers’ uptake of the brand’s belief that the scalp should be nurtured first and foremost, as the factory that grows healthy, shiny hair. “There’s a ‘skinification of hair’ movement going on, which makes a great connection between the ingredients, treatments, and benefits of our skincare routine and how they also relate to hair care,” says Twine.
“We exfoliate our face to remove excess dry skin and debris, which allows our skin to better reap the benefits of other products. What many people don’t realise is that we should also be doing this for our scalps. Healthy hair is rooted in scalp care, which is why you should think of caring for your scalp and hair as a continuation of your skincare routine for your face.”
The brand’s popular Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo meets these requirements and as such has been a hero product given its unique format and mint and tea-tree blend that leaves your head and hair clean and feeling fresh.
As for an all-rounder that suits-everyone product? Twine picks the Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. “It was the first product we launched. It’s become a must-have haircare staple because it’s a universal product for all hair textures and types,” she says. “So many of us are guilty of constant colour-processing, straightening, curling, and blow drying on a daily basis, all of which can cause the hair to suffer from damage, dryness, breakage and split ends over time. The Deep Conditioning Mask is clinically proven to reduce breakage after two uses without the use of harsh synthetics, which makes it truly unique amongst a sea of other hair-repair products.”
RACIAL JUSTICE
As for the future, Twine says she intends to extend the brand’s focus on sustainability initiatives – Briogeo’s packaging is now created from post-consumer recycled plastics – and encourage further changes with regards to a more diverse commercial beauty landscape.
“As a Black female entrepreneur, I have a proud responsibility to do my part to support racial justice and social equity. I would love to see more brands take ownership and join in listening, learning, supporting, and serving the Black community as a vibrant contributor to the larger beauty industry,” she says.
“I continue to support our retail partners in growing their Blackowned brand support and I encourage other Black women in beauty to follow the great work being done by Ella T Gorgla and Cara Sabin of 25 Black Women in Beauty [a platform acknowledging the contribution of Black women in the beauty industry and providing resources to support entrepreneurs].”
The brand is also taking initial steps outside the haircare world, launching its first body and wellness products, including omega and biotin supplements and natural deodorant, so it’s not beyond the realm of expectation that even further brand extensions may be in its future.
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