THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY
Two local beauty entrepreneurs changing the face of the local beauty biz by developing their own products
‘My mom always told me that when you wake up, put on your clothes and step outside, you must make a statement. You must present yourself in a certain way to the world and you must own it.’
Most of the beauty products lining the shelves of our bathrooms and vanities are conceptualised and created overseas. But that’s all changing. We spoke to two South African women who have fearlessly infiltrated the industry by creating their own local makeup brands.
Astrid Jonker has always been fascinated with beauty and makeup. ‘When I was younger I would page through magazines and wonder what made the models look the way they did,’ she says. She would watch her mother get ready in the mornings and remembers her always having an eyeliner, blush and ox-blood red lipstick in her arsenal. ‘My mom taught me that when you wake up, put on your clothes and step outside, you must make a statement. You must present yourself in a certain way to the world and you must own it,’ she says.
Although entrepreneurship wasn’t something she aspired to as a young girl, it was something she was destined for. ‘In high school I used to do my friends’ makeup during break and charge them R5.
My friends used to call me The Hustler,’ she laughs.
After matric, Astrid studied cosmetology, then makeup artistry at the Make-Up Issue in Cape Town, after which she entered the beauty industry professionally by working as a makeup artist for well-known makeup brands for two years before becoming a full-time freelancer.
During her time as a makeup artist she couldn’t help but notice the lack of representation of people of colour in makeup brands.
‘The faces of the brands were always exclusively white females. I thought, how crazy would it be if we showcased women of colour? Because right now I’m not seeing any of that. And then I thought: how amazing would it be to have a brand that showcased darker-skinned females – one that was also an African brand?’
Although some brands do cater
for darker skin tones, Astrid found that many of those were European made, and often unaffordable. ‘I felt that it was time we started producing and profiting off our own stuff. As Africans we are taught that if you’re going to learn something, you learn it from Europe.’
Astrid began conceptualising the business in 2015 and launched the first 10 shades of lipstick in 2016. Since then, she has launched nail polish, matte lipsticks and lip glosses. ‘I did my research; I wanted to create a brand that catered for the women of Africa and also for the harsh African climate,’ she says. Ajeless lipsticks have an SPF of 15. ‘The reason is because when it’s hot, it’s very hot. When it’s cold, it’s very cold. The SPF not only protects the skin from the harsh sunlight, but also moisturises the lips.’
The name behind Astrid’s brand is representative of female power. Ajeless is a combination of her, her mother’s and grandmother’s names. ‘AJ is for Astrid Jonker, LE is for Lehane, my mother’s name, and ES is for Esme, which is my grandmother’s name and also my second name. The rest of the letters are just for spelling purposes!’
The products are manufactured in a local lab. Astrid explains that being a local brand sets her apart from other brands, who buy the finished product and slap their name on it. ‘What we do is we develop it. We go to the lab and see how it’s made. We develop it from the ground up,’ she says.
Astrid then tests them on herself and ensures that they are cruelty-free and well priced before putting them into retail. ‘I’ve always wanted my products to be affordable,’ she says.
Having had experience in retail makeup artistry, Astrid knew what most women liked and the colours they generally went for. Her aim was not just to make women feel good but also to make them feel powerful, and make women of colour feel represented.
‘I’ve seen that when I’m doing women’s makeup and I put on that lipstick, it’s like something happens to them. They feel good. They could have been having a bad day until then, but that lipstick transforms them and they feel good,’ she says.
‘We always say it’s for the women of South Africa, for the women of colour that we have as the face of the brand – but women of any colour can use our products.’
Astrid has big plans for Ajeless, which includes introducing foundations in a few years and having her products sold in local retail stores. With a growing following in Australia, she has dreams of seeing her product sold all over the world. ‘When the foundations come, they’re going to be a total game changer,’ she says. ‘We are growing fast and we are going international.’
With her mother as her biggest support system, Astrid has been able to overcome any challenges she’s encountered. But, she says, ‘even though I’m doing this for women, I’ve been knocked down by women: people are competitive, but you have to remain professional. There are always problems, but what makes you a good businesswoman is how you get back up from that’.
For Astrid, it is all about taking risks. ‘You have to always strive to be authentic because people pick up on that. They can feel when you’re not being authentic.’
Website: www.ajelessafrica.com Instagram: @ajeless_africa_cosmetics Facebook: @ajelessafrica