Modern Cosemetics: Why You Should Buy From CLE Cosmetics

(Image courtesy of Cle Cosemetics.)

What is the rarest resource? Is it a rare plant extract or a semi=preicous stone's dust? CLE Cosmetics Founder and CEO Lauren Jin discovered the answer while on the London tube. Jin began her career wanting to work in fashion. After graduating with an undergraduate (BFA) from Parsons School of Design, Jin pursued a master's degree in women's fashion at the Royal College of Art. While people-watching on the tube, Lauren Jin saw a woman balance copious amounts of makeup on her lap as she applied her various cosmetic products. Jin was both amazed and concerned for the woman. If the tube stopped suddenly or something rolled off her lap, the product would become unsanitary. Jin was completing her capstone collection about defining the modern woman. Great ideas can strike at any moment. While watching the woman prepare for the day, Jin realized that the rarest resource for any person is time.

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After graduating from the Royal College of Art, Jin pivoted from fashion to cosmetics. She utilizes her design background to create high-quality beauty products—consequently, Lauren Jin and CLE Cosmetics carters to modern times. Jin considers customer experiences and stories to develop a brand that addresses current concerns. I had the chance to speak with her to learn more about her company CLE Cosmetics.

(Image courtesy of Cle Cosemetics.)

1. What makes CLE Cosmetics different from other beauty companies?

In 2015, I started CLE Cosmetics. During that time, people began exploring, defining, and implementing clean beauty principles. Without clear guidelines, I forged my own standards for clean beauty. In the beauty sector, companies typically create products during a launch season. We develop products based on needs and personal experience. Since the beginning of CLE Cosmetics, I decided to create high-quality products that incorporated storytelling and experience instead of what was most trendy. When I saw the woman doing her makeup on the tube, she inspired me to create our melting powder.

(Image courtesy of Cle Cosemetics.)

CLE Cosmetics is not VC (venture capitalist) funded. Instead of relying on marketing to build brand awareness, we use our brand ethos to create brand awareness.

(Image courtesy of Cle Cosemetics's Instagram.)

My background is in fashion. In fashion, there is fast fashion and slow fashion. Merriam-Webster defines fast fashion as "an approach to designing, creating, and marketing clothing fashions that emphasize making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers." Yet, Encircled founder Kristi Soomer defines Slow Fashion as "an approach to producing clothing which considers all aspects of the supply chain and, in doing so, aims to respect people, the environment, and animals. It also means spending more time on the design process, ensuring that each piece of apparel is quality made (Marquis, 2021)."

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At CLE Cosmetics, we apply slow fashion ideology to the beauty realm. - Lauren Jin

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2. How does CLE Cosmetics define clean beauty?

In beauty, a product should add value to your skin's biolayer. We define clean beauty as a balanced formula that considers an ingredient's source and stability to create a high-quality product. We do not use animal-derived ingredients or test our products on animals.

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3. How does CLE Cosmetics incorporate its mission and vision into its product offerings?

CLE Cosmetics incorporates its ethos into every step of a product's lifespan. During ideation, we ensure that the ingredients we source do not contain any animal-derived or animal byproducts. We value honesty, education, and transparency as we create products needed in the modern world.

(Image courtesy of Cle Cosemetics's Instagram.)

4. What advice would you give to students and young professionals who want to enter this realm?

When creating a beauty brand, there are many different paths a company can take. A small brand can continue to operate as an indie brand or join a corporate umbrella. A brand must define its aesthetic, target audience, price range, and short-term goals to succeed. Once you establish who you want to create products for, a company can craft products and messaging that resonates with those people.

(Image courtesy of Cle Cosemetics.)

5. What is the future of the company?

We will continue to create high-quality products our customers enjoy using.

(Image courtesy of Cle Cosemetics.)

References

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Fast fashion. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fast%20fashion

Marquis, C. (2022, November 9). What does slow fashion 'actually' mean? Forbes. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophermarquis/2021/05/14/what-does-slow-fashion-actually-mean/?sh=58a830ef73b4