Smart Beauty

In this second part of our mini-series, we explore our unique approach to working with clients that breaks away from the traditional agency model. Last episode, we touched on why the traditional retainer model could be tedious and inefficient for both client and creative—be sure to catch up if you haven’t already. Today, we’ll delve into how our immersive workshop model puts you at the heart of th...

In this episode, host Viola Levy shares invaluable lessons from her time working with two of the most influential women in beauty retail, Alexia Inge, founder and former CEO of Cult Beauty, and Rhea Cartwright, who until recently was Head Beauty Buyer at Liberty London. Having known and worked closely with both women, Viola looks at what it takes to get your brand into top retailers, she discusses...

The perfume world is notoriously tricky to succeed in. (How do you market an invisible product that everyone will experience differently?) In today’s episode, I’m delighted to welcome two of my favorite people in the British fragrance world, Pia Long and Nick Gilbert, the fiercely intelligent and wonderfully unfiltered founders of Olfiction. Known for their bespoke perfumery and consultancy servic...

In this episode of the Smart Beauty Podcast, host Viola Levy discusses why her branding agency proudly identifies as feminist. Viola delves into the historical male dominance in the beauty industry, the rise of female founders, and the importance of creating authentic, empowering marketing strategies that resonate with modern consumers. She also explores the misconceptions around feminism and beau...

Today, we're talking to Arooba Anwar, founder of Arooba Beauty and an expert in the Middle Eastern beauty market. With Euromonitor International valuing this market at over $46 billion, projected to reach $60 billion by 2025, it undoubtedly has lucrative potential – especially if you're a brand founder. Arooba Beauty launched into the UAE last year followed by a UK launch this February. Arooba her...

At SBC, we work a little differently to the traditional agency model, based on Viola's experiences working at such agencies as a copywriter. She witnessed firsthand the pitfalls of the retainer model: bloated budgets, lagging timelines, and inefficient use of creative talent. These challenges not only inflated costs but also hampered productivity, particularly for smaller brands with limited budge...

Beauty journalist and copywriter Keysha Davis brings over 20 years of industry experience to the table. She has collaborated with numerous hair and makeup brands and her byline has appeared in a wide range of publications, including Glamour, Stylist, Hairdressers Journal, and Black Beauty and Hair. Additionally, she writes trend reports for Cosmetics Design Europe so it’s safe to say she knows how...

This week, we dive into the exciting world of rebranding with a spotlight on Huda Kattan, the influencer-turned-beauty mogul behind Huda Beauty. Huda has just unveiled a sleek new look for her brand, sharing all the details in a YouTube video about the rebrand and why it was absolutely necessary. In this episode, we'll explore the reasons behind Huda Beauty's stunning transformation and discuss wh...

Imagine your beauty brand proudly displayed on the shelves of SpaceNK and Sephora, turning your dream into a reality. In this episode, we delve into the essential strategies for making this vision come true. We’ll guide you through the art of crafting a compelling brand story that resonates with both consumers and industry leaders. Discover how to elevate your brand’s narrative to highlight its un...

In this episode, our founder talks about what actually happened with The Body Shop, how it went from a plucky, pioneering brand to a household name to falling into administration – and how their tone of voice had a crucial role to play in all of this. Share your opinions by dropping us a line: hello@smartbeautycreative.com Download your free guide to brand inclusivity by visiting smartbeautycreati...

Meet Viola Levy, the founder of Smart Beauty Creative. She shares her journey into the beauty industry, her passion for it, and what inspired her to establish her agency. Having worked in the beauty industry for over 15 years, Viola is an award-winning journalist, copywriter and brand consultant. As an established writer, Viola has contributed to all sectors of the beauty world, with articles appe...

Viola chatted to Jasmine Wicks-Stevens, Founder of PR and Branding Agency The Known Community as well as Faace Skincare. Jasmine is kind of like the Da Vinci (or the JLo) of the beauty world in the sense that she doesn’t limit herself to one pursuit – with her PR hat on, Jasmine has repped the world's most prestigious beauty brands for the past 15 years. And if that weren't enough, she launched Fa...

Nestled in Mayfair’s Royal Arcade, the Ormonde Jayne boutique offers some of the most unique concoctions on the planet, with ingredients sourced from all around the globe, worlds away from the many typical bland commercial scents on the market. Its founder Linda Pilkington creates perfumes which echo an era of bygone glamour when perfumes actually were perfumes, designed to be worn with a cocktail...

Sarah McCartney started out in business at age 7, in her words “buying wooden beads, making them into things and selling them on to my friends.” That is until her horrified mother found out and swiftly put a stop to it. Fortunately this didn’t dampen Sarah's entrepreneurial spirit, and after stints writing for The Guardian, and LUSH (where she was editor of ‘The LUSH Times’), it was writing a nove...

Fragrance maven Olivia Da Costa is yet another colourful addition to the wonderful world of British perfumery. She is the founder of luxury scent brand Olfactive O, where each perfume pays tribute to a fragrance family, from floral to woody, to fruity to gourmand. The latter was nominated for a prestigious Fragrance Foundation award, and the range is stocked in Les Senteurs - one of London’s poshe...