Meet Jaimee Lupton: The Beauty Tycoon
In the ever-evolving world of beauty and entrepreneurship, few names shine as brightly as Jaimee Lupton. From her success with MONDAY to the recent launch of Chalon-Paris, Jaimee has consistently pushed boundaries and redefined industry standards. In this exclusive chat with Remix, we delve into Jaimee’s journey, exploring the inspiration behind her ventures, her approach to innovation, and her vision for the future of beauty.
via @jaimee
Jaimee, how does it feel to have turned the local and international beauty industry on its head with your affordable luxury ranges of products?
First of all, thank you. It’s incredibly exciting. I truly love what I do and consider myself lucky to be able to do something I am passionate about. I’m also incredibly lucky to work with such a talented team who I consider the best in the biz. It’s a superpower to be the target audience for something you’re building, as you’ll always have that innate knowledge. MONDAY is now in almost 40 countries in 71,000 doors with more than 140 retailers, has two dozen major beauty awards and is the#1 haircare brand on TikTok! We’ve also launched three new brands in three months this year alone and have about a dozen new brands in the pipeline.
Describe the crucial moment when you dared to dream and what prompted it?
When I returned home to Auckland in 2019 after living in Sydney, I knew I wanted to create something of my own. Observing the beauty industry at the time, there were plenty of exciting brands like The Ordinary and Glossier who were helping democratise the skincare and beauty space, but when it came to haircare there weren’t any premium, modern brands available in the same way. So many ‘mass’ haircare brands didn’t meet the benchmarks of being certified cruelty-free, free from sulphates and parabens and being sustainably minded. I wanted to create a premium, modern product that people would want to show off in their bathroom — but without the unnecessary price tag. Building and amplifying brands is what I had done for many years in my past life of luxury comms and publicity, and I’m fortunate this translated.
How and when did your dream become a tangible reality as a business?
I always knew I’d start my own brand or business, but it wasn’t until I met my partner Nick — who’s an amazing business person — in my late 20s that I started thinking more seriously about it. I like to say I went to the University of Nick Mowbray for six years! I think I passed the curriculum but you’d have to ask him. I had a strong brand and marketing background when I started to conceptualise MONDAY, and was lucky to be surrounded by experts who knew things I didn’t and could help fill the gaps. Everything has gone on from there! I’m lucky to wake up everyday and love what I do and who I do it with.
via @jaimee
You’ve since creatively and successfully launched multiple brands, does the passion simply reignite each time?
Yes! Each brand is so different and is exciting in its own way. It’s exciting to see how people react to and engage with each new brand too: having a favourite product or a favourite scent. I still get a huge thrill out of seeing a new brand on shelves for the first time, I think any beauty founder could attest to this. There is something about improving: doing more and doing better each and every time. This is something Nick and I drive in ourselves and the team. It’s never-ending: the flywheel of learnings is insane and compounding when we compare where we started to where we are today and what we know now. I’m always only too happy to share our learnings with other founders or business people. I like to be an open book!
How will you know when to stop (if ever)?
I don’t know if I physically (or mentally) could! I truly love what I do, it’s a huge part of who I am and constantly fuels me. Now that I have had my daughter, Noa, I also want to be a role model for her. I’m proud to be raising a young woman and want her to see that what dad can do, mum can do too! It fuels me to know I’m building something alongside her dad. I want her to say one day that she’s proud of me!
Who or what inspired you to become a Dreamer?
My parents had an incredible work ethic. Mum was a social worker and dad was a butcher. They instilled the importance of that into me and my sisters but never put any parameters on what success should look like, so we were free to dream up what it meant for us. We all have completely different careers but the thing that is the same is the care and dedication to what we do. My parents are so proud of me and are constantly asking for new products from our beauty brands to share with their friends. My dad recently went to the dentist and called me afterwards to say that the receptionist really loves MONDAY. I gave him an influencer gifting box to take back the next day. There is no better feeling in the world than making them proud and reassuring them my education paid off!
via @jaimee
What is your earliest memory of the beauty world?
Using my mum’s foundation on me and my sisters. She always knew it was about five shades too light for our olive complexions, which we got from my Dad.
Having more than one of your products stocked in mega stores like Walmart in the States is a rather big deal... What sort of sacrifices were made to achieve this feat?
Owning a business is a lot of sacrifice. I work virtually non-stop and travel a lot which is an amazing thing to be able to do, but it means I’ve missed birthdays, engagements, births of friends’ babies, and time with family and friends. I get a lot of guilt around that sometimes, and I don’t think it’s spoken about nearly enough. I have to focus on what I’m building and the success in order to make peace with the things I’m missing out on.
This year you released the new affordable luxurious Chalon Paris range, what else is coming up for you over the next year?
We launched three brands in three months and my daughter Noa is only three months old —so it’s been busy. We have about a dozen new beauty and personal care brands in the works with several slated for launch over the coming year — watch this space!
!If you could only take one beauty product to a deserted island, what would it be?
Our MONDAY Leave-Into protect my hair from the elements, or my emotional support Laneige lip balm. But to be honest, I’d trade a beauty product for my laptop!
Advertisement
