Aleph Beauty Enters The Clean Cosmetics Segment With Purposeful Multipurpose Products

Aleph Beauty’s promise to busy women is they don’t have to watch lengthy YouTube tutorials to figure out its products.

The new Auckland-based clean cosmetics brand from Emma Peters, a veteran makeup artist and founder of former beauty e-tailer Belle & Sage, kicks off with multifunctional items, including Concealer/Foundation and Cheek/Lip Tint, that even the most makeup timid can apply. Selling online to begin, its prices range from 50 to 60 in New Zealand dollars or $34 to $41 at the current exchange rate.

“I believe that beauty should be simple, and you don’t need much to create a good look,” says Peters. “I come across so many people scared to wear makeup because they don’t know what to do with it, and they really want an easy solution that’s not going to take a lot of time. So, that’s what we aim to give them.”

Aleph Beauty products
Aleph Beauty’s debut products include Concealer/Foundation, Cheek/Lip Tint and Diffuser Brush.

Aleph’s multipurpose approach is practical and also green. A single Aleph item is the equivalent of two or more products from another line. The brand’s packaging underscores its environmental consciousness, too. Its outer boxes are compostable, and its glass jars are reusable.

“We are people-, planet- and animal-friendly. It looks amazing, feels amazing, works beautifully and is good for the skin. There are no toxins that are damaging to human health,” says Peters. “We use sustainable packaging. All of our shipping materials are biodegradable, and we are constantly looking at ways we can support the planet. We are vegan, cruelty-free and don’t use any animal products whatsoever.”

“I come across so many people scared to wear makeup because they don’t know what to do with it, and they really want an easy solution that’s not going to take a lot of time. So, that’s what we aim to give them.”

In addition to the Concealer/Foundation and Cheek/Lip Tint, Aleph’s assortment has Radiance, a highlighter that can be mixed with the Concealer/Foundation or dabbed on the lips or eyelids as well as the cheeks, and Diffuser Brush, a universal makeup brush with hypoallergenic bristles. Product formulas feature brown algae to enhance collagen production and Totarol, an extract from the Totara tree Peters describes as anti-microbial and anti-bacterial.

Speaking of Aleph’s debut merchandise, Peters says, “I wanted to start with the things that I as a makeup wearer use the most and that, as a makeup artist, I have in my kit to use on everyone.” A mascara and Serum/Primer are on deck for Aleph’s selection.

Aleph Beauty founder Emma Peters
Aleph Beauty founder Emma Peters

Peters brings lessons she learned while leading Belle & Sage to building Aleph. The e-tailer that was born in 2011 originally under the name Ultimate Beauty Wisdom carried 300 stockkeeping units from close to 20 brands such as Girl Undiscovered, Inika, Hairprint and Bite Beauty before Peters decided to close it last year to focus on Aleph. A key lesson is to make a product’s outsides match its insides. At Belle & Sage, she ran across brands that released excellent products, but their designs were decidedly not excellent.

“We wanted it to look modern and have high style. It has a little bit of an edge,” says Peters, mentioning aluminum lids supply Aleph with an industrial flair. “I wanted to stay away from girls running through meadows. We are a beautiful makeup brand that just happens to be natural and good for you.”

“We are people-, planet- and animal-friendly. It looks amazing, feels amazing, works beautifully and is good for the skin. There are no toxins that are damaging to human health.”

Peters and her husband Jim Hudson, who runs a digital marketing agency, invested 100,000 in New Zealand dollars or roughly $70,000 to develop Aleph and forecast it will generate 1 million or about $700,000 in first-year sales. Aleph will rev up its digital marketing to put it on course to meet its sales goal. From Belle & Sage, Peters found that dedicating around 12% of revenues to digital marketing is the optimal percentage for driving business. Press relations is an important part of Aleph’s awareness strategy as well, and Peters will be pursuing media placements outside New Zealand.

Aleph has a global outlook. Peters is in the process of trademarking the brand in the United States, and she notes interest in the brand is strong in Asia and the U.S. In the near future, Aleph will enter online retailers in New Zealand. In 2020, Peters is intent on widening its distribution to high-end brick-and-mortar retail. She says, “We have the potential to have huge reach.”

Aleph Beauty
Aleph Beauty’s first-year sales target is roughly $700,000.

To stand out in a crowded clean beauty field, Peters emphasizes Aleph must be five steps ahead of its competition with a collection that requires few steps. “I do this very much by trusting my instincts because I know what I like and how I want things, and I can be very picky. I don’t settle for anything substandard,” she says. “Trusting my gut will be how I can make sure we are ahead of the game.”