New Natural Brand Vo Beauty Puts Its Multi-masking Philosophy Into Practice At Hudson’s Bay
“People are putting too much clay on their face,” says Diana Vo.
The veteran aesthetician and founder of Vo Beauty isn’t completely against clay for skincare purposes. In fact, her new natural brand, which is rolling out to Hudson’s Bay locations this month, features products with kaolin and rhassoul clays, but they’re elements of a multi-masking regimen inspired by Vo’s belief that people shouldn’t stick to a single mask to solve all their problems. Instead, she argues they should apply several masks based on concerns, climate and skin type.
“I have combination skin, so my cheeks were always dry and T-Zone always oily, and I didn’t want to use a clay mask all over my face because it dries out the parts of my face that are dry. So, while I have a clay on my T-Zone, I’d do another mask on my cheeks,” says Vo. “That’s how I started multi-masking, and it’s something I do with my clients. I tell them the different areas of their faces to use different masks.”
Vo Beauty’s multi-masking philosophy can be adhered to with its three debut masks: antioxidant-loaded mud mask Manuka Glow with Manuka honey, pure propolis, argan oil, cacao powder and rhassoul clay; overnight gel mask Sleeping Beauty with royal jelly, aloe vera, rose hydrosol and vitamin E; and Pore Perfect, a peel-off mask with activated charcoal, kaolin clay and burdock root. In Canadian dollars, the prices for the masks range from $11 to $27.50 for 1-oz. sizes and $22 to $55 for 2-oz. sizes.
“No one mask can do every job. The reason I did the sleeping mask is for hydration, firming and evening skin tone while Pore Perfect is for when your skin needs a wake-up call because it’s dull. After you put on the Manuka Glow, it instantly makes the face look very glowy,” says Vo. “You can mix and match the masks for more benefits.”
“No one mask can do every job. The reason I did the sleeping mask is for hydration, firming and evening skin tone while Pore Perfect is for when your skin needs a wake-up call because it’s dull. After you put on the Manuka Glow, it instantly makes the face look very glowy. You can mix and match the masks for more benefits.”
Hudson’s Bay reached out to Vo Beauty in April on the hunt for a Manuka honey item. Vo seized upon the chance to send the retailer the rest of the brand’s products, a fortuitous move because Hudson’s Bay decided to stock the lot. Vo Beauty will be available at its Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal stores in a natural beauty assortment. At Hudson’s Bay, Vo expects Manuka Glow and Sleeping Beauty to be the brand’s bestsellers.
“I’m excited people are starting to see and love my small business that I’ve been so passionate about. Being in Hudson’s Bay will give my brand opportunities, and it gives consumers more natural skincare products,” she says. “I think it’s going to have a great impact on natural beauty. Natural beauty is definitely here to stay.”
Vo, who splits her time between Toronto and London, embarked on products initially to address the skincare needs of individuals coming to her for treatments. “My clients kept asking me why there are so many steps in skincare,” she says. “I wanted to simplify the process, but not compromise their skincare routine.”
Client requests for Vo’s specialized concoctions increased and drove her to create Vo Beauty’s offerings. In November, she plans to introduce customizable facial serums that will likely be priced at $30 for 2-oz. helpings. Customers will answer brief questionnaires to guide the recipes of the serums.
“At first, I was really scared about whether people would like it. I asked myself, ‘Am I good enough for this market? Can I do this on my own?’ Now, with Hudson’s Bay opportunity, I feel like I can fulfill the goals I have over the next five years of being in more retail stores and having my own spa.”
Vo Beauty is a truly solopreneur venture at the moment, and Vo admits she can only handle so much. She invested roughly $1,500 to get it off the ground and hustled to make that amount work. Vo managed packaging design herself and did her best to make Vo Beauty seem not homemade to appear chic and luxurious alongside polished products from bigger companies. She estimates it takes her some four hours to complete 50 jars.
“My biggest challenge is scaling up and trying to figure out the numbers to buy in bulk,” says Vo. “I didn’t have the funding to start off with the nicest packaging, but I want it to look like it’s made by a machine with that level of professionalism.” Hudson’s Bay will assist with finances, and Vo’s revenue target for Vo Beauty is to generate $30,000 this year.
Vo hopes Hudson’s Bay is just the beginning for her brand’s distribution. The Detox Market is on her retailer wish list. She’s also keen on placing Vo Beauty in spas and perhaps opening a spa herself one day.
“I grew up in the beauty industry because my uncle had a salon, and I think I’ve envisioned this since I was 12-years-old,” says 30-year-old Vo. “At first, I was really scared about whether people would like it. I asked myself, ‘Am I good enough for this market? Can I do this on my own?’ Now, with Hudson’s Bay opportunity, I feel like I can fulfill the goals I have over the next five years of being in more retail stores and having my own spa.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.