Emily Skye Anderson has spent the better half of her career dominating the fitness world, so it seems natural that the prominent social media personality set her sights on the world of beauty next. Skye Anderson, alongside business partner Sam Mangan, founded James Cosmetics, a paraben and sulphate-free beauty brand that has — unsurprisingly — already reached icon status. The brand’s eye and face masks in their signature green and gold colourways, have been spotted on millions of faces world wide, seeped in skin-loving ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E. If you’re looking for a new routine to de-puff, de-stress and rejuvenate, add James Cosmetics to your beauty arsenal. As part of HER BLACK BOOK’s Festival of Her, a shopping event to support female-founded businesses, Skye Anderson shares some insight into her business journey so far.
“I knew almost straight away! It started when my business partner Sam wanted to sell these gold eye masks and I remember so clearly on this trip we went on together overseas, we got to the hotel and he said, 'you have to try these masks! It’s a new business I’m starting.' I remember trying them and I was obsessed straight away! I went to his hotel room, knocked on the door and said, 'these are amazing, I want in! Let’s do it together!' That’s how it all started and our 24K Gold & Collagen Crystal Eye Masks are still to this day one of our best sellers!”
"Love everything about the field it’s part of, the industry it's in! Then, when you start your business, do as much as you can yourself for as long as you can! Don’t employ people until you NEED the help! There’s so much you can learn from doing everything yourself and it also saves you from rushing into more overheads for your business. Money can come and go really fast. Once you start to grow a team, make sure you have eyes on everything and you still know what’s happening within all parts of your business!”
“Especially in the early days, I spent so much time building my businesses (which I LOVE to do) but my social life is definitely something I sacrificed in order to help grow James! I spent so much time on it and put in so much hard work! There was definitely sleepless nights and nights out that I missed out on but it was all worth it in the end!”
“It’s really stuck with me and that’s why we love our James community so much. There’s so many of our community who have been there right from the start, and we appreciate them so much!”
“Staying humble and real with people. I think it’s important to not get ahead of yourself in business and think that just once successful campaign means you’ve made it. Always keep working hard and re-investing into your business and again, remember to stay grateful for any support along the way!"
