As it is Plastic Free July, DIARY directory spoke to Managing Director of beauty company Invogue Ltd, Mark Taylor. Invogue distributes beauty products in the UK and internationally. The company owns six brands and one e-commerce store, Soinvogue, aiming to make sustainable beauty more accessible. We spoke to Mark about the creation of Invogue, how it has grown and its brands' sustainable initiatives.

At Invogue, we are an all-encompassing beauty company consisting of 6 brands and 1 e-commerce store. Our brands offer a wide range of high quality, affordable beauty, bath and skincare products that are accessible to all. We have created own brands that offer the consumer a better alternative to current products, whether this be in terms of price, quality or environmental impact. Our brands include So Eco, Brushworks, Eye Candy, Look Good Feel Better, Nail HQ and Invogue. Our e-commerce store, Soinvogue offers customers a single place to buy all of our brands. We pride ourselves in being Vegan, Cruelty-Free, PETA accredited and having recyclable packaging where possible throughout our brands.

Invogue responds very quickly to changes in fashion and beauty trends. Our company ethos is to offer customers the latest product trends which are made to the highest quality and offer great value for money across multiple beauty categories.

Why did you decide to create e-commerce platform, Soinvogue?

As our brands continued to grow with multiple retailers, we wanted to showcase all of our brands in a single store, Soinvogue was the perfect place. We now have over 300 products across our 6 brands and attract customers from all over the world, Soinvogue allows us to cater to these global demands.

Please can you explain Invogue's sustainable achievements and aims?

We are extremely proud of the work we have achieved with our So Eco brand partner Tree Nation. In the last 18 months, we have planted 50,332 trees offsetting 1738.03 tons of CO2 and this is growing constantly. We believe that the beauty industry needs to consider more initiatives such as this to give back to the environment.

Another huge issue is the use of plastic within product packaging. We ensure that all plastics we use are recyclable. On top of this our 2020 target is to reduce the plastic use across our brands by a minimum of 63%.

Our So Eco make-up brushes are made from bamboo from managed forests. This sustainably sourced bamboo ensures that new bamboo grows and absorbs more carbon in the future. Bamboo grows at a rate of up to 10 cm a day, it is the most ecological and renewable material for makeup brush handles. Additionally, the recycled aluminium we use to create the brush ferrule saves a huge amount of energy and eradicates single-use plastics. It’s not just about carbon offset or footprints, it’s about being environmentally aware of the products we create & use.

We want future generations to be able to live in a world that hasn’t been polluted through packaging, harmful ingredients and precarious testing – especially when it comes to the beauty industry. It is vital for So Eco to consider the environment when creating new products and we are hoping that brands will follow in our footsteps and make smarter choices which won’t be damaging to the environment.

As the fashion industry implements more sustainable targets would you consider expanding into that industry?

We are always looking to grow our brands into different categories and So Eco is a perfect example of this, where we have expanded into bath and hair accessories in the last 18 months

Sustainable shopping is the hottest topic we discuss right now and this is only going to continue to grow in the future. Although we’re concentrating on make-up, bath and hair accessories, for now, this may well change in the future if we can find products that are truly sustainable and eco-friendly. Sustainability often gets thrown around with products that aren’t actually sustainable or viable; but at So Eco, we want to ensure our products are a genuinely sustainable alternative for customers.

What is the next thing for Invogue? Do you see the e-commerce site expanding?

The Invogue beauty range is constantly expanding and our desire is to continue offering new and innovative products to customers. With this in mind, we are currently growing our So Eco bath and spa product range as well as introducing more implements. We are set to launch gift sets for Christmas 2020 and for every So Eco set bought we will plant a tree. We are presently researching new areas of beauty where we can apply our So Eco principles.

How do you use social media? And what other methods of marketing do you use?

The importance of social media within marketing has grown significantly over the years, as part of our PR network we feel it's fundamental to grow relationships with both influencers and industry make-up artists. These relationships showcase the functionality of our products on both a professional and a consumer level. Influencers bring authenticity to the products through a real-life perspective as well as establishing credibility and trust in the market. We have expanded our PR network this year by creating a team of accredited ambassadors made up of MUA’s, hair artists and beauty influencers, all of which post photos, tutorials and reviews of our products across social media and online.

Creating a strong link between our brands and accredited ambassadors has given our customers the confidence to experiment with our latest products and share through social media.

As well as opinions you can trust, our social media platforms allow customers to shop straight from our Instagram feeds, express their opinions, feedback and give us new product ideas. The customer service aspect of social media is imperative to our company, this allows us to be interactive and create conversations, ensuring we maintain positive customer experience.

Social media plays a vital role however, keeping in regular contact with members of the press is crucial to us in this business. We believe traditional media is still an important method of marketing, relationships are key in this industry to really get your ethos across and showcase products.

Before creating Invogue you worked in the beauty industry, how have you seen the industry change?

I started in the beauty industry back in the 1980s. In those days orders were often received by fax or post. Social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook did not exist. Sales were concentrated through a few major companies which has now changed enormously with major grocers and specialist beauty stores now all stocking beauty lines and of course the huge growth of sales through online platforms.

What do you predict is next for beauty?

Vegan beauty products will continue to outperform as will the trend for sustainability and the use of refillable products.

The beauty industry is constantly evolving and we have to ensure we’re keeping up with its pace! One thing we at Invogue are making a priority this year is working towards the reduction of plastic within our packaging and distribution channels. We hope that ‘Responsible Beauty’ will be a big trend!