Against a crowded and cluttered beauty landscape, Emolyne presents a streamlined vision of beauty with a nude colour palette that plays to both the men and women, who desire to curate a smarter, more colourful cosmetic wardrobe. Born in Uganda and raised in Denmark, growing up Ramlov had always found it hard to find the right makeup shades for her skin tone and frequently felt underrepresented in the world of nude cosmetics, despite a plethora of products out there. In Emolyne, she wished to create an empowering, gimmick-free brand that allowed men and women to personalise their makeup bag to a new degree. Emolyne provides inclusive, chic and beautifully packaged lip and nail products, with vegan friendly formulas for all genders, ages and ethnicities. It’s makeup that’s personal but equally, designed for everyone. We were delighted to catch up with her to chat about her brand and the evolution of her career.
Tell us a bit about you?
I was born in Uganda but grew up in Denmark. I come from a big family and I’m a mother with high ambition. I studied business and I’ve always been interested in beauty, so starting my own brand was a no-brainer for me. I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup growing up; I think that sparked my passion for beauty even more. My African heritage is extremely important to me, so I wanted to incorporate this into the brand.
Tell us about your business?
Emolyne Cosmetics is a brand I started with inclusivity in mind. We have 15 shades of nudes and 15 shades of red across 3 product categories, including lipsticks, lip pencils and nail polishes. All these shades are the same throughout each product and are named after African places, a tribute to my heritage. The brand launched in May last year, and we are continuously innovating and looking for ways to develop new and exciting products.
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
I have always had a creative and entrepreneurial streak. Until now, I have mostly put my children first, but now that they are a bit older I am finally able to put my energy and love into this business.
Where did the idea for your business come from?
I created the brand from a place of need. Growing up, I always struggled to find products that were catered specifically with my skin tone in mind or find advertising from beauty brands that were diverse in its casting. I wanted to create a brand that made people feel seen and produce products with all types of people in mind, no matter their skin tone, undertones, gender, age, or anything else.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in growing your business?
Fenty has been a huge inspiration – it was one of the first major brands to champion inclusivity with a wide range of shades. But I’m inspired by all the things around me: culture, travel, music, my children, and what I feel is missing in the market – it’s clear that if there is something I need that I can’t find that others will be missing that, too.
What do you love most about having your own business?
I love doing things I am passionate about and generally growing the business. It’s exciting working with and celebrating so many different skin tones and personalities; I’ve met some truly amazing people throughout this journey. I’m constantly learning and growing, and I love watching the beauty industry evolve and playing a part in that evolution. Makeup is such a powerful tool for self-expression and confidence; it’s exciting to be a part of that. Listening to customers’ needs is key to expanding our product range so I find that very interesting. I also just feel incredibly proud to ensure my range is not only inclusive, but cruelty free and vegan, too, so we’re kind to the planet.
What if any, what challenges have you experienced as a woman in business during your overall career?
As a woman, and a person of colour, I have definitely felt that maybe I haven’t had the same support or opportunity as I could have. Therefore, my mission is to empower other women and black-owned brands. Being able to establish myself in a society where I might be less accepted has been hard and I really feel that sometimes I have to work twice as hard to get the same result.
What are the most important things to progressing as the owner/director of a business?
Listening is key to growing a business, and I think people forget that sometimes. Meeting the needs of our consumers is important to me, as well as keeping up with industry trends and insights to evolve, while staying true to the brands vision and ethos. Collaboration is also a big one for me, and ensuring you have the right team around you.
What has been the most significant thing you have done to grow your business?
Ensuring that we have a wide range of shades has been significant to our success. It’s clear that there was a gap in the market for more diverse ranges of shades so that everyone – all ages, races, genders – feel catered for. Recognising this has been crucial to our growth and the main driver behind the brand.
What have been some make or break moments in your career?
Important client meetings, presentations, procurement pitches etc As with many new businesses, the pandemic had a huge effect on us. Cancelling our pop-up at short notice was difficult, however I do think that everything happens for a reason, and it did allow us to focus our energy on launching the brand digitally with a bang. It also enabled us to come up with our Shade Finder tool which makes shopping colour cosmetics online more accessible. Since our launch, we have won a number of prestigious awards, and we’re really proud of that. We are still really new, and we have been up against some of the most well-known brands in the industry so we couldn’t be happier. Now that the world is opening up again we hope to host a pop-up shop soon!
What is your number one tip for anyone struggling to overcome entrepreneurial overwhelm and keep going?
Starting your own business is hard, it really is. Research is key, as well as getting the right team in place with the right idea. You’ve got to believe in your brand, and yourself, and really love what you do. Determination and passion needs to be your driving force; you need drive to be successful in anything.