Indie Beauty Profile
Kellie Chen, Fytt Beauty
Active beauty and personal care comes in a variety of formats. There’s beauty on-the-go, athleisure beauty, sweat-proof beauty—a surplus of products developed to accommodate fitness-loving, on-the-go consumers. Fytt is a skin care brand that aligns, not only with her skin care needs and expectations, but holistically with the wider lifestyle preferences of today’s active consumers.
Here, co-founder Kellie Chen shares a profile of herself and the brand.
Name: Kellie Chen, Co-Founder
Indie Beauty Company: Fytt Beauty
Launched: June 2017
Headquarters: El Segundo, California
Cash flow: Given that Fytt is less than a year old….However, we are proud that we have consistently hit our projected short-term goals and are on a positive growth path.
Team work: 2 full-time employees and 2 part-time
Distribution: Currently, our products are available to consumers through these various distribution channels: US distribution through our own e-commerce FyttBeauty.com, online distribution through Amazon.com via partnership, online distribution through PharmaPacks.com.
And beyond that, a few potential distributions are in the works. We continue to strive to secure more distribution partnerships in the retail space that are in line with the company brand and mission.
Years in beauty: 13
Years at Fytt: Since launched in June 2017 until present; a total11 months
Entrepreneurial experience: This is my first skincare company. Prior to this company, I have had 13 years of combined brand and marketing experience working for Fortune 500 companies, managing beauty brands such as SK-II (a P&G prestige skin care line), NouriFusion (a Herbalife global skincare line) and Ole Henrisken (Kendo Brands, an LVMH company) in many core areas to drive brand strategy and achieve revenue goals.
The business: Fytt is healthy lifestyle skincare inspired by the word ‘fit’, which can be summarized as ‘in good health’. Our philosophy is simple: offer wellness-minded, active individuals healthy skincare products to complement their lifestyles.
Our products are formulated with carefully selected healthy ingredients that are packed with large doses of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, offering essential nourishment for long-term beautiful skin.
The wow-factor: Many skincare products in the marketplace boast trendy ingredients and are oftentimes short-term solution-oriented. For example, if you have a pimple, the product sells it to be a spot treatment. If you have dull skin, the product sells it to be a brightening solution. They’re not focused on what your skin really needs to stay fundamentally healthy in the long-term. Many skin issues should be preventative.
At Fytt, we believe in feeding your skin nutrients, coupled with a well-rounded healthy approach. Just as you maintain your physical health by eating right and staying active, skin needs the same approach of diligent care.
The customer:
Health & Wellness Enthusiast: Her name is Zoe. She is 32 years old and works at a digital advertising agency in New York City where she makes $120,000 a year. She is engaging, fashionable and fit. She is health-conscious and is well-educated on the topic of wellness.
Fitness: She exercises 3 to 5 times a week, mixes yoga, cardio and strength training. She is a member of the Equinox gym but occasionally attends specialty fitness studios such as SoulCycle to change things up.
Food: She is nutrition-conscious. She understands the importance of a balanced diet. She consumes fresh fruits and vegetables, mixes with healthy dairy and proteins throughout the day and limits processed foods. She shops at Whole Foods, loves Pressed Juicery and True Food Kitchen.
Products: She cares about what she puts on her body and is well-informed about product ingredients. She avoids any potential toxins, reads reviews and the ingredient list before she purchases any products. She shops at a variety of beauty retailers – Ulta, Sephora, Whole Foods and Amazon.
Leisure: She values the importance of living a balanced lifestyle. She favors her alone time, but enjoys socializing with her friends and travels at least 2 times internationally every year.
Milestone moment: Naturally, like most new company, a PR campaign was necessary. However, as Fytt received domestic coverage, and as the word spread, the brand was able to garner international coverage such as Vogue in France and Spain, Haper’s Bazaar in Germany. Our message resonated with countries such as Demark, England and others in Europe and Asia.
Advice for fellow indie beauty entrepreneurs: Spend the time doing the initial analysis to really know who you are as a brand and your brand DNA. Define your vision and mission, and how those apply to your products, and how those plans apply to your brand story. Taking the time to think long-term instead of hopping on a trend will help you plan for what your brand will be in the next five to ten years. Also, find a really good partner.
Just one: Asked about her favorite product, Chen replied, I don’t have a specific go-to brand. Being in the beauty industry, I try to diversify myself using different products. But what is most important to me at the end of the day is a product’s effectiveness and formulation philosophy. Less is more!
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.
