Nudestix has been making waves in the beauty industry for a while now, and we can see why. With a fresh, no-makeup makeup, barely-there approach, Nudestix features a streamlined collection of easy-to-use pencil crayons for the whole face. Each Nudestix is enriched with nourishing ingredients such as skin-saving vitamins, antioxidants and moisturisers, and all of the products are multipurpose.
Making makeup fun while celebrating natural beauty, Nudestix is founded by Jenny Frankel, an industry expert who has over 20 years of expertise, and her two daughters, Taylor Frankel, 18, Ally Frankel, 15, who are the fresh faces of the brand as well as the inspiration behind it. They’ve been featured in tons of publications and YouTube videos, and the brand has quickly grown to become a favourite amongst many makeup artists and beauty experts.
We were thrilled to have been able to meet Jenny and Taylor IRL for an exciting one-on-one to learn more about Nudestix at Sephora’s Holiday ’15 Press Preview a week ago. Grab a cuppa, and enjoy!
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself, Jenny.
A: So, I’ve been in beauty for about 20 years and my background is chemical engineering. I started with MAC cosmetics, and then I started a brand called CoverFX when the girls were in diapers. I sold that in 2011 and decided to have an eat, pray, love phase; to retire. Obviously, I didn’t stay retired for long. I decided to be a stay at home mom because I’ve always been so busy. Before I knew it, they were teenagers, so I thought I’m going to pause and enjoy connecting with them. Then, in 2013, Nudestix was born.
Q: How did your daughters inspire you to start Nudestix?
A: Taylor and Ally are the faces, muses and inspiration behind the brand. With this generation, you really have to connect. This (showing us her smartphone) is how they communicate. What I noticed on the social media platforms was that they weren’t following beauty brands. I realised that the reason is because beauty brands are always talking about getting a flawless look. And, my daughters don’t relate to that.
They don’t like flawless. They like being imperfect. They know what’s airbrushing and Photoshop, so they don’t relate to anything that’s picture perfect. Beauty, to them, is effortless. They love beauty that embraces who they are. It’s them, but better. If it takes more than 10 minutes and it isn’t fun, they won’t do it. They’d rather sleep in and scroll Instagram than spend a lot of time on makeup. They think life is stressful enough, so they won’t do anything that’s complicated.
They celebrate their imperfections, and they like being quirky and real. As their mother, I love that messaging because I don’t want them to be superficial. I want them to realise that beauty is a holistic approach. My daughters really celebrate who they are naturally and embrace that.
Q: We love Nudestix’s unique and simple approach to makeup. What, exactly, is Nudestix to you and what do you love about it?
If you notice on runways during Fashion Week, no one is wearing a mask. It’s a little bit everywhere. The more you can see skin, the better. So, ‘Nude’ means a better version of yourself in all shades neutral and ‘stix’ is Crayola meets Chanel. They are pencils. Directions for use: Draw and smudge.
A lot of makeup artists are using Nudestix, but you don’t have to be one to love them. You can be a regular person who wants to look presentable and get out the door. That is what Nudestix is all about.
Q: Let’s go straight in to the products. Why did you choose this peculiar tin box as the packaging and what is included in the box?
My daughter, Ally, is very eco-friendly. The packaging comes just as it is. There’s no box to throw away, and it comes with a mirror inside. It’s your urban makeup bag, and it’s easy to carry around for touchups no matter where you are. There is a little note from the girls, instructions for use, and every box comes with a sharpener. The sharpener can fit on the end of the pencils too. You can also fit up to six pencils in one box, so you can take all your makeup with you in one box.
Q: Are there Nudestix products for the whole face? Tell us about the different ranges we can find.
We have face makeup, which include Concealer Pencils and Sculpting Pencils. Eye products include two different eyeshadow formulations and Mascaras. We then have 8 Lip/Cheek Pencils and 8 Lip Pens, in both glossy and matte formulas. It’s all about the no-makeup makeup. We’re celebrating a fresh face glow.
The Concealer Pencils are creamy and have a matte finish. You have all day to play around with it because the product self-sets without drying. It’s an interesting formula and it’s suitable for most skin types. Ally, Taylor and myself have different skin types, but we all use the same concealer. The Sculpting Pencil which has a highlighter side and a contour side. It looks very natural in the daylight.
We also celebrate a natural nude lip. Our top-selling shade for the Lip/Cheek Pencil is Mystic. It’s a beautiful nude, like a your lip but better colour, and it works on every skin tone. The other lip colour that’s really big is Whisper. Aside from that, we also have corals that are really pretty. For the eyes, we have the Magnetic Eye Colour. The top-selling shades are Immortal, Angel and Twilight.
There is also the Clean-up Pencil to erase away mistakes or smudging. It’s a balm that rubs off the makeup and feels really soft on the skin. You can also use it to clean up when you’ve done a smokey eye. It has chamomile, so it’s gentle for the eye area. Once you smudge on the product, you don’t have to worry about it. They are waterproof and sweatproof.
Q: Is there anything special from Nudestix for the holidays this year?
We’re launching nine holiday collections, consisting of combinations of the Lip/Cheek Pencil and Magnetic Eye Colour. There are limited edition shades released just for these sets. One box has a combination of three shades. There are also special edition boxes with commissioned artwork by Jessica Gorlicky.
Q: Will there be anything new from Nudestix next year?
A: Yes, we are launching a double-ended pencil for brows called the Eyebrow Stylus Pencil & Gel. One side is a triangular pencil and on the other side is a waterproof setting gel. Also, Nudestix is coming out with 8 new shades for a matte Lip/Cheek Pencil range.
Q: What can’t you live without from Nudestix?
A: The concealer in Medium 5, the Magnetic Eye Colour in Angel which I use as a highlighter, and Immortal, the smokey brown Magnetic Eye Colour. I also never leave home without the mascara and the Mystic Lip/Cheek Pencil. I also sculpt with the Sculpting Pencil. That’s it.
Q: How is the price point for Nudestix products like?
A: The individual pencils are priced at RM84, no matter what you buy. The mini holiday sets are also priced at RM84, but the value is close to RM200. For the Magnetic Eye Colour set with three regular sized pencils, it’s priced at RM172, but values at over RM250.
Thanks Sephora Malaysia for hooking us up with Jenny and Taylor Frankel for this interview! Nudestix products will be available at most Sephora outlets in Malaysia beginning next week. Learn more about Nudestix via the beauty brand’s official website! You may also follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram for instant updates.
