Hi, I’m Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, and I love words.

Listening to them, learning new ones, putting the perfect ones down on page to make that sentence just right, and whizzing them around again until they’re just so.

And of course, nattering words to chat, relate, put the world to rights, ask questions, and generally find out more about the world and us in it.

On this site you will find my latest published articles, if you want to know more, please check out my blog here

Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe

Here are my latest published articles

Achieving success and scalability in the beauty business

23 Nov 2021 --- Chris Cormier’s first taste of the beauty industry was working in magazine publishing in Canada. “When I first started out I worked with many different categories, but I always seemed to have the most success with my beauty clients,” the beauty industry veteran reveals. After years in print, Cormier got the opportunity to work at one of the most prestigious lifestyle magazines, covering fashion, health, entertainment and, of course, beauty. “Eventually, I was offered a role as t

Sampling a hyper-personalized and data-driven future

23 Nov 2021 --- In its latest trend report on how consumer behavior has evolved since 2020, digital product sampling brand Sampler surveyed over 38,000 North American consumers. The brand sought to delve into how consumer behavior has changed since 2020 and what types of product sampling and shopping experiences consumers are looking for in 2021. Sampler recently launched its entry-level digital sampling offering, Exchange Lite. The brand conceptualized its offering with price point front and c

Indie beauty conversation with IPO Cosmetics

23 Nov 2021 --- With a mission to bring high-quality and affordable products to everyone, Michelle Kim, Founder of IPO Cosmetics, speaks to BPC Insights about the life-changing moment that sparked a move from fashion to beauty. We find out about the brand’s novel patented skin care system and the arrival of its luxury skin care packaged in a patented, four-step tear-off parcel. What was the inspiration behind launching IPO Cosmetics? After years of being in the fashion industry owning contempo

Silgan on eco-mission with airless beauty dispenser

16 Nov 2021 --- Silgan Dispensing’s latest launch, Pearl 2, aims to provide the benefits of airless packaging - namely formula protection, 360-degree application and a high-evacuation rate - to help consumers get the last drop of product out and avoid frustration. In addition, John Ferro, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at Silgan explains: “Pearl 2 is made with materials designed for recyclability and has a better technical performance.” Unlike previous airless packaging systems, Pea

Everist concentrates on waste-reducing body wash

16 Nov 2021 --- Everist’s latest formulation, a waterless body wash concentrate, follows the brand’s award-winning, patent-pending waterless hair care concentrates. With the goal of creating as little waste as possible, Everist’s waterless products are plant-based, free of single-use plastic, vegan, cruelty-free and are packaged in recyclable toothpaste-like aluminum tubes. With its body wash concentrate, Everist hopes to continue to bring forward clean, sustainable and performance-driven innov

Indie beauty conversation with Royal

16 Nov 2021 --- Sexual wellness and body care brand Royal is taking its body wash, body wipes, lubricant, lotion and condoms into US retail stores. We talked to the brand’s founder Neil Mehta on the lightbulb moment that led to the creation of the healthy intimacy company, the influences behind its range and the brand’s plans for the future. What was your inspiration behind launching Royal? The idea for Royal was planted long before it grew into a business. I was living in New York City, study

Firmenich’s Guangzhou studio taps into southern startups

18 Nov 2021 --- Hailed as the world’s largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, Firmenich has recently showcased its new customer experience studio in China’s port city, Guangzhou. Marking the company’s latest expansion in China, the studio is Firmenich’s first integrated sensorial center in South China. “China is a unique and dynamic marketplace, one that is in the midst of transforming itself from a producer economy into a consumer economy,” Alec Xu, Senior Commercial Director of F

Indie beauty conversation with Avocado Green Brands

18 Nov 2021 --- Mattress and bedding name Avocado Green Brands launches on to the beauty scene with its skin care entrant, Reed + Gwen. We chatted to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Co-Founder Mark Abrials about the company's plans to improve ethical consciousness in beauty and the emergence of its latest enterprise. What inspired you to launch onto the beauty space? Click to EnlargeSource: Reed + Gwen.After raising the bar for environmental and social responsibility in the mattress and bedd

Replenology trial results a boost for female hair loss

18 Nov 2021 --- A research study into the patent-pending botanical Replenology hair system from Arbor Life Labs has published the results of its pivotal clinical trial on hair loss in women in The Lancet's journal, EClinicalMedicine. The paper has also featured in The Lancet's Specialty Collection on Regenerative Medicine. Replenology is designed to provide a natural way to promote healthy hair growth, prevent hair loss and activate dormant hair follicles. Detailing what inspired Arbor to explo

Bump Stopper expansion plans only just starting

4 Nov 2021 --- “About 60% of all males of African descent suffer from pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), otherwise known as ingrown hairs,” shares Eric Brown, President of High Time Products. “Women of African descent also suffer commensurately.” Commenting on the prevalence of this skin irritation, Brown details: “This is true for even men who opt to grow beards, who develop new skin irritation along the beard edge and from within the beard area due to bacteria.” As a result, grooming brand Bump

Indie beauty conversation with Ohi

4 Nov 2021 --- Working with direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands to help them grow their businesses by enabling memorable and engaging post-purchase experiences, Ohi strives to offer a premium, environmentally responsible and instant delivery service. Click to EnlargeBen Jones has a need for delivery speed. Source: Ohi.On 13 October, the instant commerce platform announced it will use the US$19m from its recently completed Series A funding round to expand its US operations. Engaging in growth throug

WWP Beauty's new collection scores complete Zero+

26 Oct 2021 --- “Our new Zero+ collection is an inclusive, gender-neutral collection of multi-tasking waterless products featured in plastic-free, plant-based packaging, promoting a more circular and sustainable future,” shares Carley Propst, Marketing Director of WWP Beauty. The collection features three streamlined, time-saving multi-purpose products in its Zero+ packaging line. By adopting “the ‘less is more’ approach,” WWP Beauty’s hope is that applying this philosophy when creating the pac

Soothing skin complaints multiplied by mask-wearing

26 Oct 2021 --- The Swiss flavours, fragrances and active cosmetic ingredients manufacturer Givaudan has used its white biotechnology innovation to produce its latest ingredient, Masknyl. White biotechnology refers to the use of microorganisms, through fermentation and bioconversion, or enzymes via biocatalysis, to create active beauty ingredients. Activated by the skin’s microflora, Givaudan’s ingredient is an express skin perfector developed to let the skin breathe. Masknyl has been formulate

Investing in AI to shape the future of skin care

26 Oct 2021 --- Personalization is a leading consumer trend that dominates buying behaviors and influences beauty brand selections. Beauty consumers want a product that fits their individual, specific needs. “As we get used to personalized content, we expect the same from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) products,” notes Natalia Martynova, Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer at beauty startup Openface. The expansion of personalization is now tapping into consumer demand for new formats and

Psoriasis skin supplement ready for launch

28 Oct 2021 --- Launching on 29 October, World Psoriasis Day, SkinBioTherapeutics’s probiotic food supplement, AxisBiotix-Ps, aims to ease the symptoms associated with psoriasis. The finished product is currently in the skin health company’s Netherlands distribution center waiting to be unleashed. Click to EnlargeThe product is waiting to be distributed to a limited customer base. Source: SkinBioTherapeutics.SkinBioTherapeutics has developed a proprietary platform technology, SkinBiotix, based

Indie beauty conversation with VictoriaLand Beauty

28 Oct 2021 --- “Everyone regardless of ability or disability has the right to feel beauty.” That is what drives natural skin care brand VictoriaLand Beauty, which produces accessible packaging for consumers with a visual disability. We talked to the brand’s founder Victoria Watts about the inspiration behind its mission to enable people who are blind or visually impaired to experience beauty and how it is doing this, one skin care product at a time. What inspired you to create VictoriaLand Bea

Skin care goes back to the future with AI app

14 Oct 2021 --- The digital beauty technology brand Perfect Corp has launched its new aging simulation feature built using Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) technology. The brand, known for using artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, has made its aging experience accessible through the YouCam Makeup app, allowing users to visualize the aging process on their own faces. The new feature, called YouCam Time Machine, is designed to enable users to travel forward t

Novi investment opens up transparent sourcing

14 Oct 2021 --- Novi Connect is to use recently won investment to focus on developing accurate data on transparency and sustainability within the beauty and personal care industry. The company has sourced US$10.3 million from several investors including Greylock, with participation from Defy Partners; Thomas Layton, Executive Chairman of Upwork; and Yannis Skoufalos, former Global Product Supply Officer at Procter & Gamble. The finance will allow Novi’s founder to pursue her passion of using dat

Knowde goes big with ingredient sourcing marketplace

19 Oct 2021 --- Knowde was born from the understanding that everything sold by beauty and personal care (BPC) companies begins with ingredients that are formulated to make the products consumers know, love and need. Starting from this point, Knowde delved into the traditional BPC ingredient sourcing and buying process. “Many of those ingredients become the source of innovation and competitive advantage,” says Ali Amin-Javaheri, Co-founder and CEO. “But the chemical companies that supply these i

Mindbody acquires ClassPass following US$500M investment

19 Oct 2021 --- Having secured a US$500m investment, US-based wellness technology platform Mindbody is acquiring ClassPass, a monthly subscription service that provides access to a network of fitness and wellness experiences. The funding comes from global investment firm Sixth Street and will support further growth and product development for Mindbody. In addition, the acquisition will create a one-stop-shop for both business owners and consumers. “This acquisition and investment come at a pivo
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