ALL TIGERS, ALL SISTERS! We’re handing the mic over to a pair of entrepreneurs: check out what these women have accomplished together! To learn more, click here.
Chloé and Anouck, founders of Cose Skincare
It’s always exciting to discover a project before it has been launched and to check out its game plan before kickoff, when things still are being put in place. ALL TIGERS meets the founders of Cose Skincare, a green and fun DIY cosmetics project. These two upcoming entrepreneurs are excited and ready to get their feet wet!
Tell us about Cose Skincare!
We are Chloé and Anouck, the founders of COSE SKINCARE, a brand of natural and fun French cosmetics. Cose is the simplified DIY brand. It’s all about pure and transparent formulas, effective products, ethical practices, and zero waste.
We are currently finishing up our initial products, for an anticipated launch in the very near future.
Cose’s history is just beginning, but the project has already been in the works for a while. How did it all start?
Our meeting doesn’t have a great, storybook beginning! It was just a bit of chance. We both wanted to create our own brand of natural cosmetics. Inspired by our loved ones and having worked for others in situations that weren't exactly ideal, we already knew at 22 and 23 years old that we wanted to work for ourselves. We wanted to see what managing a project from A to Z was like.
We also felt the need to create our brand, our way, since we noticed when looking for natural cosmetics that they weren't as ethical as we would have liked, or they were way too expensive, or they were just not very appealing.
Chloé was more on the ball and was already looking for a partner. Anouck replied to the ad, which led to a call, an encounter, and then the beginning of the project. We share common values and have complementary skills, so it seemed obvious to us that our partnership could be a force to be reckoned with.
And how, exactly, are you two complementary?
Well, this is the word that best describes our relationship! Professionally, Chloé is the marketing genius. The logo, the website, and social networks are her thing. Anouck, on the other hand, is the scientist. She’s she one who creates the formulas and regulatory dossiers. She's also in charge of making our initial products.
When it comes to our personalities, Chloé is more extroverted, she takes initiative, and she meets people easily. Anouck is the calm one, poised, the thinker and the theorizer. So, we make a pretty good duo!
With ALL TIGERS, ALL SISTERS, our idea is to celebrate female solidarity. What's your take on it?
After what we’ve each experienced, and the stereotypical things we’ve been led to believe about women, it was a pleasant surprise for us to see so much support for other women in business. There’s solidarity between female entrepreneurs!
For example, at We Lab Cosmetic, the lab where we create our future products, we’ve met so many entrepreneurial women ready and willing to help us out and give us advice without any second thought or personal incentive. There are also groups for entrepreneurs, on Facebook, for example, who help, support, and share their knowledge with others.
Who is for you the ultimate Tiger?
Ahh it's so hard to choose just one or two people amongst the many, many women who inspire us! There are tons of women in so many different domains that inspire us for so many different reasons! So, we’ll each choose one.
Chloé: the ultimate Tiger for me is Julie Chapon, the creator of the app Yuka. I listened to her give a talk for Vivatech and found that she just radiates positive energy! Even surrounded by hundreds of people, she made entrepreneurship an easy concept to understand. And even though she's the head of this small force that’s shaking up the beauty industry, she doesn’t flaunt it at all.
Anouck: My ultimate Tiger is Danièle Kapel-Marcovici, the CEO of Raja, a packaging company. I came across her as I was looking up double-sided tape online—yeah, not very exciting—and was completely inspired by her. Her choices, how she has developed her SME, and her humanism (particularly towards women through her organization) have demonstrated how much of an incredible entrepreneur she is.
What makes you bare your claws?
The thing that makes us bare our claws is that, when you talk about business, you're automatically talking about money! Fundraising, profits, the jobs created... Yeah, that’s all extremely important, but we find that this is WAY too often the subject of conversation! Since we launched in February, we have met a plethora of entrepreneurs who have genuine values, and who have incredible achievements that go beyond just the famous first fundraiser. So, it's a shame that media never talks about this aspect!
When makes you roar with pleasure?
Our range has not yet been launched, so we haven't yet had the chance to enjoy the first sold product, the first satisfied client, or the first newspaper article about the brand. But when we look back on what we’ve all accomplished since starting this project, we can see that we’ve made major progress--and that’s wonderful! It motivates us and gives us a boost as we move forward. And it’s necessary, in order to see how our project has evolved.
Is natural and vegan important to you?
It already plays a huge role in our personal life, whether that includes our diet or our cosmetics. It was therefore clear as day that our products would be, also. We certainly wouldn't create something we wouldn't want to use ourselves!
But it is admittedly an extra obstacle. Right off the bat, we’ve had to find dependable suppliers for all our ingredients, and then we’ll have to make products with a texture similar to what’s already found on the market by taking into account the advancements of conventional cosmetics.
So, just because it's natural doesn't mean it has to be outdated! That’s the thing. Synthetic products are addictive; it’s not always easy to convince consumers to embrace natural—and we mean truly natural—so if we can have them transition from classic products to good, natural products that feel the exact same way, it’s a win for them and a win for the planet!
Vegan, natural, cruelty-free, organic...yes, yes, and yes! But not just that! It’s also important to consume locally as a means to limit our ecological impact.
What does lipstick mean to you?
Lipstick is makeup’s little extra something. It’s that personal touch that reflects our personality or our tastes. Lipstick adds that little bit of femininity and elegance, we love it! It helps you feel more confident and beautiful, even though that shouldn't be required.
Do you have a favorite lipstick or lacquer color that symbolizes your duo?
Beige, like Cose!
Thank you Chloé and Anouck!
Follow the Cose Skincare adventure on the Cose Skincare website. And check out our other ALL TIGERS, ALL SISTERS interviews here.
You want to take the reins of ALL TIGERS? Just follow us on Instagram and let your voice be heard. We consult our community every step of the way. Ready to roar? ROAARRR!
