by Viola Levy
<p>Smart Beauty is a podcast for beauty business owners (particularly female founders) who are looking for tips on how to hone their brand voice and the story behind it – or anyone who's just curious about business and branding. It's hosted by Viola Levy, journalist and founder of copy-led branding agency Smart Beauty Creative. We also sit down with guests from some of the industry’s leading and disruptive beauty brands, as well as industry-insiders.</p><p>To learn more about what we do, visit <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://smartbeautycreative.com">smartbeautycreative.com</a> or follow us on Instagram <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="instagram.com/smartbeautycreative">@smartbeautycreative</a></p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/5/2023
Email Addresses
0 available
Phone Numbers
0 available
April 21, 2025
<p>Today we're delighted to be joined by beauty pioneer Poppy King, founder of multiple iconic lipstick brands including Poppy and Lipstick Queen. Starting her first company at just 18, Poppy shares her remarkable 32-year journey through the beauty industry and her philosophy that lipstick is more than cosmetic, it's transformative.</p><p>Poppy reveals why Willy Wonka became her unlikely business muse, discusses the "witch vs. princess" dichotomy in beauty, and explains what makes a lipstick truly iconic versus merely trendy. She offers candid insights on sustainability challenges, performative diversity in the industry, and her mission to create innovative lip products that help people discover new aspects of themselves.</p><p>The conversation delves into beauty entrepreneurship, the importance of staying true to your vision despite commercial pressures, and Poppy's upcoming projects and the return of her most beloved lipstick formulations.</p><p>Whether you're a beauty enthusiast or entrepreneur, this episode offers both inspiration and industry wisdom from one of beauty's most original thinkers who believes that "beauty is not a vanity issue, it's a human rights one."</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://poppyking.com/pages/lipstick">poppyking.com</a></p>
April 14, 2025
<p>In this episode of Smart Beauty, we sit down with Lizzie Carter, founder of the beloved curly hair brand Only Curls. Starting with just £500 in savings and a vision to celebrate rather than "tame" curly hair, Lizzie has built a thriving business that recently launched in 390 Boots stores nationwide.</p><p>Lizzie shares her journey from hand-sewing product labels in front of the TV to creating a passionate community of curly-haired customers who literally help organise the brand's retail shelves. She candidly discusses how her own experiences as "Frizzy Lizzie" and frustrations with outdated curly hair products inspired her to create a brand that makes people feel positive and confident about their natural texture.</p><p>The conversation covers how Lizzie bootstrapped her way to success without outside investment, the challenges of formulating products for the uniquely diverse needs of curly hair, and how social media transformed both her business and the curly hair conversation globally. We also explore the balance between founder visibility and community-building, sustainability challenges for specialised hair care, and the power of authentic marketing — including how an email mistake became their most engaged marketing win ever.</p><p>Whether you're a beauty entrepreneur looking for inspiration, a curly-haired person seeking solidarity, or a business owner interested in authentic community building, this episode offers valuable insights into creating a brand that truly understands and celebrates its customers.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://onlycurls.com/">onlycurls.com</a></p>
April 7, 2025
<p>Going back to her writer roots, Viola speaks with her long-time industry colleague and beauty journalist Louise Whitbread about her journey into cosmetic science education. Going beyond typical beauty reporting, Louise reveals how her scientific training has equipped her to challenge dubious marketing claims and provide readers with evidence-based beauty insights.</p><p>The conversation cuts through industry misinformation, exposing how terms like "clean beauty" and "toxic ingredients" are often misused to drive sales rather than educate consumers. Louise shares insider perspectives on misleading sustainability claims, debunks myths about demonised ingredients like parabens and silicones, and discusses exciting innovations in biotech beauty and AI-assisted formulation. We hope you enjoy the chat as much as we did!</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/louisewhitbread/">Instagram</a> / <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisewhitbread1/">LinkedIn</a> / <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.clippings.me/louisewhitbread">Portfolio</a></p>
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at [email protected] for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.