What inspired your brand idea?
Monica: Stacey and I used to travel a lot for work, and we kept facing the same issues with hair tools – we’d have to pack the adapters and converters to allow our hair tools to work, and that’s if we could even find a plug near a mirror. On one particular trip to Ireland for a tech conference, we plugged in a very expensive flat iron and it short circuited – and we almost blew up the air bnb we were staying at. That was our AHA moment. We wondered why there were so little full-sized, cordless or even dual voltage hair tools on the market. For months, as consumers, we looked online but everything we found was either mini, or butane powered and would do nothing for the hair.
In 2017, we decided to take matters into our own hands and start our own hair tool brand that focused on cordless hair tools.
Do you have advice for future female leaders and CEOs thinking about starting an entrepreneurial journey?
Stacey: A strong gut feeling can take you further than an assumption. A no is not always a no. Work hard, but also make sure you work smart. Find the right people and don’t be afraid to delegate. Don’t waste time if you want it go for it.
What was your brand’s first product?
Monica: Our first product was actually a white labeled product to jump-start the brand and test the market before investing in the high R&D costs required to build our own products. It was a smaller, less powerful cordless flat iron that reached 400 degrees F and didn’t work while charging. The products today are leaps and bounds more powerful and effective!
As busy brand leaders what are some tips you can share on work/life balance?
Stacey: Surround yourself with people who support your dreams and who bring joy to your work and day-to-day life. If the support system isn’t there finding work/life balance will always have some sort of conflict.
Monica: I also find it so important to disconnect daily. Put the phone away, put the laptop away, and just spend time doing the things you love with the people you love to stay grounded.
What’s something you were surprised to discover as your brand evolved?
Stacey: Early on we would get super excited about things we thought would be ‘cool’ opportunities. For example within the first year we were getting into some of the biggest retailers across North America without really understanding what that meant. We were being asked to have our products featured in movies and shows. Having big names in the industry reach out to work together and more. We were surprised to discover some of these opportunities come with a big cost and not what we expected. We now rarely jump the gun and are taking the time to evaluate every opportunity before getting too excited.
What’s ahead for the brand?
Stacey: We’ve grown expeditiously across North America and are now looking to enter other markets. We also are always working on new innovation and look forward to launching more and more game changing products.
What are some of the hair styling trends you predict we’ll see in 2022?
Stacey: Bobs, bangs, braids and buns.
What are your beauty must-haves right now?
Stacey:
Make Up For Ever Aqua Resist Brow Filler
Monica:
Absolutely in love with the MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Pressed Powder, gives a flitered look without the filter!
MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Pressed Powder
About Lunata Beauty
Lunata Beauty is on a mission to free women from cords. Lunata combines beauty with tech to revolutionize the hair industry, by designing innovative, game-changing, wireless hair tools.
The idea for Lunata Beauty’s cordless hair tools really stemmed from a need. Ever since they were young girls the co-founders of Lunata Beauty, Monica and Stacey, have spent countless hours parked in front of a mirror with a hair tool in hand. Over the years, straightening/curling their hair had become a right of passage and a task that most women couldn’t imagine their lives without.
As they grew up, their time was spent more on the road, the office and running from one place to the next. They blew a few irons on international trips, did their hair in hotel hallways due to lack of plugs and have endured the frustration of countless hours spent trying to untangle their hair tools.
They had less time and felt guilty sitting too long in front of a mirror. They started to value convenience and speed, while not wanting to sacrifice the look of their hair. In 2017, Monica and Stacey decided to stop searching, and take matters into their own hands. And from this, Lunata Beauty was born. Along with a team of industrial designers and engineers, they launched their first product in October 2017. In only 2 years, Lunata Beauty has revolutionized the hair industry with its high-heat, cordless irons/stylers that are unlike anything else on the market.