Jasmine Wicks-Stephens, founder of Faace.
Emma Croman
Having built a successful career in the beauty PR industry, in 2020 Brighton-based Jasmine Wicks-Stephens set out to disrupt the multi-billion-dollar beauty industry with her fuss-free ethical skincare line Faace. Within two and a half years, the brand is now award-winning and available in 59 retailers across 23 countries from Harrods to LookFantastic. And this month the brand has embarked on an enterprising crowd-funding campaign. Herein the intrepid Wicks-Stephens offers her definitive travel and career advice.
How did you get the idea for Faace? I spent 16 years working with other beauty brands, before I decided to create something meaningful myself. I’d just become a parent and some nights brushing my teeth got bumped off the list due to sheer exhaustion, let alone a lengthy skincare routine. That was the lightbulb moment for Faace.
What does Faace offer that wasn’t already available? We’re on a mission to simplify skincare routines. Our range is for every face—from period to tired, sweaty to menopausal. We understand that there are times when you’re tired, have been working out, or on your period, and that it’s not always realistic to do a full skincare routine. So, we’ve created a range of easy to use and ethical products that can just be popped on with minimum fuss. We formulate each tube to include lots of different active skincare ingredients to help your skin at that time, and we’ve overtly branded our “no-sheet sheet masks” Period, Tired, Sweaty, Menopause as there’s something empowering about being out there saying yeah so what, I’m sweaty, but who cares, or I am on my period.
We want to open up the conversation, destigmatise topics that are still somewhat taboo like menopause and periods. We’re also committed to giving back—we support Hey Girls in its period poverty mission and donate to The Menopause Charity.
Campaign imagery for Faace.
Faace
Why crowd funding and why now? With the support of our community, we have built the foundation of a much-loved brand, and now we want to reach even more people in the UK and beyond. The global beauty market is predicted to reach over $180 billion by 2025, and we want to give consumers an easier, no-BS way to shop for products in that space.
I feel incredibly proud about how far Faace has come—you can find us in 23 countries and in 59 retailers worldwide—but there’s so much more we want to do. So many more important conversations we want to tackle, more skincare problems we want to solve, more sheet masks we want to save from landfill, and more great causes we want to support.
On the go with Faace.
Faace
Tell me a bit about your travel sets? Whether your skin is tired, dull, or you’re in need of a good cleanse, we have a travel-friendly kit. We have our “Travel Buddy” and for the holiday season Party Faace and Festive Faace. All our travel kits come in plane-friendly packaging made from 60-70% recycled plastic that’s also super lightweight. and designed to sink into skin fast.
Where are some of the most far-flung places you’ve sourced ingredients and how did you find those suppliers? We work with a UK-based lab that specializes in ethical and sustainable beauty. They work with supplies from all over the world, to ensure the ingredients are ethical and either organic or wild harvested. Our newest launch, Stress Faace, out later this month, has Neurophroline, a plant that is found throughout India, especially in Southern India and the Western Himalayas up to 6,000 ft and helps wage a war on stressed-out skin.
What are your top travel tips going into 2023? Boring but essential—wear SPF all year round. It’s easy to forget to apply SPF when it’s not bright sunshine, but the best way to ensure the skin stays healthy and youthful is to prevent, rather than cure. Take recommendations from people who like the same things as you, not online reviews. And try to slow down your pace on holiday, as it’s so easy when you live a hectic life to try and also cram in a lot on holiday, but I think things are so much more enjoyable when you are able to go with the flow.
Skincare by Faace.
Faace
What is always in your suitcase? My hairdryer and all my brushes. I don’t have great hair anyway, and I like to have my tools from home. All my beauty products—Faace cleanser, masks, eye creams, SPF—everything I like to use. Too many clothes. I don’t like to plan my outfits, I’d rather have choice so everything gets packed “just in case.” And snacks for the children—nobody wants a hangry child (or husband).
What does no one tell you but you wish you knew about running your own business? That there will be big highs but also massive lows. That you’ll feel lonely at times. That there will be an endless amount of frustration as you rely heavily on other people and other businesses and so things will often be out of your control. So be patient. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and make serious time to celebrate the wins.