#LETSBEFRANK: MEET THE BABES
Happy Thursday, mates! In our previous post we reviewed our Australian-based skincare crush, Frank Body. Today we introduce you to the babes (and bros) behind the beauty line, which you can find exclusively online via the Frank Body e-store.
Tell us your name: Jess Hatzis, co-founder of Frank Body (pictured far left)
Name of owners: Steve Rowley, Alex Boffa, Jess Hatzis, Erika Geraerts & Bree Johnson
Location: Melbourne, Australia
What is the goal of the company? From the start Frank Body has attempted to connect with its customers on a more personal level than that of traditional beauty brands. We like to call it an ‘open relationship’. Frank is centered around values such as honesty, cheekiness, and commitment. As we extend the brand portfolio, we hope to maintain this integrity.
Inspiration behind Frank? It all began in 2013, through a series of fortunate events. Steve owns a few cafes in Melbourne and had a customer ask for leftover coffee grinds. After a while he grew curious as to what they were using it for, and as it turned out, they were using it as a body exfoliator. At the same time, myself, Bree, and Erika who run Melbourne communications agency Willow & Blake, were looking to develop our own product (and brand) within the beauty and fitness industry to market through social media - a service we were already offering to many clients locally and internationally. After some research our team came to find that coffee scrubs were attributed to relieving many skin conditions, and although there were a lot of DIY recipes online, no one was selling coffee scrub as a product. Along with Alex who helped lead production and logistics, we realised that you had to use fresh coffee grinds to get the best results, combined with a mixture of essential oils, sugar and salt - thus the original coffee scrub was born.
We wanted to remove the taboo of a bathroom regime, and speak honestly with babes from around the world about what beauty meant to us. We wanted to be frank with them. And so the name and strategy was born. In the early days, a team of about 20 including friends and family, helped us to make the product by hand. Within a month the business had grown substantially, and we needed a full-time manufacturing group. Frank Body now offers an extended range of coffee-based products for both the face and body and is made in Melbourne, Australia. It is sold purely online through www.frankbody.com and ships to 141 countries worldwide, with five distribution points. It recently sold its 1,000,000th scrub, and boasts a healthy 635K followers on Instagram, with over 71,000 tagged images under #thefrankeffect not to mention its other social media channels. Celebrities including Jessie J and Ariana Grande have all been quoted sharing their love of frank’s products on social media.
One word to describe the team: Caffeinated
Perk of working at Frank? The endless supply of coffee!
All images © of Frank Body.
LITTLE BARN APOTHECARY
At IFF, we are lovers of shopping local and discovering new Georgia-based brands. During a trip to Atlanta's Root City Market, we were introduced to Joshua Morgan and Brad Scoggins, creators of Little Barn Apothecary. Founded in Stone Mountain just earlier this year, Little Barn has already made a big name for themselves as they were recently featured in Vogue, Elle and InStyle as one of the Best Natural Beauty brands. They are stocked in shops in 15 + states as well as Panama and Canada along with online carriers such as Urban Outfitters.
Joshua is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Brad grew up in a farm community in Cordele, Georgia. Currently, they live in Stone Mountain, Georgia and create simple and plant-based apothecary goods from wild-harvested, certified organic ingredients. Right now, LBA carries nearly three dozen small-batch items, including soaks, washes, scrubs, oils, balms, salves, naturally scented air waters, and more.
In 2012, Josh and Brad began researching botanicals and experimenting at home with recipes for simple self-care products. They shared some of the items with friends and family, who responded with enthusiastic requests for more! After expanding the line to include today’s core selection, they debuted Little Barn Apothecary to the public. The idea was born from a passion to create unique formulas as a substitute for the chemical-laden skincare that’s so prevalent today. Together, they love educating people on the benefits of using herbs and botanicals. From recipe testing to packaging design to shipping, Josh and Brad handle each step of the process. They select ingredients not only for their intoxicating scents but for their unique healing properties.
Making use of the South’s long growing season, Joshua and Brad grow most of Little Barn Apothecary’s ingredients in their backyard garden or source them from nearby farmers markets. By committing to whole and certified organic ingredients, Little Barn Apothecary creates goods from scratch that are 100% safe, naturally potent, and highly effective.
“The goal of Little Barn Apothecary is to be an everyday and affordable brand that feels like a treat. We believe in the power of nature and want to bring luxurious, natural options to the market. Our brand is a reminder to slow down, enjoy daily rituals, and keep it simple. ”
