The name Narcissus has an intriguing mythological reference. Can you tell us why you chose this name and how it reflects your brand ethos?
Melanie: It’s a little tongue-in-cheek and at the same time a little serious. Orlanda and I laugh at ourselves a lot, so our beauty brand had to be fun but also convey the message that true beauty starts with self-love. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was known for his beauty and became enhanced by his own reflection, which felt like a fun representation of that.
What inspired you to start Narcissus London?
Orlanda: We met when we both lived in Melbourne, but by the time lockdown hit, I was back in London. We ended up speaking most days via Zoom and found ourselves talking a lot about how makeup is so often marketed as something very dramatic with lots of open-mouthed poses that we didn’t really resonate with. It was a time when the eyes were the only thing you could embellish over the top of the Covid masks so, we started thinking about how to really accentuate them and how important they are. It’s what makes you look awake: eye contact lands you the job, it’s where connection is made. So they became our starting point.
What is Narcissus London’s core vision?
Melanie: We are a British brand started by two good friends who love makeup and know what products we like to use, what products work, and what ingredients can cause irritations. We also know that busy women often don’t feel like self-care is high on their list of priorities. I’ve always been fascinated by shows such as ‘10 years younger in 10 days’ and how a beauty product can powerfully transform the way a woman perceives herself. So, Narcissus London was born out of a bold declaration: that there is nothing wrong with falling in love with your reflection. We believe that women should always find time to invest in self-care, so Narcissus London beauty products are luxurious, whilst being easy to use, and quick to apply for even the busiest woman.
“It makes me so excited when you see a new product finally materialise and you think, 'Wow, we made that!'
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What hurdles did you face in the early days?
Orlanda: Well, starting a business with no capital and already busy schedules was a punchy decision! In the early days, our catch-ups were all done via WhatsApp. I’m so proud of how much we’ve had to self-educate. We’ve learnt a lot from scratch. But I think for me, the proudest moment was realising we were in a position to add to our product line and that we did that ourselves. It makes me so excited when you see a new product finally materialise and you think, ‘Wow, we made that!’
There’s increasing consumer demand for sustainable, ethical beauty products. How do you approach sustainability?
Orlanda: We’re committed to making products that are well made and therefore have longevity, are vegan, and result in less waste all round as a result. We strongly believe that you can have something luxurious and yet vegan, paraben-free and cruelty-free.
Could you walk us through the process of creating a new eye makeup product? How do you balance creativity with the technical aspects of formulation?
Melanie: We work with compounding chemists to customise our own formulations so we always start with products we love and use ourselves and then enhance them so that they’re better than anything else on the market, our Accelerating Tubing Mascara being a case in point. For both of us, aesthetics are important, but our products have to actually work.
Every brand has that one product customers can’t get enough of. What has become Narcissus London’s signature?
Orlanda: When we started, many of our customers hadn’t heard of eyelash serum. We had a great response to ours, which isn’t full of toxins and was something exciting. But actually, the mascara quickly took over; tubing technology is still relatively new and ours is infused with growth serum too, so it really boosts people’s results. We’ve had more repeat orders on the mascara than anything else, as well as some great reviews and press, too.
What’s next for Narcissus London?
Orlanda: There’s a foundation formula we are exploring with a Korean cosmetic chemist which is exciting, and we’re trialling different ingredients to test for allergies. Melanie has very sensitive skin so she’s always trying new formulations to see the side effects – you would be surprised how many products labelled ‘dermatologically tested’ actually create severe skin allergies for people with sensitive skin.
Melanie: We do adore body lotion so expect to see this one day. We’re also looking into a new version of our serum but it’s top secret! Wish us luck!
Orlanda & Melanie’s Expert Tips
Melanie: Every single beauty product I have ever purchased I’ve used in different ways and I am forever mixing textures and products and coming up with new shades. I love creating something unique that suits my face and colouring or even my mood. Do experiment and have fun with eye makeup.
Orlanda: I often see people ‘pumping’ their mascara wand – I don’t know where that came from! You’re getting unnecessary air in there. If you twist the wand while you coat your lashes, you’ll get better coverage. Ours can be built up slowly too which helps.
Melanie: Do stick to quality ingredients where you can. Hypoallergenic makes a difference, particularly if you wear contacts or have sensitive skin. Natural pigments and moisturising agents help products last longer and therefore reduce the need for re-applying during the day.
Orlanda: When choosing colours for your eyes, there are lots that correspond to your eye colour well. My eyes are hazel, so our eyeshadow stick ‘Satin’ works well on me as it’s got a touch of plum to it. But to be honest I don’t really buy into that whole ‘you should wear x, y or z’ narrative. I think your mood changes, seasons change, your outfit changes: whichever colours you want to wear, you should wear. I doubt any would ever look bad if you feel good in them.
Melanie: For a simple trick to elevate a day look for an evening event without starting from scratch, I add more highlighter in the corners of my eyes, a tiny little smudge of eyeliner near the corners underneath my lashes, more blush and heaps of lip gloss.
Orlanda: Don’t worry too much about having all the tools. As a lazy, busy girl, I always use my fingers. That’s not best practice, but I’m time-poor and our cream eyeshadows are just a quick blend and you’re ready to go. I do use a clear mascara to keep my eyebrows tidy throughout the day as I think they’re more life-proof that way.
