The Wonder Stuff: why making it big wasn’t the answer for these two friends
We know you love it when we bring you tales of inspirational women doing their own thing here in Scotland. But they have to be cool, down-to-Earth, relatable and preferably the kind of women we’d all love to grab a glass or two of Sauv blanc with in the nearest beer garden till 10.30pm! This whole climbing the greasy pole and kicking other sisters out of the way to get the top, just isn’t the Hood way which is why we know you’ll love Emma and Aminah from Glasgow-based The Clean Beauty Club.
Aminah and Emma from The Clean Beauty Club
Having met at the Glasgow School of Art the friends built a hugely successful beauty company, A Pony Called Steve. Stocked in independent boutiques and stores across the country as well as e-commerce monolith Not on the High Street, things were looking good. Orders were coming in thick and fast, keeping Emma and Aminah very busy. With over 120 products in the range, the duo was soon in a cycle of creating and making products, packing boxes and...drowning in paperwork.
With three daughters between them - two of whom were under 2, the long hours and stress that comes from being over-stretched, small business-owners became a pressure cooker environment. Childcare was “a nightmare” and as they reached their busiest week ever - things reached a head. The friends decided to stop. They’d lost the mutual passion and love they’d once had for their business and simply didn't want to do it any more.
Emma and Aminah spent some time thinking long and hard about their business and their lives. They knew what they wanted. It was joy. Which was what they’d lost when A Pony Called Steve had gotten too big to handle. They knew they still wanted to work together and that beauty was absolutely still their game.
Recapturing the joy
They had one product they had created ten years previously that they both used daily but for some reason had never added to the previous range. This cleanser was an early version of what is now The Clean Beauty Club hero product, Wonder Balm. They knew they wanted to launch it and The Clean Beauty Club was born.
The Wonder Balm cleanser became Emma and Aminah’s happiest creation and an Instagram sensation. By focussing on one product meant Emma and Aminah could spend less time packing boxes and more time doing what they love, speaking directly with their customers about the new brand.
The Clean Beauty Club hero product Wonder Balm
Over the last year The Clean Beauty Club Wonder Range has slowly grown and now includes a Morning Serum, Evening Serum and Wonder Mask - but the range will stay small, manageable and made with joy.
To quit while you’re ahead in favour of risk, uncertainty but for the ultimate wellbeing of you and your family is something very Wonder-ful indeed.
Good to Glow £100
We have one Good to Glow bundle of Wonder Products to giveaway over on Instagram - and it's ready to change your skin for the better!
This kit contains all of the amazing Wonder products and using them daily will give your skin the glow you've been dreaming of.
The prize includes;
Wonder Balm (the cleansing balm that melts off makeup in moments)
Morning Serum (nicknamed 'Botox in a Bottle' by reviewers before launch because of its ability to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and leave skin super smooth and youthful looking)
Evening Serum (affectionately called 'Beauty Sleep in a Bottle' for the way it can plump out tired skin like a dream)
Wonder Mask (One of the best clay masks you will ever use)
And a Rosebud Massager (the perfect tool to ease out tension and help your serums work even deeper)