Wearing neutrals knocks off the years, says Jenny Frankel, who's often mistaken for being the big sister rather than the mother of Taylor and Ally.
The Frankel trio co-founded Nudestix, whose make-up collection in neutral shades is exclusively available at Sephora stores.
"Neutrals complement mature skin for a youthful look and make women look like themselves but better," the 40-something Frankel said, explaining the nude effect.
The Canadian chemical engineer has been in the beauty industry for over two decades, first developing products for MAC, then co-creating Cover FX.
The workaholic then took a two-year break so that she could spend more time with her teenage daughters, who inspired her to make a comeback with Nudestix.
"Taylor and Ally believe in 'less is more'. They made me realise how a nude and natural look rules," she said. "I also observed women on the sidewalk, on the train, in the café, to find who is actually wearing 'more is more' make-up, but most were in nude or wearing natural-looking make-up."
Nudestix was launched in 2014, its products designed to provide a touch of make-up here and there to bring out the facial features, for a fresh, natural look. The make-up pencils, or crayons, are housed in an iconic sleek black tin case.
"We wanted to create a lifestyle brand that offers easy-to-use make-up products," she said. "The modern woman, whether in Bangkok, New York, Singapore, Toronto or other cities, are all the same. They have a family, have a career or are studying -- what they don't have is time. Our portable multitasking sticks help women on the go, to quickly and effortlessly put on make-up in less than five minutes."
Using the "go nude but better" tagline, the family business is headed by president mum, who named her daughters CIOs, or chief inspiration officers.
"Together we make a good team. I have been in cosmetics R&D since right after finishing university. Taylor has a business background, while Ally is a medical student with an interest in dermatology," she said. "My girls contribute in different ways. For instance, Taylor assesses whether our products will appeal to the market, while doctor-to-be Ally looks for skin-nourishing ingredients that enrich our make-up formulas."
New products include dual-ended Nudies All Over Face Color Glow, with a soft colour balm on one side and a blending brush on the other, for convenient application.
Magnetic Luminous Eye Color functions as a primer, liner and eyeshadow, while Magnetic Matte Lip Color is a long-lasting and kiss-proof formula for bold nude-lip looks.
Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm is formulated with vitamin E and hydrating plant lipids sourced from rapeseed, sunflower, cotton seed and soybean.
"We have partners in each product category. The cream-based complexion products are made in a South Korean lab that focuses on skincare, and the eye pencils are from Germany, renowned for pigment technology," she said. "The longwearing formulas 'behave' well in Thailand's hot and humid climate, as they melt to become a second skin, while the nude shades complement the skin tone of Thai women."
Coming in a tube instead, Magnetic Nude Glimmers melts onto the skin to brighten facial features. "We are known for our make-up sticks, but we're always evolving," she said. "Made in Italy, this multitasking formula provides a shimmery sheen for all-over highlighting."
The CIO siblings constantly update their blogs on how-to in using the new products to achieve the nude look, which speaks to all generations.
When she was only 14, Gen Z Ally actually suggested eco-friendly packaging, resulting in Nudestix's reusable tins equipped with a built-in mirror and sharpener.
"Ally wanted zero-waste packaging, without any paper or plastic dumped in the bin. She represents the new generation, which wants to change and save the world," said the proud mum.
