#Insider Spotlight
Paul Tsalikis, Founder of Urban Jungle, on Breaking the Beauty Barrier with His All-Inclusive Brand
Skincare for everyone
By: Balqis Ariffin / July 2, 2024
Hailing all the way from the land down under, Urban Jungle is a pioneering brand at the forefront of disrupting the conventional beauty industry. Staying true to its distinctive identity of inclusivity, accessibility, and ease of use, Urban Jungle is a breath of fresh air in the ever-evolving, fast-paced world of beauty, which can often be overwhelming to navigate. Beyond its effective formulations and a lineup of cult-favourite products, the brand carries a significant mission to help people embrace their imperfections fearlessly and face life with confidence. Think of it as a new-generation brand that empowers individuality, self-acceptance, and representation. To unravel the story behind the brand, we sat down for an interview with Paul Tsalikis, founder of Urban Jungle.
Interview with Paul Tsalikis, Founder of Urban Jungle
Hi Paul Tsalikis, congratulations on the brand launching in Sephora Singapore. Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Thank you so much! By way of introduction, I’m Paul Tsalikis, the founder of Urban Jungle, Damn Good Beauty and VANITY GROUP.
Damn Good Beauty own some of Australia’s most up-and-coming and innovative beauty brands, including Urban Jungle. While our brands have been around for up to 13 years, Damn Good was launched in 2020 as the umbrella company to house (and love!) these brands. Damn Good Beauty is the sister company to VANITY GROUP which is where my entrepreneurial story started. Renowned as hospitality’s house of beauty, VANITY GROUP partners with the most in demand fashion, beauty, premium skincare, fine fragrance, lifestyle and spa brands to create hotel essentials that elevate amenities from essential items to an experience that rivals even the sweetest suite.
I’ve always been passionate about skincare and entrepreneurship, and Urban Jungle is the culmination of that passion, aimed at making high-quality skincare easy and fun for everyone.
We have heard great things about the brand. Can you shed some light on the inspiration behind Urban Jungle?
Absolutely! From the beginning, the vision was clear: to help people embrace their flaws and tackle life with a little bit of swagger, and a lot of confidence.
Urban Jungle champions individuality and lifts-up self-acceptance with an affordable, effective line-up of Korean skin and body products that are designed to not only meet but celebrate the needs of all skin types. Our products are designed to be simple yet effective, allowing everyone to feel confident in their own skin. I also wanted to create a community that helped humans to bravely navigate their way through information overload, confusion, and overwhelm.
I’m curious about the idea behind the brand’s distinctive name. Is there a history behind it?
The name “Urban Jungle” encapsulates the essence of modern life – the vibrant, bustling energy of city living where diversity and individuality flourish. The ‘Urban’ part is all about the fast-paced, ever-changing world we live in, and ‘Jungle’ is all about that wild, natural beauty we all have within. Put them together, and you’ve got our mission of blending effective skincare with a celebration of inclusivity and individuality.
Urban Jungle is known for championing inclusivity and diversity as a primary initiative. Why is this important to the brand, and how does the brand ensure representation and cater to a diverse range of customers?
As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and from a family of immigrants, I thought it was time to shake things up and create a brand aimed at embracing inclusivity, welcoming all, and helping people fearlessly tackle life with swagger and confidence. We ensure that representation is at the heart of everything we do by continuously engaging with our community to understand their needs and preferences, allowing us to always evolve and improve our offerings to serve them better. This then comes to life in every aspect of our brand, whether that be our formulations which are created to cater to a wide range of skin types and tones, or our creative campaigns that feature the real faces of our community – we say no to photoshop!
With the competitive beauty market, how does Urban Jungle differentiate itself?
Urban Jungle stands out by being genuinely accessible and inclusive, while also being vibrant, vegan and cruelty free. Our products are formulated with clean, effective ingredients, and are priced affordably to ensure that everyone can enjoy quality skincare. We also emphasise ease of use with straightforward routines that fit into the busy lifestyles of our diverse community. Our commitment to diversity is not just a marketing angle; it’s embedded in everything we do.
Can you share a story about a significant milestone or achievement for Urban Jungle that you’re particularly proud of?
One milestone that stands out is our launches in Sephora. We launched in Sephora Australia a little over one year ago and now have recently launched in Sephora Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and online for Sephora Philippines. This partnership is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and reflects the growing global demand for inclusive, accessible skincare. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our vision resonate with so many people around the world, and being able to bring Urban Jungle to a global retailer like Sephora is a dream come true. It’s a huge step in our mission to make effective skincare available to everyone.
What motivates you to keep innovating and pushing the boundaries in the beauty industry?
The incredible feedback and stories from our community are my biggest motivators. Hearing how Urban Jungle has positively impacted someone’s skincare routine and confidence drives me to keep pushing the envelope. I’m also deeply inspired by the rapid changes in the beauty industry and the potential to incorporate new, innovative ingredients and technologies. The desire to help our customers feel their best keeps the passion alive.
How did you start in the beauty industry, and have you always known that being a founder and CEO of Damn Good Beauty and VANITY GROUP is your calling?
I started in the beauty industry when I founded VANITY GROUP in 2011 after identifying a gap in the market for high-end beauty products to adorn the vanities of luxury hotels around the world. When I founded VANITY GROUP, we launched with our brand APPELLES and today we have a portfolio of six retail brands under Damn Good Beauty and over 45 licensed luxury brands at VANITY GROUP. Throughout my journey with VANITY GROUP and Damn Good Beauty, I always had an entrepreneurial itch to create a beauty brand that doubled as a community for people. Although Urban Jungle was officially created in 2021, the idea to create it had been years in the making.
As a seasoned entrepreneur, how did your previous experiences influence the creation and growth of Urban Jungle?
I started VANITY GROUP over a decade ago and one of the most valuable lessons I have learnt across both B2B and DTC businesses is the importance of listening to your audience and building a strong community. With Urban Jungle, I focused on creating a brand that goes beyond products, fostering a community where customers feel connected and empowered. This involved strategic use of social media, engaging content, and collaborations with creators who resonate with our brand values.
How do you envision Urban Jungle expanding in the future, not only in terms of introducing new product lines but also in terms of exploring innovative collaborations or ventures?
I’m excited to share that we have many new products in the pipeline – especially over the next 12 months! We are focused on delivering products that have your entire skin and body routine covered, so watch out for more products coming soon to our community. Beyond our product development, we are focused on engaging with our community across the globe, so you’ll see us popping up where our customers are through a combination of immersive offline and online experiences. The future is bright and we’re excited for it!
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