Katherine Lugo of LUKA Cosmetics: Five Things You Need To Know To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry

Learn as much as you can about your industry eternally! You can never know too much. Become an expert in your craft. This will always give you a leading edge.

As a part of our series about “Five Things You Need To Know To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Katherine Lugo.

Luka Cosmetics was created by our founder Katherine Lugo in 2008 after years of struggling with acne and sensitive skin. She was searching for makeup that she and her clients could wear without further aggravating their skin issues. When she realized there was nothing really out there that could successfully cover imperfections and contained clean ingredients she knew she had to create a line that would fulfill this need. She embarked on a quest to study and learn natural formulation, and with the help of Ayurvedic chemists she was able to achieve the coverage, performance and finish she was looking for with safe and natural ingredients. From the beginning it was important that all of our formulas were created in the US, were Cruelty Free and were naturally formulated.

Katherine is a multifaceted Beauty Expert, Celebrity Make-up Artist, Formulator, and is fluent in 3 languages. She has been sought after by many Female Fortune 500 CEO’s for years to help them elevate their beauty image. Katherine has helped tens of thousands of women internationally with transforming their makeup routines and is extremely passionate about uplifting and empowering them to bring their best self forward. Her experience with natural formulating has also led her to work closely with other brands that are looking to clean their ingredient lists.

Luka Cosmetics mission is to create the most high-quality Natural and Organic Make-up and skin care. We offer formulations that are lightweight, high-performance and ideal for all skin types. We strive to make beautiful products that take the worry and guess work out of your daily beauty routine. Luka Cosmetics are effective, practical and versatile.

We are:

Phthalate Free
Sulfate Free
Paraben Free
Cruelty Free
Gluten Free
Non-GMO
Made in the US

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I became a makeup artist because I was passionate about creating makeup looks that were timeless and classic. I love enhancing a woman’s natural beauty with color cosmetics. I believe every woman has something beautiful to accentuate. After many years of struggling with allergies and sensitivities to cosmetics and fragrance, I decided to start an Organic and Natural Makeup line. I studied formulation for years and began creating natural products in my kitchen.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting experience has been seeing my vision of a world where clean and organic cosmetics dominate the market come to life. When I started my company in 2008, I got laughed at by so many chemists and people that thought I was crazy for wanting to “reinvent the wheel” so to speak. I insisted that all of our products must be Made in the US, be Eco-Friendly, free of Parabens, free of Animal By Products, and substituted petrochemicals with natural and organic ingredients. I believed we could do better for women. It is very rewarding to see that my intuition led me in the right direction and now so many people are on board in this movement.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

I have had the privilege of meeting some of the most influential and interesting people in the world. I knew I was on to something really big when so many of them were seeking my products and encouraging my success.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I would have to credit my steady success to my beautiful and recently departed mother. She was right along with me every step of the way and always encouraged me to look ahead despite whatever challenges I faced. We created products together, we spent endless hours daydreaming, envisioning and working towards building a great company. She was my best friend and my biggest cheerleader. She taught me to build people up not see them as competition.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The global beauty industry today has grown to more than a half a trillion-dollar business. Can you tell us about the innovations that you are bringing to the industry? How do you think that will help people?

I believe we will always have an edge ahead since I have a particularly unique perspective being a celebrity makeup artist and a formulator. We’ve been far ahead of our time since our inception, and we will continue to innovate and create products that will fulfill the ever-changing demands of women.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the modern beauty industry?

We love that styles and trends are always evolving, and we look forward to what’s to come for the skincare and makeup industry. I love the inclusivity of today’s world, it is ever-expanding and opening up so many doors for more progress for all. It’s also wonderful to see how much women are starting to appreciate the importance of following a regular self-care and skincare routine. Makeup trends come and go, but at the end of the day flawless skin and timeless beauty remains the most important. That’s why Luka Cosmetics always strives to create the most quality core foundation and skin products for everyday wear.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to improve the industry, what would you suggest?

One of the main things I would say is there’s a lot of misleading information about ingredients and I believe it’s important for people to become empowered by educating themselves to make more informed decisions about what they put on and in their bodies. A lot of companies seek to shock people by forcing biased opinions which don’t build a healthy mindset, since everyone’s body and skin responds differently to things. We prefer to highlight the positive aspects and attributes of our products. I also see a lot of marketing that is pushy and lacking education which is such an important part of makeup. Education is key to building long-term customer relationships and retention. Genuine care and customer service go a long way these days.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share a few ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”?

I would encourage women to focus on the most positive attribute they can find in themselves inner and outer and continue to focus on that. I also love incorporating fun and consistent self-care as well as meditation and exercise. I believe maintaining a healthy body and mindset is the key to promoting beauty.

Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, Can you please share “Five Things You Need To Know To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry”. Please share a story or an example, for each.

1. Don’t be afraid! Challenges will always arise, and they will only make you stronger. It’s the most gratifying feeling to look back and know you pushed forward no matter what life threw your way.

2. Change is inevitable so align with it and see it as your friend not a setback.

3. Learn as much as you can about your industry eternally! You can never know too much. Become an expert in your craft. This will always give you a leading edge.

4. Follow your gut. Make intuitive decisions, at the end of the day we are here to improve people’s lives and their self-image.

5. Promote creative pursuits, these will lead you to fun which always leads to the best ideas.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would encourage people, especially women to uplift and help each other. Together we can achieve so many wonderful things. To see the most positive aspects in each other, to laugh more, to grow and focus on their inner beauty. I try to always follow this philosophy.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Happiness is a choice”. It sounds simple, but it’s something you must remind yourself of everyday. This is a wonderful life full of adventure. The key is simply your mindset.

How can our readers follow you online?

Www.lukacosmetics.com IG: @lukacosmetics

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.