Sasha Suresh of Jolii Cosmetics: “Why I encourage people to look at clean beauty as the new standard for the industry”
…My hope is to remind women that makeup is something you add to your already existing beauty. It’s not a product to hide behind. For centuries women have been told how to look, feel and be. However, we are now breaking the chains of that narrative and beauty is shining through in all shapes and forms.
In the same stride, I encourage people to look at clean beauty as the new standard for the industry!
As a part of my series about strong female leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sasha Suresh.
Founder and creator of Jolii Cosmetics, Sasha Suresh, grew up in India, lived in Thailand and New York, and currently resides in Los Angeles. Incredibly inspired by her travels and the diverse cities she’s lived in, she’s always admired the beauty surrounding her, which she used as inspiration to start her own cosmetics brand. While living in New York, Sasha worked in PR/Marketing and later in real estate only to realize that neither of those were cut out for her. This is where Jolii was born. During her free time, Sasha enjoys spending time with her dogs and getting a good workout in. Being an animal lover, she makes it a priority to give back to rescues that work towards rehabilitating dogs and giving them a second chance at life.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I always knew I wanted to work for myself. Growing up I watched my mom wear makeup like most little girls do. She has a very subtle and elegant way about her. Beauty was always in the back of my mind. Living in NY I was working as a real estate agent, but as I mentioned the beauty industry always fascinated me. I thought about it and talked myself into taking a risk. Giving up everything to start something new. It was a scary feeling but I had nothing to lose, so I took that chance on myself. The desire to create something beautiful paved the path to my career path.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
The most interesting and memorable thing to me is the number of amazing women I’ve met in the beauty industry, either working as photographers, makeup artists or editors. This industry opened doors to meeting talented and driven people who want to create something long-lasting. The most interesting thing which happened is …
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Jolii Cosmetics philosophy is simple, clean beauty formulas created for any woman who is on her own mission, whatever that may be and wants to look fabulous doing so, without worrying about smudge or reapplication.
My goal for Jolii is to be able to stand out from the crowd and one of the ways I do that is by customizing the packaging and producing in small batches so it feels exclusive rather than mass-produced. Also formulas being made in Italy already sets Jolii apart from the other Indie brands.
In regards to products, our Luxe Crème Mattes do not transfer while still keeping your lips soft, which is how I personally like it and I’m hoping people appreciate that. The Elixir from our Jolii 2.0 collection is possibly the best formula I’ve launched up to date. It is versatile in every way possible and I’m not trying to be biased!
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Currently, I am focused on Jolii 2.0! I just released the Lustre Lip gloss and The Elixir which is a multipurpose product which took me a long time to perfect. We are in a point of time when women are more conscious about their health and wellbeing. I hope that the beauty industry as a whole starts to pivot towards clean beauty for the wellbeing of women all over the world.
What advice would you give to other female leaders to help their team to thrive?
My advice would be not to fear failure because that’s inevitable and to give new things a try. I truly believe consistency is key!
What advice would you give to other female leaders about the best way to manage a large team?
As of now, I manage every aspect of Jolii Cosmetics. From product development in Italy to social media to executing orders, I oversee all of it myself. Jolii is self-funded and this requires a lot of discipline. For now, this is the best route for me because I want to know every aspect of my business. As the business grows, I look forward to having a larger team that can help manage the multiple things I have on my plate.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Five years ago when I decided to quit my job and start my brand, I turned to my parents for help because I knew that they’d be the only ones to support me without any hesitation. Their support and faith in me has pulled me through the good and bad times. Everything I have achieved, is to honour them. I do wish I had a mentor in the industry when I first started out because that changes everything. Having said that, I’m lucky that I’m a risk-taker and usually gravitate towards it. I’m not motivated enough to pursue something without any risk and I’m comfortable and confident enough to ride solo!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I love dogs!! I have two beautiful dogs, a.k.a my children and they are my world! Jolii Cosmetics is always looking to partner with animal rescues to help dogs in need. Sometimes I feel us humans don’t deserve the goodness and unconditional love dogs give us.
Jolii is currently partnered with Love Leo Rescue, that’s based out of Los Angeles and has 40% off the proceeds from the Jolii 2.0 collection going towards giving dogs in need a second chance.
Giving back in whichever way you can is important and I look forward to years of continued support for our furry friends!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Always overestimate your expenses (especially if you’re bootstrapping)
- Patience is key! (a lot of it is required)
- Network, network, network! You never know who you’ll meet and what they can bring to the table or vice versa.
- Learn to say NO. You’ll learn that it’s easily one of the hardest things to do. Be mindful of what you commit to!
- Don’t always believe everything you see on social media because that’s far from the truth and don’t be swayed by it either.
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 am not sure if this would be a movement, but my hope is to remind women who are buying Jolii Cosmetics that makeup is something you add to your already existing beauty. It’s not a product to hide behind. For centuries women have been told how to look, feel and be. However, we are now breaking the chains of that narrative and beauty is shining through in all shapes and forms.
In the same stride, I encourage people to look at clean beauty as the new standard for the industry!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You have to know yourself well to see things as they really are”
I stand by this because it personally took me a while to get comfortable in my own skin and to really understand and come to terms with who I am. The decisions you make stem from them and can either make or break you, so knowing yourself and making sound decisions can be life-changing! Every choice or decision I’ve made knowing my true self, I own! Also, learn to laugh at yourself. It helps!
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)
At this moment I’d say Raissa Gerona from Revolve! There’s something about her hustle that inspires and resonates with me so much!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
