How having my son, led to creating Cinch

There are a few universal truths that helped inspire Cinch.

Universal truth #1: There’s nothing romantic or clever about being complicated for the sake of it (remember that tortured artist you dated in uni?).

Universal truth #2: Time is the one thing all of us crave more of, but none of us can buy.

Universal truth #3: Finding the time to do the things that make us happy isn’t selfish; it’s an essential act of self-care.

I created Cinch because we believe life is too short to mess around with complicated partners … or skincare routines. Introducing Face It, Face Cheat and Face Cheat(er). Seriously smart skincare that will streamline your day and your beauty bag.

It’s been almost 3 years since I started Cinch. No one could have ever prepared me for my journey so far. I’ve been in the beauty industry for over 20 years and my end goal was always to have my own range of products but I knew I would have to come up with something pretty disruptive to get attention.

It wasn’t until I had my son everything changed. My skin was looking dull and I didn’t feel like myself. I didn’t have much confidence and I was wearing a lot of makeup. I always vowed to stick to a complex beauty routine (even post kids) but when I found myself preferring to spend a couple of extra minutes in the shower than layering skincare, I knew I had to come up with a “miracle” product to help me and other busy women in the same situation. I wanted to simplify my complex skin routine without compromising the benefits. I searched for a “miracle product” but it didn’t exist, so I created it.

It took me almost 2 years to get from idea to shelf. There were tears, tantrums and lots of champagnes along the way. When I first pitched my idea to the manufacturer they were hesitant (maybe because I had my one year old on my knee!) In a sense I was trying to reinvent the wheel. There were times I felt like giving up and just start out with a cream like everyone else but we got there in the end. After what felt like 100 samples, I found the one! Face Cheat was born!

I am confident in saying that Face Cheat whole-heartedly takes the place of 5 different beauty essentials. Essentially you get the same results using this one product as you get if you were using a Moisturiser, Anti-Ager, Pore Minimiser, Illuminator and Primer.

Our Growth
I was lucky enough to get a meeting with Priceline and they loved the idea. I knew that if they loved it, it was going to work. We launched into 360 stores nationally and set up our online store. You can now find us in Adore Beauty, Look Fantastic and Recreate Yourself. We have sold products to customers in over 75 countries. You can also find Cinch in stores in Hong Kong and we are preparing to launch into China this year (online).

We have now expanded our range to 3 products and happy to say now that we have a solution for all skin types.

We have won multiple awards including bing nominated for best skincare product (masstige) by Marie Claire (top 10) and Best Moisturiser (Top 5) Beauty Buys by Instyle.

Most people said to me I was crazy starting a business as a sleep deprived mamma but it comes down to shifting your perspective and not buying into the “baby brain” myth. When you become a mum, you have to learn a whole new set of skills. Think about it, you have a baby and your body has to adjust to minimal sleep, new challenges and prioritising things. If you embrace this change and start thinking differently amazing things can happen!

My advice to anyone wanting to start their own business:
Just do it – you can dream about it, tell yourself it’s not the right time but it’s never going to be the right time.

Find an idea that you are passionate about and get it out there.

Be prepared for hard work and to tackle one of the toughest emotional battles ever! Make sure you surround yourself with other likeminded people to keep you motivated and finally stay healthy! Never underestimate the power of a good diet and fitness (and fresh air).