The first time I met Sarah Creal was at Londons Claridges Hotel in the spring of 2016.
Nobody really knows me outside the beauty industry, acknowledges Creal with a laugh.
But Creal is unconcerned.
Hans Neumann
I couldnt think of a single luxury brand specifically creating products for women like me.
So this brand is about me saying, right, fuck it, she says with a laugh.
Creal grew up in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in northwestern Pennsylvania.
With her first line, Sarah Creal is stepping into the spotlight after years behind the scenes in the beauty industry.
One day, she recalls, I looked behind three different mascaras and they were exactly the same formulation.
Does someone have the job of creating this?
I want that job.
I thought it might be in beauty marketing.
And then it took another 10 years to understand that what I wanted to do really existed.
In that time, Creal almost followed another path.
So she studied British Literature.
He said, youll never have the chance to study great works of literature again.
Youll be able to learn marketing in beauty on the job.
Rejection was swift and ongoing until Clinique offered her a jobstanding behind their counter at Bergdorf Goodman.
But you know it was informative and formative.
The women that were coming ina high-end clientelewere smart and discerning.
That has made a difference to my entire career.
When I left Victoria Beckham, I knew I was ready to be my own boss.
I was like, why is luxury beauty not talking to me?
I was craving a brand that was going to excite me, inspire me… And that was it.
That was the spark.
Sarah Creal Beauty was born.
You know that is generally the dirty secret about beauty, she says with a raised brow.
It is run by men.
And I was reminded of this when I had to go out to investors and raise money.
Id never done it before; it was daunting and a lot of the experience was highly discouraging.
And I had to say to him, I have the data that proves you wrong.
I asked 2,000 women this question and you know what their answers were?
And 89% said a beauty brand addressing the unique needs of women 40 plus is necessary.
I was respectful but I was furious, absolutely furious, she adds with a chuckle.
She shakes her head and adds with a wry smile.
Im so glad that is over.
My mascara was really about helping women dealing with panda eyes.
I realized the issue.
But in your 30s, you have a lot of lashes.
Both of those formulas probably have oils that are sitting on top of the skin.
And those are acting as a makeup remover on the polymer that is keeping up your volumizing mascara.
So, theyre suffering from a compatibility issue, and they dont even realize it.
The thinking behind this came from a friend of mine whod had a peel.
But my skin is so dry and Im now just slathering oil on top which isnt helping.
I didnt have anything to recommend to hernow Ive made it.
And then, I used squalane derived from olivesbut without any binders.
Binders are the thing that usually combines an oil phase and a water phase.
It makes a beautiful-looking cream.
However, they are also the things that can keep the product on top of the skin.
You simply shake it, take a couple of drops and pat into your face and the neck.
Theres no stickiness, it really goes in and creates this juicy, moist, sort of glow.
A plumping, moisturizing daily lip treatment with Cupuacu oil, also described as the Goldilocks of lip balms.
The lip balm concept I created at Prada in the late 90s was really ahead of its time.
But thats Miuccia Prada.
She was and is a genius and creating a line for her was one of my favorite jobs ever.
It also began my obsession with lip balm.
But with this, I think Ive cracked the code.
Otherwise known as your proxy for eight hours sleep.
I created a complexion brush to use with it.
An antioxidant-rich SPF that imparts a golden glow and no white cast on any skin tone.
Its hard for any product developer to choose a favorite product but I am super proud of this.
Its so great to have something that is so reparative.
None of my formulas are harshthe products a lot of women are using right now are doing that enough.
Oh, and a glowa low, sophisticated glow because this is for my woman, you know?
Its got to be sophisticated.
