First there was Hard Candy cosmetics, then came Disney Couture (jewellery) and now Dineh has taken over the beauty world once again with her irresistible nail brand Smith & Cult. We spoke to the founder about her new range and her secrets behind launching so many successful brands – read on for more.
What’s the meaning behind the name Smith & Cult?
The name Smith & Cult represents the conflicting duality between light and dark and its harmonious existence within each of us. People are intricate, layered creatures; ever-evolving and never one-dimensional. Smith is the elegant, graceful end of the spectrum, whereas Cult is the dark, subversive side. Weaving this dichotomy throughout every fiber of the brand is of the utmost importance to me.
Why did you pick nail polishes to launch your brand with?
From the birth of Hard Candy to the creation of Smith & Cult, nail lacquer has always been a platform for me to express myself and create something beautiful. It felt natural to launch Smith & Cult with nail lacquer, since after all, it introduced me to the beauty industry and changed the course of my life.
All your polish colours have genius names – where do they come from?
The names of the colours stem from the constant chaos in my brain and the fun, sometimes dangerous, adventures I’ve had. Red flags (aka exes) I should have avoided, music I love (partial to old-school hip-hop), and the eclectic cast of characters in my life make their way into my names too. I typically come up with the shade names myself and then run them by my team to see what pops. The naming of the colours is one of my favorite parts of the process.
How did the design of the bottle come about?
Every aspect of the brand has been deeply personal; packaging being no exception. I wanted the packaging, like the name, to embody the complexity of our beauty experiences. I created perfectly polished, cylindrical metal caps only to hammer them to death in my backyard (highly therapeutic and definitely put my neighbours on alert). The juxtaposition of the dented caps and the sleek bottle is representative of the experiences and lessons we pick up along the way and what ultimately makes us more beautiful.
How do you decide on the shades in your range?
Smith & Cult is based on The Diary of a Beauty Junkie, inspired by my stories and stand out beauty moments. My memories always have a corresponding color theme. First kiss – my little pony pink dress. Breakups – too many colors, a rainbow of tears. Makeups – always shades of green (strange that all my moments of making up involve the color of envy – ha). The shade of my 2nd grade teacher’s lipstick – cardinal red (rumor was that she was Miss Michigan at some point). My Dad’s required, yet favorite, gear – muted, periwinkle blue surgical scrubs. My Mom’s bathrobe – simply white. All the moments that stay with me are filed in my mind by color and seem to permeate all that I create.
You’ve managed to successfully launch 3 brands now (Hard Candy, Goldie, now S&C), what’s your secret trick?
Each of the brands (aka my babies) were born out of a desire to create something that I wanted for myself and couldn’t find. I created Hard Candy’s pastel baby blue shade, Sky, because I wanted to match my nails to my shoes (let’s blame/thank the 90’s for that). I try to stick to my gut about what I want to develop and I have been very fortunate that others have responded to the brands the way they have.
For people starting their own beauty brand – what advice can you give them?
Be prepared to give your blood, sweat, tears to the process – and then some. Sharing products that I can stand behind is truly a privilege. My advice would be to stick to what you are passionate about. Create products that you actually want to use, find ways to express your authentic voice through packaging, marketing, branding etc. and gather a team of like-minded creatives with a similar aesthetic to help execute your vision. The most important aspect, however dull it may seem, is that you adopt and maintain a strategic working business model.
What’s next in store for the S&C brand?
I’m so excited to share our new lip lacquer collection launching later this year. The lip lacquers are terrifyingly glossy, the formulas are socially responsible and the colors are vibrant. As always, I’m eager to get back into the lab to develop the next round of formulas for Smith & Cult. An eye palette with metallic packaging sounds like heaven, thank you for the suggestion – I may have to move that to the top of the list!
What’s one piece of beauty advice you abide by?
Growing up my Mom always had so many different creams and potions that she used religiously. She always told me that good skin was the basis for everything in beauty (The Basis of Everything also became the name of Smith & Cult’s base coat, thanks Mom). It is the one piece of beauty advice I’ve been able to abide by all these years. I’ve found that sticking to my own meticulous skincare regimen keeps my sensitive skin healthy and radiant. In retrospect, I should have listened to her advice about almost everything!
What’s your favourite nail colour, and why? Tell us in the comments below.
