Conscious Beauty And Beautiful Minds: Interview w/ Felipe Vasconcelos
Felipe Vasconcelos started his journey as an image consultant at the Fashion Institute of Technology, one of the world’s top five fashion schools. There, he got to learn about helping people with their appearance, behavior, and communication. His work was all about supporting clients towards finding the best versions of themselves. As his knowledge and base grew, he started acquiring and scaling businesses. After working with various startups, small and medium enterprises, he realized the power of experience and passion. The image consulting background combined with his MBA and love for business paved the way for a natural, flowing immersion into the beauty industry. Felipe is the founder and CEO of Koda Brands, a portfolio company in the beauty industry that includes Start Beauty, More Naturals, Secret Beauty Club, and Kapuluan Coconut. He is fueled by innovation in the beauty industry and helping the beauty community grow.
What was the first beauty routine you adopted as a child or teenager? Which emotions do you connect with this memory?
There are a few that come to mind! One of the first ones is coloring my hair blonde for an entire year in my freshman year of high school. That was a thing! The root touch-ups, making sure my hair was well-conditioned and gelled the right way. Maintenance! It’s quite a process. It was the ’90s, so there was a lot of gel involved, and of course, my hair had to be styled in just the right way. These were fond memories of beauty and just finding myself. It helped me move into what was uncharted territory at that time. There was no other guy in the school coloring his hair, so this broke barriers for many around me. It was a fun and exciting time that I look back on with love. Using cosmetics helped me to try new things and find out who I was — I’m still discovering, and it’s beautiful.
CONSCIOUS BEAUTY — What meaning do you give this term?
Conscious beauty means thinking about what each product conveys to the customer — the ingredients, the process, the testing practices, and how it makes people feel when using it. Conscious beauty is also about messaging — how are we connecting with our community in an honest, transparent, and genuine way? It is about speaking to actual needs. It’s about connection.
Which aspects of sustainability in beauty are especially important to you?
Vegan and cruelty-free. I think even more so after becoming a pet parent. Making sure that all animals are treated fairly, not being tested on, are not being abused for the sake of beauty — that has become especially important to me. When starting More Naturals, we always intended to ensure that all of the products we provide are natural, vegan, sulfate, and paraben-free.
When do you consciously feel beautiful?
This is such a personal question! When I have a new haircut, I put on a new suit and well-polished shoes, and my skin looks good — I feel good — but that’s on the outside. This being said, I don’t feel truly beautiful until my inside and outside match. So, when I’m feeling happy, feeling good, and doing work that benefits others — there is a beauty inside — and it radiates outwards. I feel consciously beautiful when my inside and my outside match. It’s conscious because it’s unstoppable, and it’s infectious.
Did your approach to beauty change within the last 1–2 years?
I think the pandemic allowed us to reassess some of the concepts we have held to be true for many years. When it comes to makeup and self-care, people have started to realize how important it is to take care of themselves, even if others aren’t watching. I think for a long time, people had beauty in their lives for other people. More and more of us see how important it is to do beauty for ourselves — for our self-esteem. Our approach with Secret Beauty Club mirrors this; we don’t believe that people should hide as they embrace different stages of beauty. We want our community to feel like they can be the best version of themselves no matter what.
How would you like to see the image of beauty change within the next 5 years?
There are so many stigmas about beauty that, over time, have been changing, but it’s often an uphill battle. I think that there’s still a significant stigma when it comes to beauty products for men. Many beauty products for the male market still look the same — the black packaging with the white letters to make it super masculine. I don’t believe that beauty products should have to hide behind macho packaging. Feeling beautiful is universal, and I don’t think that men need to feel ashamed of taking care of themselves. If that means getting a manicure — do it. If you want a bit of makeup, go for it! Feel beautiful for you. If you’re not hurting yourself or anybody else, why not?
What or who inspires your beauty routine?
I think striving for good mental health is what inspires my beauty routine. When I’m taking care and feeling good externally, it’s a lot easier to feel content in my own skin.
What is your best beauty advice to others?
When choosing products to use — find products that have heart. Products that contain great ingredients, clearly understand the journey that the customer’s going through and that fill their needs in a way that speaks to them. When you start using a product, you create a relationship with that product, and you also create a relationship with that brand. If you’re embarking on a long-term relationship — enjoy this beautiful partnership with the best possible.
Is there anything you would like to share that we have not asked you here?
Beauty with meaning is important to us. If you resonate with what we stand for — have a look at our brands: Start Beauty, More Naturals, Secret Beauty Club, Koda Brands, and Kapuluan Coconut. We’re passionate about the community we serve.
THANK YOU!
Connect with Felipe Vasconcelos on LinkedIn.
Demee Koch about the MEDIUM interview series on CONSCIOUS BEAUTY:
Hello! I am a serial entrepreneur with more than 2 decades of experience in the health & beauty industry. This interview series is intended to create awareness about the movement of Conscious Beauty.
We are in a beautiful time of Conscious Beauty — you may have heard of this term, but what does Conscious Beauty mean, and why does it matter?
For us, beauty is a way to love — it is about self-care, art, nutrition, exercise, life, self-love. I invite you to become part of a movement that re-defines beauty. Let’s empower beautiful minds.
Thank you for being the change. I’m looking forward to learn from you. Reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Demee ❤︎
