Check out the inspiring entrepreneurial story behind NUOO, a beauty box and an E-shop dedicated to organic and natural beauty products founded by Gwénaëlle, Julie and Maxime. We met Gwénaëlle and Julie who talked about theirs paths, how they came up with such a great concept and their passion for entrepreneurship.
Could you explain to our readers the concept of Nuoo Box in one sentence?
Gwen and Julie: Nuoo is an e-shop and a beauty box entirely dedicated to natural and organic beauty products. Beauty, ethics and cool things are the main things you’ll find on www.nuoobox.com.
You both are the co-founders of Nuoo Box with Maxime. How did you find the idea of Nuoo box?
Gwen: I have been attracted to beauty, fashion, women’s magazine and blogs since always. 5 years ago I discovered the « beauty box » concept which is a surprise box you receive each month when you own a membership. I found the idea just amazing! I mean, receiving beauty products every month feels so good, right? On the other side, I was more and more interested in natural and organic beauty products and wanted to have a healthy lifestyle thanks to Julie who has been my friend for 10 years now. She is a true green beauty lover.
Maxime (my boyfriend for 10 years now) is the one who passed on the passion of entrepreneurship to me. After many discussions, we found out that there was no organic beauty box on the market which seemed very surprising to us. And we decided to go for it. We wanted NUOO to be a chance to share our values with other people.
Julie: I have been addicted to organic beauty products since always. These past years, I did my best to buy organic and natural things but it wasn’t that simple. I have been decoding labels, running many studies, working on the different ingredients and their properties for 10 years. It’s not easy to find a product that is natural, pleasant and effective all at once and that we can eventually try before buying it. Then, Gwen came up with the great idea of a beauty box with natural and organic products.
Who is behind the NUOO team?
A huge team! We were 3 at first but we got bigger. Camille is the customer service manager, Solene is the sales manager, Margaux is in charge of marketing projects and Tiphaine takes good care of our store in Orleans (our first store but not the last!). We are a passionate and lively team. Our main goal is to spread our passion for organic and natural products. In short, we are just a human team in a human adventure.
How do you pick the brands you collaborate with?
At NUOO, we make sure to pick healthy products, with an irreproachable and effective cosmetic formulation. At the beginning, we drew up a charter that we make sure to respect every day. The products have to be made of natural ingredients or from organic production. Products containing raw materials, chemical components that are toxic or a thread to the environment or to the sanitary safety such as parabens, phthalates, PEGs, silicones or mineral oils are prohibited. Plus, we pride ourselves on providing cruelty free products that have been made in good working conditions. Let’s not forget that each product has got to be pleasant and effective.
Julie and Gwen, how did you came up with this idea?
Gwen: I launched NUOO with the others during my studies in political science. I wanted to become a judge or an auctioneer but once I had started my studies, I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. Then I decided to take a year off and I went to Portugal. I developed many projets in tourism and in horse trading. I love horses. At that point of time I realized that I got to build up my life as I wanted it to be and stay committed to my projects. Plus, Maxime couldn’t stop talking about starting a business. Today, I can say that NUOO is a life-long project with ups and downs but very enriching.
Julie: 9 years ago I studied agronomy engineering and during those years I got the opportunity to go to New-Zealand to do training on whales. It was incredible. When I got back home, I worked in Marseille on the couscous grain production and then I decided to turn towards the agri-food sector (not that bad since I love food!). So I spent three years and a half working in product development which was mainly about tasting my own recipes. However, entrepreneurship was something that I always kept in a corner of my mind. The world of business was not that new to me. I set up a pallet furniture company together with my brother during my second year of university. I think the human side is often left behind in business. In many cases, trust and transparency are missing. At Nuoo, we want to bring out the best in others.
What are your favorite beauty products?
Gwen: There are so many! If I really had to pick 3 out of my favorites, I would say Inika for the make up, Make it beauty for their rare vegetable oils and Belesa for their body oil with an incredible smell.
Julie: Like Gwen, there are so many that I can’t name them all. I have my favorite ones though. I love Les huilettes, Oolution, PAI, Karethic and Absolution. Those organic and responsible brands gather effective products and their textures and smells are just perfect.
What are your favorite clothes in your wardrobe?
Gwen: I love dresses. It’s one of the key pieces in my wardrobe with a lace top and sneakers. I prefer simple and casual outfits. A white shirt, a pair of jeans with sneakers and a camel purse is my go to outfit.
Julie: I like simple things. I always go for basic and comfortable clothes. My essentials are a pair of dark jeans, a linen shirt and leather boots.
