'DARING' WOMEN: A CHAT WITH RACHAEL WILSON

I'm delighted to kick off a special series on the blog today - 'Daring Women'. Bringing this series to the blog is something I've been thinking about for a while as I really want to use this space to showcase the immense courage and daring of women.

To amplify women's voices and their success stories. I really hope you'll find the series both inspiring and uplifting. My first guest to kick us off is the talented Rachael Wilson, founder and CEO of Doll Smash Cosmetics.

Rachael, who has a background in semi-permanent make up and marketing, is a successful entrepreneur in the beauty industry. She created Doll Smash Cosmetics back in lockdown in 2020 with the view of creating a luxury cosmetics brand that is dedicated to diversity and self-expression.

Here's what she had to say about building her brand. (Thank you Rachael!)

Hi Rachael, let’s begin with an introduction to you and your company. Who are you, what’s your background and how did it all begin for your brand?

I spent a large proportion of my career within the marketing industry, travelling nationwide supporting successful businesses to grow their client base. Following this, I explored the semi-permanent make-up industry which gave me the freedom and flexibility to raise my two girls while they were young.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship I built with my clients and after a time I still wanted the same perks of working for myself, but I had bigger dreams. My goal was to create a luxury cosmetic brand that promotes diversity and inclusivity.

Doll Smash was conceived during lockdown and is the union of passions and personal strengths as I really wanted a project to get stuck in to and to create a cosmetic brand I fell in love with. 

 Your branding / packaging is really lovely - chic and modern. How did you decide on that? 

Thanks so much, I love our packaging! No expense is spared when it comes to presentation as it’s our first chance to capture our audience and hopefully our customers can feel the love and care that goes into packaging our products. We get a lot of compliments on the branding and it’s heartwarming to get this feedback.

 I designed the branding myself and after weeks of deciding on a name ‘Doll Smash’ was brought to life. One of the main reasons for this was the simplicity of the name, it’s easy to read and is bold and clean. I felt the name would fit well into the market along with the clean look of the packaging. I love the colour black and its minimal yet chic aesthetic look.

Creating a successful cosmetics brand cannot be easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve experienced to date and how did you navigate it?

Youre not wrong, creating a successful cosmetics brand was always going to be challenging.

Starting off, I struggled with finding a good manufacturer and I didn’t commit to one until I was confident that I had sourced the best company for Doll Smash, with a team of people who could work to specific deadlines while keeping standards high at the same time. I wanted to find a company who understood Doll Smash inside out.

What’s been your proudest moment?

My proudest achievement has to be the strength and determination I've found while building this business and creating the brand from scratch. Ive  juggled my roles as a mother, sister, and friend while creating Doll Smash and I take immense pride in the outcome.

I hope that my dedication to developing a brand that reflects me inspires my daughters and others to follow their dreams.  I am also proud to have personally funded this venture and to be actively involved in every aspect of the brand.

Besides your gorgeous products, I really love your brand values and ethos, particularly when it comes to your desire to promote diversity and inclusivity within the cosmetics industry. Can you tell us why this is important to you?

Promoting diversity and inclusivity is very important for us.

In the early stages of Doll Smash, through market research, we identified that while most brands offer some versatility, shade ranges remain limited, and branding can be specific to a target market. At Doll Smash we wanted to achieve timeless branding that was attractive and appealing to all ages, genders, and races.

I have worked with a lot of people along the Doll Smash journey, MUA’s, influencers and  models, all with different skin types, tones, and expectations. We prioritised inclusivity from day one. We are confident that we are not just a ‘one size fits all’ brand, a lot of love and thought has gone into each product to ensure we can cater for a diverse audience. We hope that all our customers, current and potential, will feel welcome at Doll Smash.

I also loved hearing that your company is not only female owned but female operated too! Why do you think this is important and what are the benefits of this?

Yes, right now we are all women! We would never limit ourselves or the progression of the brand by excluding anyone but currently we are proud to say Doll Smash is female owned and operated yes.

Doll Smash was born from a love of cosmetics and quality products and the desire to create a brand that offers a complete range of essentials. I grew up with two sisters, an independent mum and I have two daughters of my own so with all our individual requirements and preferences in mind as a starting point, it was my goal to create a brand that would suit everyone. Feedback, input and collaboration from all genders is extremely valuable, but we started being a predominately female network.

Let’s chat about make up now! What’s the best make up tip you can give readers?

OK, my best make up tip – that I personally live by- is ‘less is more’! Gone are the days of full face glam for a workday so finding the right products is absolutely key for this.

As a busy mum and business owner, convenience and looking presentable ‘on the go’ is definitely important to me. I recommend a dab of our Ultimate Coverage Concealer blended out with our Transcend Loose Face Powder, applied with our Kabuki brush. For a little extra glam add a subtle brush of Ethereal Powder Illuminator in Elixir or the Divine Finishing Bronzer for a chic, polished look. All our products blend beautifully with each other and build up subtly if needed. 

And if you were stuck on a desert island and could only have three of your make up products with you, which ones would they be and why?

So tough! But if I were stuck on a desert island and could only choose three Doll Smash makeup products, I would choose:

1. Doll Smash Face Base: To provide lightweight coverage while also offering hydration. It’s perfect for a tropical environment, helping to even out skin tone while keeping it breathable and natural-looking.

2. Doll Smash Waterproof Mascara: Essential for enhancing my eyes, giving them definition with its Waterproof formula it would ensure that it holds up against humidity and swimming around the island!

3. Doll Smash Lip Oil: its just launched and its a tinted lip product would not only add a splash of colour to my lips but also provide hydration and protection from the sun. Its also versatile enough to use as a blush.

These choices would help me maintain a fresh and natural look!

What kind of woman wears your make up? And why should my readers try your lovely products?

Doll Smash is for everyone who loves a quality product with ethical and hypoallergenic ingredients and who loves to find everything they need for day-to-evening cosmetic wear. Not only do our products last a long time for maximum value for money but our ranges cater to all ages, genders and races whether their preference is full face glam or day to day coverage.   

If you could give just one piece of advice to women about life or business, what would it be? 

Embrace your authenticity. In both life and business, staying true to who you are and what you believe in will empower you to make decisions that align with your values. It fosters genuine connections, builds trust, and allows you to lead with confidence. Remember that your unique perspective is a strength—leverage it to create opportunities and inspire others.

When have you been courageous and how can we cultivate more courage?

I feel starting a small business is a courageous move for anyone.

It takes time and dedication to make anything a success and when Doll Smash began during the midst of Covid, it took a lot of courage to see it through. Launching into Dubai was completely unknown territory for me but in order to raise brand awareness and push forward, we had to take some risks and face some challenges along the way.

If you desire change or are committed to a goal, anyone can be courageous, your support network makes all the difference no matter how big or small the task. I think a lot of people are afraid to make mistakes and this holds us back from reaching our potential.

Mistakes are how we learn and improve, embrace it! 

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