Behind The Brand - MYNX London

Haydawn Wilson’s obsession with nail polish and the knowledge that a lot of women wanted luxury beauty products without the huge price tag lead her to starting her own Nail Polish Business. She has figured out how to take her love for polish and turn it into a luxury couture brand. We sat down with her to find out more.

What inspired you to start your own business?

My obsession with nail polish lead me to start my own Nail Polish business. I would constantly visit the shops looking for new shades until one day I realised I had numerous bottles of the same Polish. I decided at that point to make my own. So KandyColors was born. I created custom hand mixed polishes and sold to friend’s family and my social media community. M.Y.N.X LONDON was born from KandyColors when I found that a lot of women wanted luxury beauty products without the huge price tag. The big names in fashion were starting to create beauty products but they just weren't affordable. I figured "why should we compromise, we should have what we want right ;)

How did you come up with the name M.Y.N.X London?

I wanted a name that reflected the brand and my story behind it. So MYNX (My Next eXtreme) was a perfect fit. I felt like this was the next level for me in Business. I started with a small artisan brand and this new venture was going to be big and totally extreme.

Why vegan friendly nail polishes?

I believe that the beauty industry needs to take Health into consideration when creating their products. It's appalling that some mainstream brands care more about pocketing than their customers health. I believe that we should be able to enjoy beauty products without worrying about its effects on our health. These products are mainly used to enhance your natural beauty and help with confidence building that's why M.Y.N.X LONDON is proudly 5 Free and Vegan friendly.

Where is your business based?

M.Y.N.X LONDON is an online Business. Our polishes can also be bought via Stockists websites. I originally wanted to have the brand stocked in the big beauty stores such as Boots and Superdrug but later decided that as nice as it may be I actually prefer the exclusivity of having the brand stocked online and in a few selected smaller stores for now

Describe/outline your typical day?

There are no typical days at M.Y.N.X LONDON headquarters, each day brings something new. I enjoy this because it's keeps things fresh and exciting. We are currently working on our official launch in September 2017 so recently my assistant Emily and I have been working around the clock in order to make this launch a success.

What motivates you?

I am motivated by my need to Inspire and change lives, my need to have full control over my own life and happiness, my need to be successful and my need to break the mould society created for women by telling us their expectations of how our lives should be lived and what part they believe a woman should play in society. With that said, my 8yr old daughter also plays a major role in motivating me as I want to teach her to break all barriers put in front of her.

What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?

I set a few goals and targets for myself because I had a vision of what I wanted to achieve, then I started doing lots of research. This included looking at the work and methods of other successful entrepreneurs. I then contacted numerous manufacturers to see which ones understood the vision I had for the brand and who could help create it.

What was the first product you produced?

Our Collection started with 18 Glamorous shades from subtle nudes to vibrant reds and purple and a Glamorous glitzy holographic black number. All created to match every skin tone.

(Click on the Image above and watch the swatches by @elainesnails)

How/where did you make your first sale?

We contacted and sent out samples of the collection to bloggers and influencers for reviews. We then displayed and advertised these on our social media pages and made the first sale within the first two weeks of us marketing the brand.

How do you generate new ideas?

I naturally have a creative and curious mind and would constantly think of new shades to create for the brand or new ways for marketing. I also look at other successful entrepreneurs in my niche for inspiration.

How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?

I try not to look for or at competitors. M.Y.N.X LONDON is a unique brand and we work hard to keep our customers happy and stay focused on what we want to offer as a luxury brand. Competition creates crazes and you end up trying to outdo the other company and eventually lose sight of your original vision for your own brand. I only aim to outdo only myself.

How important it is for women of colour to be represented in beauty campaigns by the major beauty brands?

Very Important. As a woman of colour I want to see how some beauty products I may be interested in would actually look against my skin tone. It can become difficult and frustrating when you have to purchase a product and try it before you know if it suits your skin colour.

There's also the issue of little brown girls growing up thinking that their skin colour is not acceptable or beautiful according to society standards and with no/very few images of women of colour in beauty it can lead to self- hate.

What more do you think can be done to make women of colour feel included in the mainstream beauty world?

I think this change is already slowing starting to happen. It's about "all" women and even men speaking out, enough staying quiet. We all need to challenge brands to ensure they are more diverse in their thinking when it comes to manufacturing and marketing their products.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs starting up a luxury nail lacquer business?

Be patient, do your research, respect that it's a process and will take time, don't compare your progress with anyone else and enjoy your journey. This advice applies to any new business venture.

Would you do anything differently?

No. Mistakes make us stronger and they are the greatest teachers. My only regret is not starting sooner.

What are your goals for the next six months and how are you going about achieving them?

I have many goals for M.Y.N.X LONDON but currently we're working on collaborations with fashion designers, doing runways and also making the brand available internationally.

What is your favourite quote or an affirmation that inspires you?

Wow I have so many…I'm 100% a quotes kind of person

“Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you”

“Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up”

How can we connect with you? Can you tell us your social media platforms?

You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook - @MYNXLondon