Mumbai: Born during the pandemic, Boddess Beauty has emerged as a dynamic force in the beauty and wellness industry. Founded by entrepreneurs Mansi and Ritika Sharma, this beauty and wellness platform boasts a diverse portfolio of 100 plus renowned brands. Committed to empowering every woman, they recently introduced their own label ‘The Honest Tree,’ a clean and vegan bath & body brand.
With a blend of curated products, offline & online platforms, and strategic collaborations, Boddess emerges as a beacon of resilience, with Mansi Sharma leading creative endeavors, setting new benchmarks in the ever-evolving beauty landscape.
Indian Television caught up Boddess Beauty co-founder and creative director Mansi Sharma to gain insights into her entrepreneurial journey, on the launch of ‘The Honest Tree’, AR/VR playing a role in enhancing the beauty shopping experience, and much more…
Edited Excerpts:
On the inspiration behind embarking on the entrepreneurial journey of creating Boddess Beauty
Boddess was the product of a deep love for beauty technology and a passion for making beauty brands available to a pan-India audience; not just in major tier one cities. Back when we started we realised that the Indian consumer has both the appetite and the curiosity for experiencing world-class beauty products and brands, but insufficient access. Through our years of experience in the industry, we curated a collection of top skincare, makeup, body care, fragrance & accessories brands to bring to the Indian consumer.
On the key challenges Boddess faced during its launch in the pandemic, especially in the beauty and wellness industry, and how did the brand successfully overcome them
As an omnichannel platform we were lucky to be able to tap into our online community when malls and public spaces were shut down. We also noticed a shift from makeup to a deeper penetration in skincare, hair care and eye makeup as growing categories as they catered to demands of the time. Every crisis brings with it an opportunity; these were just a few of the many opportunities we were presented with during the pandemic.
On the creation of your private label, ‘The Honest Tree,’ and its differentiating aspect in the market
With a deeply entrenched philosophy of growing premiumisation and more importantly personalisation, we wanted to create a brand for Indian body skin concerns, based on the reality of India’s extreme climates, pollution levels and harsh sun exposure. After studying the market, we realised a lot of local Indian brands focused solely on face care, and most highly efficacious body care products came from abroad and at a high price. After almost a year of experimentation, studies, and trials we came out with a line that provides a luxurious body care experience, catering to Indian/South Asian skin concerns at an attractive price point. Our first-of-its-kind back-acne lotion targets a niche but widely experienced concern of body/back acne that prevents consumers from exposing their body skin confidently. The response we’ve gotten is extremely gratifying for it, and this is just one of twenty-one state-of-the-art SKUs in our collection.
On the collaboration with Netflix’s “Kho Gaye Hum Kahan” and partnerships with entertainment industry projects aligning with Boddess’ brand strategy
The collaboration has a very interesting story – I had a brief stint working with Tiger Baby Films during which I came across the script of KGHK and heard that the film was looking for a beauty brand partner. I felt that the film’s characters were a perfect match to our target consumer and introductions were made. The rest as they say is history.
On seeing technology, such as augmented reality or virtual try-ons, playing a role in enhancing the beauty shopping experience
It has gone from a ‘good to have’ to a ‘must have’ status among retailers at this point. With the advent of e-commerce and online shopping having means of experiencing products and brands without having to physically be present is becoming increasingly important whether that is in fashion or beauty. However, one must note that by no means do these technological advances replace the in-person shopping experience completely. Our loyal e-commerce customers still love swatching, trying and playing with our products before they purchase. Virtual try-ons and augmented reality exist to complement the overall 360-degree retail experience instead of replacing any format.
On Boddess Beauty maintaining a balance between offering a diverse range of beauty products from renowned brands while ensuring affordability for a wider consumer base
Our selection of brands and products extend themselves right from premium to masstige and mass, but we are very selective based on product efficacy, brand ethos and consumer demand. We understand that India, being an extremely price-sensitive market is also an extremely aspirational market, with every consumer having the desire for premiumisation as well as personalisation. Therefore, it’s essential to provide a brand curation that leaves the customer inspired.
On your role as creative director at Boddess Beauty, shaped by international experience, contributing to reshaping beauty standards, combating ageism and colorism, and promoting inclusivity in the Indian beauty industry
I don’t think a world of beauty exists for us in which we are not redefining what it means to be beautiful, feel beautiful and look beautiful. From a very young age beauty has meant happiness for me. I want women and men alike to feel happy in their own skin, with makeup and skincare available as tools for them to enhance that happiness. Our campaigns with female doctors, technicians and several other inspiring figures have shed light on the beauty that comes with empathy, service and empowerment.
On Boddess Beauty’s future expansion plans, both in terms of product offerings and market reach
We have just launched two exciting new brands – Max Factor and The Honest Tree (our own body care label) with a few other major international brand launches in the pipeline. Stay tuned for brand announcements in the near future. In terms of our physical expansion, given the roaring response to our Itanagar store, we endeavour to be present in tier 2 and 3 cities wherein a large beauty footprint is still missing.
