Thirteen Lune’s Co-Founder Shares Her Must Haves, From a Luxe Candle to Her Go-To SPF
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In the midst of a global pandemic and the height of the BLM movement, Nyakio Grieco and her former beauty brand, Nyakio, were featured in several shopping articles highlighting Black-owned beauty brands. While she appreciated the support and was glad to see retailers commit to initiatives like the 15% Pledge and Pull Up for Change, Grieco had an epiphany: why not more?
“I’m on a list with hundreds of other Black-owned brands, how is there only room for 15% of them on any store shelf? If I started a store tomorrow, I’d make my shelves 90%,” she says. “Black and Brown women specifically spend an enormous amount of money on beauty and really contribute to making the beauty industry the multi-billion dollar industry that it is, and so we deserve to take up more space,” she explains.
Grieco did just that by co-creating Thirteen Lune, the retailer she wished she always had as a Black female beauty founder.
Thirteen Lune’s name has a spiritual meaning behind it. Grieco explains that the year the beauty retailer was founded, there were 13 full moons, signifying a big shift and change, and Lune means moon in French. Grieco pioneered that big shift by creating more shelf space and insisting there is room for all, especially for Black and Brown founders and their brands. “It’s the beauty of inclusion, that’s what I tell people all the time. It’s like, you’re going to be shopping for beauty. Why not make your beauty shopping matter?” she says.
After co-creating the e-retailer, Grieco realized how much she missed product development and went to work to launch Relevant: Your Skin Seen. She saw the disconnect between consumers’ wants and what was lacking in the skin-care space. The beauty industry may seem overly saturated, but she points out, “people buy into people before they buy into product.” The way Grieco sees it, there’s plenty of room for products and brands that deliver on their promises, invite people into a bigger story, and help them see themselves better reflected. She encourages fellow entrepreneurs to just start, ask a lot of questions, and don’t be afraid to fall down.
Beyond sharing her entrepreneurial journey, Grieco gave us the inside scoop on her current go-to’s and product obsessions. From sunscreen with no white cast to a luxurious candle that doubles as home decor, these are Grieco’s must-have items.
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