When Alex Fevola identified a gap in the market for highly effective, Australian made, affordable beauty products, the savvy makeup artist come businesswoman created her own. Today, the mother-of-four and wife of former professional Australian rules footballer Brendan is well on her way to creating a global beauty powerhouse with her Runway Room Cosmetics range. Retail Beauty finds out more about the best-selling author and burgeoning beauty entrepreneur.
The inception of Runway Room
Alex started Runway Room as a one-stop beauty shop that offered a glamorous, star-like experience for customers, helping them leave feeling transformed and confident. Her passion for beauty and creating a memorable experience for customers led to the success of her business and helped to spread the word about what Runway Room had to offer. As the business grew, Alex identified a gap in the market for Australian-made, affordable beauty products. She took the initiative to develop her own line of products, drawing inspiration from her favourite brands but with a focus on quality ingredients and sustainability. “The only brands available to stock in your salon were expensive, inflexible and made overseas,” she said. “I decided to develop my own. Inspired by all my favourite products from other brands but mine would be made in Australia. Made ethically with care and careful consideration.”
Authentically Australian
Runway Room is authentically Australian and Alex’s vision is to demystify beauty and provide uncomplicated beauty solutions for everyone, even those who are not makeup-savvy. The business continuously makes conscious choices to better the products, the planet, and customer satisfaction. Customers are increasingly looking for products that are not only effective but also eco-friendly and socially responsible. By prioritising these values, Runway Room appeals to a wide range of customers who care about the impact of their purchasing decisions. “We are all about effortless glam for everyone! We always make conscious choices to better our product, our planet and our customer satisfaction,” Alex said.
Service to retail
Runway Room started out offering a unique service in Australia, which was the ‘Luxe Makeover’ service. As demand for the service grew, Alex opened more stores to meet that demand, and her team expanded to more than 50 people. To complement Runway Room’s service offering, Alex established new arms of the business, including an Academy to train others in her techniques and a cosmetics line that started with lip products and lashes and eventually expanded to base products. “Now, our focus has shifted from service to product, and we have over 140 SKUs, with stockists across the country and plans to launch in the UK,” Alex said. “While we still offer the ‘Luxe Makeover’ service, our new flagship store will focus more heavily on retail and creating an innovative shopping experience for our customers.” “Our audience has always been anyone who wants to achieve glowy skin and effortless glam without all the fuss! Simple, uncomplicated beauty routines for EVERYONE!” Alex said. “We have had an overwhelming response to our numerous Pop-Up stores, with sessions booking out within 48 hours announcing them. It’s another guaranteed way of selling out of stock – we always have to replenish our shelves after the first three days – once people try the products for themselves, they are hooked!
Customer loyalty and satisfaction
Having an average rating of 4.5 to 5 stars is a great testament to the quality of the Runway Room products, and this has been generated organically through word of mouth and social media. It’s a great example of the power of building a strong relationship with customers and creating a positive brand experience that inspires loyalty and trust. “We have had very little marketing budget and have relied on our community to spread the word,” Alex said. “Our higher than average conversion rate and our super high customer retention rate speaks for itself – once a customer tries our products, it’s almost guaranteed they’ll return.”
The importance of brand values
Authenticity is key in the beauty industry, and Alex is committed to providing a genuine and transparent experience for all Runway Room customers. By offering ageless and uncomplicated beauty solutions, Alex shows that beauty can be accessible and inclusive for everyone, regardless of age or experience. Runway Room is also committed to being an ethical beauty brand. Alex prioritises sustainable and responsible practices throughout the product development and supply chain, striving for a positive impact on both people and the planet. “I am building a brand that is truly focused on providing a positive and meaningful experience for all Runway Room customers, while also promoting ethical and sustainable practices,” she said.
Social media savvy
Social media has been an effective marketing tool for Runway Room. Alex utilises Live tutorials, which are a fantastic way to engage with the audience and showcase the products in an authentic and interactive way. By providing unedited streams and encouraging followers to engage with her, Alex has created a genuine connection with her customers and built a sense of trust that is invaluable in the beauty industry. “Every time I host a session, which is a totally unedited stream for my followers to tune into and engage with, it has a huge impact on my sales,” she said. “Literally thousands of units are sold every time.” Sharing other makeup artists and content creators’ content on Runway Room’s social media platforms is also a smart strategy that has reaped dividends. By collaborating with others in the industry, Alex has been able to broaden her reach and tap into their existing audience, while also building relationships and potentially creating new partnerships. “For a new business, with little marketing budget, this is one of our greatest marketing tools and it has contributed largely to our 50 per cent year on year growth,” she said.
Uncomplicated beauty for ALL
Providing easy-to-use beauty kits and free tutorials has been a great way to make beauty accessible to everyone, regardless of their skill level or experience. “By offering DIY kits and tutorials, Runway Room Cosmetics empowers individuals to take control of their own beauty routines and explore new looks in a fun and low-pressure way,” she said. “We aim to make the process simple and approachable to help reduce the intimidation factor that often comes with trying new beauty products or techniques.”
ABOUT ALEX
Alex began modelling when she was 14 years old and then found a passion for makeup and photography. She started her own business in makeup and photography specialising in weddings and model portfolios. After building a solid reputation in the industry, she decided to expand. “I wanted to make that hair and makeup service that I had been offering brides and models available for everyone,” she said. “Instead of just booking a blow wave for a special event, why not have a blow wave and make-up? The idea was one location, one appointment and one affordable fee. We were disrupters in the industry, the first to offer all hair, beauty and make up services under one roof. Not just on weekends, but every day of the week. We were also consistent in our standards.” Alex is also a photographer and author. Her first book published was Snapshot: A Portrait of Success and it was a best seller. More recently, she wrote her autobiography, Silver Linings, which was also a best seller – it has sold out three print runs. “As much as I enjoy writing, my passion is make-up,” she said. “My dream is to see Runway become one of Australia’s biggest brands!”
- The Runway Room Cosmetics range has been carefully crafted with the finest ingredients and sophisticated formulas, made in Australia.
- Runway Room’s ethics are of the utmost importance, and the products are packed with naturally derived ingredients and provided in eco friendly packaging where possible.
- The brand uses compostable postage satchels, refillable products, recyclable packaging and Australian manufacturing to ensure quality and ethics.
- All of the products in the range are not tested on animals and mostly vegan-friendly.
- An extensive mineral range is available which is some of the cleanest formulas to be made in Australia.
- Runway Room offers suitable retailers the opportunity to partner with them and stock the Runway Room Cosmetic Line.
To find out more about Runway Room Cosmetics and view the full product range visit: www.runwayroom.com