Velia Longo
“Technology is revolutionising all aspects of our lives, and beauty is no exception. This is why I am on a mission to drive forward sustainable & innovative new solutions, that empower beauty enthusiasts via intelligent design.” – Velia Longo
Velia Longo has long been fascinated by innovative design & technology. Heavily influenced by the world of PR, Advertising, Beauty and Design for many years, Velia was the editor of the popular magazine for almost a decade. Having lived in Milan, Paris, Los Angeles and London, Velia has a deep understanding of the global beauty industry, particularly with regards to consumer buyer behaviour. Velia’s broad experiences led her to identify a significant gap in the beauty market, specifically in the makeup industry and the marriage between technology and innovation.
As the Founder of GLITZ TOY, Velia is combining her proven skills in creative thinking and strategy, marketing and business development. Having pioneered the creation of the GLITZ TOY range of tools from concept through to prototype, she has a detailed understanding of the latest beauty and technology trends and continues to have her finger on the pulse of all that is new and unique in the market.
Here, Velia speaks exclusively to Start Your Business about her exciting journey to date.
Velia, thanks for speaking with us today. Please tell us more about GLITZ TOY.
GLITZ TOY is a young and playful brand that specialises in developing reusable, electronic beauty devices at an affordable price for young generations. Designed to solve the challenges of busy, everyday life, GLITZ TOY allows beauty lovers to utilise technology to achieve results quickly and effectively, even on the move. Our collection of highly innovative and unique devices facilitate both the effective application and removal of makeup whilst also targeting key cosmetic areas of concern such as dark circles. As our products are reusable, they also help to tackle key sustainability issues which remain prevalent in the beauty sector.
Why did you create your brand?
GLITZ TOY was born out of my personal frustration with how quickly I consumed my own beauty/makeup products. I found myself buying essentials every month, and I felt like there must be a better way of using these products without all of the packaging wastage. This was when the idea for GLITZ TOY was born – a range of portable, reusable and affordable gadgets that meant beauty enthusiasts could consume all of their favourite products, achieve professional results and reduce unnecessary wastage.
Who is your ideal customer?
Our current target market is made up primarily of women aged 24-45 years old who are makeup and beauty enthusiasts with a keen interest in technology. They tend to be very experimental and are likely to already visit beauty salons for various services and treatments. They are very active on social media and like to learn new things, watching online tutorials and practicing the looks at home. They are not afraid to invest in a product if it delivers the results they are looking for and will actively champion top performing products to their social networks.
Why is GLITZ TOY so relevant?
Whilst makeup has certainly advanced in recent years particularly with regards to ingredients and pigments, the same cannot be said for beauty packaging. There has been little innovation in this area in terms of sustainable and refillable products and even less so with regards to the development of beauty goods that incorporate technology. GLITZ TOY was therefore perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between tech and beauty; helping people to gain fast and flawless results from their homes whilst also promoting a more sustainable and environmentally friendly mindset,
Additionally, the beauty industry is seeing a surge in HOME SPA, self-care and DIY driven in part by the restrictions brought about by COVID-19. Here at GLITZ TOY, we’ve been designing beauty and skincare tools for the ‘new normal’ consumer since our inception. We’re now focused on bringing our products to market so that we’ll be able to help millions of more people take control of their beauty routines from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
So sustainability is a key aspect of your brand offering?
Yes indeed, it’s at the heart of GLITZ TOY and we are committed to being a sustainable and eco-friendly beauty tech brand. In the beauty industry, the ingredients make up around 1% of the overall product, and so packaging waste continues to be a major area of concern. GLITZ TOY’s reusable beauty tools are robustly designed to last over time and will be complemented in the future by the GLITZ TOY Refillable Scheme and avoids unnecessary packaging waste.
What’s been your journey so far?
GLITZ TOY has so far been completely self-funded and this has been channelled into concept development, which includes branding, product and packaging design, prototyping and business strategy development. We have just launched with our ‘ready to ship’ Skincare Collection and in 2021 will begin to launch selected products in our Hero Makeup Collection.
What is GLITZ TOY’s USP?
Put simply, we are transforming the makeup industry by combining technology with beauty in a way that has never been done before. We are making single-use cosmetics a thing of the past. The design and aesthetics of the GLITZ TOY range is what makes our products really stand out in the marketplace. We have invested time and resources into getting the best possible designs for our products so that we can be sure they perform better than what is currently available.
Finally what is your vision for the brand?
My vision is for GLITZ TOY to become the leading brand in the field of Makeup Technology and to be known as the brand that first brought to market these kinds of products. We are already in talks with an American and Asian retail chains and major platforms and can see very real opportunities for the brand to gain prominence on a global scale.
You can find out more about GLITZ TOY at www.glitztoy.com
