A Passion for Beauty

BiaBelle Beauty was born out of the passion which sisters Aoibhinn and Bláthnaid Murphy shared for beauty and glamour. Bláthnaid had been a professional make-up artist since the age of 16, while Aoibhinn had amassed several years of business experience. Both professionally and through their own experience as consumers, the sisters had developed a really strong understanding of the market for beauty products in Ireland - what was good; and what was not so good. Encouraged by their mother Susan, who also had years of experience in the beauty industry, they set out to offer high quality, skin-loving self-tanning products to young women in the 16-35 age bracket at affordable and accessible prices.

Initially, the family team operated the business on a part-time basis. However, the girls’ impressive Instagram followings helped generate momentum rapidly and the business started to move at a pace which no one had expected. What started out as a part-time venture very quickly became a full-time job for the team of three.

Relentless Innovation

Having started with a handful of products, BiaBelle has already developed and launched no fewer than forty products across three main ranges: self-tanning products, make-up and lashes. Its tanning products have been devised to offer consumers tans that not only avoid the dangers of sun or sunbed exposure but also contain skin-nourishing ingredients like seaweed extracts, hyaluronic acid and the anti-ageing ingredient, Arganyl.  All BiaBelle’s packaging is visually strong and responsibly sourced.

Harnessing Social

Not surprisingly, with a target demographic of 16-35 year-olds, social channels are at the centre of BiaBelle’s marketing. The company has over 50,000 followers on Instagram, while Aoibhinn and Bláthnaid's profiles bring a further 175,000 followers – a tremendously powerful promotional channel for any early-stage venture. BiaBelle also works closely with a wide community of influencers like Maura Higgins and Lilia Weddell who actively promote the company’s products.

All of this drives online sales but also raises awareness of BiaBelle’s various retail channels, which include multiple pharmacy chains like Hickey’s and Allcare, and beauty salons like L’OmBré. The company has distribution agreements in place with major partners such as UniPhar, Chemist Warehouse and Lloyds. Pop-up shops in venues like Dundrum and Liffey Valley provide strong seasonal sales and excellent profile-building impacts.

A Partner in Growth

Meeting demand for BiaBelle’s products has meant expanding both the company’s team and premises. In 2019, the company secured Business Expansion funding from Local Enterprise South Dublin to co-fund the salaries of their first hires, while the Business Support Fund allowed the company to expand its premises in Greenhills in 2022. The Trading Online Voucher Scheme also contributed to the development the company’s e-commerce website.

‘Although the financial help received from LEO is extremely helpful, it is their professional and mentoring help that is so valuable. No matter what type of business you may be in, the LEO is an excellent source of information and guidance. Whether it has to do with finance, social media or presentation skills, they provide a whole range of training courses for new businesses setting up or within the scale-up stage. They also have numerous grants and I would suggest that it is really worthwhile contacting your local LEO to see if they can assist you.’

The BiaBelle team at the South Dublin Local Enterprise Awards in 2022.

We’re Not Stopping Here!

Having achieved a huge amount in a few short years and weathered the storm of Covid-19, the BiaBelle team’s passion for selling skin-loving products remains undiminished. In 2023-24, they intend to build their team to at least 10 employees and expand upon their exports into Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Australia.

Their advice to any budding entrepreneurs would be: ‘Believe in yourself and in your vision. Do not listen to negative comments. It is always better to try rather than be left saying “What if …?”’

View all the BiaBelle Beauty products HERE