With her striking hair and seriously bold eye make-up looks, it’s safe to say that founder of Lime Crime, Doe Deere, is no introvert - and the same goes for her brand. 

If, like us, your Instagram obsession knows no bounds, it’s more or less impossible that you would have missed Lime Crime on your feed. 

Whatever your opinion on the various highs, lows and hiccups they’ve encountered on the way to cult status, there’s no denying that the lashings of glitter and daring colour combinations, topped off with heaps of nostalgia (yes, that’s a Polly Pocket-inspired eyeshadow palette), are charming. 

Here’s what happened when Stylist caught up with Doe ahead of the launch of the Feelunique x Lime Crime Pop Up Shop in London on Friday 27th April.

What do you think makes a cult beauty brand or a cult product?

To me, the word ‘cult’ means being unique. It means providing something that no-one else can, which is what we have been doing since 2008. The market has changed quite a lot, so I think it’s a big deal to stand out and be individual in a really crowded place. Those are always our aims.

How important is it to you that Lime Crime is 100% vegan and cruelty free?

This reflects my personal attitude towards things like animal testing as well as the goals of the brand. We do a lot of animal related charity work, so it made sense for us to be completely vegan and cruelty free.

Have you ever made mistakes as an entrepreneur? How did you overcome them?

Everybody makes mistakes but that’s part of the entrepreneur-ship game. I think what is more important here is how we learn from them and how we grow. Lime Crime is a good example of a company that has encountered bumps along the way but we have overcome all the turbulence and we became a better company for it. For that, we’re grateful. 

What big beauty trends should we be looking out for this year and why?

Pantone’s colour of the year – ultraviolet – is so on point. For us, being a unicorn-inspired brand, this bright purple is the ultimate colour. In 2018, we’re looking to explore lavender, lilac and all different shades of purple staring with Venus III Eyeshadow Palette, £34, which launched just this week.

What advice would you give to young women looking to start their own beauty business?

Entrepreneurship is such a huge passion of mine. I would say look for gaps in the market and always think about the next innovation. Listen to your inner voice and pay close attention to what you like and what you want to exist. Then go out and make it happen! 

Everything in the Lime Crime collection is insanely budge proof - how much work goes into each product? What’s the process like? Are you involved in the formulation?

It started out with just me formulating all of the products but today we have a really fantastic team, which I am so proud of. Now, it’s a team effort to get the formulations perfect and the one rule that we have is that if we don’t believe in the product and don’t think it’ll work for us, we won’t make it at all. 

Why do you think we’re becoming increasingly obsessed with all things glitter, unicorns and the whimsical?

I honestly think it’s to do with this amazing age of self-expression. Social media is leading the trend and everyone now realises that we don’t have to conform. Being different is actually awesome. We focus a lot on unicorns because they are unique and the brand is all about owning your difference.

What do you think makes a good make-up palette and why do you think they’ve risen in popularity in the last few years?

First of all, there are so many different colours, which means you get to tell a story with one box and that’s inspiring. We look at our palettes in terms of stories. We don’t just give you a random smattering of colour. It’s usually focussed on a specific look. For example, the original Venus was all about grunge and the latest Venus is all about lavenders and purples, with a few neutrals so that you can wear the shades every day. A palette is a great way to communicate a specific story, all packaged conveniently in a box. 

What tips would you give to someone looking to incorporate more colour into their make-up routine?

If you’re not used to wearing colour, try wearing it at home first. If you want to try, say, bright lavender eyeshadow, or bright red lipstick, wear it at home where you feel safe and comfortable. As you get used to seeing it on you, learn to just get out there. It’s OK to feel and look bold! The thing with wearing colour is it sends out a message that you aren’t a wallflower. You project that confidence, and that’s a good thing!

The Pocket Candy Palette went crazy on Instagram. How important is packaging in making a brand and where do you get the inspiration from? 

For us, packaging is super-important. In fact, I’d say it’s just as important as the product inside. It allows you to communicate the quality and value of the product. What’s the point of housing a good product in crappy packaging? No-one will understand that. Packaging is key, and as far as inspiration goes, especially in terms of the Pocket Candy Palette, the inspiration came from toys. I was thinking glossy, polished, candy-like toys. Nostalgic.

In terms of names, it’s a team effort. We brainstorm together and come up with the most fun names that really capture the essence of the product – the colour, a shape or a palette. 

How much do you think about product reaction when you post something on Instagram?

We love social media and we love interacting with our customers. The feedback that we get from customers is brilliant because we always listen to what they are saying and we marry our ideas with theirs, and that’s what creates a successful product.

Does teasing them get a better/bigger reaction out of consumers, do you think?

I don’t think of it as teasing, but sharing our excitement. We start talking about products way before they launch, so the excitement has been bubbling for so long! I want to tell the world so bad, so we start previewing whatever parts we can at the time and that does really well because it gets people excited and on the same page, and that contributes to a super-successful launch.

Why did you decide to branch out into hair dye?

I’ve been dyeing my hair for about ten years now, so I feel like it’s really on brand and authentic to us. Some people might think it’s strange for a make-up brand to go into hair dye, but many girls now are colouring their hair and I think you have to shift around a lot and look at those trends to be really successful. Our brand is all about self-expression, whether that’s through make-up or hair and it really made sense.

What does individuality mean to you?

To me, personally. Individuality means being fearlessly and unapologetically yourself.

What beauty advice would you give your younger self and why?

If I could talk to my younger self I’d tell her not to be afraid of make-up and hair colour. It will set you free. 

Feelunique x Lime Crime Pop Up Shop takes place on Friday 27th April from 9am – 7pm at WAH Nails Soho, 4 Peter Street, W1F 0AD.

Images: Lime Crime