Fleur Madden is the founder, CEO and Chief at Lulu and Lipstick. An award winning Australian business woman, Fleur started her love affair with beauty at the age of five when she would raid her mother’s makeup case to go on family outings – the perfect pink lipstick has always been her passion.
Fleur is also the CEO of leading consumer PR agency The Red Republic established in 2003 and graphic design studio Design by Republic. The Red Republic has offices in Sydney and Brisbane and specialises in communications for lifestyle national and international brands. Fleur has played an instrumental role in the success of hundreds of Australia’s leading brands. Fleur’s commitment to brand excellence, customer engagement, building brand communities, beautiful packaging and marketing materials and consistent touch points are what underpins all of her businesses.
In 2012 Fleur found herself living and working in New York City and upon her return to Australia was disappointed to find that some of her favourite brands were not available here, it was then that Lulu and Lipstick was born. Sourcing unique and hard to find brands from around the world is our mission, as well as being home to a host of a curated every day favourites, that we also couldn’t live without.
Fleur Madden CEO of Lulu and Lipstick. www.luluandlipstick.com and The Red Republic www.theredrepublic.com
Tell us about your online beauty store Lulu and Lipstick?
Lulu and Lipstick is an online beauty retailer with unique and cult brands from around the world. We launched 18 months ago and fabulous women globally have fallen in love with our hard to find brands, as well as our own range of makeup brushes and accessories that were just featured in the 2016 Oscar Nominee gift bags.
What wardrobe staples can you not live without?
A nude heel and a fabulous bag – I probably have about 50 pairs of different nude heels. I love classic accessories and I prefer to invest in one good, quality piece. My fave nude shoes are my Valentino Rock studs and my fave bag is a rose gold Fendi. My wardrobe is mostly filled with DVF and Scanlan and Theodore. When you know what works for your body, stick with it.
What are a few of your favourite beauty staples?
I love the whole beauty routine, people often comment that I have great skin, but I really invest in it and I don’t cut corners, I use serums, masks and eye creams every day not just on occasion. I am currently using Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser, Alpha H’s Liquid Gold Perfecting Day Wear serum, Ayurda’s Silk Moisturiser and Sparkle Eye Cream and I am currently enjoying the DollFace Refine Peel-Away Refining Mask. If you only buy one new beauty product this month, make it an eye cream!
What makes you truly happy?
Just spending time with my partner Jimmy and my two French Bulldogs Roy- Elvis and Frankie. Given my life is very hectic, it is the normal little stuff that makes me feel happy – Like taking my boys for a walk, coming home to my man after work, or Sunday afternoons at home with a cheese platter and a glass of wine. As I get older, enjoying the little moments has become more important.
Favourite food?
I love food, it is one of my greatest downfalls in life. Seafood, Italian, French, Japanese, a great cheese platter – love it all!
Favourite quote?
“No one ever drifted to the top of the mountain”
Favourite read?
I must admit I don’t have time for a huge amount of reading that isn’t associated with business or work. I do enjoy autobiographies when I am on holidays and the last one I read was Diane Von Furstenberg’s, The Woman I Wanted To Be. As a business woman and designer, I am a massive fan of the brand she has built and the success she has had over so many decades. She is the ultimate tale of reinvention time after time and when you are an entrepreneur this is an essential skill.
How do you keep your mind, body and soul inspired?
I am sensational at keeping my mind inspired, I am a huge believer in pushing yourself to the next level, you are the master of your own destiny. I attend conferences every year to further my own knowledge as I don’t have anyone to push me in the business per say each year to achieve more than I did the year before, that is up to me. I keep my soul inspired by ensuring I spend time with positive, good natured people that enrich my life and I enrich theirs – as I have gotten older, the importance of this has grown. My partner, my parents, my brother and his boys and my dogs bring me a lot of happiness and keep my soul happy. I wouldn’t say I am a master at keeping my body inspired. I run at 100 miles an hour every day between Lulu and Lipstick and The Red Republic, so the best thing I can do is ensure I have solid downtown on weekends, get outside to exercise and I have just started embracing yoga this year! I am not a master at balance, but I am dedicated to improving because I believe in its importance. Thanks for asking me this question, it was a good reminder to focus on this.
What is your favourite room in your house and why?
Well we are just about to move into our new home next week that Jimmy and I have built, so I am not 100% sure which room will be my favourite. At the moment it is our baby room, it has beautiful big windows looking out to some lovely trees and while there aren’t babies yet, there will be in the future. And my new dressing room that is absolutely divine and next level, it is the walk-in-robe I have been dreaming of my whole life! My brother, Nick Madden from Groove Properties has just built our home and we will be forever grateful for helping us bring our dream home to life.
Do you have a favourite travel destination/s and why?
NYC any time and every time. I lived there for a time and it is a place I feel inspired and energized. There is no doubt NYC has a vibe that I’ve never found anywhere else in the world. I love the hustle, the opportunity, the restaurants, the bars, the shops, the fashion – love it all! And even on my worst day in NYC when I was homesick there was still something magic happening somewhere there.
Do you have any advice for our readers who are seeking helpful tips on how they can live a colourful and happy life?
Be authentic to who you are, be true to your word and work towards being the best version of yourself at all times. Many years ago in a course I was in, I was asked if I went back to being my 5 year old self would I be happy with how my life had turned out. There were elements I would have been and elements I wouldn’t have been, so I made those changes over a few years and I am now again working on making more changes to ensure I am being true to who I am. Life goes by so quick sometimes you do need to take a moment to reflect if where you are is where you really need to be.
Lastly be bold, take the risk, you only live once if you don’t have a great go at it,you will always wonder what if!
