An anti-waste cap
Tired of seeing her mother transfer the remains of her nail polishes from one bottle to the other to avoid wastage, Maëva Bentitallah, a young committed entrepreneur and founder of Clever Beauty, wanted to bring a concrete solution to a waste problem related to the length of the brush in the bottle.
"According to the tests carried out, between 15 and 48% of the product can be lost, depending on the brand. I pushed the doors of a Fablab, which proposed 3D software, to create an anti-waste cap system that would allow recovering the remaining 20% that can be lost on average in nail polish bottles. We had to find a configuration where the brush becomes longer when the bottle is opened, hence this push-button system. When you open the bottle, you press the button and the brush goes down. Once closed, the system is locked," she explains.
A clean formula
In collaboration with the specialised French supplier Fiabila, Clever Beauty nail polishes also offer a cleaner alternative formula, free of 10 controversial ingredients and made from bio-sourced solvents derived from cotton, corn and cassava. The formula is considered safe for little girls from 3 years old, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
"We also sell to beauty salons, which use a lot of polish daily, and can experience tolerance problems. Professionals breathe in more than 3,000 molecules every day, so there’s a real issue here," emphasises the founder.
These green nail polishes claim to be equivalent to their conventional counterparts in terms of staying power (4 to 6 days with a good application), shine and coverage. The range of 14 references is available in 11 colours, deemed essential and chosen by the brand’s community to advocate responsible consumption, and three care, base and fruit vitamin-enriched polishes. The bottles are recyclable after use.
"At the request of our customers, we have also launched a natural nail polish remover, the first returnable nail polish remover with a pump to apply the right amount of product," adds Maëva Bentitallah.
The products are made in France by promoting short circuits and are filled and assembled by workers with disabilities in Marseille.
Soon a refillable mascara
The founder’s idea is to develop a complete and consistent make-up range, based on the brand’s DNA, which seeks to combine natural formulas without compromising on quality, and clever packaging. She recently finalised a crowdfunding campaign for her new #Invincible Mascara and launched pre-orders on her website.
"This will be the first mascara in a refillable glass bottle with organic actives and made in France. The user keeps the brush and only buys the glass mascara refill. We worked 8 months on the formula to propose French sourced actives and to remain intransigent in terms of quality and wear," she specifies.
Clever Beautyproducts are sold online as well as on Nocibé.fr and through 200 partners in France and 9 countries, including Switzerland, Luxembourg, the United States, Iceland, and in Douglas perfumeries in Italy.
