Founders’ Spotlight
Nov 14,2023
by Ash K
Nov 14,2023
by Ash K
Founders’ Spotlight
A little bit about the men behind the brandWe launched Meloway Makeup launched in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. In just three years our blended skills and perspectives allowed us to create a brand that we are passionate about, and that people have embraced. As brothers, we share a close bond, and we’re both about taking the innovative and revolutionary to new levels. Here’s a deep dive into our individual stories.Born and raised in Korea, Aiden and I had early exposure to the beauty industry through our parents’ ongoing involvement, which included daily family brainstorming sessions. After earning a BA at Wesleyan College, I took a different path to Harvard Law School and practiced law as an assistant district attorney for several years. Though I enjoyed my work in the legal arena, my interest in beauty never waned, and I continued to putter around with beauty products in my free time.Aiden and I came up with a unique design idea for mascara and agreed we would start a brand if we could make a viable prototype. We successfully completed the prototype, but both of us felt we needed to take some time to carefully consider what our brand would represent, how we would launch it, and if I was ready to jump from the legal circuit to being an entrepreneur. After much contemplation, we decided to take the plunge.Ash and I have been dreaming up ideas for trendy and unique products most of our lives, thanks to our exposure to the beauty industry through our parents’ participation. I think we’re both inventors by nature since we’re constantly coming up with new ideas.The concept for Meloway crystallized while Ash and I were having lattes in our local coffee shop. By the time we finished our drinks, we had a clear vision for a ”clean” brand of makeup that would disrupt the status quo by making makeup acceptable and available for everyone, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.Growing up in Korea, where there is a natural approach to beauty, we were inspired to follow that paradigm and build on it to be inclusive of all beauty enthusiasts. Easy and accessible beauty is what drives our product development. We strive to create products that are unique and genuinely serve a useful purpose, not just for the mainstream consumer but for consumers with disabilities, different ethnicities, and lifestyles.We share the continuing vision for their company, which includes creating products that have longevity and contribute to our mission of ‘breaking rules and convention” to ensure all-encompassing inclusivity and accessibility, allowing all consumers to use makeup as an outlet to freely express their individuality.“First, surround yourself with people who see beauty in you. I don’t mean this in an “only talk to your mom” kind of way. I think we all have this godforsaken ability to be in our heads and be self-critical about the most random and trivial things. And we forget there are people who find what we perceive to be “flaws” beautiful. It’s important to get some perspective! And make time to indulge in activities that make you feel happy. Whether it’s as simple as a workout session or a skincare routine, feeling happy and feeling beautiful go hand in hand.”“Anything that will bring more kindness on social media. We have all been made aware of the dangerous impact of social media. We can blame algorithms for promoting certain content, but it should also be noted that something about social media invites so much meanness and unnecessary vitriol. In a way, modern society is still struggling to figure out how to behave on social media because there is no digital equivalent of social contract. Facebook terms of service hardly qualify. But whether we like it or not, social media has become a part of “real” life and is here to stay. And it needs a good dose of humanity and decency.”Stay tuned to accompany us as we continue to grow our brand and expand our horizons, and in the meantime, take a few minutes to explore all our fantastic products just a click away from this article!
Ash
Aiden
Some sound bites from Ash:
But wait there’s more. When asked in that same interview if it were possible for me to inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
A little bit about the men behind the brandWe launched Meloway Makeup launched in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. In just three years our blended skills and perspectives allowed us to create a brand that we are passionate about, and that people have embraced. As brothers, we share a close bond, and we’re both about taking the innovative and revolutionary to new levels. Here’s a deep dive into our individual stories.Born and raised in Korea, Aiden and I had early exposure to the beauty industry through our parents’ ongoing involvement, which included daily family brainstorming sessions. After earning a BA at Wesleyan College, I took a different path to Harvard Law School and practiced law as an assistant district attorney for several years. Though I enjoyed my work in the legal arena, my interest in beauty never waned, and I continued to putter around with beauty products in my free time.Aiden and I came up with a unique design idea for mascara and agreed we would start a brand if we could make a viable prototype. We successfully completed the prototype, but both of us felt we needed to take some time to carefully consider what our brand would represent, how we would launch it, and if I was ready to jump from the legal circuit to being an entrepreneur. After much contemplation, we decided to take the plunge.Ash and I have been dreaming up ideas for trendy and unique products most of our lives, thanks to our exposure to the beauty industry through our parents’ participation. I think we’re both inventors by nature since we’re constantly coming up with new ideas.The concept for Meloway crystallized while Ash and I were having lattes in our local coffee shop. By the time we finished our drinks, we had a clear vision for a ”clean” brand of makeup that would disrupt the status quo by making makeup acceptable and available for everyone, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.Growing up in Korea, where there is a natural approach to beauty, we were inspired to follow that paradigm and build on it to be inclusive of all beauty enthusiasts. Easy and accessible beauty is what drives our product development. We strive to create products that are unique and genuinely serve a useful purpose, not just for the mainstream consumer but for consumers with disabilities, different ethnicities, and lifestyles.We share the continuing vision for their company, which includes creating products that have longevity and contribute to our mission of ‘breaking rules and convention” to ensure all-encompassing inclusivity and accessibility, allowing all consumers to use makeup as an outlet to freely express their individuality.“First, surround yourself with people who see beauty in you. I don’t mean this in an “only talk to your mom” kind of way. I think we all have this godforsaken ability to be in our heads and be self-critical about the most random and trivial things. And we forget there are people who find what we perceive to be “flaws” beautiful. It’s important to get some perspective! And make time to indulge in activities that make you feel happy. Whether it’s as simple as a workout session or a skincare routine, feeling happy and feeling beautiful go hand in hand.”“Anything that will bring more kindness on social media. We have all been made aware of the dangerous impact of social media. We can blame algorithms for promoting certain content, but it should also be noted that something about social media invites so much meanness and unnecessary vitriol. In a way, modern society is still struggling to figure out how to behave on social media because there is no digital equivalent of social contract. Facebook terms of service hardly qualify. But whether we like it or not, social media has become a part of “real” life and is here to stay. And it needs a good dose of humanity and decency.”Stay tuned to accompany us as we continue to grow our brand and expand our horizons, and in the meantime, take a few minutes to explore all our fantastic products just a click away from this article!