Two siblings are bringing a beauty first to Liverpool
Elly Gordon, 29, has made her dream come true(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool ECHO)
Starting an independent small business is no mean feat and is something, Elly Gordon, 29, has dreamt of ever since starting in the beauty industry nine years ago. After nearly a decade working in Liverpool salons, this May, the mum of three embarked on her first business venture, bringing an exciting first to the city too.
Elly believes her brand Liftee, which she co-owns with her brother Andrew Farish, 32, is not like anything else on offer in the city. She thinks it could be a game changer in the world of beauty and Liftee, is marketed as the first UK-based brand selling a cysteamine-free lash and brow lifting system.
This means it provides a far gentler approach compared to current lash lift methods which rely on harsh chemicals. Elly hopes her brand will be a life line for fellow lash techs.
She says: “So many beauty technicians hate doing lash lifts. They will have anxiety because of the chemicals in the solutions. You can’t leave them on as long and an extra thirty seconds too long and you can singe your eyelashes.”
Confusingly, cysteamine-free does not mean that the product is free of cysteamine. Rather it is the name of a chemical which is said to be far gentler on the lashes than traditional lifts.
The result is a lash lift kit which is said to provide a six to eight week curl without the damage or harsh chemicals typically associated with the procedure.
Inspired by Korean beauty trends and a move towards and more natural approach to cosmetics, Liftee is now evidently filling a gap in the UK market.
“The feedback has been amazing. In just three weeks we had 150 orders. The results do all the talking,” says Elly.
While the siblings from Kirkby have made their business launch look easy, starting up has required patience. Despite nearly 10 years in salons this will be the first time Elly has made beauty her full time job, previously juggling a 9-5 job at a solicitors practice on top of working freelance a beauty technician in the evenings and at weekends.
About that, she says: “It’s been harder than I thought but seeing the success, it’s been worth it. I’ve always wanted to leave my full time job but I never thought I could have my own brand. It feels shocking”.
Elly holding her product, Liftee(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool ECHO )
Now Elly’s experience is paying off, with the product sold as being “by professionals, for professionals”.
Putting their skill sets together, the sibling team sees IT engineer Andrew cover website design, admin and online ordering while Elly has poured her expertise into research and marketing Liftee.
With a strong customer base in Liverpool, Liftee orders have been seen across England, Scotland and Ireland. Speaking of her children aged 1, 5 and 7, Elly says: “They don’t really understand it yet but I say ‘mummy’s working to give you a better life’”.
Regarding the future of the business, Elly and Andrew say they hope to expand their online only brand into an in-person store, selling more units and introducing new products such after care oils and salon tools.
Liftee products can be bought at byelly.co.uk with a ten sets of the three step lifting solutions for £69.99 or one sample size pack for £10.