Our 2023 highlights
2023 has been an year of highs and lows for PERL. In February Isobel found herself at a crossroads, orders were dwindling, our social media engagement was declining and the business was failing to turn a profit. It got so bad Isobel had to let her only full time employee go in a final bid to downscale the business.
In a final attempt to revive the business, Isobel posted a TikTok which opened with "my business is failing". She was blown away by the support she found flooding in from this single video, prompting so many sales giving the business a much needed boost and the ability to survive!
Now as we come to the beginning of 2024 and we consider the past year, PERL has truly gone from strength to strength. Here's some of our highlights from 2023:
Launching, and selling out our new Lash Oil 💧
Earlier this year Isobel set about creating a product which would help her lashes and brows to grow longer and healthier. As a trichotillomania sufferer, she compulsively pulls out her lashes and previously used lash serums to help her lashes grow back after an anxiety fuelled plucking session.
She found that there are a lot of dangerous side effects associated with lash serums and the prostaglandins they contain, including fat loss around the eye and permanent darkening of the skin and iris. Read more about the ugly truth behind lash serums here.
Isobel knew she could create a better alternative, and our best selling Nourishing Lash Oil was born! We brought our community along for the journey and sought their opinions throughout the process of finalising our packaging and product name.
Finally we launched our newest product in August to a waiting list of over 4,000 people. We sold out in under 9 hours and the team were absolutely overjoyed to see how much people were loving our new Lash Oil!
Since our first launch we've struggled to keep our Nourishing Lash Oils in stock as they've proven to be our most popular product. Following another two sell-out drops we were finally able to invest in a huge volume of product, and have been able to keep them in stock for you ever since!
Have you tried our Nourishing Lash Oil yet? If not, what are you waiting for?!
Grace Beverley loves using our products! 💖
As one of Isobel's greatest idols, she was so excited to have the opportunity to send out a package of PERL products to Grace in hopes that she would try and love the products.
Flash forward to Grace's video talking about her engagement, and what do we spy? Only our Radiance Oil and Gua Sha tool being used by Grace
We are so happy to see that Grace loves our products, why not try them out for yourself?
Isobel hosted her first ever in person event ✨
And it was such a success!
The event sold out in under a week, and brought together 30 people to learn about the practice of facial massage and self care.
By Glaze hosted the event in their Covent Garden pop-up shop, and our practitioner Hafsa guided the group in a self-massage session focusing on lymphatic drainage and Gua Sha routines. Our attendees all went away with a lovely bag of goodies, which included our Radiance Oil & Gua Sha set.
We'll soon be hosting our second in person event in January, tickets are available here.
Isobel spoke on the Truly Twenties event panel 🎤
Elle from Truly Twenties put on a wonderful event to bring women together, and Isobel was asked to take part in the event panel to speak to the group. She spoke alongside the inspiring Millie Gooch and Montelle Bee, and loved meeting some our PERL community members at the event.
Isobel was also invited to speak at an event panel for Klaviyo (our email marketing platform).
I am grateful for the opportunities they have presented me despite only being a tiny client of theirs.
Our products were sold on Oxford Street 🛒
PERL won the Adobe 'Small Businesses Go Big' competition and our products were stocked in their Oxford Street pop-up store! This was such an incredible opportunity for Isobel and team to meet people from the PERL community.
And as if this wasn't enough, PERL was also featured in the Batch LDN pop-up shop in Shoreditch, various pop-ups in KPMG offices and another at the VISA office in London too!
And a record breaking Black Friday weekend 🖤
In a year of true highs and lows, PERL saw our best ever Black Friday weekend, which was an incredible way to round off the year.
None of this would have been possible without your support, I am eternally grateful for everything you do for me 💖
What's coming up in 2024?
We're hosting another in person event! It's on Friday 19th January at 7pm, and includes a restorative yoga session, a guided facial massage workshop, chai lattes, tea and brownies PLUS a goodie bag packed with small business gifts!
Formulating has begun on our next new product. Following feedback on the Lash Oil, and hearing how much the product has helped a customer who used it on her hairline, Isobel has been working on a new hair oil! We are looking for product testers, and you can sign up here if you're interested.
Thank you to everyone who has supported my small business in 2023, I have a feeling 2024 is going to be a great year for you 😘
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