Name: Jenna Theofiledes
Major: Public Relations- Marketing Concentration
Graduation Year: 2019
Hometown: Melbourne Beach, FL
Social Media: IG: Theo_organics; Etsy: lashesbytheo
You’ve heard of Kylie Lip Kits and Jaclyn Hill. Now, get ready for a new name to come to mind when it comes to beauty: Theo. Jenna Theofiledes, a sophomore at the University of Florida, has created a new natural beauty brand to obsess over. Theo’s use of all natural and organic ingredients strives to enhance natural beauty. However, the brand focuses on more than just the products and is more to what meets the eye. HerCampus writer Olivia Granaiola interviewed Jenna and got the inside scoop.
HerCampus: What inspired you to create a makeup brand?
Jenna Theofiledes: Creating my own makeup line has always been a dream of mine. I’ve always used natural oils to condition and help lengthen my eyelashes, so why not bottle my own formula? This past summer I decided to run with it and create my own organic products. I began to conceptualize a natural beauty brand that would have a strong identity. I knew I wanted this line to be bright and fun while also focusing on empowering women by highlighting their natural beauty. After researching ways to create healthy and functional skincare without chemicals, I began to develop an organic, all natural eyelash serum. In October 2016 I officially launched Theo Organics– a hand-blended organic eyelash-growth serum founded on in-depth research, and bottled with love.
HC: What do you use to make your products?
JT: The serum is all organic oil that each has its own special properties–castor (hair growth), almond (volume), lavender (kills bacteria in hair), and Vitamin E (hair reproduction). I only buy top quality products that have certified organic ingredients. I like to live my life in a natural way, and I believe that makeup is no exception. After lots of research, I found the perfect products to combine to create Theo.
HC: It seems like you spend a lot of time developing your brand. Is this a career path that you want to pursue? What excites you about it?
JT: I love beauty products and I am incredibly interested in building brands in my future career; Theo is the perfect place for me to start. I began on Instagram, and it truly amazes me how one platform aided the creation of my identity through the image of the brand. I wanted the theme and image to be unique and interesting to followers. I want girls to follow Theo because they like the brand and what it stands for on top of a love for the products. I want girls to treat Theo Organics as a lifestyle instead of a few products. I believe all women are beautiful and Theo just supports my goal of getting women to embrace and enhance their unique beauty.
HC: So I’ve heard that you are pretty big on Etsy. What can you tell me about that?
JT: Etsy is the medium I sell the products through and Instagram is the medium I advertise through. I’ve sold over 300 serums, and I am currently developing different products.
HC: What are the other products?
JT: I’ve teamed with my older sister, Jess, to expand the product line. She and I wanted to create our own spin on the current makeup trend – highlighting. Theo Organics’ Eyelight, is an all-natural mineral mica eye shadow used to illuminate the features of your eyes. We also have some natural lip products in the works!
HC: How did you come up with the names and taglines of your products?
JT: My sister and I are constantly brainstorming new ideas. We’re always trying to think about what we can do to improve and expand the brand. We actually came up with Eyelight in the car! Our tagline for the serum is “Enhance your God-given lashes” and this is no coincidence. In Greek, the meaning of the name Theo is: God-given. When it came to Eyelight, we created a play on words with “highlight” combined with the suggested use to enhance the eyes (or whatever you want to, really).
HC: Oh wow, that’s so cute! How will you break into such a competitive market?
JT: Details are always super important. Part of the reason that I’ve already found success is my dedication to aesthetics. When people see cute names and packaging, they tell their friends and get interested in more products. Giving them their own personalities, as well as the organic platform, sets me apart. My sister helps me a lot with the branding and packaging side of Theo. For example, she thought to send the products are sent in a bubblegum-pink pouch. The stylish packaging is aimed towards our Instagram-lovers. We want every detail of the unboxing experience to be exciting and photogenic. The packaging is the way for the brand to express its identity before it’s even open! We want girls to get excited when they receive their pink package knowing it is personally packaged with something unique and special.
HC: Any other things you want to tell me?
JT: The support that I’ve gotten from people really helps me out–I truly appreciate it. Word of mouth, Instagram, giveaways, etc. have really helped me expand my business. Brand identity is super important to me, so no matter what, I want to keep Theo’s image cohesive and consistent. I am excited about so many things for Theo Organics. The new products are in the works, but I am just so thrilled to watch the line grow and see how people love and use our products. Stay tuned to the Instagram for product updates and new images!
Photos courtsey of Jenna Theofiledes