#BeautyBoss: Antti & Felicia Rintanen, Creators of Nomad Cosmetics
Felicia and Antti Rintanen.
This week’s #BeautyBosses are Antti and Felicia Rintanen, Creators of Nomad Cosmetics—a high-performance cosmetic line inspired by the couple’s travels to more than 70 countries around the world. All of the makeup is designed while on location in order to capture a sense of place and the local character, creating a special story and transportive experience for beauty fans.
All Nomad products are sourced with the richest pigments, as well as PureSource and other skin-loving natural ingredients that make skin look good while doing good. All of their products are cruelty-free and don’t contain any harmful chemicals such as parabens, phthalates and mineral oil. We chatted with the husband and wife team, who shared their inspiration, best advice, favorite ways to relax, and more:
When did Nomad Cosmetics launch?
Nomad was founded in November 2014 and our first product was launched in November 2015. The meaning of Nomad is being an explorer of the world and discovering the beauty all around us. It’s more than travel—it’s really about local character and a sense of place.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
After living in multiple countries and exploring the globe on two around-the-world trips where we went to different destinations one right after the other, we were inspired by the fact that there is such unique beauty everywhere and we wanted to capture that in an authentic way. The beauty is different but the universal truth is that there is beauty expressed in each place. Our tag line is “Universal Beauty, Locally Inspired” for that reason.
Do you have a hero product?
We have two actually that are very different but show the diversity in what people find beautiful. The first is our bright and colorful Antilles Palette, which was designed while we were island-hopping in the Caribbean. The inspiration was the beautiful colors you see as you’re sitting on the beach (preferably with a cold drink in your hand) watching the sun go down. So the colors start from the browns of the sand to the blues of the water to the pinks and purples of a setting Caribbean sun.
The second is our Stockholm Midnight Sun, inspired by the beautiful glow you see in the Nordics during the longer days of summer when the sun never fully goes down and just sits on the horizon. It’s a beautiful champagne gold highlighter and our best-seller.
What are your favorite products from your line?
From our brand and bringing to life so deeply our concept, we would both say the Berlin Underground Palette. It’s inspired by one of the most amazing cities in the world—the only city that was cut in half and had two fundamentally different cultures for 30-plus years. The concept is about the Berlin Underground, the people, concepts, and movements that brought the wall down.
From David Bowie recording “Heroes” in Berlin while looking at the Wall from the studio to the East Side Gallery where one of the largest open-air galleries still exists, each shade has such deep and unique meaning. We also love the skull embossing on the palettes and the overall color scheme. It isn’t traditional beauty, but the Berlin Underground was beautiful to the thousands of people that looked to it in the hope that one day their city would be united again.
Where are your products sold?
We are sold on our website, Amazon and Ipsy Shopper.
The Antilles Palette was inspired by the beautiful colors of the Caribbean.
Who inspires you?
Our mothers. Felicia’s mama is 80, fighting lung cancer, and still a bundle of energy. She taught me how to work hard no matter what the job. Antti’s mama is a world traveler and lover of all things beauty. They both inspire and encourage us to be better people.
Secrets to success?
Here are our top three:
1) Understanding the consumer and delivering on his/her needs.
2) Developing a brand as you would a human—know that it needs to be nurtured and will grow over time.
3) Hard work and building a business over time. There’s no magic bullet to success overnight and it takes a lot of dedication—step by step, day by day. And we are enjoying that time! One day we will be bigger and we won’t be able to create all of our products or hand-pack all of our orders, so we are enjoying it now. For us it really is about the journey.
Beauty secrets?
Do what makes you feel good. Beauty for us is much more a feeling than just a look. Other beauty secrets: start wearing sunscreen early and use it often. Keep hydrated inside and out—it does wonders for your skin!
Wellness tips?
We both exercise every day to keep our minds, spirits, and bodies in a positive space. We each do it differently, but that time to ourselves gives us time to reflect and strengthen.
Best advice?
This sounds cliché but it’s true: life is really a journey. You have no idea how each element of your life comes together. As we have gotten older (we’re both about to turn 40), we are far enough along to see how some crazy things have led us to where we are now. You have no idea where the path will take you, but have faith, work hard, be kind, and things will work out—maybe not exactly how you wanted them, but they will be good in the end.
How do you like to relax?
We take long walks with our puppy and spend time as a family. We also love some good food, wine, and of course, travel.
For more information and to purchase, visit nomadcosmetics.com and follow the brand on Instagram: @nomadcosmetics
[Images courtesy of Nomad Cosmetics]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk