Media personality and business woman Amanda du-Pont has joined the likes of Carmen Elektra and Pharrell Williams by launching a vegan skincare range called Lelive (pronounced: leh-lee-veh)
The proudly South African skincare range is made of 95% natural ingredients and caters for all skin types and genders. The name Lelive was inspired by Amanda’s unofficial swazi name meaning ‘of the nation or world’.
This is an exciting feat for the star and she tells us that the journey started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa last year. She had initially launched a content platform that offered advice and tips on holistic wellness, and this eventually led to the development of her skincare range.
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“We realised that there was a need to offer people support and inspiration on how to take better care of themselves,” she says.
“So, we created this platform to share tips and advice on healthy eating, fitness and wellness. We soon realised there was a need for skincare that was clean, effective and affordable and our community then began to help develop the range that we have today.”
She tells us more about the journey:
How involved were you in the process of creating this range?
As the CEO, I was involved in all the decision-making from colours, to product variants and what we stood for. But, having a sizeable social media following also allowed me to tap into my audience and work with them so that they were also a part of the decision-making process.
Why did you decide to venture into skincare?
It's my first time creating a skincare range, but my journey into natural products started with my hair and slowly infiltrated re-looking everything I put into my body, including what I eat. Skincare was a natural progression and is something I'm really passionate about. When we started, there wasn't a brand out there that was giving me and the community that we built on social media wanted, so the only option was to do it ourselves.
What would you say was the biggest challenge you faced in creating this range and how did you manage to overcome?
The challenge for us was to tick all the boxes of what we wanted the range to be: clean, simple, effective, affordable - while also creating a brand that had depth, was unique and eye-catching, and made you feel good when you used it. We overcame these challenges by working with our community and asking them what they wanted instead of trying to force our opinions and ideas on them.
Who is this skincare range made for?
While the entire range has been created with the help of an African community on social media, we worked hard to make it work for everyone – irrespective of age or gender. We also worked hard to make sure that we gave people the quality they deserve at prices they can afford, because great skincare shouldn't only be for people who have lots of money.
What are you most excited about in starting this journey?
With the grace of God we hope to become the number one African skincare brand, not just in Africa, but globally. This might sound like a big thing to achieve, but God has already been abundant in His blessings towards us, so the time for it is now, and in my opinion it's long overdue.
What advice do you have for young people that want to launch skincare products of their own?
Have a clear vision, listen and work with your customer to develop a product that they truly want, assemble a strong team, and stay determined. We’re all capable of greatness, we just need to stay focused and trust that God will help us see it through.
The range is available to purchase as www.leliveafrica.com or via Superbalist. Prices range from R259 to R329.
