Two Australian stay-at-home mums have gained international success with the invention of their new beauty product Skinny Tan.
Mumpreneurs, Louise Ferguson and Kate Cotton, recently appeared in England on the hit BBC TV show “Dragons’ Den” – a reality TV show in which budding entrepreneurs get three minutes to pitch their business ideas to five multi-millionaires who have the power to launch their business idea into reality.
Skinny Tan immediately sparked interest from all five ‘Dragons’, resulting in a total of 9 offers to help make the product available in both the UK and Australia.
On the show, the women made a deal for $100,000 (£60,000) investment in return for 10% of their company with the two newest ‘Dragons’ - celebrity interior designer Kelly Hoppen MBE and ‘Cloud’ entrepreneur Piers Linney.
Hoppen is also the step-mother of Sienna Miller and counts David and Victoria Beckham and Robbie Williams as friends and clients.
Originally from England, Ferguson and Cotton turned over more than $1.2 million in its first year of operation in Australia.
“They are amazing women with an amazing product and I am really looking forward to having a long and successful future working with these ladies.” Says Hoppen.
The duo claim Skinny Tan is the first self-tanner to combine a 100% natural tanning active with naturally derived body firming actives, making skin look naturally tanned, toned, and bikini ready.
It is free from the chemical DHA and includes a natural element derived from the seeds of the Brassica Napus plant.
Before becoming mums, Kate worked for the company behind Skin Doctors, while Louise was an account executive at an Australian advertising agency.
The pair knew they wanted to use their skills to build a business after having a family.
Louise says, ‘We were both working freelance using our skill set after we had children so we decided to put those together to come up with a new business.
“I really don’t think we would have done this if we hadn’t had children,’ She told Metro UK.