Beauty Burn Book: Insider Insights on Industry Hierarchy and Shifting Ranks

Australia’s beauty industry might be worth a staggering $16billion, but not all players are created equal.

Behind the glossy campaigns and influencer #collabs lies an unspoken pecking order – one that isn’t easily defined by store outlets or sales figures.

From Mecca mogul Jo Horgan’s iron grip on the A-list to the eyebrow queen Amy Jean’s cult-like following, the top tier is reserved for those who not only sell products but shape the entire industry. They are all class, regardless of whether their brands are considered ‘prestige’.

The B-listers snapping at their heels are big deals, without a doubt – some, like Zoe Foster Blake, are significantly richer than those in our A-list. But money doesn’t buy a place at the top of the tastemakers’ food chain, as we shall explain…

At the C-list, things get interesting. It’s a mixed bag of rising stars, faded moguls, and talented operators whose personal dramas keep them from breaking through.

So, after consulting with influencers, beauty editors and industry spies, we complied our own tongue-in-cheek Aussie beauty industry burn book. Take a look inside…

THE A-LIST 

Our A-list is of course topped by Jo Horgan, the untouchable queen of the Australian beauty biz. 

Jo is the visionary founder and co-CEO of premier beauty retailer Mecca, opening her first boutique in Melbourne’s South Yarra at the age of 29. 

Mecca offered a curated, high-end shopping experience that combined expert product knowledge with personalised service.

Today, it operates over 110 stores across Australia and New Zealand, stocks more than 200 brands, and reported $1.2billion in revenue in 2023. 

Following close behind is Shelley Sullivan, who reshaped the industry landscape with her luxury-for-less brand MCoBeauty. 

She entered the market in 2002 with her first makeup brand ModelCo, launching revolutionary products such as the first heated lash curler. 

In 2020, she launched her second brand, MCoBeauty, and in just a few years transformed it into a billion-dollar enterprise by offering high-quality, affordable products that appeal to a wide audience.  

In February 2025, Sullivan stepped down as CEO of MCoBeauty, selling her remaining stake in the company to DBG Health.

This deal represented one of the most valuable mergers and acquisitions ever led by a female entrepreneur in the Australian market.

Also joining the A-list is king of the coif Kevin Murphy, one of our most celebrated hairstylists and haircare entrepreneurs. 

Known for the ‘beach hair’ look, Kevin is renowned for his mastery across fashion runways, editorial shoots and film sets. 

His work has appeared in magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair, while his celebrity clients include Miranda Kerr, Kylie Minogue, Vanessa Hudgens and Cate Blanchett. 

His haircare line KEVIN.MURPHY is also an international salon staple, known for combining luxury formulations with sustainable packaging.

Also on the A-list is Beauty Chef founder Carla Oates.

Carla pioneered the concept of beauty from within, introducing a revolutionary range of ingestible skincare products that blend wellness, science and the power of whole foods. Her philosophy? ‘Beauty begins in the belly’. 

The brand was launched from her Bondi kitchen in 2009 and quickly sparked a global movement in edible beauty.

Under Carla’s leadership, The Beauty Chef has grown into a multimillion-dollar brand, stocked in high-end retailers including Sephora, Mecca and Goop, with Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts said to be huge fans.

In just four years, A-lister Samantha Appel‘s skin-needling business The Skin Bar has become one of Australia’s fastest-growing skin clinics.

Unlike other beauty spaces, The Skin Bar is dedicated entirely to skin-needling, a natural alternative to injectables. The popular treatment involves pricking the skin with a series of very fine needles, resulting in rapid healing and regeneration to the area.

She first opened clinics in Cronulla but quickly expanded into Victoria and Queensland. She has a long list of celebrity clients including Jesinta Franklin and Natalie Roser.

Quietly, Samantha also offers complimentary facials to women going through or recovering from cancer treatment.

The ambitious mother-of-two is not one to boast – even as she gets ready to open her tenth clinic with another ten set to open in the coming year.

Amy Jean Linnehan is a renowned brow specialist widely regarded as one of Australia’s leaders in the art of eyebrow styling. Known professionally as Amy Jean, she has earned her place on the A-list thanks to her pioneering techniques, loyal celebrity following, and impressive business acumen.

After training as a cosmetic tattooist, Amy Jean launched her flagship salon in Sydney, quickly attracting attention for her meticulous approach and ability to create bespoke brows that flatter every face.

Her signature ‘feather touch’ technique has set new standards in the industry, making her sought after by A-listers, fashion insiders and beauty editors alike.

Over the years, Amy Jean has expanded her brand, opening salons in Brisbane, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, as well as pop-ups in London and Paris.

Her product line, including professional brow tools and cosmetics, is stocked in leading retailers, further cementing her reputation as an innovator.

THE B-LIST 

While they aren’t quite at the pinnacle, those in the B-list are still considered formidable figures in Australia’s beauty world. 

Topping our B-list is Joh Bailey, the celebrated hairstylist and salon owner. 

He founded the Joh Bailey Salon brand in 1983, catering to high-profile clients including Elle Macpherson, Kylie Minogue and even Princess Diana.

So why place him in the B-list? 

Eyebrows were raised in 2017 when Bailey came forward to deny a salacious tabloid report that he was taking a back seat from his business due to personal issues.

‘It is true that I have been disappointed with my own behaviour and I have promised my business partner Marilyn Koch that I will no longer drink in public, but I am hardly out of control,’ he told The Sydney Morning Herald at the time.

Er, great!

In 2022, there were whispers of a ‘Double Bay turf war’ between Bailey and two of his former protégés, who had set up competing salons near his own.

‘Joh’s a pro, but it all felt very Sydney and very petty,’ sniped an insider. 

Zoe Foster Blake will no doubt screech to see herself on the B-list, but there are reasons why the founder of cult skincare brand Go-To doesn’t sit atop the beauty mountain.

Yes, Go-To’s products have cornered the ‘masstige’ market (posher than mass-produced, but not quite prestige) and they have earned rave reviews – especially for The Removalist clay mask, which has been praised for leaving skin visibly clearer and brighter – but they do have their critics.

Take, for example, Foster Blake saying for years that eye creams were useless, only to release a Go-To eye serum. Some customers report being blocked for raising concerns on Instagram.

If you love Go-To, then great. There are many of you! But, as one beauty editor told us: ‘The joke is, “Priceline products with Mecca price tag.”‘ 

Miranda Kerr is an A-list celebrity, for sure. But as for the supermodel’s standing in the beauty industry, her brand KORA Organics sits more comfortably on the B-list.

Launched in 2009, KORA Organics was one of the early pioneers in certified organic skincare, capitalising on Miranda’s love of all things wellness.

The brand quickly found fans with cult favourites like the Noni Glow Face Oil earning praise from none other than Katy Perry, who was dating her ex-husband Orlando Bloom at the time.

High praise indeed. 

And how could we forget Melanie Grant?

Grant, a globally renowned skin specialist, author of The Modern Guide to Skin Health, and facialist for the likes of Nicole Kidman, Lara Bingle and Victoria Beckham.

In 2012, Melanie opened her first clinic in Double Bay, followed by locations in Melbourne, Los Angeles, New York, and London. 

While she may not boast the same mass-market success of our A-listers, Melanie is still regarded as one of Australia’s most sought-after beauty gurus – if you can afford her.

Next up are Katelin Gregg and Ella James.

Young, hot and successful, the co-founders of members-only eastern suburbs skin clinic Fayshell should be A-listers.

The pair launched their Bondi Junction flagship in 2022 – an outlet in Neutral Bay followed a year later – but a recent blow-up between the two has seen their stocks fall.

What went wrong? According to our sources, Katelin – the daughter of Rob Gregg, founder of medical supply firm Mondeal Aesthetics – always fancied herself the CEO, while Ella was the creative spark.

In the inevitable power struggle, Katelin emerged victorious and has rebranded Fayshell as a solo venture.

‘It feels very high school,’ was how a rival clinic owner put it to us.

‘Customers liked the idea of two best friends running a salon, but seeing this happen leaves kind of a sour taste in the mouth.’

THE C-LIST

Now time for the C-list – a mix of up-and-comers, influencers trying their best, and fallen stars from yesteryear.

We’ll start with Max May, a makeup artist best known for collaborating with local celebrities like Lara Worthington and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson. 

Max’s work has graced the pages of major fashion publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle Japan and Grazia.

He misses out on a mention in the A-list because he’s just ‘very, very Sydney – he’s even represented by Roxy Jacenko’. 

Also on our C-list is influencer-slash-entrepreneur Elle Ferguson, founder of the cult fake tanning brand ELEFFECT. 

Launched in 2018, ELEFFECT quickly gained popularity in part due to Elle’s impressive online presence. It is stocked online and in select retail stores including Mecca

The brand emphasises vegan and skin-friendly formulations, with products scented using real rose oil – a feature that sets it apart from other products.

Customers say it’s a great tan if you don’t want to smell like coconuts, but it’s a still a relatively small fish in a market dominated by the likes of Bondi Sands and St Tropez.

Joining Elle on the C-list are Bianca and Bridgett Roccisano, the socialite sisters who created Booby Tape in 2018. 

The duo, originally from country Victoria, created the world’s first ‘breast lift in a box’ with their body tape, which provides a solution for women seeking support without a bra. 

As of 2023, Booby Tape is stocked in over 20,000 stores across more than 40 countries, including major retailers like Boots in the UK and David Jones in Australia.

Another influencer, Mia Plecic, makes our C-tier thanks to the success of her Slick Stick, a hair styling tool designed to tame flyaways. 

Launched in 2019, the product’s unique design and effectiveness led to its viral success, particularly on TikTok, where a single post resulted in $40,000 in sales overnight.   

Within six months, Mia’s company achieved $1million in sales, and the brand now boasts a product range that includes wax sticks, smoothing brushes and anti-flyaway gels.

Next up is Napoleon Perdis, once the godfather of Aussie glam, now an also-ran.

A pioneering makeup artist and entrepreneur three decades ago, Napoleon shaped Australia’s beauty landscape with his eponymous brand in the ’90s and ’00s. 

The brand, once a staple of department stores, found success thanks to its innovative product launches and celebrity collaborations. 

However, Napoleon’s empire has taken a tumble of late, causing him to slide from the our top tier down to the C-list. 

In 2019, the company entered voluntary administration with debts exceeding $22million, and was sold to KUBA Investments. 

As of 2024, Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics continues to operate with 25 stores and a network of independent stockists across Australia.

But it’s a shell of what it used to be. There are many reasons why things fell apart, but one mistake was an American expansion… right before the GFC.

Heiress Georgia Geminder continues our C-list with her natural toothpaste brand Gem Oral Care. 

Georgia, the granddaughter of late ‘cardboard king’ Richard Pratt and niece of the current Visy chairman Anthony Pratt, launched the company in 2020. 

Gem offers toothpaste formulated with hydroxyapatite, a coconut-derived alternative to fluoride, catering to younger consumers seeking ‘non-toxic’ oral care options. 

The brand has rapidly expanded, selling over 160,000 tubes, and is stocked in more than 700 retailers, including Mecca. Gem recently unveiled a new line of products including sunscreen, cream deodorant and fragrance. 

No C-list would be complete without the inclusion of Double Bay ‘eyebrow queen’ Kristin Fisher.

She launched her eponymous salon in 2017, which quickly became the go-to destination for perfectly sculpted brows and premium beauty treatments.

With her technical skill and online presence, Kristin transformed her boutique into a thriving beauty brand, selling products and training aspiring brow artists.

But – and there’s always a ‘but’ with Kristin – she finds herself near the bottom for three reasons.

Firstly, she put the spotlight on the eastern suburbs’ cocaine problem in 2021 when, in annulling her conviction for drug possession, a magistrate bemoaned the frequency of similar offences in his court.

‘People who justify their cocaine usage as socially acceptable or as part of the social fabric… it is not,’ thundered Magistrate Ross Hudson.

‘It is a criminal, illegal drug. It is a stain on our community.’ 

Then, in 2023, her clinic narrowly escaped sinking into a financial black hole when she struck an incredible deal with the ATO, which agreed to accept less than $100,000 of the $915,000 she owed.

She celebrated by popping a $600 bottle of champagne.

And most recently, she had a falling-out with beauty industry A-lister Shelley Sullivan. ‘And you don’t mess with Shelley!’ laughed one beauty editor.

We’ll finish off our list with a rising star, Natassia Nicolao.

The 33-year-old biochemist is the brains behind Conserving Beauty, Australia’s first waterless skincare brand, and, according to Forbes, a young success story.

From its launch in 2021, the brand drew praise in the sustainability space for tackling the beauty industry’s reliance on one of the planet’s most finite resources.

Conserving’s credentials also include an all-female board of directors that features Elle Macpherson and high-profile tech executives.

Natassia’s rise hasn’t been without sceptics though. Early on, she was told she’d never secure funding as a young female beauty founder – and yet her brand is now backed by two impact funds. Sustainability clearly sells!

And it certainly doesn’t hurt that her dad rubs shoulders with Melbourne dining king Christopher Lucas of the Lucas Group – a handy connection when you’re building a brand.

As for investments or revenue, our insider told us Natassia keeps those numbers close to her chest, despite being quizzed by more than a few outlets.

Still, her international expansion is very much under way, and Natassia has positioned Conserving Beauty at the forefront of climate-conscious beauty, so she is clearly doing something right.