It's about Kraum.
Here are some details on my new company.
Kraum.co launched a week ago today. Allow me to write a few paragraphs about what happened before and since to catch you up. I hope this helps explain where I’ve been for the past month.
I won’t play coy and bury the lede: the only thing I want from you right now is to buy Kraum. I’ll link you to other things below, but wait to check those out until after you’ve completed purchase of your Micro Brush Set.
My first product is a set of extremely small makeup brushes, because for some reason the market has only ever given us absolute clunkers. I compare it to writing—imagine only having a Sharpie available, when you do your best handwriting with a Micron 005 .2 mm felt-tip pen? It’s truly no mystery, to me, why so many people struggle with doing their eyeliner.
A week into launch, my favorite thing to hear from customers is that the brushes, “do the work for you.” This is exactly the effect I was going for.
Emily Sundberg wrote a lovely article about the company, but mostly me, on Feed Me—the “press exclusive,” if you will. Which you will, because I literally did no other press.* In the grand scheme of all of the things I had to do to launch in time for “holiday”—the marketing term describing the season when everyone is shopping for gifts (truly mostly for themselves)—I put press outreach on the back burner. This isn’t to say that beauty press isn’t important, it was more of an issue that most of my contacts are now freelance and I’d rather reach out to them directly on socials (or Substack). Plus, to be consider for inclusion in gift guides, even digital-only, I would have had to start pitching months ago, and I simply was not ready.
And if I’m being honest, which I am, I hate having my photo taken. I know the press assets should include a new founder’s portrait, and I tried, but ended up cosplaying as Bjork because the hairstylist brought wigs. My gracious, generous, patient friend, Anairam, shot them. The other idea was to recreate my first photoshoot, but the small-girl-dressed-in-a-boxy-blazer look was long ago coopted by the #Girlboss archetype, so the gag wouldn’t gag.
I’ll write an entire letter about photo soon. Let me know if there is anything particular you’d like to know. For now I will just say, working on Kraum has filled me with gratitude for all of the talented, successful, important, busy people who offered their time and talents to make it happen. Along with doing press, I have yet to properly express that to every one of them.
Segueing into topic 1: the packaging. I tried really hard on this, and I think I succeeded to make the outside reflect how special everything is inside. It ends up, half by design, half by fate, that the Micro Brush Set is truly **The Perfect Gift** for anyone who wears makeup. You don’t have to choose a size, a shade, a fragrance…plus the likelihood of them already having a set is extremely low—Kraum’s been alive for only a week. Even if they do already have it, have they not two eyes? Do they not need two sets?
My goal is always to cut out all plastic in the supply chain and final product, and I’m 90% there. I wanted the box to be something you can keep and put things inside, like silk flowers or the international coins you forgot to exchange at the airport. I kept the most insane box from a pair of Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses, which has rigid layers holding tiny documents and a cleaning cloth, and as you remove them, you find the sunglasses in the bottom. I tore it apart and referenced it heavily in designing the Micro Brush box, and ended up publishing my first book, the User’s Manual, as part of that process.
The Brush Soap I have been working on almost as long as the brushes. If you wear makeup, surely you know by now that removing the makeup first with oil, before cleansing the skin with a lathering soap (the “double cleanse” method), is the most effective way to wash your face. The Soap formula is like double cleansing in a single step, because it’s tallow-based. The fatty acids in the tallow quickly break down the makeup buried within your brushes, and lather is created by swishing the bristles with water. There are even exfoliating particles which drag through the bristles as you clean. It’s a very, very good cosmetic brush soap. I’d say, the best. I’ve tried them all—there aren’t that many!
I’d go into all of the specifics on the brushes here, but the website has so much info, it’s better if I point you there. Scroll down and tap or click on the row of spinning brushes to see details on each one. Do you like?
I figured now that we have a live case study to discuss all things business and cosmetics, you wouldn’t mind if the next few Vanity Project letters are Kraum-related..? I have so many images to share and things to talk about. Of course you can ask questions as well. I can’t promise I’ll reveal everything, but I’d love some direction on what it is you want to learn about.
If you buy the brushes for yourself, I will teach you how to use them. Don’t worry. It’s easy. I swear.
-Annie
*Nick and I did do a Kraum Special Episode of Eyewitness Beauty, which is free if you want to listen (Substack / Apple Podcasts / Spotify).
i bought them just before emily’s exclusive broke the site! and i’m rudely away on a work trip so i haven’t even had the chance to try them yet.
i’m so excited for these next few letters. tell us about the logo! and your favorite brown liner to use them with, please and thank you.
i will buy anything you make!
the brushes are amazing – I thought I just couldn't really do eye liner or it was my eyes somehow (and I went to art school so I never really understood WHY I couldn't do eyeliner well). used the brushes and it took 2 seconds, no practice, and looked great. congrats on the launch.