"Hitting Pan" Podcast Episode 8: The Lipstick Lesbians Gets to the Bottom of Their Transformative Beauty Journey
In episode 8 of IPSY’s Hitting Pan podcast, Christina Basias and Alexis Androulakis—the dynamic duo behind The Lipstick Lesbians—get to the bottom of dealing with disappointing job loss, career malaise, health scares, and how a quick pit stop at Sephora that changed everything. They spill the tea on how they’ve shifted their lives to go all-in on content creation while keeping their beauty-obsessed followers just a little bit hungry—and they’ve only just scratched the surface.
Why You Need to Tune In to This Hitting Pan Episode
Discover how Christina Basias and Alexis Androulakis turned life's challenges into a thriving beauty content empire known as The Lipstick Lesbians. Their journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of pursuing what you love. Tune in to hear the secrets behind their captivating content, their strategies for engaging their beauty-obsessed followers, and their plans for the future (hint: This might include going on tour!). If you're looking for motivation, entrepreneurial insights, or just some juicy beauty industry tea and trends, this episode of Hitting Pan is a must-listen.
Key Takeaways: The Lipstick Lesbians Journey to Virality
Using What They’ve Got: Christina and Alexis's journey into content creation began with a spontaneous Sephora visit, leading to a viral video that catapulted them into full-time creators. Alexis leverages her 20+ years of beauty industry experience, including roles in product development and manufacturing, while Christina, with her PhD in educational technology, brings an inquisitive and genuine approach to their content. “When I picked up the phone, and I recorded that fateful day in Sephora when you were replenishing your bronzer, I gamified it,” says Christina. “That’s what I did as a teacher, too. I gamified it and I made it interesting.”
Navigating Adversity: The duo faced significant personal and professional challenges, including job loss, a health scare, and a devastating flood that ruined Alexis's entire makeup collection. Despite these setbacks, they turned their passion for beauty into a full-time career. “We like to say, it’s not rejection, it’s redirection,” says Alexis. “I like to share that I was let go multiple times in my career because it’s real, and it’s not always a bad thing.”
A Killer Content Strategy: Their content stands out due to Alexis’s in-depth beauty knowledge and Christina’s knack for engaging storytelling and education. They prioritize their community’s needs by creating content based on follower feedback, aiming to educate and empower their beauty-obsessed audience. Alexis elaborates: “It’s one thing to be satiated, and it’s another thing to be a little bit hungry. In the case of content, you want to leave them a little hungry. You don’t want them to be full all the time, in the sense of bored.”
Innovation in Beauty: Alexis and Christina highlight the evolving landscape of the beauty industry, emphasizing global trends, regulatory changes, and the importance of innovation in product formulation. “We were just at a Makeup in Paris show this past week, and there’s a whole new world of innovation, and there’s a whole new world of regulations,” says Alexis. “It’s ever-evolving; it’s never stagnant. There’s always going to be shifts, and I feel like we’re at a really key tipping point.”
Plans for the Future: Looking ahead, they plan to launch educational programs to help aspiring beauty professionals, continuing to blend their expertise in beauty and education to support and inspire their followers. “We get so many messages from people, like, ‘How do I become a beauty product developer?’ How do I break into the industry?’ So we’re going to be doing a micro-credential certification course and really helping people accelerate their knowledge for those that want to get into the industry,” says Christina.
Additional Resources
Final Thoughts
Christina Basias and Alexis Androulakis's journey from adversity to triumph is both inspiring and enlightening. Their story demonstrates the transformative power of passion and perseverance in the beauty industry. Whether you're a beauty enthusiast or an aspiring content creator, this episode of Hitting Pan offers valuable insights and motivation to pursue your dreams. Don’t miss out on the wisdom and charm of The Lipstick Lesbians—tune in now!
New episodes of Hitting Pan drop every Thursday. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to catch the full video episodes, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to follow IPSY on Instagram and TikTok for all the latest Hitting Pan news (plus so much more!).
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