Twenty-something and brimming with entrepreneurial energy and inspiration, Alexandria MacFarlane has made waves in the packed world of skincare and wellness in only two short years with Truly Lifestyle Brand in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since launching in 2019, she has grown the business to $1 million in sales and credits her success to the meaningful connections she has made with customers. She recently made BCBusiness’ 30 Under 30 for 2021. Taking a moment from her busy schedule, she shared her journey, thoughts, and goals with Elixuer magazine.
Before launching Truly Lifestyle Brand, you studied journalism, worked in communications, and became a social media specialist. How does your particular background inform the way you run your beauty brand?
I think my background has helped me with Truly in a lot of ways. The biggest was on how to best communicate and connect with our audience and customer base. Truly has a very loyal following and community, and we’ve created that by constantly reaching out, posting informational content, and really valuing the people who connect with us. It creates a sense of relationship, not just a sale.
What is your personal philosophy on beauty, skincare, and wellness?
Beauty and wellness have been my favourite things since before I can remember. For me, it’s what makes me feel my best! One of our little mottos at Truly is, “Feel good, look good.” We say this because, for me, when I feel good and feel like I’m actually taking care of my body inside and out, I exude confidence and feel like I’m at my best physically and mentally! We’ve applied this philosophy directly into Truly by prioritizing helping others find their inner confidence and embrace their natural beauty.
Do you have a favourite product? What does your skincare regimen look like?
This is the hardest question for me! I have never released a product that wasn’t my favourite that I’ve ever tried, so this is hard. I feel like I’m choosing a favourite child! I would have to say our Truly Brightening Vitamin C serum. It is also our best seller. It is hands down the best Vitamin C serum I have ever tried and trust me—I’ve tried A LOT!
My skincare regimen is ONLY Truly products! It’s funny because some people don’t believe that, but it’s 100% true. My lineup is:
- Truly Cleansing Facial Cleanser
- Truly Youthful Rose Toner
- Truly Brightening Vitamin C Serum (daytime only)
- Truly Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- Truly Ageless 1% Retinol Serum (nighttime only)
- Truly Moisturizing Face Cream
Those are my ride or die!
After only two years since launching Truly Lifestyle Beauty, you’ve reached a million dollars in sales. What is your recipe for success?
That was a very exciting milestone. That’s for sure! Similar to what I touched on a bit earlier, the one thing that really sets us apart is our constant communication and relationships with our audience. Creating relationships and understanding the needs of your customers are much more important than a quick sale! This has helped us build a business that has a really solid foundation of trust with our customer base and always stays true to our core values.
What’s next for you? What are your goals for the future?
My biggest goals right now are to make the 30 Under 30 list for BC Business, for Truly to become more and more recognized in the PR marketing world—I would love for Truly to be recognized in Forbes—and to have Sephora as one of our retailers.
Rose Ho | Contributing Writer
