Business Minded: Serena Wyllie, Founder of Lèbase Beauty
“Surround yourself with people who believe in you and will support you—it makes all the difference! Let anything short of this fuel your motivation.”
Business Minded is a series dedicated to celebrating female entrepreneurs who have conquered their respective industries with creativity, tenacity and a spirit of true originality.
I’ve always had an obsession with understanding the ins and outs of everything and anything. Yes, unsurprisingly, I have become very familiar with the phrase ‘busy body’ in my time. I just love to know, you know? Whether that was CIA-level Facebook stalking skills for the boy my friend saw on the train or a craned neck to work out why exactly that red Ferrari was pulled over, I wear ‘busy body’ as a badge of honour.
In my adult life, this love of knowing has transcended novel topics of ex-boyfriends and police operations and matured into craving an understanding of just how successful female entrepreneurs have built their small empires. No matter the industry, business model or lifespan of their businesses, I am desperate to know how it came to be.
And so, Business Minded by Mind Your Business, was born.
In this edition, I spoke to renowned makeup artist and founder of Lèbase Beauty, Serena Wyllie. As the go-to makeup artist of the likes of Zoë Foster Blake, Megan Gale and Jessica Gomes, Wyllie has an incomprehensible amount of makeup and beauty knowledge. So, it’s unsurprising that when she launched her brand with the hero product, InstantGlow Skin Serum, it was an instant hit. Here, she chats about launching a self-funded startup, using her career as a case study and why persistence will get you anywhere.
Hi Serena! You launched your beauty brand Lèbase Beauty in mid-2024. What inspired you to start your own brand and create your own products?
Hello! Lèbase was born out of my passion for enhancing natural beauty and empowering people to feel confident in their own skin. As a makeup artist, I spent years mixing so many products for the perfect skin prep. During that time, I realised there was a gap in the market for high-quality, simple skincare-makeup hybrid products that deliver radiant, glowing skin without the overwhelming complexity of multiple steps. My ethos as a makeup artist has always been to enhance, not mask—and this is exactly the vision I’ve brought to Lèbase.
You launched with one main product, the InstantGlow Skin Serum, as well as a brush and two beauty bags. We often see brands launching with a plethora of products off the bat, but you’ve taken a slower, thoughtful approach. Why is this considered approach to formulating and launching beauty products so important to you?
As a self-funded startup, launching with a smaller, more focused collection was a strategic decision to ensure the brand met my high standards. I spent years working closely with a chemist to perfect the formula and I handled every step to bring it to market. As an Australian-made and owned brand, this slower, more thoughtful approach was essential to me. I wanted to ensure that the product was something I truly believed in. This approach allowed me to prioritise quality and customer experience over quantity, ultimately laying a strong foundation for both the brand and its future products.
The ethos behind Lèbase is to simplify glowing, radiant skin and make it easy and accessible for all. Why is this philosophy so important to you and how has your career as one of the most respected (and requested!) makeup artists contributed to this philosophy?
As a makeup artist, I’ve seen how a single product can transform not just the skin, but also a person’s confidence. The base is the most important step—it’s the canvas. My career has shown me that it’s about using the right products—functional, easy to use, and versatile. My vision for Lèbase is to create products that help everyone, regardless of skill level, achieve an everyday base with minimal effort. This belief in simplicity and inclusivity is at the heart of Lèbase, and it was important to me that the brand reflects these values and resonates with everything I believe in.
Like anything worth doing, building a business certainly has its challenges. What have been some of the more unexpected challenges you’ve had to navigate and how have you overcome them?
Absolutely! I think, in many ways, I went to it naively. Building a business comes with its fair share of unexpected challenges. One of the biggest has been managing the complexities of production, especially as a startup. It’s a constant learning curve, but I’ve embraced it by staying adaptable and taking everything one step at a time. You just learn as you go, dust yourself off and keep moving forward.
What is the greatest piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to start a business?
My greatest piece of advice would be to stay focused on your vision and keep pushing forward, even when things don’t go as planned. Be persistent and never take no for an answer—there’s always a way. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and build a strong support system. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and will support you—it makes all the difference! Let anything short of this fuel your motivation.
What has been the most rewarding part of building Lèbase?
The feedback. I genuinely squeal with excitement whenever I receive a message or product review. Knowing that people are enjoying the products and seeing the impact they have makes it all worth it.
The messaging behind the brand is all about confidence and feeling like your best self with minimal effort. What are some rituals you do each day to help you conquer the day as your most balanced and confident self?
One of my key rituals to stay balanced and confident is practicing hot yoga everyday. It helps me clear my mind and stay centred. My beauty routine is also non-negotiable—it’s my self-care moment. Together, these rituals help me feel grounded, focused and like my best self.
What does your AM skincare routine look like?
Cleanse with water or Rationale No4 Cleanser, gua sha or facial massage with a hyaluronic acid serum, Lèbase InstantGlow with a tinted SPF50+.
What are your favourite makeup products for a five minute face?
And, finally, because I’m nosey and have no self control, what is your current #1 wishlist item?
Dreaming of a wellness retreat…RAKxa in Thailand is at the top of the list!