Nyakio Grieco’s reputation in the beauty industry speaks for itself.
Twenty years later, she released Relevant, a skincare and cosmetics range made with melanin-rich skin in mind.
Keep scrolling to get to know the Thirteen Lune co-founder.
Nyakio Grieco
What was your earliest introduction to beauty?
“I was born in New York and am a first-generation American of Kenyan descent.
My mom’s dad was also a medicine man.
Nyakio Grieco
My grandfather could go into nature to extract oils that treat skin and ailments.
Because of this, she would use things that come from nature to treat my skin and hair.”
What were your professional aspirations during college?
Thirteen Lune
“Eventually, I left New York and moved to Oklahoma.
My father started the African studies program at the University of Oklahoma, and I later studied marketing there.
Beauty was always part of my DNA, but I didn’t foresee being in the beauty world.
When I left Oklahoma after college, I moved to Los Angeles and worked as an entertainment assistant.
I started gravitating toward the representation aspect of entertainment and worked with many actresses in the early 2000s.
That was an exciting time in beauty because they were beginning to replace models with actresses on covers.
Actresses were also starting to get beauty deals and become the faces of brands.
Through that, I discovered I liked beauty and fashion more than entertainment.”
When did you set your sights on entering into the beauty industry?
“When working with A-list talent, you see how many products they get sent.
However, none of these brands were talking about Africa back then.
Nobody celebrated the sophistication of Africa.
I left my job at 27 to start making my grandmother’scoffee scruband launched Nyakio Beauty.
While I had many wins, I experienced many challenges.
You sold the brand in 2017 to Unilever.
At that point, did you immediately have plans to launch another beauty venture?
Or did you have your sights set on something else?
“I knew I wanted to stay in beauty after selling the brand in 2017.
I continued working with the brand and Unilever until 2020.
The brand had never received that much attentionand while it was lovely, it was also heartbreaking.
I wanted to celebrate them and help them.
That’s when the idea for Thirteen Lune came to me.
I realized that an inclusive beauty retail platform hadn’t existed before.
Tell me what scaling Thirteen Lune has been like over the last three years.
“Working with my co-founder and longtime friend, Patrick Herning, has been the greatest blessing.
Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely journey, so having someone to do the work with is incredible.
We conceived the idea in June 2020 and launched it in December 2020.
Even though we have a fast-growing startup, we step into everything we do with intention.
This rings especially true when it comes to raising money.
Not on my watch will they make the mistakes I made.”
Thirteen Lune
While building Thirteen Lune, you launched a skincare brand, Relevant, in 2022.
What inspired you to create the brand?
When I started developing Relevant, it was during the same time I was working on Thirteen Lune.
What’s in the works for Relevant and Thirteen Lune this year?
“Relevant just launched with Sephora UK, and I hope to continue expanding within the Sephora regions.
So, this has been a 20-year dream realized.
With Relevant, we’ve also expanded from skincare and launched fragrance and skin-first cosmetics.
With Thirteen Lune, I’ve always considered us a platform, not a retailer.
I want to dive deeper into that as we grow.
Launching all of the Thirteen Lune at JCPenney stores has been amazing.
I want to continue rolling out standalone Thirteen Lune stores in key cities in the United States.”
What are your current favorite beauty products?
I always use the Ami Cole Lash Amplifying Mascara and Lip Treatment Oil.
From Relevant, I use our One & Done Everyday Cream SPF 40.
I like multipurpose products, so I always apply our Lip & Cheek Multi-Tint.
For skincare, I’ll use any of Joanna Vargas' sheet masks and the Sundree Cooling Facial Globes.
I have a lot of expensive tools, but I use these globes daily to minimize inflammation.
With hair care, I love Inala’s Power Potion.
One of my favorite fragrances is Golf Le Fleur’s French Waltz Eau de Parfum.
