It's been just over a year since Eleanor Pendleton closed her digital magazine, Gritty Pretty, and now, the time has come for her next move.
After a decorated, two-decade-long career in beauty journalism, Pendleton has made the switch from publisher to brand founder, announcing the launch of her very own beauty brand – Haléau.
Almost three years in the making, Haléau is Pendleton's take on clean beauty, bridging the gap between makeup and skincare.
BD spoke with Pendleton all about the upcoming venture, her plan on a Substack-first launch, and how being a beauty editor has shaped the brand she wanted to create.
Congratulations on the announcement of Haléau! How are you feeling sharing this new venture with the world?
Thank you. It feels surreal, honestly. Haléau has lived in my heart and head for so long (eight years as a concept and almost three years in formulation and development) so to finally be sharing it publicly is both exhilarating and a little vulnerable.
Building this clean beauty brand has been such a labour of love, and I feel incredibly proud of what we’re creating.
Can you tell us about the brand and its ethos?
Haléau [pronounced hay·lo] is a skin-first, clean cosmetics brand that enhances natural radiance using our signature ingredient: sustainably-harvested pearl powder. We’re intentionally made in Australia, formulated with clinically supported actives, and designed to be refillable from the very beginning.
The brand is grounded in ritual, radiance, and the belief that beauty doesn’t need correcting, just celebrating.
How long have you been cooking Haléau up for and where did the idea come from?
It’s been close to three years in the making, although the seed was planted long before that. After nearly two decades in beauty media, and the closure of some really incredible Australian brands like Becca Cosmetics, I began to feel there was space for a cosmetics brand that truly balanced skin health, natural ingredients, performance and sustainability.
I wanted to create makeup that felt like skincare, with a soft, sensory experience and formulas people actually looked forward to using. As women, we invest so much into quality skincare, so I was baffled by how many people were then applying cosmetics full of cheap filler ingredients. Haléau bridges the gap between makeup and skincare.
Can you talk us through the name?
Haléau is a blend of two ideas. "Halé" is derived from the French word for sun-kissed, and "eau" means water. Together, they speak to the kind of radiance that comes from within: hydrated, healthy, luminous skin. When I merged the two, it felt like the perfect name for a brand grounded in glow.
What products can we expect to see in the Haléau line-up?
You’ll have to sign up at www.haleaubeauty.com to find out.
You are launching with a Substack-first model, taking customers on a behind-the-scenes journey of launching a brand. Can you talk us through the idea of this and the importance of building that connection with customers from the very beginning?
Absolutely. I’ve always believed that transparency builds trust, and I wanted Haléau to feel human from day one.
Our Substack, Open Book, is where I share the real story of building a beauty brand: the decisions, the delays, the numbers, and the emotional and creative process. I want people to feel like they’re part of something from the beginning, not just witnessing the final reveal. That’s why I’m inviting them to subscribe to Open Book via our website.
More brands are starting to lift the veil on what running a business is actually like — the good, the bad, the ugly. Why do you think this realistic approach is landing so well with consumers?
Because it’s real. For so long, beauty was dictated by faceless brands that championed perfection, but consumers crave honesty.
When a founder shares what’s actually happening behind the scenes, it builds a different kind of relationship, one based on relatability and trust. I’m naturally a very open and generous person, so sharing the realities with Haléau’s customers feels second nature to me.
You’ve had such a decorated career in beauty media — how has the shift to brand side been?
It’s been both thrilling and humbling. As a beauty editor and journalist, you experience the best of the best, so I came into this knowing exactly what I wanted to create. But being on the brand side is a whole new world.
There’s so much behind-the-scenes work, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. It has challenged me in the best possible ways. This is also my second business venture, but this time I’m building Haléau as a mother, and that has shaped the way I work.
I’ve built in boundaries to protect the time I prioritise with my family. I’ve worked hard to achieve the flexibility to work remotely and pick my kids up from preschool, so maintaining that balance has been really important to me.
Was it important to you that Haléau be something that resonated with your previous Gritty Pretty demographic?
Yes, definitely. I wanted Haléau to feel like an evolution of everything I had built and learned as an almost 37-year-old woman.
The Gritty Pretty community has always valued thoughtful, conscious beauty. At its core, Gritty Pretty celebrated individuality. We believed what makes us unique should be embraced, and that remains a constant at Haléau.
There is perfection in imperfection. And, many of our former readers are still looking for the same things I was: formulas that feel good, do good, and are crafted with care. It’s simple.
What’s been the most challenging or surprising part of building a beauty brand so far?
How long everything takes! From formulation to custom packaging to stability testing and regulatory approvals, there are so many moving parts. Sticking to your vision, especially when you’re choosing a slower, more considered path, isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
One of our sayings at Haléau is “illuminate with intention,” and when I look at what we’ve built and what we’re so close to sharing with customers, I feel really proud of that.
When can we expect to shop Haléau?
Ha, good try! You’ll need to sign up at www.haleaubeauty.com to find out.
You can also follow Haléau on Instagram here.
Image credit: Supplied/Haléau
