Jess Hunt Talks Refy, Brows And The £8.99 Moisturiser She Wouldn’t Be Without

Jess Hunt, Refy co-founder and Instagram sensation, is beaming from ear to ear when she sits down with me at Refy's brand new Mayfair pop-up location to talk all things beauty. Refy launched mid-lockdown, so this is the first opportunity that Jess has had to meet any of the brand's steadfast fans. Jess, herself, has 1.6 million followers on Instagram and that's apparent when you step inside. It's pretty full. The minimalist decor in the pop-up - a space normally reserved for use as a gallery - is typical of Jess' Instagram aesthetic. The walls offer up Refy campaign shots as artwork and glass display cabinets housing Refy's product line run down the centre of the room. We wander through to the backstage area for the interview and Jess' high is palpable. 'I can't believe it, it's so great to finally meet everyone,' she enthuses, 'although I keep drinking those cups of coffee, I've had way too much already.'

So how did Refy come to be? The beauty brand enjoyed near instantaneous notoriety and soon picked up by Sephora in the US. 'I was doing a lot of work with Jenna Meek' - Refy's co-founder - 'and her face jewel brand Shrine. I was getting ready for a shoot with her and she witnessed my very extensive brow routine.' Jess had curated a lengthy regimen over the years that consisted of multiple brow gels, brow pencils, powders and brushes. 'Jenna couldn't believe what I was doing and we quickly began talking about products we could create to simplify things. I remember Jenna scribbling down a brush and gel design and that's the first visual reference we had for Refy.'

Jenna was quick off the mark. A few days after the shoot she gave Jess a call. 'She said that her factory had given the concept a thumbs up and that they were going to start making prototypes right away, I couldn't believe it.' The pace soon slowed, though. 'We spent two whole years testing samples, sending them back for improvements and trying again. That was the first taste I had of how a real beauty business worked,' says Jess.

The very first Refy launch landed to serious social media hype on 2nd November 2020. Followers quickly got familiar with Refy's the 3.0 stage brow process made up of 1.0 Sculpt (a long-hold brow gel and brush), 2.0 Pomade (to shade) and 3.0 Pencil (a fine-tipped product that adds definition). A highlighter, brush and cream bronzer soon followed. Just a few months later Refy had been picked up by Sephora. 'That was a real milestone moment,' says Jess. 'I'd actually recorded a video when Refy first launched in the UK, it was a mock video where I announced to my followers that Refy had just been picked up by Sephora in the US. I'm a big believer in manifesting and knowing that video existed was my motivation.' Jess didn't have to wait long. 'I was at home when I got an email through from a buyer at Sephora asking if they could talk about stocking Refy. Apparently she had bought it herself after seeing it on Instagram, loved it, and told the rest of her team to go out and buy it too. I screamed, I was jumping up and down. It was so unbelievable that my dad told me to double check that it wasn't a scam.'

As co-founder of a wildly successful cosmetic brand, Jess obviously knows her make-up and her skincare routine is just as well informed. 'I have quite sensitive skin so I stick to a few brands that I know and love,' says Jess, 'I'm a huge fan of SkinCeuticals and CeraVe. I love smoothing on SkinCeuticals Epidermal Repair Cream Lotion, £70, before I go to bed, it's so nourishing and soothing, it makes me feel like a glazed doughnut.'

Then there's the £8.99 no-frills moisturiser that she discovered when her mother was recovering from breast cancer. 'She needed very gentle skincare products and bought E45's Moisturising Cream, £8.99, which I started using too. Neither of us would be without it to this day, I love how it makes my skin look dewy before I've even reached for my make-up.' Make-up wise, Jess has almost everything she needs in her own brand, though she does love Tarte Cosmetics Shape Tape Concealer, £24, 'It's by far my favourite concealer.'

As for what's next to come from Refy, Jess is admirably tight-lipped but there's reason to believe that a brand new launch or two are on the horizon. If you're in London this weekend and want to get a taste of the current Refy collection though, head on down to Bruton Street.

The Refy. pop-up location is open at 11 Bruton Street, London, W1J 6PY until Sunday 14th November.

Shop: Jess Hunt's Favourite Beauty Products

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