One of my favorite classes of college was my Intro to Marketing class that I took during my sophomore year of college. During the class, we had guest speakers come in from a variety of industries and careers. My college was very finance focused so it was refreshing to hear about other career paths!

One of the guest speakers was Lillian Tung, currently the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Fur, who shared her experiences doing marketing at beauty companies such as L’oreal. I loved hearing about her journey in the beauty industry.

About Lillian Tung

Lillian Tung left L’Oreal to co-found a beauty company called Fur, a business with rather unconventional products. Fur is the first brand to embrace the conversation around daily pubic hair care. It is the first line of products that cares for pubic hair and skin. I had the opportunity to interview Lillian and test out the products. Read more for the interview!

What is the story behind Fur?

We realized that while the majority of men and women do some type of pubic hair grooming, the care options were so limited.  In fact, before Fur, any google search for pubic hair care yielded results on only removal.  If we have daily care options for our face and our head hair, why not the most intimate area?  We created Fur because we wanted more care options for ourselves. We wanted natural products that would care for the hair and skin at any length, from bare to full.  Before Fur there were no products to extend the everyday ritual we all have to this most important part of the body.

What made you decide to take the trap from corporate life at L’Oreal to entrepreneurship?

I’ve always loved the beauty industry as it is one of the most exciting and fast paced places to work so I knew that whatever my next step would be after L’Oreal it would still be within the category.  For me, it was less about entrepreneurship and more about the opportunity to influence the way men and women view their grooming habits.  Being at the forefront of this positive conversation around our bodies and how we care for ourselves is what makes Fur so exciting!

What has been the most challenging part of starting your own company?

Having come from a corporate background, you don’t realize how much built in support and process there is until you leave and start your own thing.  Every day is different and every challenge requires a new solution so you never know if you’re doing the right thing! That being said, it’s important to do your research, ask advice, and follow your gut.

What advice would you give anyone looking to pursue entrepreneurship in the beauty industry?

Network, network, network!  See the previous question – it is so hard to know if you’re doing the right thing and self-doubt inevitably creeps in.  The more entrepreneurs you talk to, the more you realize even the most daunting task you face has been tackled by someone else and there is always something to learn.  The best entrepreneurs realize it’s not a zero sum game and support each other. It’s hard enough without people trying to be mean.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

For starting a company: Watch your cash flow – make sure your decisions don’t eat up your cash so you can always live another day. For life: Always wash your face before bed.

Fur currently has three products – Ingrown Concentrate (just released!), Fur Oil and Stubble Cream. I received the Fur Oil and Stubble Cream to review. The Fur Oil is Fur’s signature product and contains natural, healing oils like grape seed, jojoba, tea tree and clary sage seed. The Stubble Cream contains safflower seed and olive extracts, shea butter and tea tree oil. A huge plus for the products is that they are free of artificial fragrances, dyes, paraben and silicone. The ingredients used are ingredients I would also feel comfortable using on my face and I like that the products are dermatologically and gynecologically tested. In addition to the use of natural ingredients, another thing that really stands out is that packaging is absolutely beautiful. 

Thank you Lillian for the interview! To read more about careers in the beauty industry, you can find more posts here.