The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan – Episode 617

Title: How A Failing Skincare Brand Became An 8-Figure Makeup Empire | Aliett Buttelman
Release Date: December 25, 2025

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode features an in-depth conversation between host Nathan Chan and Aliett Buttelman, co-founder of Fazeit Beauty. Aliett shares the journey from struggling with a failing skincare brand to building an eight-figure makeup empire, highlighted by a single, serendipitous viral moment when Taylor Swift wore Fazeit’s glitter freckles at a Chiefs game. The discussion is a masterclass in pivoting, organic social media strategy, bootstrapping, and being prepared for “overnight” success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Taylor Swift Viral “Overnight Success” Moment

[02:38 – 04:11]

• Aliett recounts October 7, 2024, as the day everything changed after Taylor Swift was seen wearing Fazeit Beauty’s gold glitter freckles, leading to explosive sales.
• “I came home from a workout… my husband had the Monday Night Football game on… I get a message… ‘I think Taylor Swift is at the game right now wearing Fazeit’s glitter freckles’… I just blacked out… The internet broke. I bawled my eyes out… That was really the moment that my business changed.” – Aliett Buttelman [02:38]
• Her husband happened to capture her emotional reaction on video, which itself later went viral.
• Fazeit achieved over seven figures in sales in 48 hours but, critically, was prepared with sufficient inventory.

2. The Long Road: Years of Grind and Pivots

[04:52 – 07:33]

• Fazeit originally started as a skincare/acne brand, developing innovative patches for acne, ingrown hairs, and scars.
• Aliett and co-founder Nina continually faced setbacks, struggled with raising money, and learned to build lean, prioritizing only the most vital expenses with their initial $13,000.
• “Run your business at any phase with the mindset of ‘I only have $13,000 in my bank account’… really running a company lean.” – Aliett Buttelman [07:33]

3. Product-Market Fit & The Courage to Pivot

[09:49 – 16:56]

• Fazeit’s original product line did not achieve true product-market fit despite some traction (retail interest, small sales).
• The breakthrough came with the development of their makeup patches—aspirational, glitter-based designs inspired by customer feedback on social trends.
• “We sold out of 100,000 units before the product even hit our warehouse. At that moment, we were like, okay. We found product-market fit finally.” – Aliett Buttelman [15:50]
• Indicators that “goals are not necessarily tied to revenue”—for early stage, things like retailer and social interest matter, but real market fit is clear when demand erupts without pushing.

4. Recognizing When to Double Down (and When To Let Go)

[16:56 – 21:33]

• Despite hitting some initial goals with skincare (e.g., $10K-$20K monthly), it never “popped”.
• The moment makeup patches launched and went viral, it became clear which line to prioritize.
• “If we’re not seeing a spike in like overall product selection from Fazeit, then I think it’s time to abandon ship.” – Aliett Buttelman [21:33]

5. Fundraising, Rejection, and the Case for Bootstrapping

[21:56 – 28:57]

• Aliett and Nina faced over 100 VC rejections and learned valuable lessons from joining a Midwest tech accelerator (the only CPG and female founders present).
• “Thank God we didn’t raise money because it allowed us the freedom to figure out where we wanted to go with our business. I own 98% of my company. Right. That’s priceless.” – Aliett Buttelman [27:30]
• She stresses that learning to build with nothing breeds the creativity and resilience necessary for disruption.

6. Building a Viral Organic Social Engine

[28:57 – 33:25]

• Early success on TikTok for their acne patches came from understanding psychology (graphic, satisfying “patch peel” content) and forming real community connections.
• “Our short-form content of watching a patch peeled off someone’s face… people watch that full video till the very end, and that’s how something goes viral.” – Aliett Buttelman [31:36]
• Disregard industry trends and focus on what truly disrupts and engages.

7. Seizing Viral Moments: The Secret is Preparation

[34:34 – 38:38]

• Before the Taylor Swift viral moment, Fazeit repeatedly practiced scaling inventory and reacting quickly to demand spikes.
• Strategic use of press, rapid response to journalists, and omni-channel marketing maximized the impact.
• “If you have a viral moment… you can’t stop talking about it. …You might be tired of it, but you’ve only hit 1% of the world.” – Aliett Buttelman [36:26]
• Used the momentum to negotiate a landmark retail deal with Target in record time.

8. Breaking Conventional Beauty Industry Rules

[38:38 – 41:52]

• Strong embrace of Amazon as people want impulse, occasion-driven, fast delivery.
• “I was like whatever. I’m the hottest beauty brand of the year and I’ve done everything backwards. …I am a profitable beauty brand who’s never raised money. …Amazon works.” – Aliett Buttelman [40:33]

9. Dealing with Retailers: Strategic Negotiation and Power

[41:52 – 44:17]

• Don’t be afraid to say no; it’s a powerful negotiation tactic.
• Protect margins, don’t rebrand for a retailer on their terms alone, and wait for good-fit retailers to come to you.
• “I wish in the early days I would have known that saying no is okay and it actually gives me more power.” – Aliett Buttelman [43:19]

10. Aspirational vs Problem-Solving Products

[44:17 – 46:42]

• Original acne and skin patches solved urgent needs, but Fazeit’s explosive growth came from making something aspirational and joyful, not just fixing a problem.
• “People always just want, they want aspiration… they want to be sold the dream of what something can feel like… it does become a conversation starter.” – Aliett Buttelman [45:06]

11. Manifestation, Goal-Setting, and Living the Journey

[47:46 – 50:25]

• Aliett is a big advocate for setting audacious goals, meditating on what she wants, and stating intentions—often these “wild” targets have come true.
• Fazeit grew from $150K annual revenue to multiple eight figures following their viral moment.
• “It’s important to put things out into the world and say it out loud, you know, to make them a reality or at least set intention for a goal you want to reach.” – Aliett Buttelman [47:46]

12. Final Advice for Founders

[50:42 – 51:49]

• Listen to other founder stories and apply tactical lessons.
• Build your founder network for peer and mentor support.
• Enjoy the journey, trust your gut, and remember: no one knows your company better than you.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was compounded years of the grind and the grit and everyone, everything came to fruition.” – Aliett Buttelman [02:39]
• “We found product market fit finally.” – Aliett Buttelman [15:50]
• “If you have a viral moment… you can’t stop talking about it.” – Aliett Buttelman [36:26]
• “I own 98% of my company. Right. That’s priceless.” – Aliett Buttelman [27:35]
• “We break all the rules of beauty and cpg.” – Aliett Buttelman [40:33]

Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:38 – Aliett’s emotional reaction to seeing Taylor Swift wear Fazeit
• 04:52 – Years of grind: brand origins and pivots
• 07:33 – How to stretch a $13,000 startup budget
• 15:50 – The moment product-market fit was discovered (selling 100,000+ units before arrival)
• 21:33 – Deciding to abandon “what isn’t working” despite initial success
• 27:30 – The value of controlling your company and the bootstrapping mindset
• 31:36 – The psychology behind viral TikTok content
• 34:34 – Being prepared for viral moments: logistics and media blitz
• 40:33 – Rejecting industry dogma and full-throated embrace of Amazon
• 45:06 – Why aspirational products can win, and the unexpected power of community and joy
• 47:46 – The power of manifestation and goal-setting
• 50:42 – Final advice to founders: listen, network, trust your gut

Language and Tone

Aliett is candid, emotionally open, tactical, and reflective throughout, communicating resilience, humility, and confidence. Nathan is practical and supportive, asking for detail and always connecting lessons to the broader founder audience.

Summary Takeaways

• Viral moments are the result of years of groundwork—be ready.
• True product-market fit is visceral and obvious; don’t cling to “almosts.”
• Bootstrapping creates discipline, flexibility, and ultimately more control and upside.
• Brand strategy is about freshness and authenticity, not just trend-following.
• Be prepared to break “the rules” if they don’t serve your business or customers.
• Say no more often; keep your brand power.
• Build community with aspiration—not just solutions—and people will engage.
• Set wild goals, believe, and keep pressing forward.

This episode offers a frontline, actionable blueprint for founders on when to pivot, how to build virality into your product and marketing DNA, and what it takes to both endure the grind and capitalize on your big break.