Melody Shari - Beauty Entrepreneur
“We no longer need to step into a store to buy our favourite haircare or skincare, and that shift has changed everything.”
Describe a typical day in your life
I’m usually up around five every morning. The day starts quietly, with a warm bath that gives me a rare pause before everything else kicks off. It’s my reset. Then the house wakes up. I get my kids up, and from that moment the pace changes. The multitasking begins because there’s always a lot happening at once. Earlier today, I was on a business call while cleaning out the fridge.
That pretty much sums it up. On any given day I might be setting up a TikTok Live, packing orders, checking inventory and negotiating brand deals all at the same time. You’ll probably catch me shooting content for my products in between cooking dinner and throwing a load of laundry on. That’s the beauty of running my business from home.
What made you set up Seventh Avenue?
I struggled with rosacea, and as a child competing in pageants, I dealt with persistent breakouts on my back that would start small, spread quickly and become unbearably itchy. It was my great-grandmother who first introduced me to natural remedies, and those early lessons stayed with me. Being surrounded by my aunts and cousins, beauty and skincare were always part of the conversation, shaping not just my routines but my curiosity.
That journey eventually led to the launch of Seventh Avenue Beauty in February 2022, a moment I consider a true blessing. Since then, the brand has grown beyond anything I imagined, helping women around the world feel confident in their skin. Today, I’m proud to be in the top one percent of TikTok Live creators, generating millions in sales on TikTok alone.
What are your favourite foundations?
I've got so many! From the TirTir Cushion to my holy-grail Pat McGrath, I keep backups just in case. I recently tried the £160 Tom Ford Foundation for a shoot and hated how much I loved it. My rotation also includes Huda Beauty, Hourglass, Fenty and Charlotte Tilbury, depending on mood or testing for work. On shoot days I go matte, starting with Danessa Myricks Primer and Blurring Balm, which works with any base and keeps everything locked in. It helps control shine, smooth texture and makes long shoot days last. It’s essential in unpredictable weather.
What’s your most popular product?
Our body scrubs have been a core part of the brand since 2022 and continue to be one of our bestsellers for a reason. From calming lavender and zesty lemon to juicy pineapple, sweet vanilla and rose vanilla cream, including our original OG scrub, each scent is designed to turn everyday exfoliation into a ritual. When we launched them, there was nothing else quite like it. The formulas are vegan, natural and paraben free, and we’re unapologetically serious about exfoliation. Removing dead skin is essential for healthy, soft skin and the results speak for themselves.
From the first use, skin feels instantly smoother, deeply nourished and infused with conditioning oils, all while smelling incredible. Another customer favourite is our hydrating facial foaming cleanser. Gentle yet effective, it’s natural and paraben free, effortlessly lifting makeup and daily buildup without stripping the skin, leaving it clean, comfortable and balanced.
How many products did you start with when you first?
When I first started, the entire brand was built on just five products: a cleanser, toner, moisturiser, milk bath and lip primer. Today, we’ve grown to well over a hundred products and we’re only just getting started.
How did you know when to scale and bring in different products?
Like most entrepreneurs, I’m always thinking about growth and timing, knowing when to expand and when it truly makes sense. I never saw the brand stopping at five skincare products, but I was intentional about what came next. As our customer base grew, I asked myself how we could meet more of their needs in one place. I didn’t want customers buying a cleanser from us and a body scrub elsewhere. I wanted them to stay on that journey with us. That’s how Seventh Avenue Beauty evolved into a true one-stop beauty destination, and why we moved beyond Seventh Avenue Premier Skincare.
What is your retail strategy?
I sell exclusively online, and that choice is intentional. I’ve had opportunities to move into retail, but e-commerce reflects how people actually live now. Convenience isn’t a trend, it’s the standard. I pay attention to my own habits. I order my groceries through Instacart and have them delivered to my door, and I know my customers expect the same ease when they shop for beauty. That mindset shapes how I build the business. Shopping habits have fundamentally changed, and 2026 is not 1999. E-commerce works because it meets people where they are, while many traditional retail models are still struggling to catch up.
What advice would you have to someone who wants to launch their own beauty brand?
What’s really stopping you? Don’t wait for perfection or for everything to be perfectly aligned. Some lessons are only learned by starting. Nothing I launched looks the same today, not even my labels, because growth comes from building, refining and improving as you go. Perfection keeps you stuck. It delays your purpose, your progress and your potential. Waiting doesn’t protect you, it blocks opportunities that could be life changing, not just for you, but for your family and generations to come. The truth is simple. The only thing stopping you is you.
What advice would you have for somebody who wants to grow the business?
Many small brands struggle when it’s time to scale because the logistics aren’t always in place. I’ve felt those growing pains firsthand, especially navigating entrepreneurship without mentors to guide the process. What I’ve learned is to grow strategically and at your own pace, not in competition with anyone else. Anyone can spend heavily on ads, but sustainable growth comes from having the capacity, systems and the right people behind you. I promote Seventh Avenue Beauty by showing up consistently through daily lives, TikTok mega lives, email and text marketing, and a private Facebook community of over 6,400 members. That focus on genuine connection builds loyal customers who don’t just buy, they advocate.
How do you feel the beautiful scene today compares to pre 2020?
You no longer need to step into a store to buy your favourite haircare or skincare, and that shift has changed everything. But beyond convenience, what’s transformed beauty is visibility. People now see the face behind the brand. Seventh Avenue Beauty is my baby, and I show up as the owner regularly, creating a real connection that didn’t exist before. Digital spaces opened that door, and COVID accelerated it, pushing founders into the spotlight. Entrepreneurs had to tell their stories, show up consistently and, in doing so, reshape how brands and consumers connect for good.
