The Bees Brilliance brand was created in Brightwater, Nelson, NZ in 2015. The premise was to create skincare by women in the community, for women. We were tired of products with lots of complicated ingredients and skincare routines. So we decided to provide a new option of simple, clean products with no fuss.

Opposite the 'Four Square', Matt and Julene (the co-owners of Bees Brilliance) leased a small shed and commissioned a semi-automatic packing machine. They had two casual employees who would help pack the creams during the day and at night time Julene would do the admin and customer service side of things.

The Bees Brilliance brand was established and launched later that year and initially only included the Skin Brightening Collection (pictured bellow).

Growth & Expansion

By 2017 the business could no longer fit in the little shed and they purchased Royce McGlashin’s old pottery wholesale warehouse. The tin shed had a major modern overhaul, and the business shifted to its new (and current) location on Factory Road. Matt was delighted, as he'd always said that one day he'd have a factory on Factory Road! 

"We're here primarily to provide employment opportunities to the women in our local community in Nelson, New Zealand." - Julene Cropp

"Being able to create a business in our local Brightwater community, and provide employment opportunities to the local ladies in our community has been a dream. We're been able to re-train amazing women in a new skills too. Chemistry  is fun and interesting and these skills can be used across numerous industries. There are many job opportunities both locally and internationally, however there is a real skill shortage in New Zealand.

It wasn't like I woke up one night with a brilliant disruptive business idea instead it has been a journey, of constant learning and creating new ideas. We were also tired of the cosmetic industry and all its falseness. Lots of fake faces, lots of complicated routines and false promises." - Julene.

The Bees Brilliance range is about less; less complicated routines, less ingredients that can be harmful to your health and less harm on our environment.

"We're proud to make a high quality range of clean skincare & wellness products owned and 100% made in New Zealand. We make sure nature and science aren't separate, they work together to meet the needs of consumers. This allows us to create products that are safe to use and perform as effectively as the synthetic equivalent." - Julene

Matt & Julene

Matt Cropp is a fourth-generation Beekeeper and his family has been beekeeping for over one hundred years within New Zealand. 

 

Julene is a trained Architectural Designer;

"Design and creating things from nothing have been my passion since I was a little girl. After falling in love with a beekeeper, and setting up a personal care manufacturing business, I now oversee the creative direction of the new product development team and the business. There is one thing that is certain about Bees Brilliance; we are always developing and creating. Whether it is a new product, a new texture, a new fragrance or a new formulation. Innovation is in our DNA."

On The Bees Brilliance Horizon

The Bees Brilliance brand won't be expanding to a complicated range of products anytime soon, that's just not our ethos. High-quality products that keep our customer's routines simple and effective is our main priority.

Instead, we are going to continue to develop new and innovative products to meet consumers needs. As long as we keep growing and expanding our reach we can provide even more employment opportunities for our local community and continue to provide great products that you can rely on.