Since this sheet mask was scoring points with family and friends I thought of it as market research. I thought, let me delve a little bit deeper and research e-commerce platforms that are selling this particular product or something similar, because for me this mask idea with the sheet mask for the neck was a mask of another caliber and the price point was spot on.

But based on my research, none were to be found.

You may ask, "Why this mask?" I believed that I had discovered a hidden treasure. I was using other skincare products that were beneficial to my skincare goals but this mask was unlike any other on the market at the time. It has 2X more essence than the leading brands and it can be used only once a week. And let’s not forget the benefits: anti-acne, anti-wrinkle, and anti-inflammatory.

Around that time I was most likely late to the Amazon FBA party train; nevertheless, I purchased an Amazon FBA training course, you know the ones that were all over YouTube, and began the journey to Amazon FBA.

FBA means Fulfillment by Amazon, which in essence means you send your inventory to Amazon Fulfillment Centres and when a customer makes a purchase that purchase is picked, packed and shipped by Amazon.

After the course was completed, which included a segment on market research, I was ready to set up my Amazon FBA Seller Account. This proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. After 90 days of identity verification with Amazon, I was finally granted an FBA Seller Account.

I realized that not only is the beauty industry highly competitive, it is saturated on Amazon, and Amazon’s Beauty Category, at that time, was "gated" and extremely difficult to penetrate. The procedure to be accepted by Amazon can be a bit daunting and there was a time that I thought about throwing in the towel.

Part of the required documentation is your supplier’s information (address, phone number, email, etc.) and a list of all the ingredients including the percentages of each ingredient contained within your product. Now, every card player knows that you should keep your cards close to your chest and journalists never reveal their sources so I was a little taken aback by this request. But as hesitant as I was I acquiesced and sent forth all the relevant information required to set up this account.

Once I had completed all that was required of me, I was granted permission to sell in the Beauty Category. I began to sell and the product was a success, or at least in my eyes it was as the inventory that I sent sold out rather quickly.

But when I went into my Seller’s Dashboard to replenish my stock for the second time, Amazon contacted me to inform me that I could no longer sell in the Beauty Category as it was saturated and they wanted to give other sellers opportunities to sell. I was told that I could sell in any other category but not the Beauty Category.

Here’s the part that leaves a sour taste in my mouth -- remember when I mentioned the "required documentation" that had to be submitted? Months later, Amazon released its own Skincare Line. Now, I’m not saying that the ingredients list was used to formulate Amazon’s Skincare Line, but I soon came to realize, after visiting certain forums, that I was not the only individual who had had this experience with Amazon.

I felt defeated and went through a period of anger and frustration, but it was through that defeatism, anger and frustration that I decided to create my own website and sell this one product.

You see, initially, I thought, okay, I have this great product and I can just ship it to Amazon FBA and all would be taken care of by Amazon. I wouldn’t have to deal with picking, packing and shipping. But then it dawned on me that I also wouldn't get to know my customers on a personal level and they wouldn’t get to know me either.

Now, when I look back at my time with Amazon, I think they did me a favour because I’ve created something that I am really proud of. I want to share my knowledge of K-Beauty Skincare products with people who, like me, thought that K-Beauty products did not work for them..

This sheet mask was the genesis of Madnice, and now I have over 50 K-Beauty skincare products vetted by me.  A curated selection of Korea’s best kept secrets, these products use the highest-quality ingredients derived from nature and created using cutting-edge technology.

Madnice products go beyond the surface to transform your skin from within. Used widely by dermatology and cosmetic surgery clinics, spas and beauty salons, savvy Koreans utilize these products in their skin care regimen. Even frequently used in medical procedures for recovery and rejuvenation after surgery, these masks, gels and creams all meet Madnice’s highest standards for beauty care.

Show your skin some love!

M

Since this sheet mask was scoring points with family and friends I thought of it as market research. I thought, let me delve a little bit deeper and research e-commerce platforms that are selling this particular product or something similar, because for me this mask idea with the sheet mask for the neck was a mask of another caliber and the price point was spot on.

But based on my research, none were to be found.

You may ask, "Why this mask?" I believed that I had discovered a hidden treasure. I was using other skincare products that were beneficial to my skincare goals but this mask was unlike any other on the market at the time. It has 2X more essence than the leading brands and it can be used only once a week. And let’s not forget the benefits: anti-acne, anti-wrinkle, and anti-inflammatory.

Around that time I was most likely late to the Amazon FBA party train; nevertheless, I purchased an Amazon FBA training course, you know the ones that were all over YouTube, and began the journey to Amazon FBA.

FBA means Fulfillment by Amazon, which in essence means you send your inventory to Amazon Fulfillment Centres and when a customer makes a purchase that purchase is picked, packed and shipped by Amazon.

After the course was completed, which included a segment on market research, I was ready to set up my Amazon FBA Seller Account. This proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. After 90 days of identity verification with Amazon, I was finally granted an FBA Seller Account.

I realized that not only is the beauty industry highly competitive, it is saturated on Amazon, and Amazon’s Beauty Category, at that time, was "gated" and extremely difficult to penetrate. The procedure to be accepted by Amazon can be a bit daunting and there was a time that I thought about throwing in the towel.

Part of the required documentation is your supplier’s information (address, phone number, email, etc.) and a list of all the ingredients including the percentages of each ingredient contained within your product. Now, every card player knows that you should keep your cards close to your chest and journalists never reveal their sources so I was a little taken aback by this request. But as hesitant as I was I acquiesced and sent forth all the relevant information required to set up this account.

Once I had completed all that was required of me, I was granted permission to sell in the Beauty Category. I began to sell and the product was a success, or at least in my eyes it was as the inventory that I sent sold out rather quickly.

But when I went into my Seller’s Dashboard to replenish my stock for the second time, Amazon contacted me to inform me that I could no longer sell in the Beauty Category as it was saturated and they wanted to give other sellers opportunities to sell. I was told that I could sell in any other category but not the Beauty Category.

Here’s the part that leaves a sour taste in my mouth -- remember when I mentioned the "required documentation" that had to be submitted? Months later, Amazon released its own Skincare Line. Now, I’m not saying that the ingredients list was used to formulate Amazon’s Skincare Line, but I soon came to realize, after visiting certain forums, that I was not the only individual who had had this experience with Amazon.

I felt defeated and went through a period of anger and frustration, but it was through that defeatism, anger and frustration that I decided to create my own website and sell this one product.

You see, initially, I thought, okay, I have this great product and I can just ship it to Amazon FBA and all would be taken care of by Amazon. I wouldn’t have to deal with picking, packing and shipping. But then it dawned on me that I also wouldn't get to know my customers on a personal level and they wouldn’t get to know me either.

Now, when I look back at my time with Amazon, I think they did me a favour because I’ve created something that I am really proud of. I want to share my knowledge of K-Beauty Skincare products with people who, like me, thought that K-Beauty products did not work for them..

This sheet mask was the genesis of Madnice, and now I have over 50 K-Beauty skincare products vetted by me.  A curated selection of Korea’s best kept secrets, these products use the highest-quality ingredients derived from nature and created using cutting-edge technology.

Madnice products go beyond the surface to transform your skin from within. Used widely by dermatology and cosmetic surgery clinics, spas and beauty salons, savvy Koreans utilize these products in their skin care regimen. Even frequently used in medical procedures for recovery and rejuvenation after surgery, these masks, gels and creams all meet Madnice’s highest standards for beauty care.

Show your skin some love!

M