When next generation cosmetics brand Dandy Craft was born in Luxembourg, it entered a market dominated by heavily capitalised international groups.
Yet no genuinely local brand, formulated, produced and championed in Luxembourg, existed in the mainstream natural cosmetics segment. “As consumers, we simply couldn’t find products that truly reflected who we were,” says Solène Whiskin, who launched the project with Michel-Ange Rodriguez in 2021.
The positioning was clear from the outset: total independence, proprietary formulations, controlled production, stringent ecological certifications and a refusal of white-label models. Dandy Craft formulates its entire skincare range in-house, without reusing existing bases. The choice of aluminium packaging, the absence of secondary packaging and COSMOS certification underpin a coherent, yet costly, proposition from the earliest stages.
A Long, Capital-Intensive Launch Without a Safety Net
The idea took shape in the summer of 2021. The sector’s timelines immediately imposed a delay: between formulation, regulatory approval and mandatory testing, 12 to 24 months are required before products can be placed on the market. The brand was eventually launched in September 2023, following a crowdfunding campaign designed to test market appetite and support the financing of an initial range of twelve products. The funds raised proved structurally important, but the founders invested beyond this amount to enable full commercialisation.
This initial decision had a lasting impact on the cost structure. Launching with a broad range helped establish product credibility, but required significant investment in raw materials, packaging, toxicological testing and certifications, well before the first sales were generated. “Every euro came from our personal or family resources,” explains Michel-Ange Rodriguez, a trained chemist responsible for formulation.
The entrepreneurial turning point was also rooted in personal circumstances. The Covid-19 crisis acted as a catalyst. Both were employed, financially stable, yet exhausted. They decided to leave their roles in order to bring renewed meaning to their professional trajectory. “If we didn’t do it then, we never would,” says Solène Whiskin.
Commercial Growth, Structural Isolation
Within two years of commercial activity, Dandy Craft succeeded in entering most major retail networks in Luxembourg. Today, between 90% and 95% of turnover is generated domestically, with a marginal presence in France, Belgium and Germany via its e-shop. Large-scale retail remains the primary volume driver, although the brand maintains a hybrid distribution model, ranging from local organic retailers to broader distribution channels.
In September 2025, Dandy Craft received an Excellence Award at the European Natural Beauty Awards, a decisive recognition in a sector where legitimacy is difficult to build without strong brand equity. The company thus became the first Luxembourg cosmetics brand to be honoured in this way. “The award naturally delighted us, but it also confirmed that while we were on the right path, we had not yet reached our destination,” notes Michel-Ange Rodriguez.
Yet this commercial traction has not been matched by significant institutional backing. There were no startup grants, nor banking support commensurate with the brand’s needs. The company launched before certain public schemes were introduced and quickly found itself outside eligibility criteria. “We never ticked the right boxes,” says Solène Whiskin. Growth has therefore been slower, driven exclusively by self-financing.
Independence Affirmed, Structuring Underway
Dandy Craft remains a two-person operation, where the boundary between personal and professional life is largely porous. The brand’s launch coincided with the birth of their son, intensifying both financial and organisational pressure. To maintain economic balance, Solène Whiskin simultaneously developed a communications consultancy.
Aware of their limits, the founders recently joined Business Mentoring Luxembourg in order to strengthen their strategic management framework. Performance indicators remain partly intuitive, due to the absence of dedicated human resources, but the objective is clear: professionalise governance without compromising the brand’s original DNA.
The question of opening the company’s capital is now under consideration. “We are prepared to relinquish part of our independence, but not control over our strategic decisions,” says Michel-Ange Rodriguez. The challenge is to accelerate development, particularly within pharmacies, para-pharmacies and selective perfumery, while retaining control over formulations and ecological commitments.
A Fragile Yet Coherent Model
The principal risks identified remain external: rising raw material costs, evolving European regulations, dependence on packaging suppliers and changes in certification standards. At their scale, each fluctuation has a direct impact on profitability.
Over a three- to five-year horizon, Dandy Craft’s success will be measured by its ability to consolidate its presence in the Luxembourg market, expand its range and further structure its organisation. “Our ambition is to prove that an independent model, formulated and produced in Luxembourg, can endure alongside major groups, provided it benefits from the right networks and support,” concludes Solène Whiskin.
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