Mark Constantine

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(born 1952) is a British entrepreneur and

trichologist Trichology is the study of the hair and scalp. The term derives from Ancient Greek θρίξ (''thríx''), "hair" and -λογία ''-logia''. In most jurisdictions the title of a ''trichologist'', not the field of trichology, is considered a par ...

best known as the co-founder and CEO of

Lush Lush may refer to: People Music * Lush (band), a British rock band * ''Lush'' (Mitski album), a 2012 album by Mitski * ''Lush'' (Snail Mail album), a 2018 album by Snail Mail * "Lush", a single by Skepta featuring Jay Sean * ''Lush 3'', a si ...

, described as "one of the world's biggest cosmetics firms".

Personal life

Constantine was born in 1952 in

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a location * Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire * S ...

. He failed his GCEs at

Weymouth Grammar School Weymouth can refer to: Places ;In the United Kingdom *Weymouth, Dorset, England :*Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (UK Parliament constituency) :*Weymouth and Portland, the abolished local government district :*Weymouth Bay :*Weymouth Beach :*Weymout ...

and became homeless at the age of 16, sleeping in a tent in an area of woodland. Later on, he took an apprenticeship as a hairdresser, earning £3 per week. In 2018 Constantine's childhood friend Jeff Osment wrote ''Dear John: The Road to Pelindaba'' () about Constantine's quest to trace his absent father John. It was published by Lush to ensure that

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

could not distribute it, as there had been conflict between Lush and Amazon. Constantine has a daughter and two sons.

Career

Early beginnings and freelance work

Constantine worked in a cosmetics retailer in the 1970s after being made homeless where he was the victim of workplace sexual harassment. After several jobs in the London area, Constantine relocated back to Poole to work in the freelance cosmetics industry. During his freelance career, Constantine sent samples of his work, such as shampoo, to Dame

Anita Roddick Dame Anita Lucia Roddick (23 October 1942 – 10 September 2007) was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner, best known as the founder of the British version of The Body Shop, now The Body Shop Internation ...

, founder of

The Body Shop The Body Shop International Limited, trading as The Body Shop, is a British cosmetics, skin care and perfume company. Founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick, the company currently has a range of 1,000 products sold in about 3,000 stores, divid ...

from whom he took some orders. However, due to intellectual property rights which Roddick believed she owned, Constantine sold the company to her in 1991 for a sum of £17 million.

Cosmetics To Go

After the sale, Constantine, along with his wife Margaret ("Mo"), reinvested the capital into Cosmetics To Go, a "direct mail startup." However, this venture ended quickly. Bankruptcy was filed in 1994, citing the products being priced too cheaply and Constantine underestimating business expenses.

Lush

Constantine and Mo founded

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council ...

in 1995. By 2007 there were 462 Lush stores in 46 countries, with a combined revenue of $292 million. The company was described in 2018 as "one of the world's biggest cosmetics firms". Constantine and Mo were both appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the

2011 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2011 were announced on 31 December 2010 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: New Zealand,New Zealand"New Year Honours 2011"(14 January 2011) 2 '' New Zealand Gazette'' 55. The Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands: Grenada,Grenada: ...

, having been recognised for their "services to the beauty industry."United Kingdom:

References

External links

* ''Audio interview, 40 mins'' Living people 1952 births British retail company founders People from the London Borough of Sutton Officers of the Order of the British Empire English chief executives English company founders {{UK-business-bio-1950s-stub