Origins of the Dragon Fruit Collection: An Interview with Emily Violet Marie
Posted by Leigh Cavanaugh on
We are thrilled to have launched our first collaborative project, The Dragon Fruit Collection. This collaboration, with Emily Violet Marie, has taken many unexpected twists and turns along the way. We wanted to share some insights into the creative process that brought this project to life.
Clionadh Cosmetics co-owners, Leigh and Maggie, were first introduced to Emily through her YouTube channel, where she reviewed products from their early days. What really caught their attention was Emily’s “Palette Predictions” video series, in which she created mock eyeshadow palettes. One that stood out in particular was the strawberries and champagne themed colour story. Here starts the origins of the Dragon Fruit Collection.
Below, Emily Violet Marie shares her thoughts and experiences surrounding the Dragon Fruit Collection collaboration.
What made you want to collaborate with Clionadh Cosmetics?
“I honestly couldn’t believe that I was approached by Clionadh Cosmetics. I heard about Clionadh through the influencer Jen Luvs Reviews (now Jen Luv). She discussed [their] 2018 Valentine’s Day highlighter palette and I instantly fell in love. The whole collection had a candy theme which I was really drawn to. I tried almost the entire Valentine’s Collection, and to this day, the highlighter Popping Rocks has been my favourite shade of all time!
I made a few videos on my channel reviewing [Clionadh Cosmetics’] products. Leigh and Maggie discovered my content through these videos. At the time they approached me, I only had about 300 subscribers, and I am currently still a very small creator. I couldn’t believe they liked the palette design so much that they would want to turn it into a reality.
I still don’t think that it has completely set in that this collaboration is really happening. It’s such a wonderful opportunity that I never thought that I would have, and I am so grateful to be working with one of my favourite brands.”
How did you come up with the idea for the Strawberries and Champagne Palette mock-up?
“In my “Palette Predictions” video series back in May 2018, I had predicted that a different cosmetic brand would (or at least should) come out with a Strawberries and Champagne Collection. After my video was posted, Clionadh actually messaged me on Instagram expressing interest in turning the faux palette into a reality. It was one of the best moments of my life!”
How did the original theme evolve into the current Dragon Fruit Collection?
“The idea and colour story of the palette has mostly remained the same since its inception. I’m a huge fan of fruit and sweet themed makeup, but we wanted to evolve the strawberries and champagne theme into something a little more unique to the industry. We kept with the fruit and drink idea and settled on dragon fruits because there is so much you can do with this theme. The names of the shadows reflect the fruity cocktail aspect of our collection while the colours reflect the fruit itself!”
How has your makeup style influenced this collaboration?
“Anybody who knows me knows I love pink and it’s a colour I gravitate towards for eyeshadow. I’m drawn to sparkly and iridescent finishes so that influenced the textures we selected for the shadows in the palette. The dragon fruit theme really aligned with my love of fruity themed makeup.
[Additionally], pink-gold highlighters are my go-to; Popping Rocks has been a long time favourite. So, it was a no-brainer to create an elevated multichromatic version of that, as seen in Tropico.”
As a first-time collaboration, how has the process lined up with what you had envisioned?
“I always envisioned that it would be lengthy. I figured it would be about two years and a lot of work. I never felt stressed because I love doing makeup related content, so the process of choosing and naming colours came naturally. Surprisingly the time went quickly because I really had fun doing it.
Keeping everything a secret, as cheesy as it sounds, was the most difficult part. I’ve been so excited since Clionadh approached me, and I feel so lucky - it was hard not to shout it to the entire world. We didn’t want to rush any of the process, we knew the collaboration would take some time and COVID hit us with a curve ball. Now that it has all come together, we are so pumped!”
What are you most excited about?
“The entire collection is so exciting! I think I’m really most excited to hear what people have to say about the palette in particular. When I first came out with palette predictions, I had so much fun reading through all the comments and talking to the viewers. The response to the colour scheme was overwhelmingly positive. I can’t wait to hear the feedback once people actually have the palette in hand.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the looks that people will come up with as well. It’s a creative colour story and there are a lot of different ways you can use it. Whether it’s for subdued or bold looks, or used for eye art, I’m excited to see how people push their creativity.”
From an imaginary palette mock-up to a real life 7-piece project, the Dragon Fruit Collection has evolved more than any of us could have ever expected. We are so proud to finally be sharing this collaborative creation with our customers around the world.
