Napoleon Perdis
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Napoleon Perdis (born 19 March 1970) is a Greek Australian makeup artist and businessman.
Napoleon launched a small makeup studio in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt in 1992. He created a line of cosmetic products which he sold through his own concept store in the Sydney suburb of Paddington in 1995 and later through major department stores.[1] By 2011, the brand operated 65 concept stores across Australia and New Zealand and sold its cosmetics from 4,500 locations. His business expanded to the United States with a number of concept stores and products are also stocked by Ulta beauty product stores and independent retailers throughout the country.
Napoleon set up The Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy in 1993 which provides makeup education by professional trainers for people who want to pursue a career in makeup. Napoleon's business partners are his younger brother Emanuel Perdis and his wife Soula-Marie, with both of whom he co-founded his cosmetics empire from the very outset.[2]
Biography
Napoleon's parents were Greek immigrants, who settled in Sydney's western suburbs originally from the island of Kythera, and his father from Tripoli-Argos, Greece. They were also hard-working business people who once owned a popular cafe on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Liverpool Street, in the Sydney CBD. Napoleon's family lived in the Sydney suburbs of Sutherland, Strathfield and Parramatta. He went to school at Arthur Phillip High School and later at the Redeemer Baptist School. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University, where he met his wife Soula-Marie. They married in 1991 and have four daughters, which include triplets. He worked as a barrister's assistant and his wife was completing her actuary studies. He worked as a make-up artist for brides on weekends and in 1992 opened his own make-up studio in a small shop in Ultimo, New South Wales. In 1993, he won a make-up competition at a beauty expo with a look that was inspired by Cher. He won a trip to Los Angeles, where he met Cher's make-up artist and agreed to become the Australian distributor for his 'Taut' make-up products. Napoleon sold the make-up to brides and through his Ultimo studio and hair salons. He sold the business when he launched his own make-up products under the successive names, The Look, then The Look by Napoleon, followed with Napoleon and finally to its current Napoleon Perdis name from 1994.
Popular culture
In 2007, Napoleon Perdis appeared as a special guest on a few episodes of the reality television show Australia's Next Top Model. Australia's own Melissa George campaigned as the face of the Napoleon DeVine Goddess line of cosmetics in 2007.
In 2008, he starred in his own reality television show Get Your Face On, following the make up guru as he looks for a protégé to help the brand expand in the American market. He also successfully launched an exclusive 85-piece diffusion make up line through American Target called NP Set in the same month Get Your Face On went to air on cable's TLC channel.[3]
References
External links
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