🧃003: The Juicy Chat - Cristina Nuñez Partner & Co-Founder of True Beauty Ventures.
How to win in beauty & resetting expectations.
In this series, I’m chatting with insiders across beauty, retail, wellness, and investing — the ones in the trenches. This isn’t your typical “tell me how you did it” interview. I’m asking ✨ what you wish you knew, 😬 what got messy, 👀 what people never see - hoping to provide deeper insight into what often looks seamless from the outside.
Each conversation follows a 5-question format, plus two recurring bonus questions I ask every guest. If there is someone you think would be great for this series (or you), message me 😊.
Cristina Nuñez is partner and co-founder of True Beauty Ventures (TBV). Since its inception in 2020, TBV has become a go-to VC for beauty brands. TBV invests after there are some serious growth signals in a brand and has an exciting portfolio including Dieux, Crown Affair, Vacation, K18 (exited to Unilever), and many more… Cristina is someone I love to connect with about trends and I deeply appreciate her focus on finding brands that can be truly profitable.
🔴 JUICY BYTE: From the past few years of investing, what’s something you’ve learned about building beauty brands— that surprised you?🔵 Cristina: That velocity does not equal longevity — and that virality can be a double-edged sword. A moment of hype might drive quick sales, but it does not build a moat or a lasting brand. In today’s fast-paced market, the strongest brands are often the ones that resist chasing every trend. In brand building, patience and consistency are underrated superpowers.🔴 JUICY BYTE: A lot of young founders dream of launching in Sephora or Ulta. What’s one thing you wish they knew before chasing retail — that most don’t?🔵 Cristina: Getting in is actually the easy part. Many view a Sephora or Ulta launch as the ultimate milestone, a sign they’ve “made it.” But few realize the level of investment required to succeed once you’re on shelves. You need marketing dollars, operational readiness, a crystal-clear view of your velocity targets, and built-in momentum. The most successful brands invest in brand building, education, and community early, so when retail hits, the customer is already waiting.🔴 JUICY BYTE: With tariffs and cost pressures mounting — even for U.S.-based brands — how are you helping your portfolio rethink pricing, margins, or supply chain strategy?🔵 Cristina: We are helping brands zoom out and assess the full picture. We’ve always pushed for margin to be designed into the business from day one and now that discipline matters more than ever. Whether it is resetting cost targets, rethinking component costs, shifting fulfillment, or negotiating better terms with suppliers, brands need to get proactive. In this environment, healthy margins are not a nice-to-have. They’re a safety net, and in some cases, a survival strategy.🔴 JUICY BYTE: Given today’s market realities, are you advising founders to rethink what 'success' looks like this year? If so, how?🔵 Cristina: Yes, and it is an important mindset shift. Success used to mean hypergrowth. Now, it’s about control: of your burn, your supply chain, your customer. It might mean prioritizing profitability over growth, loyalty over reach, or thoughtful channel strategy over broad distribution. In today’s environment, it’s important to remember this is not a step back — it’s building a more resilient, enduring business.🔴 JUICY BYTE: Despite all the noise in the market, what’s one signal you still believe in when it comes to predicting brand success?🔵 Cristina: Founder obsession. Not just passion, but true obsession with the customer, the problem, and the details. That energy shows up in product, storytelling, and culture. And consumers feel it. Especially in beauty, where trust is everything, that kind of authenticity still cuts through. And just behind founder is team. Founders build brands, but teams scale them. Getting the people part right is a non-negotiable.🌟🌟🌟BONUS ROUND🌟🌟🌟🔴 JUICY BYTE: What’s a product you resisted buying... and now you can’t live without?🔵 Cristina: I have to admit, I resisted mouth tape for a while. But I finally gave in, and now I can’t sleep without it. Between the mouth tape, eye mask, and retainer, I’m truly a vision at bedtime. There’s pretty much nothing I won’t do in the name of good sleep.🔴 JUICY BYTE: What’s a brand you’re low-key obsessed with right now — and why?🔵 Cristina: This is a tough one. With 20 amazing brands in the TBV portfolio, picking just one feels impossible. But if I had to choose something I use every single day — it’s evolvetogether. I’m obsessed with their natural deodorant. It actually works, smells incredible (I wear Havana), and adds a little luxury to a very unglamorous part of the routine.Thank you for reading along!
💡 Stay tuned for more!
- Anne
That was a great read!