Melissa (Mel) Pateras has been dreaming about launching her own business for over a decade. Her passion for all things beauty, love and Greece flowed together in 2019 to set the foundations for Meleros.
Meleros, half namesake, half ode to the Greek god of love, is a bespoke collection of richly pigmented and highly moisturising lip colours. A curated collection of shades of lip colour that includes chic nudes, powerful peach tones, vibrant and vivacious pinks as well as daring and bold red in matte, high-gloss and satin finishes. The lipsticks contain antioxidants and Vitamin E with a hue of a Violet scent for a luxurious and moisturising finish. The collection is non-comedogenic and has not been tested on animals, as well as paraben and fragrance free with the added benefit of being hypo-allergenic.
The brand is Mel’s brainchild, a reflection of her appreciation of the aesthetic world and one’s physical being combined with inspiration drawn from her cultural lineage.
Mel’s love and passion for her Hellenic heritage culminated in her now “Made in Greece” collection that just launched on Friday.
The Ouzo shade.
The Ouzo shade.
The Fashionista shade.
The Fashionista shade.
The Eros shade.
The Eros shade.
“This has been a long time coming. This is the first collection made in Greece. We are no longer manufacturing in Canada because I wanted it to align to our Greek culture,” she tells Neos Kosmos, adding that “the quality of ingredients and the level of quality in Greece is outstanding. I think Greek products are very understated and need to be seen.”
Mel has always believed that “one should love what they wear” but also that what you consume and put on your skin should be “good for you”.
“When I was 31, I had my son. It was then that I also got this knowing that by the time I was 40, I was going to run my own brand,” Mel tells Neos Kosmos. “I had a vision, I saw the number, I saw it happen, and I also knew it would be makeup.”
BAPTISED BY FIRE
So let’s fast forward from 31 to 39. Having had her knowledge of high-end production finely tuned after working directly within some of the worlds most desired luxury goods brands across cosmetics, fragrances, fashion and automotives with her last stint being more than 10 years at Chanel Australia and New Zealand, she poured it all into her own brand.
“It was challenging. We did the whole coming soon of the brand in September 2019 -because that’s when the stock was in production from- manufacturing can take up to six months, and we entered the market on the week chaos broke out.”
“The first week of the Melbourne lockdown, just when I turned 40, I was launching a beauty brand. We were selling lipstick when you could not go anywhere without a mask! It seemed like like a battle lost but not even did we come out of it alive, we won the war,” Melissa says.
Her dreams to make a big entry into the market diminished very quickly but on the other hand, she is glad things happened the way they did because Meleros grew organically between lockdowns, expanded in the wholesale department and entered the East Coast market. Reviews were coming in fast, while Mel had time to reevaluate her brand and realign it with who she really is.
“I got to really see what works, and how much feeling good mattered for women when they could not go out. It’s not just about the trends and fashion. It’s about who organically connects with your brand, and how it makes them feel.”
As challenging as 2020 was, 2021 held even more spades up its sleeve, but so did Melissa.
“I was pushing myself to go out and run, stay fit and healthy, and I was putting out stories urging women to go for a run, wear lipstick, get their endorphins pumping… it worked for me but what motivated me also motivated others.”
As she watched small businesses all around her shut their doors, Melissa decided to take another big step and divert the manufacturing of the products from Canada to Greece.
“I took the risk to do what felt right and decided to really refine Meleros and align with what it means to me, align with my heritage. At the same time, I wanted to pioneer something new here in Australia and bring the amazing quality of Greek products here.”
The new product line even tastes like Greece, with the new lipstick collection bearing names like ‘Eros’, and ‘Ouzo’ while covering shades that match every skin-tone, something Mel takes pride in given she has infused 15 years of experience into Meleros.
GIVING BACK
Creating a high-end quality, nutritious beauty product that connects her to her roots was not enough for Mel, who wanted to give back to her community. A story close to home became her inspiration and springboard for the brand’s affiliation with the Look Good Feel Better charity supported by the Cancer Patients Foundation.
The Look Good Feel Better program, is an independent not-for-profit organisation, not affiliated with any other cancer charity or support service, while CPF relies on the generosity of corporate and community supporters.
“After my aunt passed away in May this year from cancer, I woke up one morning and wanted to do things differently,” Mel tells Neos Kosmos.
“She lost the battle with cancer at 55. I’m considering her more a sister than an aunt. A month after her passing, I called my mum and told her I was going to plan a big charity dinner and donate the proceeds to an organisation that helps women who have cancer. I had to make it happen.”
Indeed, Mel managed to get the Mayor onboard and hosted a sold-out charity event at the Hellenic Museum last October, bringing together 100 influential women in honour of those who know or have lost a loved one to Cancer. Over a three course Greek-inspired meal the event’s host Janine Lum interviewed three incredible guest speakers on the evening.
The panel included Kathy Tsaples who is the Founder of Sweet Greek cookbook author and a cancer survivor, Dr Lynn Burmeister (known as the Fertility Queen) who assists women with becoming a parent and also with cancer during their fertility process as well as Dr Chantel Thornton, a specialist breast cancer surgeon, specialising in the surgical treatment of breast cancer and prevention.
“I loved it. It was somethin that came to me very easily. From that night, a wonderful support network was created and the plan is to keep throwing these events as beauty and health is an axis that aligns with Meleros and Look Good Feel Better.”
“To me beauty is not only skin deep. It’s an expression of Love for life itself and everything that matters. I see Meleros as a way to celebrate women and life, to make each moment more flavoursome and colourful while giving back. This is only the beginning of a beauty-full journey.”
Find Meleros at selected stockists of via www.meleros.com.au
