Why we decided to develop our own Horace products.

I don’t think I’m capable of describing 18 months of product development without forgetting some crucial details. At the same time, I’m also pretty sure I could wax lyrical regarding the placement of the Horace logo on our products’ packaging. Maybe the easiest way to introduce our products is to simply explain why - even before we’d launched Horace - we knew we would develop our own products.

For quite some time now I’ve been aware that the best moisturising cream won’t turn me into a lady-killer. Nor will my face cleanser transform me into Steve Jobs. If this were the case, I would be a superhero from Monday to Saturday, and subhuman on Sundays until approximately 11:30am (at which time I generally decide having a shower might be a good idea). I moisturise for the same reason I wear shirts: I enjoy looking good and feeling like the most accomplished version of myself. Which is also why I carefully choose my clothes, watch my diet, and pay particular attention to what I put on my face. Not because I want to be a ladies’ man or a killer at work.

For the past two and a half years, I’ve lived, eaten, slept and dreamt grooming. Not so much my own grooming needs either, mostly those of others: my friends, my customers (with whom I have more regular conversations than with my friends), and men in general. I’m still surprised by how many men use grooming products and how willing they are to discuss the topic with me. There have also been lots of questions, sometimes very specific ones at that. Which brings me to our regular routine articles. These portraits were devised to show all Horace readers that grooming is a normal part of everyday life.

All of these elements helped us identify what you needed, and what we wanted. We were quickly faced with the reality of the existing market offers. No brand had what we wanted for our customers: we were caught between cliché fragrances, overrich textures, or simply too aggressive products. At which point we simply decided to go for it and develop the best possible male grooming products ourselves. This would also enable us to keep control of the entire process, from the products’ formulas to their packaging and price, thus offering high-quality, attractively-packaged products for an appropriate - intermediary-free - price.

Our products were launched a week ago, and the feedback has been amazing. We couldn’t have imagined being so successful. We look forward to getting all your comments on our first Horace products. Yes, you guessed right, there’s plenty more to come.

I hope you’ll enjoy using our products as much as we enjoy creating them.

Marc Briant-Terlet.