Poppy Industries
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cosmetics |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Poppy King |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Cosmetics, primarily opaque lipstick products |
Poppy Cybele King (born 23 May 1972) is an Australian entrepreneur celebrated for establishing Poppy Industries and its cosmetics line, which was retailed through Poppy Stores across Australia during the 1990s.
Early life
King was raised in a Jewish household and received her education at Lauriston Girls' School followed by Wesley College, Melbourne. She experienced the loss of her father to cancer at the age of seven.
Business career
At 19 years old, King founded her cosmetics enterprise in 1991, specializing primarily in a diverse selection of opaque lipstick products. Based in Melbourne, Poppy Industries quickly expanded, becoming one of the leading cosmetic companies in Australia within just three years. In 1995, King was honored with the Young Australian of the Year award as the company reported profits amounting to $6.5 million.
Following its entry into the U.S. market, Poppy Industries went into receivership in 1998 and was subsequently sold. After receiving fresh capital, it continued operations until 2002 when it was purchased by an American firm, which led to King's move to the United States. In 1999, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission conducted an investigation into insolvency claims but ultimately found no misconduct.
King introduced "Lipstick Queen" in 2006, a worldwide cosmetics brand now available at prominent retailers including Sephora, Bloomingdales, and Mecca. In 2018, Elle Australia named Lipstick Queen’s Frog Prince lipstick—famous for its green-to-pink color transformation—as one of the top 10 most iconic lipstick shades ever created.
Personal life
King currently lives in New York City. She is also the author of Lessons of a Lipstick Queen, which was published by Atria Books in August 2008.