Male beauty heroes: We speak to Bulldog’s Simon Duffy

Simon Duffy, Co-founder of Bulldog cosmetics, wanted to create a natural skin and body care range for men that was more fun, affordable and accessible than those he saw on the market. George Walker talks to Simon Duffy about natural ingredients, young entrepreneurship and picking a dog breed to front his brand.

As the name suggests, Bulldog is a skincare range tailored to the needs of men. Despite the rough and tough name, however, the actual products are very gentle, with only natural ingredients making up their range of body washes, shaving creams and lotions.

But how did the idea behind Bulldog come together? And why choose nature’s, shall we say, ‘unconventionally beautiful’ dog breed to front a skincare brand? Simon Duffy let us in on the secrets of his success.

How he started

“While I was in New York I became good friends with Rhodri Ferrier” says Duffy “The idea for Bulldog came over a few beers down the pub with Rhodri. We were talking about the terrible brands that men had to choose between for their skincare products – they are all me-too versions of what are traditionally female brands.”

Simon Duffy co-founded Bulldog with Rhodri Ferrier in 2006. The London-based company started off small, with big dreams for the future. As the underdogs of the industry (geddit?), Bulldog started with Sainsbury’s as their sole supplier in 2007.  This triggered other big distributors to notice this was a company that wasn’t just all bark and no bite- they could compete with the big hitters in men’s cosmetics while staying all-natural.

Originally Simon trained as an accountant- but that didn’t appeal to him. He then moved to New Zealand to work at an advertising agency which moved to New York for three years following that. Simon says that starting the business young had both its pros and cons: “Age has been a double edged sword; it has helped me out in some ways – there is a huge amount of help and advice for young entrepreneurs. Having said that, doors were shut in my face – especially when I was trying to get a factory to work with me.”

Where he is now

If Bulldog were to be entered into Crufts, it would certainly win. Simon Duffy has helped bring the brand into the mainstream, offering men an affordable and natural body and skincare range. Part of the brand’s success seems to lie in the fact that the products needn’t be bought in a specialist shop or online (us guys like our products, but we’re all about the ease of purchase.) Bulldog has now brought the brand to Boots, Planet Organic and Superdrug, to name but a few of the many stockists.

We asked Simon why he chose to make the company all natural. He said: “The Bulldog range was born out of frustration that there were no options available for switched-on men who wanted to reduce the number of man-made chemicals in their bathrooms. We are passionate about the ingredients we use in our products and want men to care as much about what they put on their skin as the food they eat.”

The hero products

-Bulldog Eco-system Moisturiser: This Fairtrade product contains Fairtrade certified shea butter, sesame seed oil and Brazil nut oil making it a real treat for dry skin.
-Bulldog Original Shower Gel: This body wash combines peppermint oil, coriander and eucalyptus oil for a fresh and yet masculine smell that’s really invigorating.
-Bulldog Face Scrub: Formulated for men’s more oily skin types, this face exfoliator gets rid of excess oils and dead skin cells without stripping the skin of its protective natural oils.

Did you know?

Wondering why Simon Duffy and his co-founder named the company after a dog?

An aversion to cheesy male cosmetics marketing seems to be where the answer lies. Simon said: “Currently the category’s [men's cosmetics] advertising and marketing to men can feel quite generic; black and white images of male models with rippling six packs are irritating and not aspirational.  The Bulldog is certainly not the prettiest creature.  He’s fat, lazy, wrinkly and more likely to be found asleep on the sofa than out chasing sticks – a lot like us if we’re honest.  However, he’s also protective, loyal, tenacious and honest.  A real British icon.”