Napoleon Perdis is a name that is now synonymous with beauty. There would be no discerning woman (and indeed man) in Australia, and probably the United States, who has not heard of him and his meteoric rise in the beauty world.

Do not be deceived into thinking he's just simply lucky. If you spend just five minutes with Napoleon you'll know there is no luck involved. He has always had a plan - and stuck with it.

His mind seems to go at a thousand miles an hour and you know that whatever business he were to undertake it would be a success. He has the Midas touch.

Napoleon first picked up a makeup brush when he was eight years old. He loved to help make up his beautiful mother for functions and even at such a young age he would proudly tell his family that he would one day own a cosmetics business.

He studied marketing at university and together with his wife and brother he set up the Napoleon Perdis cosmetics brand back in 1995. At the same time, he opened his makeup artist training school in Sydney. He now also has a branch

in Los Angeles and to date the schools have trained more than 23,000 students in total. Not bad for a self-trained makeup artist.

You can always tell a Napoleon-trained makeup artist because they complete their training with excellent practical skills, which are based not just on the looks de jour but on future trends as well.

Once Napoleon conquered Australia, he moved to the United States to spearhead the next stage of his business growth. Many businesses crash and burn following an attempted invasion of the US market. Not Napoleon though. In a few short years his products are in 315 Ulta stores, 87 independent stockists and four concept stores, not to mention his Target empire.

He introduced a range for Target, NP Set, which has a cheaper price point without any loss of quality. This range has been so successful that it is sold in 1,800 Target stores in the US and 250 in Australia.

Next it was Hong Kong's turn to fall in love with Napoleon's unique take on cosmetics, with four shops. Then independent stockists in Mexico and Latin America soon followed. Next on the agenda are Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa and the Middle East.

Celebrities seem to swarm like bees around Napoleon, which only adds to his appeal. His loyal fans now include Lindsay Lohan, Hilary and Hayley Duff, Melissa George, Evangeline Lilly, Debra Messing, Jenna Elfman, Nicolette Sheridan and Rose McGowan. Thanks to these celebrity friends, his makeup range is now used by most of the awards shows, including the Emmys, Grammys and the penultimate night-of-nights, the Oscars.

To make sure that his marketing reach extends to all sectors of the public, the Napoleon Perdis company uses public relations, direct marketing, digital interactive marketing, special events and in-store promotions. The aspect of his marketing programme which Napoleon feels is most important is the in-store promotions.

Earlier this year he embarked on a whirlwind tour of four cities in Australia. In each city there was a queue of women vying to be the receiver of one of his legendary makeup consultations and paying handsomely for the privilege. ‘Interacting with customers is more important than ever,' says Napoleon.

This year he joined the television world with his own reality programme on cable TV in America. Contestants vie to be chosen as the best makeup artist and the chance to win cash and be one of Napoleon's makeup artists.

You cannot fail to be impressed with Napoleon and his company. His passion could light up a room. His philosophies are simple - make beauty trends wearable, practical, tasteful and sophisticated, and never stop looking after your customers.

Bella Beauty Magazine