Join the Club! Get all the gossip on fashion and beauty and never miss out on top stories again We have more newsletters Join the Club! Get all the gossip on fashion and beauty and never miss out on top stories again We have more newsletters X Factor reject to founder of a smash hit beauty brand isn’t the most obvious career pipeline, but that’s exactly what happened to Mitchell Halliday, who is the brains behind Made By Mitchell . Having appeared on the ITV talent show back in 2016 as part of boyband No Getaway, Mitchell had initially dreamed of making it in the world of music. “If I wasn’t in beauty, I'd like to think that I would be doing something to do with music because pre being a makeup artist, pre Made By Mitchell, I was actually a singer.
I used to sing on the weekends, everywhere you could imagine, from pubs to working men's clubs,” he tells OK! . “I even appeared on X Factor as part of a boy band. It didn't work out, but if I wasn't working in beauty, I like to think I would have found my way in music somewhere.
” After making it all the way to bootcamp, Mitchell’s X Factor journey in boyband No Getaway came to an end, though he didn’t let that stop him. After singing Ariana Grande's One Last Time and plenty of eye rolling from Simon Cowell , he swapped music for beauty and the 25 year old, who is also known as Mmmmitchell online, began working in his friend’s salon where he built up his skills. Before long, Mitchell had amassed a huge online following – he now has one million followers on Instagram – and in 2020 he launched his makeup brand, Made By Mitchell.
“During the early stages of my career, I collaborated with lots of different brands and, even though they were amazing experiences that showed me how to bring a product to life, there were a lot of limitations on how far I could take something while still being aligned with the partnering brands' aesthetic, formulas and artistry,” he explains. “That is when I decided it was time to do something on my own, without another brand's name attached, and Made By Mitchell was born. Since then, it has taken the world by storm and filled so many gaps in the beauty industry.
” Four years since beginning this new chapter, Mitchell’s brand has gone from strength to strength. Earlier this summer Made By Mitchell even became the first ever brand in the UK to hit $1 million in sales in one day on TikTok Shop during a 12-hour live event. “Becoming the first UK brand to hit $1 million in sales in one day on TikTok Shop was an incredibly proud moment for me and my team.
We put everything into making our 12 hour live the most exciting and enjoyable shopping experience for our audience,” he tells us. He adds: “I managed to get myself Glastonbury tickets, so I celebrated with all my friends by letting loose in beautiful fields. However, I think most of the time the best way that we celebrate is to carry on going, because after such a success, one thing that you really don't want to go into is a lull.
“We just want to keep peaking, and I don't believe that everyone only has one peak. Each peak we climb will always lead to a larger peak.” But the success hasn’t all been easy.
As he expands his business and takes it to new heights, Mitchell admits that it’s a job where you can’t “ever turn off” given the demands of the brand. “I feel like Made by Mitchell is a 25/8 job, it doesn't ever turn off. I definitely have times where I'll try and switch off, but it's always at the back of my mind because it's something I love.
Made by Mitchell is my baby, so it will always be on my mind no matter where I am or what I am doing,” he reveals. While Manchester-based Mitchell admits that he never imagined getting “this level of success”, he has no plans to slow down. Having recently launched in 95 Boots stores across the UK, Mitchell has big dreams moving forward.
“I want to take the brand worldwide, not just by shopping online, but because I want every person on this planet that loves Made by Mitchell to be able to experience it in a real accessible way,” he says..
