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A news reporter who quit her job at Sunrise and used her savings to start her own sunscreen business is still doing low-cost stores despite huge financial success.
Samantha Brett, from Sydney, worked as a journalist for nearly 20 years before retiring from her role as a broadcaster to continue her beauty business full-time in 2021.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, the mum of one revealed that her Naked Sundays brand has grown by more than 400 percent in its first year, but has been ‘too busy’ to celebrate.
Samantha Brett, from Sydney, worked as a journalist for 20 years before quitting to continue her beauty business full-time
In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, the mum-of-one revealed that her former Channel 7 colleague Natalie Barr has been a ‘huge mentor’ to her and that she would love to anchor David Koch as an ambassador for her Naked Sundays brand.
The businesswoman recently returned from Los Angeles, where she has been rubbing the shoulders of A-list fans of her brand after launching the sunscreen range internationally.
‘Sunrise was my life. I’ve done it for two decades, I woke up every morning at 3:30 am with a smile,” she told the Daily Mail Australia.
“They sent me to crime scenes, wildfires, floods. I was very lucky to be able to work on the final stories of the day, every day in NSW and across the country and and even traveling around the world.
“I enjoyed sharing the news and telling everyone. I thought I was going to miss it very much, but I jumped right into the box, so I don’t have time to miss it.”
The businesswoman recently returned from Los Angeles, where she has been rubbing the shoulders of some of her brand’s A-list fans after launching the sunscreen range internationally. She is pictured with Michael and Scheana Shay
Samantha recently hosted an event for her brand in LA. Guest included Scheana Shay (left) and Teni Panosian (right)
Although her mornings are not as early as they used to be, Samantha still gets up at 6 a.m. most days to look after her five-year-old daughter.
‘Naked Sundays is now international, so I spend a large part of the day on Zoom. I can meet from my home office. I have meetings from 6:30 am to about midnight.
Balancing it with motherhood is a struggle. But you just do it.
‘You can never achieve everything, I would like to exercise more and eat more balanced, but now it was time to expand the business.’
“Naked Sundays is now international, so I spend a lot of the day on Zoom,” explains Samantha. She is pictured with Aussie influencer Pia Mance and Annie Bling
Although her mornings are not as early as they used to be, Samantha still gets up at 6 a.m. most days to look after her five-year-old daughter. She is pictured on Sunrise
Samantha launched Naked Sundays after seeing many friends and colleagues diagnosed with melanoma.
“Two of my news colleagues have had skin cancer cut out of their faces, I went to see how you can top up your SPF over makeup – without ruining your makeup,” she explained.
While working in front of the TV, Samantha spent hours in the sun and struggled to find an SPF that would go well with makeup.
Last year, she launched a high-performance SPF mist that can be used over foundation and not require constant reapplication.
“When I launched my husband and I put our own savings in it. It was scary,” she said.
Samantha Brett has been a journalist for over a decade and much of that job is spent hours at a time outside in heavy makeup and in all kinds of weather.
Naked Sundays, an Australian SPF50+ brand launched in January 2021, was picked up by Mecca in just 8 months
‘But in Mecca we were out of stock for three months in the first 24 hours.
“It’s so much bigger than I thought. It’s not where I saw my life go, I thought I’d be forever breaking news stories.”
Despite her financial success, Samantha says she’s been “too busy” to indulge in true luxury, and still shops at low-cost stores.
“I love Kmart,” she added. “I recently got a hat from Kmart.”
“I was in a hotel in LA, and a lot of celebs complimented me on my hat and asked where it came from, I thought ‘it’s from Kmart!’
She added that a lot of money goes back into research and development, which can be “very expensive.”
Famous fans of the brand include Rumer Willis, and Samantha recently hosted influencers and celebrities at Melrose Place for its US launch.
Guests included designer Anine Bing, personal shopper Gab Waller, Australian influencer Pia Mance, American actress and founder of Monday Born Beauty Teni Panosian, as well as Vanderpump Rules stars Scheana Shay and Brock Davies.
Thanks to her years on television, Samantha says she doesn’t feel intimidated around stars, and that she “loves working with real, good people.”
“A lot of celebs will just email or text and say they want to try the product.
Samantha also met Meghan Markle just months before she started dating Prince Harry for her book ‘The Game Changers’ featuring 40 essays by women at the top of their game.
‘We especially like to work with people who have knowledge of skin care and sunscreen.
“One person I was a little star of was Jessica Alba.
‘I saw her in The Grove’ [shopping complex in LA]. It was such a great moment.
“I have such admiration for her business trip with The Honest Company. She has a great work ethic, she works 24/7, she’s just like me.
“I’m a huge fan of Vanderpump rules, so when Scheana Shay invited me to her podcast, which comes out on Monday, I was really excited.
Despite her financial success, Samantha says she’s been “too busy” to indulge in true luxury, and still shops at low-cost stores
“She and her husband Brock are such down-to-earth, grounded people.”
Samantha added that one of her ‘best moments ever’ was meeting English singer Craig David when he appeared on Sunrise.
‘L loved him as a kid! It’s so nice when you have those real connections’.
Samantha also met Meghan Markle, just months before she started dating Prince Harry, for her book “The Game Changers” featuring 40 essays by women at the top of their game.
She also said that no one was more so than her former colleague Natalie Barr (pictured on Sunrise)
She added that she’s worked with a lot of “really supportive” Aussies – and said she’d like Sunrise host David Koch to work with Naked Sunday.
She also said that no one was more supportive than her former colleague Natalie Barr.
“She’s such a mentor of mine. Maybe she hates me saying that.
“She joined Sunrise 18 or 20 years ago. She had children at the time. Two kids, two maternity leave.
‘It’s scary to think that as a woman you have to take six months to a year off. But you can be a mother, you can be a worker, you can host Sunrise.
‘WKnowing it or not, she’s always been someone I looked up to.
“I think she really paved the way for the rest of us.”