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Thin Gloss was a unique lip gloss developed by April Morris, designed to help women curb their appetite and boost mood through specific aromas and the herb Hoodia.
Thin Gloss was a substance that aided ladies in losing weight. It functioned similarly to regular lip gloss but also aided in hunger suppression. The product was quite simple to use. Thin Gloss would be sniffed 30 minutes before a meal, applied on the lips, and then enjoyed.
Users would inhale the scent 30 minutes before eating to reduce hunger and then apply the gloss to enhance their appearance. Despite initial success and a distribution contract in India, Thin Gloss faced challenges and ultimately closed in 2012.
Company Name | Thin Gloss |
Founder | April Morris |
Product | Lip Gloss that Helps You Lose Weight By Suppressing Your Appetite |
Investment Seeking | $80,000 For a 20% equity in Thin Gloss |
Final Deal | No Deal |
Shark | No Shark |
Episode | Episode 5 Season 2 |
Business Status | Out Of Business |
Website | Visit Website |
Who Is The Founder Of Thin Gloss?
Thin Gloss was created by April Morris, a single mother of two children. April had a successful career in real estate before founding Thin Gloss.
April discontinued Thin Gloss manufacture and sales on August 1, 2012. April now works as a sales consultant and keynote speaker.
The Thin Gloss product’s unique path began when two female coworkers called April overweight during a work party.
April tried taking diet pills for weight loss, but the side effects made her jittery and hard to sleep. She came up with the idea for Thin Gloss while applying lip gloss at a traffic signal. April was curious whether there was a smell that may assist her in losing weight.
She completed extensive research and discovered Hoodia, a South African herb that helps to control appetite. April conducted more research on various scents that have been shown to improve a person’s mood and vitality.
April abandoned her work in real estate and invested all of her savings in creating Thin Gloss once she had saved enough money. April thought her Thin Gloss might motivate women to lose weight and feel more confident.
In her debut video, April Morris applied lip gloss in front of a small mirror. The voiceover introduced her and said that the company she founded helps women look and feel better. The following scene takes place in an office.
April claims that her business has given her the confidence to believe in the possibility of her dreams after years of believing they were impossible.
She had lofty ambitions for her life, “suddenly dashed” when she became pregnant at 17. She married shortly after having another child.
She was left to raise her two children alone after her marriage ended in divorce. She used this as motivation to devise a plan to overcome her challenges.
The product she had in mind lacked the cash necessary for marketing. April, instead, pursued a career in real estate, where she was extremely successful.
Once she got the funds to launch her business, she left real estate to focus. Having spent most of her funds at the beginning, she had run out of money. She desired the Sharks’ assistance in achieving success.
How Was The Shark Tank Pitch Of Thin Gloss?
April Morris appeared on Shark Tank requesting an investment of $80,000 in exchange for a 20% stake in her company, Thin Gloss.
It didn’t take April long to tell the story behind the lip gloss. She began taking diet pills when she was referred to as overweight by partygoers. However, the pills had negative side effects on her.
April discontinued her medication. The eureka moment happened while she was applying lip gloss at a stoplight. She considered whether people could add lip gloss to aid their weight loss efforts, such as a fragrance or a herb.
April began her study and came across Hoodia, a South African shrub recognized for its appetite-suppressant properties.
She researched scents that, when inhaled, improve mood and vitality. She began developing her product, Thin Gloss, by combining the ingredients. The camera pans to a chart detailing the three procedures necessary to achieve Thin Gloss.
April explained that the first step was inhaling the perfume’s lip gloss 30 minutes before eating. The second step was to apply it, and the third step was to smile and enjoy the results.
Robert inquired as to her Thin Gloss sales figures. April stated that she earned $26,000 by the previous year’s end.
April’s objective is to achieve one million dollars in sales by the end of April 2010 when Kevin inquires about her sales projections for the year.
Kevin halted her and inquired about her current year’s sales, to which April responded sheepishly with $18,000. Kevin informed her that she might not even reach last year’s sales at that rate.
April asserted that she was certain it would succeed because she was working on fresh product ideas.
Kevin Harrington asked whether she had conducted any studies supporting her claims that Thin Gloss would improve moods and help users lose weight.
April added that she spoke with an FDA attorney about Thin Gloss’s ability to enhance women’s appearance as a cosmetic. She advised potential clients to try it for themselves and see how it works.
Kevin explained that she was marketing Thin Gloss as weight-loss assistance, not a cosmetic. Kevin H advised Robert that April would need clinical evidence to substantiate those claims.
April brought a product sample to Robert, who asked whether he might try it. As she distributed samples to the remaining Sharks, Barbara inquired about the rationale behind requesting individuals to test smelling it 30 minutes before a meal.
April asserted that she realized that breathing certain scents via the nose improved her mood. Kevin O’Leary was applying Thin Gloss on his lips in the background.
Robert commented on how wonderful it smelled. Daymond asked what possessed April to think she could make a million dollars if her sales were not even a tenth of that.
April informed him that she had agreed with one of India’s top cosmetic companies to distribute Thin Gloss.
Robert mocked her and inquired why she believed that would get her a million dollars. April asserted that India is poised to become a major player in the cosmetics sector.
Kevin inquired whether she was traveling to India to avoid conducting clinical trials to substantiate her assertions.
April paused, and her response was a little stuttering. She complied with the requirements, according to the FDA attorney who spoke with her previously.
Kevin replied that she could not place the product in a large chain store with a sign claiming that Thin Gloss would assist ladies in losing weight.
April stated that while her pitch would be for ladies to try it themselves, it is still a cosmetic intended to enhance women’s beauty.
Kevin stated that she stated this before in her presentation slides. Robert attempted to defend April by claiming that she never stated it, but Kevin H. noted that her documentation included before and after photographs.
Legally, images like that imply weight reduction. Robert inquired whether April had visited India, which she said she had not.
Robert carefully explained that India is one of the world’s poorest countries. He had difficulty understanding women purchasing lip gloss to lose weight in a country where people were starving.
Robert cautioned her about dealing with a distributor that guaranteed her a million dollars in sales under certain circumstances.
Kevin Harrington explained that any product entering India was subject to heavy import charges.
April stated that she was not entirely reliant on India since she had other projects in the United States.
According to Daymond, anyone can become a distributor by accepting her money and promising to sell. He inquired who offered her money when she signed, and April stated emphatically that no one did.
Kevin expressed anxiety about provoking the authorities if he financed her, and Thin Gloss became well-known for her weight-loss claims.
April stated that her objective was to adhere to FDA regulations. She sounded annoyed at this moment.
Robert inquired about the cost of each tube of Thin Gloss, and she replied that each tube cost $28. All of the Sharks were taken aback.
Robert inquired about the normal lip gloss price, and Barbara informed him that it was $8. April stated that while a lady can purchase a lip gloss for $8 at a drug shop, department stores charge significantly more.
Robert inquired about the cost of the item, which she stated was $5. Kevin expressed his admiration for her margins.
Barbara inquired whether April had lost weight while using the product, and April stated that she had lost 18 pounds. Kevin H announced his departure, and Daymond immediately followed suit.
Kevin O’Leary noted that while he respected what she had done with the product, he was concerned about the legal ramifications and declined to invest. He exited.
Barbara expressed dissatisfaction with the sales pitch, which included an inferred benefit that could not be clarified owing to legal complications. She, too, went out.
She was unsure of Robert’s intentions, but he was concerned about her expectation of going from earning so little to earning a million dollars in a year.
He exited, claiming that none of his previous firms had ever expanded at that rate. April expressed gratitude and exited the stage.
She claimed not to have been discouraged during her exit interview, but she did begin to cry. Let us see how Thin Gloss fared without the assistance of a Shark.
Final Deal: No deal between Thin Gloss and Sharks.
What Happened To Thin Gloss After Shark Tank?
Although Thin Gloss did not fare well with the Sharks, she did experience the now-famous Shark Tank effect. Thin Gloss struck a chord with female Shark Tank watchers, and she quickly met her million-dollar goal.
Thin Gloss is no longer available for sampling, so you cannot try it for yourself. The rest of April’s Thin Gloss inventory was liquidated in April 2012, and she continued living her life.
She experimented with motivational classes for some time. April has made multiple appearances on Shark Tank since her episode aired, and she continues to update her Thin Gloss Facebook fan page.
What Is The Net Worth Of Thin Gloss?
Before her appearance on Shark Tank, April Morris stated that she had earned $26,000 by 2009. And in 2010, before she went on Shark Tank, she had made $18,000 in sales.
According to one of the shark tank judges, she may not even reach last year’s sales at this rate. Morris, however, exceeded her objective of $1 million in sales following the Shark Tank episode’s airing.
Morris earned $26,000 in sales in 2009. She had generated $18,000 in sales before going on the show, and after that, she had a great response and earned more than $1 million.
However, April could not sustain the business operation for a long time and Thin Gloss went out of business in 2012.
Is Thin Gloss Still In Business?
Despite being left without a deal, she generated an additional million dollars in sales after the Shark Tank show. April stopped selling Thin Gloss, and the company went out of business in 2012.
Morris announced in 2012 that she would stop selling Thin Gloss and would instead work as an inspirational speaker and sales consultant. Although she remains active on the Facebook page of Thin Gloss, she posts information about her personal life.
The valuation of Thin Gloss was $400,000 during its appearance on Shark Tank. Thin Gloss’s net worth is effectively $0 since the company is out of business.