Image 1. Brandon_Truaxe_Deciem

Slide 1 - Brandon Truaxe was a pioneer and genius who transformed the beauty industry. He forced elitist competitor brands to rethink their ingredients, respect their customer's intelligence, and changed forever the way we, the consumer, approach skincare. His story is deeply tragic and depending on how you best judge its unsettling series of events: suspiciously swept away.

Slide 2 - Brandon Truaxe founded 10 beauty brands under the name Deciem in 2013. He revolutionized the industry with transparency over ingredients. On the consumer's side, his products were regularly priced under $10. 

Truaxe took a stand against high-cost, high-end competitors, referred to the industry as a “scam,” and paid a slow and painful price for genius.

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Slide 3 -Wischhover, a journalist at Vox, built a relationship with him, eventually to be copied into emails with lawyers and investors by a terror-stricken Brandon:
"Brandon never stood still. His emails were entertaining, mimicking legalese but with rhymes and clever wordplay. He loved the blue butterfly emoji, on display in the Chicago Deciem store as an homage."

Slide 4 - Deciem launched The Ordinary in 2016. With no beauty double-speak or blends with made-up names, products didn't perplex their buyer but educated them. The Ordinary hit the market and changed everything in a way never paralleled by another brand. 

In June 2017, Estée Lauder Companies took a minority stake. Six months later the decline began.

Slide 5 - January 24, 2018, Brandon posted an Instagram video stating Deciem would cancel all marketing strategies: “marketing is a way to convince people to buy things they don’t need.” 

Truaxe planned to communicate directly with customers through honest, open posts on social channels. Soon this led to a series of alarming, unfiltered, and chaotic Instagram posts.

Slide 6 - On January 29th, Truaxe told the brand’s Instagram followers about a hacking attempt: “This could be a past employee [or] a competitor.” 

A Reddit user, working in social media explains: "My jaw dropped. They received an email saying, 'Forgot your password?' That he published a video accusing competitors and past staff of 'hacking' is unconscionable."

Image 3. Deciem_Instagram_Garbage

Slide 7 - On February 4th, Brandon posted seven videos of garbage piles announcing Deciem will eliminate all plastic in their products. In the caption, he severed ties with his packaging supplier, offered him a job at Deciem, and then to relocate his family to Canada. Escalating, he later posted a photo of a dead sheep in a field.

Image 4. Deciem_ESHO_Instagram

Slide 8 - February 6, Truaxe posted on Instagram to Dr Tijon Esho, with whom he created ESHO a lip-care sub-brand of Deciem. Truaxe stated “almost everyone” hated the brand, and, publicly said goodbye to Dr Esho.

February 9th, Deciem's Glassdoor page started getting attention. Reviews held serious claims of Truaxe's aggression, sexual harassment, body-shaming, sexism, and racism. Image 5. Deciem_Instagram_Supermormongirl

Slide 9 - February 11th, Truaxe, posted an Instagram video calling out people for being “disrespectful,” he then dove into the comments. 

User @Supermormongirl asked, “Brandon, are you okay??” he responded “Yes but you don’t seem so well. Please use Modulating Glucosides when it's out.” 

The product recommended was a skin-lightening product, @Supermormongirl was a woman of colour.

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Slide 10 - April 25th, Truaxe posted a video in which he is followed by "Jonathan" who calls: "I'm trying to help you, Brandon...You'll end up getting killed."

Brandon wrote on the post “Help me 911.” In a second video, of a crying Truaxe: “I’m serious. Please help me.” The @Deciem account added: “Please call Biggin Hill airport security,” and “911.”

Slide 11 - October 8th, Brandon announced he would be shutting down Deciem.
He claimed Deciem was involved in "major criminal activities" and "financial crimes." His caption read: "I've been made fun of as a porn actor, as a drug dealer... it's all ending now."The Deciem website shut down immediately, replaced with a red screen and he began closing stores.

Slide 12 - October 11, Truaxe posts a series of screenshots of emails from Estée Lauder Companies lawyer Mark Gelowitz regarding violated terms of the shareholder agreement. 

Estée Lauder takes action to remove Truaxe from Deciem entirely and instate Nicole Kilner, a former employee of Deciem removed by Truaxe from the company that past February, in his place.

Slide 13 - In November 2018, now removed from the company, Truaxe was hospitalized for a fortnight against his will. Doctors diagnosed him with having suffered a psychotic episode and a potential diagnosis of presumptive bipolar disorder. 

Brandon later denied any mental disorder claiming the psychosis was at expense of being given crystal meth by company employees earlier that year.

Slide 14 - On January 20, Truaxe posted several Instagram videos to his account. At his Toronto penthouse, the videos are chaotic and difficult to understand. One of the only clear statements: "Because I have indulged in some alcohol this evening, I am enjoying my drunken behaviour." He goes on to reveal the full address of where he staying.

Image 7. Deciem_Truaxe_Statement

Slide 15 - In the early hours of January 21st, 2019 Brandon Truaxe was found dead by alleged suicide after falling from his 32nd-floor apartment balcony landing on a 6th-floor terrace. Exactly a year earlier no one would have argued Brandon Truaxe was an enigmatic genius who revolutionized the beauty industry. The truth of what happened we will never know.