Nardo's Natural: What Happened To The Skincare Brand After Shark Tank?
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
It takes a giant heap of confidence to face the panel of ultra-wealthy investors — known as the Sharks — on ABC's hit entrepreneurial reality series "Shark Tank." Some founders, however, manage to teeter on the edge of overconfidence, risking turning the Sharks against the idea of investing in their business. This was the case for the founders of Nardo's Natural, an organic skincare company founded by four Italian American brothers — Danny, Kyle, DJ, and KJ — from Tampa, Florida.
When the Mastronardo brothers appeared on the show in 2012 on Season 3, Episode 8, their insistence on a projected $4.8 million valuation of their company — despite only possessing $6,000 in unfulfilled orders — bordered on comical. The brothers' passion for their business was apparent, even if their knowledge about skincare wasn't. But did that passion and dedication ensure that they walked out of the tank with a deal, or did it blow their chance at a one-time investment that could change their lives and business forever?
Nardo's Natural's Shark Tank Pitch
When the four Mastronardo brothers walked into the tank to pitch their product, the last thing the Sharks were expecting was an organic skincare business. Alas, the brothers quickly explained how a stovetop burn and a suggestion from their wound-care-specialist mother led them to start experimenting with organic, coconut oil-based skincare products. After passing out samples, the founders added that Nardo's Natural had already made $30,000 in sales and gotten its products into 17 spas and retail locations. They ultimately asked the Sharks for $75,000 in exchange for 12% equity in their company.
Despite Kyle's insistence that the business would land 100 accounts within the next two years — bringing their company's valuation up to $4.8 million — Mark Cuban was the first to drop out of the running, openly laughing at Kyle's rebuttal of pulling out a generic thank-you letter from the White House, which thanked them for the gift products they'd sent there. Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Kevin "Mr. Wonderful" O'Leary dropped out shortly after, with O'Leary referring to the cosmetics industry as "the most brutally competitive industry on Earth." Barbara Corcoran, however, offered the brothers a deal: $75,000 for 50% equity in the company. In an unexpected twist, they accepted the offer without negotiation.
Nardo's Natural after Shark Tank
After appearing on "Shark Tank," the founders of Nardo's Natural closed their deal with Barbara Corcoran and got to work on expanding their business. In Season 5, an update on the company aired on "Shark Tank." In the segment, three of the four brothers revealed that, thanks to Corcoran's connections, they were officially in talks with major retailers, including Walgreens, CVS, and Whole Foods. Sadly, not all of the family business' developments were as cheerful.
The three brothers shared with viewers that K.J., the youngest of the four founders, had been tragically killed in a motorcycle accident since their original "Shark Tank" episode had aired. Although the Mastronardos were devastated, they did not deviate from their business plan, determined to make Nardo's Natural a success as a tribute to their late brother and business partner. At the time of the update, the company had gone from a small-scale homemade operation to a full manufacturing facility and fulfillment center with 14 sales representatives.
Is Nardo's Natural still in business?
Over a decade after its initial appearance on "Shark Tank," Nardo's Natural is still selling organic skincare products. However, its business concept has expanded into a dual approach. Rather than only selling natural beauty products — like its flagship kit, the Forever Young Collection — directly to consumers, the company now also operates on a private label basis. This entails offering its natural organic skincare and cosmetic products in bulk for other entrepreneurs to resell under their own brands.
Nardo's Natural Private Label provides brands with customizable labels designed either by the brand itself or by an in-house graphic design team, the latter of which is surprisingly free. Shipping boxes and digital marketing images of the products with the brand's customized packaging and labels are also included. Basically, if you're looking to start a natural skincare and/or cosmetics company, the Mastronardo brothers and their team will do all the manufacturing and designing for you; all you have to handle is sales and marketing. The company has helped launch hundreds of brands and isn't slowing down any time soon.
Outlook for Nardo's Natural
While it doesn't appear that Nardo's Natural actually landed the deals with Walgreens, CVS, or Whole Foods that were mentioned in its "Shark Tank" update segment, the business' future still looks incredibly bright. Its natural organic skincare products continue to be sold on its website and on Amazon. All products also appear to be available in bulk on its secondary private label website with a minimum standard order of 100 units, though smaller orders are available upon request.
Originally focused only on organic skincare, the company appears to be expanding into the world of natural cosmetics, offering a full line of organic makeup, including foundation, lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, bb cream, and more. Considering that the natural cosmetics market was valued at $37.8 billion in 2022 (via Market Research Future), this seems like a solid plan for many more years of success for the Mastronardo brothers, Nardo's Natural, and Nardo's Natural Private Label.