Brothers Jake Xu and Shane Carnell-Xu are redefining men’s skincare with innovative, easy-to-use products from their Shakeup Cosmetics range. They’ve built a global brand that’s known for breaking down beauty barriers and promoting self-care for men. Shakeup is one of the businesses within Bath Unlimited, who represent world-class businesses based in the region. Jake and Shane are the first to be featured in our series of Unlimited Minds.
Identical twins Jake Xu and Shane Carnell-Xu run their business from adjoining houses in Bath. Shane’s commute involves scooping up his Devon Rex DouDou, opening his front door, and taking a few steps before entering Jake’s house.
The brothers are the co-founders of Shakeup Cosmetics, an innovative range of skincare-led cosmetics for men, first launched in 2019. They want to break down the barriers and stigma around men’s cosmetics by offering easy-to-use products with unique formulas. Stocked in over 1300 retail stores globally including the UK, Norway, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, China and Japan, their products are Peta-certified vegan and cruelty free and they are a Certified B Corporation. At their last count, one of Shakeup’s products sells every five minutes around the world.
There are big advantages to being twins in business, Jake explains. “We can put 100% trust in each other – both of us are looking after the business and looking out for each other, and our skills complement each other well.” He continues, “Shane is more commercial and numbers orientated. I’m on the marketing side, educating men about skincare and looking after our brand output, so I’ll research shiny new opportunities, but it will be down to Shane and the finance director to ask the questions. They are the ones reining back; I’m the one pushing out.”
Jake sees his and Shane’s journey to Bath from Beijing as serendipitous. When British universities went to recruit students at the World Trade Centre in Beijing, 17-year old Jake and Shane were there to collect some free pens and practise their English. They stopped, awestruck, in front of the Bath College banner. “It was an aerial shot of the Royal Crescent. We were struck by the Georgian grandeur and the honeycomb colour of the stonework. It’s just something you don’t see in China.” They talked to the Dean of Bath College and took home the prospectus. “We got hooked on the idea of studying here – it felt like a fairy tale.”
After studying at Bath College – Jake in ICT and Shane in Business Administration – they worked at Future Publishing in Bath, their skills in digital media and design laying the foundation for their later entrepreneurial ventures. They co-founded their first business, Xcetra Media, in 2007 (rebranded READY in 2015), a creative agency specialising in marketing for skincare and beauty brands such as Soap and Glory and Molton Brown. After 12 years in the industry, the brothers saw a gap in men’s skincare: “The men’s section is often overlooked, with few exciting options. We knew it needed a shake-up.” (The brand name ‘Shakeup’ is also a play on the names Jake and Shane.)
The launch of Shakeup came just a few months before Covid struck, so with the pandemic disrupting the UK, Shakeup launched in China in 2020, a true full-circle moment for the twins. The company’s first hero product, Let’s Face It BB Tinted Moisturiser, became a hit there, where skincare trends, influenced by South Korea, quickly gained popularity. Within two years, 90% of their revenue came from the Chinese market.
Shakeup then diversified into Australia and Norway and into the UK in 2023, when their products (all made in the UK), went into Boots for a year. Understanding the cultural differences in skincare awareness has been key. “Growing up in China, Shane and I learned about skincare from our parents, as it’s deeply ingrained in Asian culture, unlike in Britain. Here women grow up learning about these things through their female relationships, but men are taught to suffer in silence – they just have to tough it out and face the world. But why shouldn’t we have the choice to improve our appearance and feel better about ourselves?”
At the start the brothers targeted high street retailers like Boots to make men’s skincare more accessible. “Men’s beauty can’t just be online – it needs to be visible for men to feel comfortable using it. ” Timing was crucial, especially with #MeToo reshaping views on masculinity and encouraging men to rethink toxic stereotypes. The rise of younger, more self-expressive generations and pop culture, like Love Island and TOWIE, has also helped normalise self-care for men.
“When we first launched, there were maybe one or two other brands. Now, there are many more, from the UK and internationally. Brands like Chanel, Clinique and Clarins already had men’s skincare lines, but the overall image for these is so closely tied to women that men don’t feel the connection. It’s also true that men want essential stuff that’s easy to carry and portable.”
Different ethnicities also have different skin types, which affects skincare. “Black and Asian skin tends to be oilier, while white men may show signs of ageing earlier. It’s about balancing the benefits and challenges of each skin type.”
The stage that Jake and Shane have dubbed the ‘shit hits the fan’ phase is when men start focusing on self-care: they hit the gym, stop smoking, stop drinking and begin taking better care of their skin. “Understanding this helps us create marketing that resonates with them”, says Jake.
The other point, says Jake, is that men’s skin and women’s skin are structurally and biologically different. “Although the rights to skincare should be gender-less, our skin does have gender. Men’s skin tends to be thicker, with larger pores and more sebaceous activity, which means it’s oilier. Men also shave more often, which can damage the top layer of skin. Men’s skin also tends to age more slowly, but when it does age, it happens quickly and deeper lines form more rapidly. All these factors need to be considered when choosing skincare products.”
As a result, men need different products, says Jake. “It took 26 rounds of product testing to perfect our Let’s Face It BB Tinted Moisturiser to get the right matte finish.
Innovation and a close understanding of the market has led the development of the Shakeup product range. The Age Def-Eye Instant Lifting Eye Cream delivers a soothing, cooling effect and visibly tightens the skin around the eyes within 90 seconds, and it contains peptides that help reduce fine lines over time. “The key to its success is instant results – men typically don’t have the patience for long-term products.”
Shakeup Cosmetics is seeing growth in the UK, south east Asia and Norway, with strong direct-to-consumer sales. The recent launch in Japan promises much, as consumers there favour European indie brands. However China will need careful treatment, where low consumer confidence has squeezed the premium market. So while Shakeup remains excited about future growth, it is taking an adaptable approach.
Bath has always been the brothers’ base. “Bath has a blend of youthful energy and heritage which gives the city its unique vibe”, says Jake. Shakeup Cosmetics joined Bath Unlimited in 2024, a group of local high-achieving businesses that are global leaders in their field. This resonates with Jake: “When it comes to Bath’s business scene, the title of the Chinese movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon comes to mind because there’s so much more beneath the surface than meets the eye. So many of the companies here are doing incredible things on a global scale. I really love this city – it’s a privilege to live here.”
Jake’s conviction that it was destiny that brought him and Shane to Bath was reinforced when he went home to Beijing and found an old English textbook where the first lesson was an article about Bath, with a picture of Pulteney Weir. “I have a very spiritual perspective. I believe everything happens for a reason, even if you don’t see it in the moment.”
Get to know the twins
What are your ambitions?
We want Shakeup to become synonymous with high-performance, easy-to-use men’s skincare and cosmetics. Our goal is to break outdated grooming stereotypes, making skincare and makeup accessible and acceptable for all men. Through continuous innovation and education, we aim to be a global leader in this rapidly growing industry.
How do you innovate?
We innovate by combining cutting edge, science-backed skincare actives with men’s specific needs, creating hybrid products that just work. We listen to our customers, adapting formulations based on feedback. Product safety and sustainability are very important to us, so we continuously improve material we choose to use, and keep a close tap on global compliance with regards to ingredients and packaging.
How do you connect with the local community?
We support wellbeing charities such as Man Up, and Look Good Feel Better. We also collaborate with local influencers, and attend industry events. We foster open conversations about confidence and self-care, ensuring men feel supported in embracing grooming without stigma. We sit on the Advisory Board of the British Beauty Council. We are passionate about advocating for SME’s in the UK.
How do you motivate?
We foster a creative, inclusive, and purpose-driven culture. Our team thrives on passion, collaboration and shared goals, helping everyday guys to look, and FEEL their best, every day. We offer share options, making each employee a true owner of the business. This, combined with innovation, collaboration, and recognition, keeps our team motivated and invested.
shakeupcosmetics.com