Napoleon Perdis is an Australian make-up artist and businessman best known for founding Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics, one of Australia’s most successful prestige beauty brands.
He built his company from a small bridal make-up studio in Sydney into a network of more than 65 stores across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Who is Napoleon Perdis?
Napoleon Perdis is a Sydney-born make-up artist and entrepreneur who created one of Australia’s largest homegrown cosmetics companies.
He launched his first studio in Leichhardt, New South Wales in 1992 and opened his flagship concept store on Oxford Street, Paddington, in 1995.
By 2011, the Napoleon Perdis brand operated 65 stores across Australia and New Zealand and sold its products from around 4,500 retail locations.
His products reached shelves at major US retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Ulta Beauty.
Perdis set up the Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy in 1993, which trains students in professional make-up artistry.
He co-founded the brand alongside his wife, Soula-Marie Perdis, and his younger brother Emanuel Perdis.
He also appeared as a special guest judge on several episodes of Australia’s Next Top Model between 2005 and 2008, and starred in his own reality show on TLC in 2008.
Early Life of Napoleon Perdis
Napoleon Perdis grew up in Parramatta, in Sydney’s western suburbs, the son of Greek immigrants.
His mother came from the island of Kythera, Greece, and his father from the Peloponnese.
The family lived in a three-bedroom home, and his mother’s flair for personal presentation left a lasting impression on him.
He first picked up a make-up brush at the age of 13, helping his mother prepare for evenings out. That early encounter with make-up stayed with him through school and into university.
From a young age, he also worked in the family businesses, including a fish and chip shop and cafes.
His father, like many first-generation Greek migrants in Australia, wanted him to become a lawyer or doctor.
Napoleon Perdis Age / Birthday
Napoleon Perdis is 56 years old as of 2026, born on 19 March 1970. His zodiac sign is Pisces, a sign often linked with creativity and artistic sensitivity.
He remains active in the beauty industry more than three decades after starting his first make-up studio.
Napoleon Perdis Ethnicity and Nationality
Perdis is Australian by nationality. He is of Greek descent, born to first-generation Greek immigrant parents who settled in Sydney.
His Greek heritage has played a visible role in his life, including the family’s eventual move to Athens, where his daughter Lianna grew up and launched her modelling career.
Napoleon Perdis Education
Perdis studied at Macquarie University in Sydney, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and business law in 1991.
He later completed a post-graduate degree in marketing management. It was at Macquarie that he met his future wife, Soula-Marie, who graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in actuarial studies the same year.
After university, he worked briefly in advertising and as a barrister’s reader before turning fully to make-up.
His business skills, developed through formal study, shaped the way he built and scaled the Napoleon Perdis brand.
Macquarie University is where both Napoleon and Soula-Marie completed their degrees before going on to found the company together.
Napoleon Perdis Career
Napoleon Perdis began his professional life as a bridal make-up artist, selling his skills door-to-door to hair salons and bridal designers.
From those early years he built one of Australia’s most recognisable cosmetics empires, spanning retail stores, a professional make-up academy, television appearances, and international distribution.
Building the Brand (1992–2004)
Perdis opened his first make-up studio in Leichhardt, New South Wales in 1992 and began selling bridal and special-events make-up.
In 1993, he won a make-up competition at a beauty expo with a look inspired by Cher.
That win earned him a trip to Los Angeles, where he met Cher’s personal make-up artist and agreed to distribute the ‘Taut’ make-up product line in Australia.
He sold the Taut business to launch his own products under a series of names: first The Look, then The Look by Napoleon, then Napoleon, and finally Napoleon Perdis from 1994.
With a $30,000 loan from his father, he opened the first Napoleon Perdis concept store on Oxford Street, Paddington, in 1995.
The Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy opened in 1993, starting as small group sessions for women wanting to learn make-up application.
The academy grew steadily, eventually enrolling more than 3,000 students across all aspects of make-up artistry.
By 2004, Perdis appeared on BRW magazine’s Young Rich List with a net worth of $20 million, the first time the brand’s founder received that level of public recognition for his commercial success.
US Expansion and Television (2005–2015)
In 2006, the Napoleon Perdis business expanded to the United States. The flagship US store opened in Beverly Hills, California, and a distribution centre in Los Angeles handled supply without relying on middlemen.
Napoleon Perdis products reached stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Dillard’s.
At the height of the US expansion, the brand was available at around 3,500 points of distribution across America, with sales reaching $35 million. During this period, Perdis also built his television profile.
From 2005 to 2008, he appeared as a special guest on Australia’s Next Top Model, and winners of the first four cycles became the face of Napoleon Perdis cosmetics as part of their prizes.
In 2008, he starred in his own TLC reality series, Get Your Face On, which followed his search for a protégé to help grow the brand in the American market.
Australian actress Melissa George campaigned as the face of the Napoleon DeVine Goddess line in 2007. Celebrity fans of the range included Teri Hatcher, Paris Hilton, and Paula Abdul.
By 2008, Perdis launched the NP Set diffusion line, a budget-conscious range sold in Target stores in Australia and the United States.
In 2012, he opened a Napoleon Perdis Life style concept store in a former post office in Woollahra, New South Wales, selling home furnishings, furniture, art, and jewellery. A second Life store followed in South Yarra, Victoria in 2013.
In 2015, Perdis pulled the brand out of the US market entirely, citing the cost and retail conditions.
He later said the retail scene was driven by equity groups rather than creative retailers, making it difficult to operate profitably at that scale.
Middle East, Brand Restructure, and Administration (2015–2019)
In 2015, Perdis signed a distribution deal with Dubai-based Luxuria Trading to carry Napoleon Perdis products across the Middle East.
The following year, in 2016, the Napoleon Perdis brand ceased its long-running partnership with David Jones department stores.
In 2017, Perdis appointed his then-17-year-old daughter Lianna as creative director of the diffusion line Total Bae.
In August 2018, the company entered an exclusive supply deal with the Priceline pharmacy chain. The move coincided with the brand’s exit from David Jones.
In late January 2019, Napoleon Perdis Group entered voluntary administration, with 56 Australian stores continuing to trade.
The company owed over $20 million to creditors. Administrators Simon Cathro, Chris Cook, and Ivan Glavas of Worrells Solvency Accountants were appointed to manage the process.
In April 2019, creditors approved a Deed of Company Arrangement, transferring ownership to Kuba Investments, a private investment company led by Livia Wang and Henry Lee.
Napoleon and Soula-Marie Perdis agreed to hand over their shares as part of the arrangement.
Brand Under New Ownership (2019–Present)
Under Kuba Investments, the Napoleon Perdis brand continued trading. By 2020, the company announced its return as the official make-up partner of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia.
Kuba relaunched several discontinued product lines, including the Advanced Mineral Makeup, Off Duty Tinted Moisturiser, and China Doll Foundation.
The brand returned to David Jones department stores under Kuba’s management, launching online and in 12 department store locations including Bondi Junction, Miranda, and Rundle Mall.
Napoleon Perdis products are also carried through napoleonperdis.com and select retail partners.
Napoleon Perdis Awards and Recognition
Napoleon Perdis received an Elle Genius Award from Elle Magazine in April 2010, as part of the publication’s fifth annual celebration of beauty’s elite.
The award recognised his excellence in the field of cosmetics and make-up artistry.
He was a regular official make-up partner of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia for many years, from as early as 1997.
His editorial work included covers for Vogue Australia and Harper’s Bazaar Australia.
He cited the September 2004 Vogue Australia cover featuring Gemma Ward as his proudest editorial achievement.
In 2004, his debut on BRW’s Young Rich List placed him among Australia’s highest-earning young entrepreneurs.
Napoleon Perdis Wife
Napoleon Perdis is married to Soula-Marie Perdis, whom he met while both were studying at Macquarie University in Sydney.
The two married after graduating and went on to build the Napoleon Perdis business together.
Soula-Marie served as chief financial officer of the company, while her brother-in-law Emanuel Perdis held the role of managing director.
Soula-Marie grew up in Athens, Greece, until the age of 14, before moving to Australia.
The family relocated to Los Angeles in 2006 when the brand expanded to the United States.
Napoleon and Soula-Marie transferred their shares in Napoleon Perdis Group to Kuba Investments in April 2019 as part of the administration process.
Both Napoleon and Soula-Marie Perdis are proud alumni of Macquarie University, which has featured them in alumni publications.
Napoleon Perdis Children
Napoleon and Soula-Marie Perdis have four daughters together: Lianna, Alexia, Athina, and Angelene.
Lianna, the eldest, signed with one of Australia’s top modelling agencies and made her catwalk debut in December 2016 as the closing model for Greek designer Dimitri Petrou in Athens.
In 2017, Napoleon appointed Lianna, then 17, as creative director of the brand’s diffusion line Total Bae.
The Total Bae range included a volumising mascara, a hydrating lip-plumping product, and a concealer.
Lianna also appeared in Girlfriend magazine and Russh. All four daughters grew up immersed in the business.
Napoleon Perdis Net Worth
Napoleon Perdis’s estimated net worth is $20 million as of 2026. His wealth built up largely through the Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics business, which he co-founded with his wife and brother.
Business Revenue
At its peak, the Napoleon Perdis brand operated more than 65 concept stores across Australia and New Zealand, with an additional 4,500 retail stockist locations.
In the United States, the brand reached sales of $35 million at its high point, selling through major department stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Dillard’s.
The Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy also generated revenue through professional make-up education, growing from small group classes to a programme with more than 3,000 enrolled students across multiple disciplines.
Awards and Media Income
Perdis earned income from media and television work alongside his product business.
His appearance on Get Your Face On on TLC in 2008, his recurring role on Australia’s Next Top Model, and his celebrity clientele all contributed to the brand’s market value and his personal profile during the peak years.
Overall, Napoleon Perdis’s income has come primarily from his cosmetics brand, retail network, and the make-up academy, with the business now operating under Kuba Investments following the 2019 administration.
Napoleon Perdis Social Media
Napoleon Perdis maintains a presence on Instagram at @napoleonperdis. The brand also runs an official Instagram account at @napoleonperdiscosmetics.
Both accounts showcase make-up looks, product launches, and fashion week content.
Conclusion
Napoleon Perdis turned a $30,000 loan and a small Paddington concept store into one of Australia’s most recognisable prestige beauty brands, reaching tens of millions of customers across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the Middle East.
His story encompasses decades of product innovation, a television career, a professional make-up academy, and the resilience of a brand that survived voluntary administration and relaunched under new ownership.