Glow Journal: Recent Episodes
Gemma Watts
Join beauty writer Gemma Watts in conversation with the world’s biggest beauty pioneers. We’re picking the brains behind the beauty products that fill your bathroom cupboards- the CEOs, founders and creative minds heading the brands that shape the beauty industry. From cult favourites to the products you reach for every day, from young entrepreneurs to companies steeped in history, these are the stories behind the most successful beauty businesses on the planet.
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In episode 131 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the CEO of Rationale, Shamini Rajarethnam.
Despite Rationale having been founded in 1992, Shamini and I agreed that it does still feel like an insider’s brand to an extent. Those of you have heard of Rationale likely first heard of it in 2011 and beyond, which is not a coincidence as this is when Shamini was brought on as the brand’s Marketing & Digital Coordinator. By September 2014, Shamini was Rationale’s General Manager, and by 2017 she was CEO.
I’d met Shamini before and I just think she’s amazing, but I took SO much from this conversation- there’s obviously some gold in here given she’s a young female CEO so you can imagine the unique obstacles that alone has presented, but also on that really fine balance between keeping a 32 year old brand true to its DNA but also ensuring it feels current and modern.
In this conversation, Shamini shares her thoughts on the intersection between AI and wellbeing, the question she asks in every job interview, and why she’s still not entirely sure she understands the plot of Pretty Woman.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Rationale on Instagram @rationale.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 130 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Fig Femme, Lindy Klim.
I don’t really think Lindy Klim needs an introduction, however I can say fairly confidently that this interview does show a side to Lindy that I’m not so sure the general public will have seen before, despite her having spent over 25 years in the public eye.
Lindy has founded not one but two beauty brands (Milk & Co with her ex husband Michael back in 2008, and Fig Femme in 2020), but her own relationship with beauty has taken a significant amount of work. Lindy was the only Asian girl at her school in Tasmania, an experience she talks about in this conversation, and she started modelling in her late teens which led to a really, really complicated relationship with her body- a relationship she tells me she was only really able to heal once she had children.
Lindy’s founder story is a particularly interesting one because her brand was deemed so controversial by the press pretty much immediately upon its launch. Fig Femme is intimate care brand, and it launched with a vulva mask (think of a sheet mask you’d put on your face, but for your vulva) which led to a lot of negative press. The tide has well and truly turned since, but it was SO interesting to hear from Lindy on the mental toll it takes when you spend years and years developing a brand with the goal of removing a stigma, only to have it more or less dragged over the coals within minutes of taking it live.
In this conversation, Lindy shares why she thinks Australia has been pretty far behind the rest of the world when it comes to intimate care, how she pitched a vulva mask to a boardroom full of men in suits, and details on the five year distribution deal the brand has just signed in the Middle East.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Fig Femme on Instagram @figfemme.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 129 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of JSHealth Vitamins, Jessica Sepel.
Top level- at age 27 or 28, Jess Sepel and her now-husband Dean bootstrapped JSHealth Vitamins, which they launched in 2018, and it is now worth a reported $600 million, is available in 1800 retail stores in Australia, over 1000 in the UK, and has experienced 300% year-on-year growth in US. If that’s not interesting to you, I’m not sure what will be.
More interesting than that, however, is Jess’ story from childhood to now- I was a bit floored by how open and vulnerable she was. Jess tells me that she always felt what she describes as a “weird, gravitational pull towards vitamins,” collecting them as a teenager like I might have collected Lip Smackers, and while her initial interest in wellness began as innocent, she soon fell into spiral of fad diets and an obsession with her own weight.
Jess got herself healthy and well, and then started documenting her journey in the form of a blog. That blog had about 20,000 readers within a couple of weeks of going live, the blog became an e-book, then an 8 week program was launched and then, in 2018, Jess and Dean launched JSHealth Vitamins with absolutely no intention of making waves within the industry- as Jess explains, they just wanted to create a sense of community.
In this conversation, Jess shares what she feels it is about her approach to wellness that is resonating with so many people that a bottle of JSHealth Vitamins now sells somewhere in the world every 10 seconds, how she was scammed before bringing a single product to market, and how she physically went about launching a vitamin brand into such a heavily saturated market.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Jess on Instagram @jshealth.
Follow JSHealth Vitamins @jshealthvitamins.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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When I first started planning season 1 of this podcast, that I thought would be a mini series, back in 2018, I wrote a list of dream guests- bucket list, beauty industry stalwarts whose brains I wanted to pick. Jo Malone was, of course, on that list, and on her most recent trip to Australia last month, we made it happen.
Jo’s story is unlike any other, and while we all know her name, I don’t believe as many people know her story as well as they probably should. Jo grew up in South East London and following a very, very early introduction to the beauty industry, she discovered her sense of smell was a bit of a superpower. She built her own brand, opened her first store in 1994 and sold that brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 while staying on as Creative Director.
In 2003, Jo was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, and although she beat it, she completely lost her superpower- her sense of smell. She chose to exit the brand in 2006 and, exactly one month into a five year non compete, her sense of smell returned. Following what she describes as probably the hardest five years of her life, she launched Jo Loves in 2011- her second global fragrance brand and one she describes as bringing the best parts of herself to the world.
This was so, so special for me, I’m so grateful to have had this time to physically sit down with Jo- no one tells her story like she does and I hope you love hearing it as much as I did.
In this conversation, Jo shares why she has her father’s work as an artist to thank for introducing the Jo Loves brand to a new generation, why we can thank a woman named Doris Hilderbaker for Jo’s love of beauty, and what happens both physically and mentally when you walk away from a brand with your name on it.
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In episode 127 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Yours Only, Ashli Templer.
When I connect with someone over a love of beauty, whether it’s on this podcast or away from it, the thread or the through line always comes back to a feeling. I think it’s that feeling that separates people who truly love this industry from the people who do view it as solely superficial, and it’s also the feeling that you get from James when you listen to or sit down with him.
What drew James Vivian to beauty, initially, was how good a facial made him feel, and because he is so giving by his very nature, he wanted to be able to give that feeling to other people as well. He spent years studying beauty and the science of skin, he founded his own mobile facial business some 14 years ago, he later opened the first James Vivian skin clinic which is now one of the most popular clinics in the country, and in 2022 he launched his own skincare brand, Viviology.
James is so, so passionate about ensuring people feel welcomed into the beauty space and feel like they belong, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to facilitate this conversation because I know the barrier to entry can sometimes feel really high, even as a consumer, but this conversation with James was a really beautiful reminder of what it’s all about and why we all love beauty in the first place- it’s about feeling good and helping others to feel the same.
In this conversation, James shares how he’s working to ensure everyone feels at home in his skin clinic, how he launched his own skincare brand with one of the country’s biggest beauty retailers, and how he went from an Australian Idol finalist to one of Australia’s most in demand dermal therapists.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Viviology on Instagram @viviologyskin.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 126 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Yours Only, Ashli Templer.
We obviously talk a lot on this podcast about identifying a gap for a product and developing out of a really genuine need, and I think the Yours Only story is probably one of the best examples of that that we’ve covered across all 6 seasons.
Ash grew up, in her words, “not being able to eat any cake at birthday parties.” She’s always had many, many food allergies, and things were only heightened in her 20s when she was diagnosed with both Hashimoto’s and a salicylate intolerance. It was following prolonged exposure to mould that Ash’s health was at its worst, and for an extended period there were only 7 foods she could consume. After having to overhaul every single element of her daily routine, she realised that there were only very few skin and haircare brands that she could use- and none that she particularly wanted to use.
Ash launched Yours Only in 2020, a skin and haircare line for dramatic skin, and has cultivated one of the most incredible communities I’ve ever seen online. Ash started her founder journey with a wish to change lives and, as you’ll hear here, I really believe that’s exactly what she’s done.
In this conversation, Ashli shares how she rebuilt after losing her entire inventory in an arson attack, why she uses her customers as models, and the serendipitous story behind how she found her manufacturer.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Yours Only on Instagram @yoursonly
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 125 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of IKKARI, Adrian Norris.
I have thought Adrian Norris to be one of the most interesting brand founders in the country for many, many years now, since he co founded fashion house Aje in 2008, and I have loved watching him enter the beauty space upon founding skincare and wellness brand IKKARI last year.
There’s so much about this brand and Adrian’s story that I love but one thing in particular that I found so interesting, and I think you will too, is Adrian’s passion for retail. It’s been a while since I’ve had a founder on who can talk to the retail experience the way that Adrian can, given that Aje and Aje Athletica currently have 48 standalone stores. One of the reasons Adrian is so passionate about the experience of bricks and mortar retail is because he is so, so customer focused, which is something he talked a lot about in this conversation. The other reason that touchpoint is important, and a factor that just blew my mind when I first heard about the brand ahead of its launch last year, was that IKKARI launched with 72 SKUs. That’s 72 individual products and 5 plus years of development, which I find so interesting at a time when we’re seeing so many brands launch with a singular hero.
In this conversation, Adrian shares how his first ever business plan was written up out of boredom, whether Aje and IKKARI have any mystery investors, and, of course, exactly WHY he chose to launch a brand with 72 SKUs.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow IKKARI on Instagram @ikkari.australia.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 124 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Hairification, Jordan Mylius.
You’ve heard of Hairification- from a distribution standpoint, they’re the fastest growing haircare brand in Australia having launched into 840 Coles stores in 2023 (that’s 840 retail locations from day one) and, as of last month, hitting the shelves of all 470 Priceline stores. Quick maths- Hairification is available in over 1300 retail locations in less than a year post launch.
Jordan has entered the beauty founder space with a really interesting skill set and perspective. He bought a tanning and beauty salon when he was 21, more or less on a whim, and fell in love with the transformative power of beauty. From there he’s spent about 15 years in the beauty industry, having been poached by Tuscan Tan for his sales skills and spending over 7 years helping to grow Bondi Sands into the best selling fake tan brand in the world.
I’m always fascinated by how a beauty brand tackles new customer conversion in such a saturated market, and I find that education piece particularly interesting when a brand launches into grocery, a space where most shoppers are purchasing habitually. Jordan’s approach to customer conversion is clearly working- despite that already eye watering number of retail locations here in Australia, this year will see the brand’s expansion into the global retail market.
In this conversation, Jordan shares how he identified a gap in the market and saw an opportunity, why his focus was accessibility as opposed to the luxury beauty sector, and his advice on hiring and why you often do have to start slow and scrappy.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Hairification on Instagram @hairification_haircare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 123 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Maison Crivelli, Thibaud Crivelli.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that fragrance is probably my favourite category to talk about, particularly from a storytelling perspective. Thibaud talks about fragrance in a way that is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before and that is, again, why I’m so fascinated by this category. I love asking people how they either construct a fragrance or brief it into their perfumer, and this particular answer went so far beyond anything I could’ve imagined in that Thibaud actually doesn’t just focus on the scent- his role feels almost more like a director putting an entire scene together.
We also had a really interesting chat about how nuanced the wider conversation around raw materials needs to be, which I think is actually true of the need for nuance when we talk about sustainability in general, not just in perfumery. Early on Thibaud told me that since childhood he’s wanted to create a cosmetic brand, and the longer we spoke for the less surprising it was to me that he’d had such clear vision from so early in his life- when you listen to him it becomes very clear that he is a founder who is in this industry because of a deep, deep love of it, which is always my favourite kind of guest.
In this conversation, Thibaud shares why there’s no room for ego in perfumery, how you can tell if a product will be popular within about two days of its launch, and the one emotion that every Maison Crivelli fragrance is linked to- the feeling of surprise.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Maison Crivelli on Instagram @maisoncrivelli.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 122 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founders of Sunset Daze, Alessia and Marco Angele.
What I love about talking to founders at this stage in their brand’s development (for context, Sunset Daze launched their first product, Liquid Rays, in December of 2022) is that all the really tactile bits that come with a launch are still so fresh in their minds- they’re not looking back on their launch through a wistful lens, there’s no revisionist history, the advice they can share feels as current as it is practical.
The whole ethos of Sunset Daze is “Feel Good Beauty,” and I felt that tenfold in our chat. These are two founders who are doing this for the love of it, and they’re coming at it from a really interesting spot too (which we spoke about) in that they loved the jobs they were in pre launch, so they weren’t starting something of their own so they could escape where they were at, so rather than the process having this sense of urgency, they could actually take their time with it.
In this conversation, Alessia and Marco share their take on staying at your job while building a brand on the side, their thoughts on self funding vs bringing on investors, and the risks of launching with a singular product rather than a full suite.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Sunset Daze on Instagram @_sunset_daze_.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 121 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founders of Fresh, Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg.
This is one of the best founder stories I’ve heard in over 5 years of hosting this podcast.
I don’t want to give anything away, but there’s just so much gold in here- particularly a story Lev towards the start of our chat. I could have sat and listened to Lev and Alina talk for a full day, with ease. It was honestly a joy to just facilitate this conversation.
We recorded this towards the end of last year and I wanted to open season 6 with it because it was such a beautiful reminder of why I started this in the first place. I knew Fresh was founded in the 90s, I use a lot of their products, I was aware that a majority stake was sold to LVMH at the turn of the century, but you can’t ever truly get to the heart and soul of a brand without conversations like this. I think it’s that heart that ensures the brand still feels so current, despite the product offering including products that have remained largely unchanged since the brand’s inception in Boston thirty plus years ago.
In this conversation, Lev and Alina share the great lengths they’ve gone to for beauty, what that historic LVMH acquisition meant for the brand, and the story behind Fresh’s now iconic oval soaps.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Fresh on Instagram @freshbeauty.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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We're back- and with a whole new surname!
Gemma Dimond (fka Gemma Watts) returns to host Season 6 of the Glow Journal podcast from January 31.
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It’s our final episode for Season 5!
I met Dr Rocio Rivera on a La Mer brand trip to Singapore in July and have been trying to get her on the show ever since.
I have had a relationship with La Mer for many years now both as consumer and a working relationship, and even I have found it to be a brand with a lot of mystery surrounding it- I’ve known the products work, I’ve seen first hand what they do for the skin, but it wasn’t until I listened to Dr Rivera speak in Singapore that I really understood the depth of research that goes into each product and just how special the story of the brand is, which is why I wanted her to relay all of that to my audience.
La Mer was founded in around 1965 after Max Huber spent something like 12 years creating an elixir to heal serious burns he’d suffered in a lab explosion. That elixir is the La Mer miracle broth, which is found in every single La Mer product, and something I learned on the trip is that each new batch of Miracle Broth contains a drop from the previous batch so there really is this rich history woven through each product.
What I love about Dr Rivera’s story is how she talks about beauty and what drew her to this particular area of science. She talks about how a pharmacist might only see a patient when they’re in need, likening it to a firefighter- no one is calling the fire department to say “Hi, I’m safe and there’s no fire. How do I keep it this way?” But when you work with the skin there’s this touchpoint, this human element- it’s all about how the science makes you feel.
In this conversation, Rocio shares why her role at La Mer really is full circle, why the iconic Creme de La Mer must be applied at a specific temperature, and whether there’s any truth to the rumour that every jar of Creme is individually hand poured.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow La Mer on Instagram @la mer.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 120 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founder of Sunnies Face, Martine Ho.
Martine Ho comes from a family of artists and performers, so where many people grow up thinking of creative pursuits as hobbies, Martine knew first hand that a career in the arts is entirely possible if you work for it. Born in Manila but largely raised in LA, Martine grew up passionate about photography and graphic design, and even told her classmates that she wanted to own a beauty brand one day. Martine became what I’d call one of the “original influencers,” sharing her personal style online well before people used social media the way we do today.
After being scouted by American Apparel to drive and grow their digital presence, Martine moved back to Manila to exercise her branding skills on a new sunglasses line, Sunnies Studios, a brand she founded alongside a small group of her friends and family. It was during campaign shoots for the brand that Martine realised makeup artists were anglicising the models, so she started mixing lipstick shades on set to ensure they worked on diverse complexions.
Naturally, Martine tells the Sunnies Face story better than I do but based on makeup artist demand, the brand launched in 2018 with their iconic Fluffmatte lipstick after sampling between 300 and 350 shades. Fluffmate sold out within about 10 minutes and, today, Sunnies Face sells a lipstick somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.
In this conversation, Martine shares what a celebrity endorsement can do for a startup, the challenges of taking the brand global, and the beauty of creating a brand out of necessity.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Sunnies Face on Instagram @sunniesface.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 119 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Lust Minerals, Stacey Hollands.
If you’d told a teenage Stacey Hollands that she’d one day be the founder of the country’s biggest mineral makeup brand, I don’t think she’d have doubted you for a second. What she may not have believed, however, was that in a matter of years she’d grow that brand from one that started in a linen cupboard to one worth over $20 million.
Stacey is one of those founder who’s always known what she wanted to do, and I really do mean always. She left secondary school as early as she could to study beauty full time, she always wanted to work for herself, and having watched her father own his own businesses her entire life, she was confident that one day she would start one too.
Having identified a gap for high performing, full coverage, cost effective mineral makeup, Stacey set to work on developing three foundations- the first products from the brand we now know as Lust Minerals. She HUSTLED. I’m talking cold calls, physically showing up at salons asking them to stock her products, and within a couple of years Lust Minerals was in 82 stockists across the country. She put her own savings into it, $10,000 of her own money, and between January 2019 and June of this year, Lust Minerals made $20 million dollars in sales.
In this conversation, Stacey shares the pros and cons of starting as a B2B brand, how research was her therapy, and her refreshing take on the power of feedback.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Lust Minerals on Instagram @lust__minerals.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 118 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Tomorrow-Today Beauty, Indianna Roehrich.
If you’ve worked in the fashion, beauty, or lifestyle media space in Australian in the last decade, you know the name Indianna Roehrich.
Indi started her own social media management agency, Simply Social Management , in 2015 when she was just 22 years old. I first met her a little under 10 years ago and she’s always struck me as being ahead of the curve- the concept of social media management was so new in 2015 that the majority of people still thought it was a fad, but at 22 her gut instinct was so strong and, as we now know, was also absolutely correct.
Indi’s curiosity around blue light exposure piqued about 4 years ago, when blue light eyewear hit the mainstream. This prompted her to start looking into what blue light was doing to the skin, and upon discovering just how much it can speed up the photoaging process, she went searching for a solution- and couldn’t find one.
This week, following three and a half years of research and development, Indianna launched Tomorrow-Today Beauty with a single, meticulously formulated SKU- the Tech Protect Serum, formulated to both shield AND repair the skin from blue light exposure and designed to look after tomorrow’s face, today.
In this conversation, Indianna shares advice to business owners on why it’s worth pushing through the hard parts when your brand is in its infancy, what our devices are actually doing to our skin, and her insider tips on making the algorithms work for you.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Tomorrow-Today Beauty on Instagram @tomorrowtodaybeauty.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 117 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of People Haircare, Katherine Ruiz.
Katherine never pictured herself starting a beauty brand, but she has always had an interesting relationship with her hair, and that relationship was sort of a visual representation of the relationship she had with herself. Katherine has naturally curly hair but, as so many of us do, wanted hair she didn’t have so she grew up straightening it, slicking it back, whatever she could do to disguise its natural texture. Similarly, she tells me that, at that time, she didn’t really love herself- she was pretending to be totally confident, but didn’t truly feel it until she really started working on that relationship with herself as an adult. Coincidentally or otherwise, it was around this time that she started embracing her curly hair.
Katherine founded People Haircare in 2022 out of a wish for haircare for everyone- meaning haircare for each unique hair type, at an accessible price point. The brand is physically accessible too, launching into 800 Coles stores nationally from day 1.
In this conversation, Katherine shares how she’s working to convert supermarket customers who have previously shopped habitually, why you shouldn’t wait for the first version of your product to be perfect, and just how important it is to ask for what you want.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow People Haircare on Instagram @peoplehaircare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 116 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founders of Elemis, Noella Gabriel and Oriele Frank.
This is probably the best example of serendipity that we’ve had on the show in the way that Noella, Oriele and their third co-founder Sean Harrington were brought together, each with a complementary skill set, the combination of which was precisely what the brand needed, but also with no real understanding of what they were saying yes to. By no means did the imagine that 34 years later, the brand they co-founded would be stocked in 100 countries.
Elemis was founded in 1989, in London, but all of the products and really the ethos overall feel so modern and so current. That combination of science backed formulas and botanical ingredients feels very much like something that would be launched in 2023.
In this conversation, Oriele and Noella share just how deeply they’re looking at sustainability and traceability, how they’ve maintained a relevant brand identity 34 years into business, and what they did when the brand’s first ever clinical trial results came back to show the product did absolutely nothing.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Elemis on Instagram @elemis and @elemis_anz.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 115 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Naked Sundays, Samantha Brett.
Samantha Brett has always loved beauty but, despite a brief stint as a beauty writer during an internship, she only ever wanted to be a news reporter.
Sam worked as hard as she possibly could to achieve the dream she’d held onto since she was 14 years old, and once she got there it was a job she truly never pictured herself walking away from. That was, until, the 2019 to 2020 bushfire season. It was while reporting on those bushfires that she found herself questioning precisely what is was that she wanted from her life.
The idea for Naked Sundays came from a few places at once a few months prior. Sam’s husband was complaining about having to reapply his sunscreen while playing golf, meanwhile Sam was watching her television colleagues having cancerous lesions cut from their faces after full days reporting out in the sun with no way to apply sunscreen without ruining their makeup for camera.
Sam pitched the idea for an SPF50+ Mist to 25 manufacturers before one finally said yes. She and her husband used money from their mortgage to fund the business, and Naked Sundays launched in January 2021 to a waitlist of over 2000 people. That’s 2000 people before they’d launched a single product. The brand hit a reported $100k in sales within 4 weeks of that launch, the brand launched into Mecca that October and sold out of three months’ worth of stock in 24 hours, and the brand was selling one product per minute by the end of that year.
In this conversation, Sam shares how important it is to know the steps it’ll take to reach your dream, rather than expecting it to happen tomorrow, why she waited until September 2021 to leave her television job, and a world exclusive announcement of not one but two new Naked Sundays products.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Naked Sundays on Instagram @naked_sundays.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 114 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founder and creative director, respectively, of Mr. Smith Hair, David and Freda Rossidis.
Freda Rossidis is an industry legend. Freda tells me that being a migrant to Australia, very few of her earliest memories are centred around beauty. She had no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up, she fell into hairdressing, and grew to love it over time. As that passion grew, so too did Freda’s resume, as she directed the hair styling for shows at Australian and New York fashion weeks and worked internationally on shows for Prada, Chanel, Dior and Hermes.
Her son, David, subsequently grew up in the salon environment, and found himself working in marketing and product development for a haircare brand following his studies. From there, David developed a balancing shampoo and accompanying conditioner with no real plans to turn those two products into a fully fledged brand.
Both David and Freda tell me that, if I’d asked them 8 years ago if they saw themselves working together, it would have been a hard no. However, 2 months after David’s first two products went to market, they were featured in Esquire New York… and then in GQ, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Wallpaper Magazine. International press led to a truly unexpected surge in consumer demand, so Freda left her business and started working with David full time.
That was in 2015. Today, Mr. Smith haircare is available in 12 countries, and what began as 2 products is now a brand with over 40 SKUs.
In this conversation, Freda and David share whether or not it’s possible to grow a business at the rate of Mr. Smith and maintain a balanced life, the advice anyone wanting to make it in the world of startups needs to hear, and some surprising stats around hairspray sales in Texas.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Mr. Smith on Instagram @mrsmithhair.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 113 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Kat Burki Skincare, Kat Burki.
Kat had studied Healthcare Law and Health Policy at university and was working happily in the industry, occasionally picking up passion projects in interior design as a creative outlet. Upon completing an interior for her brother-in-law, she decided she wanted to sign off the project with a signature scent. She met with some people who worked in the beauty industry creating hand batches, and they helped her create a candle.
The home fragrance became so popular amongst those who had smelled it that it was suggested to Kat they she should create a body lotion with the same scent. This prompted Kat to start looking into formulation science, and the team who had helped Kat create that very first candle went on to become the very first formulators of Kat Burki Skincare.
Kat Burki Skincare launched into Henri Bendel in New York City in August 2013 with first-of-its-kind cold pressed skincare. The subsequent four years saw the brand launch into Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, and Mecca here in Australia, and in 2023, Kat Burki Skincare is a truly global brand.
In this conversation, Kat shares what she had to fight to put extra money towards when her namesake business was in its infancy, how her earliest memories have shaped the brand she runs today, and why you don’t need to say “yes” to everything.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Kat Burki Skincare on Instagram @katburkiskincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 112 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of ROBE Haircare, Lauren Mackellar.
In 5 seasons of this show, Lauren Mackellar is the most inspiring guest I’ve had the joy of sitting down with.
Lauren Mackellar was one of Australia’s most in demand hair stylists. In early 2022, following years of intense migraines that she’d chalked up to her work, she took herself to the emergency ward and was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She went into surgery a day and a half later.The tumour was successfully removed, however it was Stage 3 cancer so radiation needed to begin immediately. Throughout chemotherapy, Lauren was told that her hair was unlikely to ever grow back given that she had no hair follicles at this point, let alone hair.
Unable to return to hairdressing, Lauren decided to revisit the haircare brand she had began to formulate prior to her diagnosis. She figured she had nothing to lose in trialling her own products on herself and, having sat opposite her to record this a couple of months ago, Lauren now has a thick, healthy head of hair. ROBE Haircare launches this week.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow ROBE on Instagram @robehaircare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 111 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founder of Sundae Body, Lizzie Waley.
Imagine not just trying to get customers on board with a new brand, but getting them to entirely change the way they’ve done something for their entire life.
That is precisely the task Lizzie Waley was faced with on launched Sundae Body.
Lizzie had had a conversation with her business partner about how bath time is so fun when you’re a kid, and by adulthood it’s totally lost its magic- likely because, realistically, your only options are a bar of soap or a liquid body wash, neither of which inspire a whole lot of play or joy. Armed with that thought, Lizzie asked a chemist if there were any other mechanisms or mediums that could be explored in the body care space, to which that chemist suggested a foam.
Sundae Body took about 18 months to develop, beginning with a can designed to look like whipped cream and ending with a range fruit and dessert scented whipped body foams, formulated to put the fun back into showering- at any age. Lizzie pitched Sundae Body to both Woolworths and Priceline before launch and was picked up by both, meaning Sundae Body had space on over 1200 shelves before they’d launched a single product.
In this conversation, Lizzie shares both the pros and cons of self funding a startup, the lessons learned from her first job in a call centre, and why the right distributor was key to securing space with two of the country’s retail giants.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Sundae Body on Instagram @sundaebody.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 110 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the CEO and founder of Gem, Georgia Danos.
This conversation is essentially a marketing masterclass.
One of Georgia’s earliest roles was at Remedy Kombucha. Now, we all know what kombucha is now, but keep in mind this was in 2014, before the brand was even on Instagram, so Georgia’s job wasn’t just to build the brand’s social media presence- she was more or less responsible for bringing the product to mainstream recognition.
After helping to launch the brand in the UK, Georgia had well and truly caught what she refers to as “the start up bug,” and this is where her story gets really interesting- rather than identifying a gap for a product and then deciding to launch a brand to fill it, Georgia first decided she wanted to start a business of her own and then identified that gap. Where she landed was the oral care sphere. Given that beauty was and remains so saturated, she found space for a product at the intersection of beauty and health and wanted to develop a product that had a daily, or in this case twice-daily, touchpoint with consumers.
Georgia launched Gem, an Australian made, premium, natural oral care brand in March 2020 following four years of product development. The brand has since been picked up by both Mecca and Woolworths stores nationally, has extended its product range to over 30 SKUs, and is launching into Boots in the UK next week.
In this conversation, Georgia shares how she and her team manage to educate without fear mongering (no mean feat in this industry), how she got her brand on the shelves at Mecca, Woolworth and Boots, and how she got her product’s entire first run of packaging for free.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Gem on Instagram @gem.au.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 109 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of YŌLI and En Gold, Steffanie Ball.
Steffanie Ball’s ties to beauty come through YŌLI, a brand centred around “elevated bathing rituals” that was launched in December of last year with a range including luxury towelling (emphasis on the word luxury), a scent range and a dry body brush. You’ve likely heard of Steff’s first business, furniture and homewares brand En Gold, which began as an Instagram account selling vintage furniture and morphed into a furniture brand that celebrates the design and workmanship of century old crafts.
What I love most about the story behind both of Steff’s businesses is the ways in which she’s reconnected with her Filipino heritage throughout the business development process. She tells one story in particular about connecting with the original maker of the vintage pieces she was selling on Instagram and how, through En Gold, he and Steff were able to give all of his former workers their jobs back that you will love.
In this conversation, Steff shares why the art of ritual is so important to her, why she believes that retail is one of the best industries within which to learn and why she insists her team all spend time in the customer care department, and how an American skateboarder (her now husband of 14 years) proposed after 2 days…
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow YŌLI on Instagram @yoli_haus.
Follow En Gold on Instagram @en._gold
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 108 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Vida Glow, Anna Lahey.
Vida Glow is the number one marine collagen brand in the world, with one unit sold every four seconds.
Anna doesn’t hold her cards close to her chest. From sharing the brand’s Shopify launch strategy, what goes into developing packaging and sourcing ingredients, how many products Vida Glow have discontinued and the rationale behind the brand’s 2021 rebrand, Anna sincerely believes that the increasing saturation of the ingestible beauty market is only going to push the category forward- and honestly, it was refreshing to hear.
Anna and her husband Keiran launched Vida Glow in 2014 after years of importing collagen for herself from Japan, having experienced hair loss due to a blood clotting condition which she opened up about in our chat. Realising that making the ingredient accessible here in Australia could have a positive impact on so many people, Vida Glow was born.
In this conversation, Anna shares the power of a rebrand and the strategy that went into Vida Glow’s, what to look for when purchasing ingestible beauty supplements, and the million dollar question, what collagen actually is and what it can do.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Vida Glow on Instagram @vida_glow.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 107 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founder of ABHATI Suisse, Shirin Döerig. Der-rig
A British-born Indian who now lives with her family in Switzerland, Shirin’s mother Anju has been described as a serial entrepreneur. She studied sociology and ethnology, she worked as a social worker in the UK, and was instrumental in setting up a shelter for victims of domestic violence.
Her interest in beauty began in the same way her daughter, Shirin’s, did, with both women being introduced to the time honoured beauty rituals of their Indian heritage from a young age.
After relocating to Switzerland, Anju traveled to the Himalayas whilst working an NGO and learnt about native plants from the tribal farmers she met. Inspired to combine their teachings and Swiss science with the aforementioned time honoured Indian rituals, Anju launched altitude-active beauty company ABHATI Suisse in 2015 with Shirin officially joining the brand as both co-founder and trade marketing manager last year.
Each ABHATI Suisse purchase funds days of school for girls in India through the brand’s partnership with Educate Girls, with the brand having enabled over 530,000 school days at the time of recording. In something of a full circle moment, 1% of the brand’s revenue is given to environmental organisations like WeForest in partnership with 1% for the Planet- WeForest being one of the organisations Shirin’s mother co-founded.
In this conversation, Shirin shares the importance of retailing through true brand builders, how her mother inspired so many people to aid the brand pro bono, and the surprising connection between ABHATI Suisse and a perfume brand with a particularly cult following.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow ABHATI Suisse on Instagram @abhatisuisse.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 106 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of VIOLETTE_FR and Creative Director of Makeup for Guerlain, Violette Serrat.
Violette has been a bucket list guest of mine since Season 1 as I became aware of her work at something of a pivotal time, career wise, for me.
Violette realised she wanted to become a makeup artist at the age of 19 after applying glitter to a friends face ahead of a party. She promptly moved to New York, with no training beyond a Kevyn Aucoin library book, and began to network her way into the industry.
Between 2012 and 2020, Violette worked as a Makeup Designer at Dior, a Product Development Consultant at Sephora, and as Estee Lauder’s Global Beauty Director, and was discovered by Vogue France in 2015.
In 2021, Violette was named Creative Director of Makeup for heritage brand Guerlain, AND launched her own brand, VIOLETTE_FR.
In this conversation, Violette shares why she’s an advocate for self-funding where possible, the value in staying true to your personal style when others suggest otherwise, and why she’d prefer it if her daughter weren’t to follow in her footsteps.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Violette on Instagram @violette_fr.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 105 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Verso, Lars Fredriksson.
It was a love of interaction, communication, and connection that led Lars Fredriksson to the beauty world. Having spent years in business, sales and marketing, he found himself talking to a stranger at a music industry party. Lars and this man were the only two guests who didn’t work in music, and it was this conversation that led Lars to his first role in the beauty world.
Lars launched Verso in Sweden a decade ago- a brand built around a patented ingredient called Retinol8 and steeped in science. The brand is now available in 25 countries and the product range consists of about 25 SKUs, each of which has taken years to develop and perfect before hitting the market.
In this conversation, which took place during Lars’ most recent trip to Australia, Lars shares why he believes everyone should use at least one Vitamin A product daily, why we really have his wife to thank for his move into the beauty space, and why we probably won’t ever be seeing a Verso neck cream on the shelves…
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Verso on Instagram @versoskincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 104 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of FaceGym, Inge Theron.
From early ambitions to become a CNN correspondent to a job as radio DJ, founding a branding agency to launching a board game, it was a job in the wellness space that really made Inge Theron feel as though she was home.
Inge spent 11 years as the Financial Times' Wellbeing, Beauty & Spa writer, a job that quite literally saw her trialling the best and, in some cases the worst, beauty and wellness treatments and trends in the world, before an idea struck her in 2013. She hadn’t just trialled, she’d studied, the wellness industry for over a decade- what if she took the very best bits and created something she knew would work?
The idea for FaceGym came to Inge in December 2013- a gym, rather than a spa, offering facial workouts instead of invasive treatments. The first FaceGym location opened in May the following year, with each workout following a “warm up, sculpting, cardio and cool down” formula. In just 8 years, that 1 location has expanded beyond 15. In 2021, FaceGym launched their own line of topical skincare products, and in January of this year, Inge opened FaceGym’s first Southern Hemisphere location at Mecca George Street.
In this conversation, Inge shares how she convinced a heritage retailer to take on her brand, how she learnt the importance of understanding the operations of your brand and not just the creative, and why she takes stock of where she’s at, both personally and professionally, every single year.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow FaceGym on Instagram @facegym.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 103 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founders of JB SKRUB, Julie Bowen and Jill Biren.
USE CODE GLOWJOURNAL15 FOR 15% OFF YOUR JB SKRUB ORDER.
Julie Bowen has been acting professionally since 1992, perhaps most notably spending 11 years in the role of Claire Dunphy on Modern Family. Jill Biren spent close to two decades in publishing at Condé Nast, working across titles including Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair.
Both mothers of sons, Julie and Jill got to chatting at a birthday party about the changes their sons were going through as pre-teens, realising there was a glaring gap in the market for a skincare brand aimed at young men, given the existing offering was either too young, too overtly feminine, or just that bit too adult and intimidating, rather than easy and fun.
JB SKRUB spent three years in product development ensuring each of the five formulas was perfect, with not a single corner cut and each product being certified European Union compliant for clean skincare, and launched in January of this year. Less than two months in, the brand already has multiple new products on the horizon as well as plans to launch internationally very soon.
In this conversation, Julie and Jill share how their respective careers in show business and media have affected their personal relationships with beauty, their advice on having difficult conversations with adolescents, and Julie shares how playing the role of a mother of three prepared her for her own motherhood journey.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow JB Skrub on Instagram @jbskrub.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 102 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Recreation Beauty, Nedahl Stelio.
Despite steadily building a name for herself as one of the country’s most influential voices in fashion and beauty media, Nedahl didn’t enter the industry with a specific niche in mind. Having worked at Girlfriend Magazine as Beauty and Features Editor, Cosmopolitan Magazine as Beauty Editor, Features Editor and Deputy Editor, and as Editor of Cleo Magazine, she tells me that while she fell into beauty, over time she fell in love with it.
Around 14 years ago, Nedahl found herself struggling to conceive and elected to switch to “natural” products in her home and beauty routines, and it was at this time that she discovered there were really no luxury options in the natural perfume space.
Still working as a journalist, Nedahl placed her idea on the backburner, however after some years wearing no perfume at all, she decided it was time to create a solution to her own problem.
Recreation Beauty, a natural, vegan, and Australian made fragrance and beauty brand was launched in 2019 following over two years of product development, and now boasts one of the most innovative sustainability frameworks I’ve come across.
In this conversation, Nedahl shares the ways in which the media landscape has evolved across her nearly three decades in the industry and, perhaps surprisingly, the ways in which it has stayed the same, her advice for those deciding if their startup should launch wholesale or direct to consumer, and the advantages of starting a business on your own.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Recreation Beauty on Instagram @recreationbeauty.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode 101 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Saint Louve Skincare, Elly Seymour.
The wheels of Elly Seymour’s career journey were set in motion when she was a child with a very specific dream of wearing surgeon’s scrubs. Elly decided she wanted to be a cosmetic nurse when she was just a teenager, convincing her parents to allow her to study a Diploma of Makeup in lieu of Year 12. Her reason was a pragmatic one- when she turned 18 she’d be able to enrol as a nurse, and a beauty qualification would allow her to freelance on the weekend to supplement the cost of the nursing course.
In 2019, with several years and even more qualifications beneath her belt, Elly opened and funded her own clinic in a similarly pragmatic way, electing to continue working as a registered nurse in her local hospital simultaneously to save money, build relationship and maintain those acute skills.
In March 2020, only a few months in and with a client waitlist close to 150 people long, the pandemic forced Elly to close the clinic’s doors indefinitely. Where many would, understandably, have crumbled, Elly used the unknown to her advantage. She used the clinic’s social media platforms to cultivate a reputation for herself as an industry authority, she took a permanent position at the hospital, the more secure income from which allowed her to fund her next project, and underwent further study in cosmetic formulations. In August 2022, the aforementioned project came to life- Saint Louve Skincare, a topical skincare brand that she runs alongside her well-and-truly up-and-running again Louve Skin Clinic.
In this conversation, Elly shares her take on going all in with a startup versus maintaining a secondary source of income, when and why to allocate budget to outsourcing elements of the business that aren’t your areas of expertise, and why being a forward-facing founder has been of such great benefit when it comes to brand education.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Saint Louve Skincare on Instagram @saintlouveskincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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We're back! Season 5 of the Glow Journal Podcast begins on Feb 1st.
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In the final episode of Season 4, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Floral Street, Michelle Feeney.
Michelle is, quite literally, a beauty industry icon.
Headhunted by Estée Lauder Companies in 1993, Michelle is largely responsible for turning Crème de la Mer into a cult product before becoming Vice President, Global Communications of MAC Cosmetics, helping to increase the company’s net worth from $65 million to $1 billion in less than 7 years bringing mainstream awareness to the MAC AIDS Fund, and then spending 4 years as the CEO of St Tropez and transforming the tanning industry in that time.
Michelle launched Floral Street in November 2017, the story of which she shared back on Episode 53 of the Glow Journal podcast in 2020.
In this bonus episode, recorded at Mecca Beauty headquarters, Michelle and Gemma chat personal fragrance, scent scaping and the changing face of sustainability in beauty.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Floral Street on Instagram @floralstreet_.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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To celebrate 100 EPISODES of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Paula’s Choice, Paula Begoun.
Paula was my first ever international guest back in 2018, Season 1, Episode 3, and I still receive messages about that episode to this very day.
To celebrate 100 episodes and 4 seasons, we’re taking it back to basics and doing what Paula does best- myth busting. Should skin flake when we first try retinol? If a product makes our skin tingle, does that mean it’s working? Do you really have sensitive skin, or have you caused your sensitive skin?
On a personal note, I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has listened over the last four years and every brand founder who has trusted me to tell their story. I cannot begin to put into words how grateful I am for each and every one of you. I love you!
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Paula’s Choice on Instagram @paulaschoice and @paulaschoiceau.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this Bonus Episode of the Glow Journal podcast, Trinny London founder and CEO Trinny Woodall returns!
It has been three years since Trinny’s last visit to Australia and her last appearance on the podcast, so I headed to her suite on her most recent trip to catch up on three years worth of beauty and business (and for Trinny and I to do our skincare routines together, which you can see on my TikTok).
Since we last caught up, Trinny has launched an entire skincare range, which she trialled on a whopping 3600 women ahead of its launch to test and perfect the range.
A major topic of conversation in our last episode was the strength of the Trinny Tribe, which Trinny explains really transformed into an even stronger support network for its members over the last couple of years and now consists of 34 tribes in 16 countries. Last month saw Trinny open two Trinny London pop-ups, one in Doncaster and one in Bondi, the openings of which served as an opportunity for Trinny’s Australian tribes to finally come together in person.
In this conversation, Trinny shares just what makes the Trinny Tribe so strong, the gap she aims to fill in the skincare space, and what we can expect to see next from the brand.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Trinny Woodall on Instagram @trinnywoodall.
Follow Trinny London on Instagram @trinnylondon.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Tribe Skincare, Kayla Houlihan.
Kayla Houlihan understands first hand just how debilitating acne and inflammation can be to a person’s confidence. It was her understanding of the impact skin heath can have on one’s confidence that led Kayla to study skin, and what drove her to want to help clients in clinic.
The idea for Tribe Skincare came to Kayla whilst running her own skin clinic in Geelong. Clients were presenting with all the signs of sensitive skin, and knowing just how many skin conditions come down to inflammation, Kayla wanted to recommend products to her clients that were suitable for sensitive skin but still delivered results. What Kayla discovered is that people with sensitive skin had very few active options- brands were creating simple cleansers and moisturisers suitable for sensitive skins, but there was almost nothing available that allowed those clients to reap the benefits of active ingredients without irritation.
Kayla entirely self funded Tribe, launching in 2017 with just four products. Well into the brand’s first year on the market, Tribe Skincare was bringing in over $90,000 per month. Last year saw Kayla and her team completely rebrand Tribe and shift the brand from being an ecommerce exclusive to available in physical retailers. That rebrand saw a 20% increase in sales overall and a 500% increase in sales from one product in particular, and this year Kayla launched Tribe’s Vitamin C serum to a 50,000 person waitlist with one bottle selling every 4 minutes in its first 12 hours post launch.
In this conversation, Kayla shares her strategy on choosing the right influencers to partner with, why a rebrand can be a double edged sword if you already have a loyal customer base, and the surprising findings that led the brand to STOP paid advertising entirely.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Tribe Skincare on Instagram @tribeskincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the Chief Commercial Officer of Alpha-H, Tina Randello.
Alpha-H was founded in a garage on the Gold Coast, in 1995, by the late Michelle Doherty.
In the year 2000, Michelle launched Liquid Gold- a glycolic acid based resurfacing treatment the likes of which had never been seen before by the global beauty industry. Liquid Gold soon developed a cult following, elevating Alpha-H from Queensland’s best kept skin secret to a bonafide global beauty powerhouse and the authority, worldwide, in acid-powered skincare.
In July of 2020, Michelle passed away following a 2 year battle with cancer. In late 2019, Michelle was in the midst of succession planning the business and met with Tina Randello, with Tina telling me she connected with Michelle and what she was doing instantly. Tina became the Chief Commercial Officer of Alpha-H in January 2020.
Following Michelle’s passing, Tina and the Alpha-H team spent time together discussing how they could continue to embody Michelle’s values as a business. In 2021, Tina launched The Encoreship, an Alpha-H initiative that has brought together multiple brands to offer women returning to work following a career break a three month paid work placement, enabling women to upskill and supporting their return to the workforce.
In this conversation, Tina shares how she ensures she’s effectively communicating with consumers in a space where product education is paramount, the difference between being trend driven and trend aware, and why it’s so important to wait it out for an opportunity that feels right.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Alpha-H on Instagram @alphahskincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder CEO of Vintner’s Daughter, April Gargiulo.
The idea for Vintner’s Daughter came to April when she was working on her family’s vineyard. She was pregnant and, as many do, was studying the ingredients lists of each product in her existing skincare routine. April wanted a product born from a similar ethos to that of winemaking- one centred around quality and craftsmanship, and how those factors drive performance.
Where most skincare products can be manufactured and bottled within about three hours, April was told her formula would take three weeks. What could well have been a deterrent had the opposite effect on April, as coming from a wine background she was used to working with products that take three years to create, and so Vintner’s Daughter was born in late 2013.
The brand launched with one singular product, and while the strategy was one embedded with risk, that product garnered a legitimately cult following. April’s mission has always been to create fewer products that did more, channelling all her resources into perfecting just one product at a time, and so four years after that initial launch, a second followed.
January 2023 will see the next iteration of Vintner’s Daughter’s “fewer, but better” ethos, with a third product due for release as the brand enters its tenth year.
In this conversation, April shares her advice for founders feeling the pressure to manufacture more, cheaper and faster, a few hints as to what we can expect from the brand’s next launch, and how she’s working to change the beauty industry to one driven by joy, confidence and gratitude.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Vintner’s Daughter on Instagram @vintnersdaughter.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Holme Beauty, Hilary Holmes.
Hilary discovered her love of makeup in her final year of high school, and although she tells me that initial affinity for beauty may not have come from the right place, to this day she connects to the transformative energy she felt upon that discovery.
Despite her love of makeup, Hilary studied and worked in agriculture. In 2009 the recession hit, and after being made redundant, Hilary relocated to London where her sister was living. She soon found a job on a cosmetics counter, and so her career in beauty was born.
After returning to Australia and building up her freelance business, Hilary opened the first Hilary Holmes Makeup location in 2016 and a second only four years later. It was from within these spaces that Hilary’s now-iconic Masterclasses were born- classes designed to empower women to back their own beauty, rather than following a formula they’d grown up with in women’s magazines.
In 2021, following years of product development and a truly serendipitous encounter with her now-manufacturer, Hilary launched Holme Beauty. The brand launched with a single SKU, and over the last 12 months Hilary has carefully and consciously expanded that range to an edit of four, with a fifth product set to launch only a fortnight from now.
In this conversation, Hilary shares the importance of finding the right people to help you grow your business, the links she’s discovered between beauty and her own mental health, and the story behind the man she calls her “$30,000 husband.”
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Hilary and Holme Beauty on Instagram @hilaryholmesmakeup and @holmebeauty.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founder of Korres, Lena Korres.
When Dr Clara Hurst opened Perth skin clinic, Blanc, having relocated to Australia from the UK, she sought the help of a pharmacist to compound prescription skincare to her clients. That pharmacist told her that, just down the road, there was a GP prescribing the very same ingredients and having them compounded into solutions for her patients. That GP was Dr Deb Cohen-Jones. Upon realising that they shared the very same philosophies around the science of skin, their pair decided to go into business together.
The Secret, the country’s first prescription-only skincare brand, began in early 2019 as a singular cream, only available to those who had an appointment with one of the doctors. Within six months, over 300 jars of The Secret had been sold and the pair began working on new formulas. What started as one “magic cream” has since grown to a line of 13 different products.
In 2020, Dr Clara and Dr Deb launched The Secret’s digital platform, allowing patients anywhere to complete a consultation online and have their prescription skincare compounded and sent directly to them. This year has seen The Secret introduce new sustainability practices including refillable packaging, while the coming months will see the launch of The Secret’s retail range.
In this conversation, Dr Clara and Dr Deb share the real differences between prescription and retail skincare, how they turned a mid-pandemic launch into an ecommerce boom, and their advice to business owners trying to avoid fast trends.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow The Secret on Instagram @the_secret_skincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founder of Korres, Lena Korres.
Korres began as the oldest herbal apothecary in Athens, Greece. Whilst working there, George Korres began formulating topical cosmetics for his friends and loyal customers of the pharmacy, and word quickly began to spread. Lena Philippou, now Lena Philippou-Korres, a chemical engineer, commenced work at the pharmacy in 1996 and, following consumer demand, the KORRES brand was officially launched.
By the turn of the century, George and Lena’s tech-driven, naturally formulated skincare products had been picked up by Henri Bendel in New York and Harvey Nichols in London. Today, despite being a truly global brand, KORRES remains true to its origins and its patented Full Circle sustainable manufacturing processes.
In this conversation, Lena shares why she feels there should be more women working in STEM globally, why she has youthful naivety to thank for the brand’s initial launch, and why it’s not enough to rely on consumer demand when it comes to new product ideas.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Korres on Instagram @korres and @korres.athens.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Joanna Vargas, Joanna Vargas.
Joanna Vargas tells me that caregiving is her love language.
Following a number of years working as an esthetician, Joanna had grown tired of seeing clients given the same facials and being sold the same products. Driven by a wish to create her own treatments and be guided by each individual’s needs, Joanna opened her first namesake spa in New York City in 2006.
By 2011, having grown her business with little more than word-of-mouth marketing, Joanna had become something of an industry go-to and had accumulated an impressive list of celebrity clientele. Passionate about delivering good nutrition to the skin, and wanting her clients to be able to achieve and maintain spa results from home, she developed her own product line.
Despite running a now international skincare brand with 28 SKUs, Joanna still works as a facialist 5 days a week, taking the opportunity to continue learning, to see what modern skin needs, what concerns her clients are looking to treat and, in her words, “formulating from the chair.”
In this conversation, Joanna shares the ins and outs of finding the right manufacturer, why her early memories of her grandmother have served as the inspiration for her career, and how grateful she is to be her “tattooed Latina self” in the landscape of the beauty industry.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Joanna Vargas on Instagram @joannavargas and @joannavargasnyc.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Susanne Kaufmann, Susanne Kaufmann.
Natassia, 28 years old and a qualified biochemist, spent the first years of her career immersed in the beauty industry, working across brands like Swisse and Elle Macpherson’s WelleCo, counting the latter as a valued mentor. Following her time at Swisse, Natassia was one of only five offered a position at private equity fund The Foundry, a fund that exists to support the next wave of beauty brand founders. Moving to what was, in essence, a startup, was a risk, but Natassia took it upon herself to learn every facet of the business and, in her words, soak up everything she could.
By 2021, Natassia had been working in the beauty industry for around 6 years and had began to wonder if there was anything she could contribute to the space that would make both it and the planet as a whole better. She mapped out the lifecycle of a beauty product and realised that there was a water footprint involved in, literally, every step of the supply chain. Knowing that water is a finite resource, and that most beauty products contain between 70 and 90 percent water, she asked herself “If you take water out, what are you left with?”
As Natassia explains, what you’re left with is “the good stuff.”
Natassia launched Conserving Beauty, Australia’s first waterless beauty brand, in 2021. Conserving Beauty is the first beauty brand globally to be part of the Water Footprint Network, and the first Australian beauty brand to be backed by both government and impact investment funds. April of this year saw yet another Conserving Beauty innovation reach the public in the form of the brand’s InstaMelt™ technology- a patented fabric technology that has allowed the brand to develop the world’s first dissolving facial wipes and sheet masks, with even more innovation set to hit shelves very soon.
In this conversation, Natassia shares why she believes taking on every job from the ground up is essential for future brand founders, what it truly means to take on external investment, and precisely how her brand ensures water conservation is considered at every single step of the supply chain.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Conserving Beauty on Instagram @conservingbeauty.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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July 14 is Bastille Day, the national day of France, so to celebrate we’re heroing all things French beauty- and who better to help us than the co-founder of French Beauty Co, Emilie Roberson.
French skincare sales, as a category, are reportedly up 25% in the last quarter, and the appetite for hard-to-find French brands and products has never been higher. In this bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts discover the secrets to mastering French girl beauty.
This episode is sponsored by French Beauty Co, Australia’s only digital destination for lovers of French beauty. To celebrate Bastille Day, French Beauty Co have curated a celebratory French beauty box, filled with best selling products from Bioderma, Nuxe, Embryolisse, Mavala, Klorane and Bachca Paris, available via frenchbeautyco.com.au until July 14.
In this conversation, Emilie shares what it is about the French approach to beauty that sets it apart from the rest of the world, why she believes pharmacy skincare is finally having its moment globally, and exactly what French women do (and don’t!) include in their beauty routines.
You can shop the French Beauty Co range, including the limited edition French Beauty Box, at frenchbeautyco.com.au.
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In episode ninety one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Susanne Kaufmann, Susanne Kaufmann.
Beauty has been something of a constant thread woven throughout Susanne Kaufmann’s life. Growing up in the westernmost part of Austria, Susanne’s earliest memories are of the beauty rituals she shared with her grandmother of a weekend as a child. Her family owned a hotel, with Susanne growing to become the fifth generation hotelier to run the retreat, and in the mid 90s she saw an opportunity to bring more guests to the hotel.
That opportunity lay within the hotel’s spa.
Susanne elected to completely redevelop the spa, transforming it into a destination in and of itself. She had loved the ritual of beauty since her early childhood, so she set to work ensuring the hotel’s spa was one of the very best in the world. It was in 2003 that Susanne sought to add yet another point of difference to the spa’s offering by launching a signature line of 24 products, formulated only to be used in-house during spa treatments. Soon thereafter the products garnered international press coverage, with Susanne fielding interest from some of the the world’s biggest beauty retailers.
Today, almost 20 years after its launch, the Susanne Kaufmann brand consists of over 80 different products, each crafted from natural ingredients found within the hotel’s surrounds, and is sold everywhere from Harrods and Selfridges in London to Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Mecca here in Australia.
In this conversation, Susanne shares why sustainability means so much more to her than just packaging, the importance of listening to one’s body, and what she refers to as “the new luxury.”
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Susanne Kaufmann on Instagram @susannekaufmann_.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ninety of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founder and Creative Director of Resoré, Evah Jackson.
With a background in fashion, Evah Jackson has always had a fascination with aesthetics. In 2014, she co-founded Harpers Project, one of the country’s largest online homewares stores and one of the very first to really capitalise on the power of social media.
A few years post-launch, Evah and the Harper’s Project team decided to extend their furniture offering into home textiles and began exploring fibre options. It was at this point that they became aware of the amount of bacteria that could be found on our regular face and body towels, and so they started to look into new, antibacterial options.
Resoré was launched in 2020 after over two years of development, bridging the gap between beauty and homewares and featuring a blend of fibres that had never been blended before.
Before the brand had even launched, they had secured Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to front their very first campaign, and contracted both Rosie and internationally renowned skin specialist Melanie Grant as brand ambassadors. Now, roughly two years in, Resoré can be found in the world’s very biggest beauty retailers- Mecca, locally, as well as Harrods, Bloomingdales, Poosh and Saks Fifth Avenue internationally.
In this conversation, Evah shares her tips on how to decide on the right ambassadors for your brand and how to lock them in, the pros and cons of launching tactile businesses online rather than in a bricks and mortar store, and what exactly is living on our regular bath towels.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Resoré on Instagram @resorebody.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the CEO and co-founder of Nécessaire, Randi Christiansen.
Randi Christiansen has always been interested in the intersection of business and beauty.
Having studied business at university and taking a particular interest in entrepreneurship and small business growth, Randi found herself in a role at Estée Lauder Companies, where she would remain for next 15 years.
Despite being a major multinational, Randi was able to bring her passion for small business to the company, working primarily across the La Mer and Tom Ford brands. While these are both household names today, when Randi commenced work on them they were very much in their infancy, so she was able to combine her startup mindset with the resources of a multinational business.
It was during her time at Estée that Randi met and began working with beauty journalist Nick Axelrod, and over cheap beers at an airport the two began to brainstorm a business idea on a paper napkin. They wanted to bring a facial skincare ethos to the body care market, the latter market being around one fifth a size of the former, but they didn’t just want to create a brand for the sake of it- they only wanted to create what felt crucial, essential, and necessary.
And so, Nécessaire was born. Having launched at the very end of 2018 and being certified climate neutral since January of 2019, Nécessaire is now a true global brand and, as of May 24, is finally available in Australia at Mecca.
In this conversation, Randi shares the unexpected benefits of bringing on investors when developing a brand, why she thinks having a journalist on board is essential in launching a successful business, and the importance of having a truly clear brand DNA.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Nécessaire on Instagram @necessaire.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Kissed Earth, Rachael Finch.
Rachael Finch grew up in Townsville as an athlete, with little to no interest in beauty until she was about 15. It was at this age that she was encouraged to enter a modelling competition, which she won, and subsequently spent the next four years travelling for her new career- first to Brisbane, and then internationally, an experience she describes as changing her perception of the world.
Modelling, she tells me, changed her relationship with her body and what she was putting in it, a relationship she has spent the ensuing years working on. Rachael won Miss Universe Australia in 2009, aged 20, at a time she tells me she was still just going with the flow with very little idea of where her new found profile might take her- nor who it would introduce her to. It was in the following year that she competed on Dancing With The Stars and met her now-husband and business partner. The pair eventually ran a dance studio together and learnt the importance of playing every role within a business, including that of cleaner, during a time Rachael tells me they were struggling to make ends meet.
By around 2017, with Rachael having found a love for dance and harnessing her longstanding love of movement and her evolving understanding of wellness, she and her husband launched two businesses- Body by Finch and B.O.D. by Finch, a digital wellness platform and activewear brand respectively. It was from here that the groundwork for Kissed Earth was laid.
Prompted by feedback from the Body by Finch community, Kissed Earth was launched in 2019 following two years of fully self-funded product development. What began as a tight edit of health supplements has since grown into a brand encompassing products for both inner and outer beauty.
In this conversation, Rachael shares her advice on turning personal partnerships into successful professional ones, what collagen can realistically do for the skin, and the realities of product development timelines and why it’s worth waiting to get things right.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Rachael Finch on Instagram @rachael_finch.
Discover Kissed Earth at kissedearth.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of tbh Skincare, Rachael Tyers.
In 2019, Rachel Tyers was working in marketing for a B2B company that sold medical devices. It was during this time that Rachael was made aware of a patented topical skincare lab sample and, having struggled with acne for the better part of a decade, decided it was worth trying. Rachael read studies, learned the science behind the formula, and saw real results in her own skin, so she and her mother brainstormed ways to raise capital and pitched for the rights to the product. That patented acne solution was then formulated into tbh Skincare’s first product, Acne Hack.
tbh Skincare launched online in March 2020, and within a month the brand had hit $10k in sales despite the bulk of the country plunging into lockdown. Rachael had belief in the tbh science and was aware that the brand’s marketing strategy would be make or break in terms of cutting through the heavily saturated skincare space online, so she persisted in implementing a number of marketing devices to get the product into the right hands- she sought influencer collaborations from people she genuinely felt her product could help, she began selling bundled products to increase basket size, and she seeded samples out to consumers so that she had a bank of real before and after photos to advertise with. Within 18 months, tbh Skincare had hit almost $1 million in sales.
Beyond that marketing strategy, what I found sets Rachael apart is that she’s entered the beauty space with a personal need. Rather than entering the sphere wanting to create a brand and go from there, Rachael had identified a problem that she had spent her whole adult life struggling with, discovered a solution, and wanted to make that solution available to others.
In this conversation, Rachael shares how she made a digitally-native lockdown-launch work in her favour, the art of meaningful collaboration and how to do it well, and why it’s sometimes worth slowing down the rate of product release.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow tbh Skincare on Instagram @tbhskincare_.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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Do all skin types need the same sun protection? How often should we actually be getting a skin check? Do we really all need sun protection in winter?
In this bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts is joined by by pharmacist and Medical Communications Manager at L’Oreal Australia, Rachel McAdam. Rachel’s role sees her provide L’Oreal brands with insight into consumer skin health needs from a formulations perspective, so I thought she would be the perfect person to answer the questions YOU submitted on all things Vitamin B5.
I’m so often asked really specific questions about the skin (and, in this case, about very specific ingredients and what they can and cannot do for the skin), but given that I’m an educated consumer and not an expert, I insist on taking those questions to those who can correctly and ethically answer them for you.
For complete transparency from the outset, this episode is sponsored by La Roche-Posay Australia, however all of Rachel’s views are her own and, as per all of our Ask An Expert interviews you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this interview.
In this conversation, Rachel answers your questions on Vitamin B5- from what it is and what it can actually do for the skin, through to the ideal percentage you should be looking for in your skincare, why we’re hearing so much about it in the leadup to winter, and exactly how and where you can work it into your skincare routine.
Read this episode transcript at glowjournal.com
You can discover more about La Roche-Posay at laroche-posay.com.au, or on Instagram @larocheposayaunz.
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In episode eighty six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Larry King Haircare, Larry King.
Larry King’s earliest ambition was to work in the film industry, a dream that saw him spend much of his early life watching many, many movies.
It’s a task he encourages his staff to partake in today, often setting them projects so they can understand the references to films and movie stars of eras passed that he weaves into his hairstyling work across runways, red carpets and editorials.
Larry’s first job was at Toni & Guy’s Cambridge salon as a 17 year old, although it wasn’t until he was in his 30s and had built up both his reputation and his celebrity clientele (a list that includes Jared Leto, Gigi Hadid, Tom Holland and Chris Hemsworth) that he began to think about opening his own space.
The Larry King flagship salon was opened in South Kensington in 2017 and had received countless accolades within mere months of that opening, with Larry explaining that friendship and an ethos based upon treating all clients with an equal amount of respect are the qualities that set the salon apart.
In 2018, Larry and his wife Laura debuted Larry King Haircare, a sustainable haircare line developed to help consumers create their dream hair, and from April 14, Larry King Haircare will be available in Australia via Adore Beauty.
In this conversation, Larry shares how he taps into emerging hair trends, the difference between runway and red carpet hair styling, and the advice and assignments he gives to his assistants and to anyone wanting to succeed in the hair industry.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Larry King on Instagram @larrykinghaircare
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts is joined by dermatologist Dr Cara McDonald who is here to answer all of your questions on skin checks and sun protection.
This summer saw La Roche-Posay and Skin Check Champion’s ‘House of Healthy Skin’ tour the east coast of Australia, providing 1342 individuals with a free skin check. Over 80% of those people had never had their skin checked before, so we took to Instagram to find out why before I passed your skin check questions onto the expert.
For complete transparency from the outset, this episode is sponsored by La Roche-Posay Australia, however all of Dr McDonald’s views are her own and, as per all of our Ask An Expert interviews you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this interview.
In this conversation, Dr Cara answers your questions on skin checks and sun protections- from how to physically book a skin check if you’ve never had one before and a run down of what we can expect in our appointment, through to what we should be keeping an eye out for on our own skin, how often we should really be getting our skin checked, and what level of sun protection is actually necessary as we head into winter.
Discover more about La Roche-Posay, including the complete Anthelios SPF50+ sunscreen range, at laroche-posay.com.au or on Instagram @larocheposayaunz.
Find Dr Cara McDonald at completeskinspecialists.com.au or in Instagram @drcara_dermatologist.
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In episode eighty five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founders of Youth To The People, Greg Gonzalez and Joe Cloyes.
Cousins Greg Gonzalez and Joe Cloyes quite literally grew up in the beauty industry.
What began as a hair salon, owned by their grandparents, grew to a line of professional aesthetics products that the family manufactured for and distributed to spas and salons right across the US. Greg and Joe grew up in the brand’s factory, playing amongst the packaging peanuts as children before coming to work for the family business full time upon graduating from college.
As their shared interest in the beauty industry grew, so too did their fascination with the wellness space and, in particular, the growing superfood movement. Youth To The People began as an idea, a kale based Superfood Cleanser, and was built out to a sustainably produced, vegan, three step skincare routine, created entirely in house.
Youth To The People launched in 2015, and in December of 2021, L’Oréal finalised their acquisition of the brand as it clocked up a reported $50 million US in sales for the year.
In this conversation, Greg and Joe share the incredible story behind their grandmother’s brand and how she recovered after being left with nothing, why they felt it was worth taking an initial financial hit in pursuit of creating a sustainable company, and what the L’Oréal brand acquisition will (and won’t) change for Youth To The People.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Youth To The People on Instagram @youthtothepeople
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this week’s bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, we welcome back Grown Alchemist co-founder and CEO, Jeremy Muijs.
This episode, sponsored by Grown Alchemist, sees us celebrate the Clean Start Program- a program designed to help consumers refresh and reset their skin. Committed to helping you on your journey to truly healthy skin, Grown Alchemist want to support your Clean Start. For a limited time, select any Grown Alchemist to give your skin its Clean Start- you’ll receive 10% off 1 product, 20% off if you purchase 2 products, 30% off 3 products and 40% off 4 products. The more products you purchase, the more Grown Alchemist will be able to support your skin and wellbeing journey.
To herald the launch of the Clean Start Program, I spoke to Jeremy about all things clean beauty and sustainability. To learn more about the Grown Alchemist story and the business side of beauty, you can hear more from Jeremy on Episode 35 of this podcast.
In this conversation, Jeremy shares what clean and biocompatible beauty really mean to Grown Alchemist, more on the body’s natural ability to heal itself and what we can do to ensure its able to function at its best, and what the future of sustainability looks like for the brand.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Grown Alchemist on Instagram @grownalchemist
Discover more at grownalchemist.com/au/
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Habitual Beauty and Krumbled Foods, Keira Rumble.
Trigger Warning: Pregnancy loss.
Keira Rumble is as resilient as it gets. At age 20, at roughly the same time she realised she had very little interest in her job, she was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Out of necessity she began making changes to her diet and lifestyle, but wasn’t seeing nor feeling a marked change to her health. Upon discovering that the supposedly healthy protein balls she’d been snacking on boasted the sugar equivalent of a donut, she tried her hand at making her own.
It turns out she had a knack for it. Keira started posting her recipes online, and when she realised her blog following had expanded well into the overseas market, she turned those recipes into a protein ball business- a business she very openly deems a failure.
Failure aside, Keira had already started conceptualising not one, but two new businesses- a skincare brand and a range of collagen-rich snacks. She pitched the former to Sephora, a few minutes after receiving a phone call from her doctor to inform her that she was, at that very moment, suffering from a miscarriage. The pitch, understandably, didn’t go according to plan, with Sephora suggesting Keira revisit her skincare idea after launching the collagen snacks.
So that’s exactly what she did.
With no physical product or prototype, Keira cold-pitched Krumbled Foods’ first product, Beauty Bites, to Priceline. Within 8 months of launching, Beauty Bites were stocked in Priceline, Coles and Urban Outfitters, she was about to complete the Sephora Accelerate Program, and she was preparing to launch Habitual Beauty with nine SKUs across two categories- all while dealing with multiple pregnancy losses.
Keira launched Habitual Beauty about a day before New South Wales and Victoria went back into covid lockdown, and a week after giving birth to her son, Hunter. Today, Habitual Beauty is available in store and online at Sephora, and is about to launch into the UK.
In this conversation, Keira shares why she is currently reviewing her company’s employment contracts to make the workplace better for all women, her take on competition, and why she feels launching a brand across multiple categories at once is an asset, not a hindrance.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Keira Rumble on Instagram @krumble, @habitualbeauty.co and @krumbledfoods.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Davin Lim. A board certified laser, procedural and aesthetic dermatologist, Dr Lim has over 20 credits to his name. Widely considered one of the world’s leading experts for laser-treated skin disorders and rejuvenation therapies including tattoo removal, acne scar revision and laser resurfacing, Dr Lim was our first port of call when it came to answering YOUR questions on skin resurfacing.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU asked about skin resurfacing to Dr Lim - from what laser resurfacing actually does, how it works, and the difference between resurfacing and a peel, through to whether or not it can really do anything for acne scars, pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-skin-resurfacing
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Follow Dr Davin Lim at @drdavinlim and @101.skin
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founder and Creative Director of SWIISH, Sally Obermeder.
Sally Obermeder always wanted a job that allowed her to have a chat, which is why she abandoned her early ambitions of a career in dentistry in favour of a role in finance. After a decade in investment banking Sally realised that her heart wasn’t in it, and decided to take a leap of faith in the direction of an industry she’d long dreamt of working in- television.
Sally spent close to four years training, learning, applying and auditioning for work as a television presenter, and despite being told by a teacher that she would “100% never get a job in television,” she eventually landed her dream job- a presenting role that saw her interview upwards of 200 international celebrities and become one of Australia’s most recognisable television personalities.
Everything changed in 2011. At 40 weeks pregnant, Sally was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She gave birth the next day, and commenced chemotherapy when her first daughter was one week old.
Sally’s experience can’t be minimised to a three minute podcast intro so I’ll allow you to listen for yourself, however I would like this opportunity to thank Sally, again, for sharing her story.
Sally, of course, recovered, and took the time to decide what she wanted to do next. She returned to television, however she wanted to do something more, something that would allow her and her sister, Maha to work together. The pair launched SWIISH as a blog in October 2012 and later began working on a book together. Not one publisher elected to back said book, so the pair self-published. That book, Super Green Smoothies, went to number one overnight, is still number one in its category, and has since been republished 20 times.
The success of the book saw Sally and Maha transform SWIISH into an e-commerce destination, with the pair eventually developing their own brand of wellness supplements. Today, the SWIISH brand consists of 12 supplements, a topical beauty range and a clothing line, all of which are shipped to over 70 countries worldwide.
In this conversation, Sally shares the freedom that comes with not needing approval from others in pursuit of your dreams, her experience with cancer and the reality of accepting that you may not survive, and how Taylor Swift has earned her some serious popularity points on the home front.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Sally Obermeder on Instagram @sallyobermeder, @swiishbysallyo and @swiishwellness
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Eye of Horus Cosmetics, Holly Schleich.
Holly has always had a realistic understanding of what it takes to build a beauty business. Holly’s parents owned small businesses themselves, and Holly’s mum actually created her own simple skincare products so that she could set her daughter up with a skincare routine as a pre-teen.
They passed their learnings onto Holly, who entered the beauty industry after completing her studies and launched a skincare brand with her mother and her aunty. This brand took the trio all over the world however it simply wasn’t commercially viable, so Holly went back to the drawing board and channeled her passions for business, beauty and nature into developing her own colour cosmetics line- Eye of Horus.
The brand began in 2011 as a single mascara that Holly would sell at local markets, unsure if she would ever extend the line. It was when she received a two page, hand written letter from a customer who had been through chemotherapy and hadn’t been able to find a mascara that worked for her, until finding Eye of Horus, that Holly knew she was in the right place.
Holly then expanded the line to include an eye pencil and a liquid eyeliner (with the popularity of both products soaring following a genius spot of guerrilla marketing at a trade show, the story of which Holly shared in our chat), with a full colour cosmetics line and, more recently, a facial oil, launching across the ensuing years.
Today, other than continuing to grow the brand, Holly is focused on working towards a circular economy, elevating her brand’s sustainability initiatives, and maintaining the kinds of relationships she founded her brand on at the local markets over 10 years ago.
In this conversation, Holly shares why it’s important to recognise your own weaknesses as a business owner and hire accordingly, how starting with a solid foundation can allow your brand to be fluid without straying from its values, and how a shirtless man at a beauty expo helped Holly prove that a little budget can go a long, long way.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Eye of Horus Cosmetics on Instagram @eyeofhoruscosmetics
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Sunday Riley, Sunday Riley.
Sunday Riley is honest about failure- so much so that she credits several missteps with the success of her namesake brand.
Sunday Riley was launched in 2009, in the middle of the Global Financial Crisis, with Sunday herself explaining to me that often perfect timing doesn’t come wrapped up neatly with a bow. The “right time” may well be disguised as chaos.
The brand’s price point began somewhere significantly higher than where it sits now. Sunday pushed to have it lowered, and while many told her she was making a huge mistake, she explains that she’d rather go down doing what she feels is right. She allowed herself to be led by intuition which proved to be the right call, with Barneys opting to pick up the brand before its launch, despite a recession. A few years later the brand was picked up by Sephora, where it failed miserably (in Sunday’s words)- so much so that the retailer forgot the brand existed and left it off the store map.
A failure of such epic proportions was precisely the motivation Sunday needed. She made a promise to Sephora that Sunday Riley would become the number one skincare brand, in the number one store, within the season. At the time, they were sitting at number 55. Within a few months Sunday Riley did become the stores highest selling skincare brand, and despite absolutely no marketing budget, several of the brand’s products hit global cult status- which is where they remain today, 12 years later.
In this conversation, Sunday shares the importance of removing ego in business and acknowledging where you’ve gone wrong, how intuition led to her pulling multiple best-sellers from the shelves and, in several cases, reformulating, and how she built her business from the corner of working car garage.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Sunday Riley on Instagram @sundayriley
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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A moment of gratitude from me, Gemma Watts, for our Glow Journal community.
Season 4 begins January 19. See you in 2022!
In this bonus Ask An Expert episode, host Gemma Watts is joined by dermatologist Dr Desmond Gan. An Australasian College of Dermatologists fellowship trained consultant dermatologist, Dr Gan completed his undergraduate medical degree (MBBS) at the University of Melbourne with Honours, achieving Dean’s Honour List and was awarded Evelyn Coy Prize in Surgical Exam. With a long-standing special interest in laser use in Dermatology, Dr Gan was our first port of call when it came to answering YOUR questions on burns and superficial scars.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series gives you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while this episode is sponsored by Candela Medical, all of Dr Gan’s views are entirely his own and, as per any interview with a doctor, you only hear generalised advice allowing you to make your own, informed, decisions.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU asked about superficial scarring to Dr Gan - from how soon after an injury you should visit a dermatologist to prevent a scar and if it’s ever too late to fade scarring, through to treatments for cuts from sports, burns from hair curlers and scratches from pets, and whether or not topical products can really help to fade superficial scars.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Macabalm, Pia Whitesell.
Pia’s first memories of beauty centre around strength, rather than aesthetics. Raised by her mother, grandmother and, as she tells me, really her entire community, Pia grew up identifying beauty with strength and getting it done- an ethos she’s taken into her own adult life.
Another ethos that has taken Pia from her teens right through to now is this idea of natural beauty, and an understanding that your beauty lies within the things that make you uniquely you. Despite winning the now infamous Dolly Magazine Model Search at the age of 14, Pia tells me that she grew up feeling different, as a Latina going to both school and castings with girls who didn’t share her body shape nor the colour of her skin, her eyes and her hair. Her modelling career saw her walking in fashion shows with the likes Helena Christensen and Linda Evangelista, and it was at this point, the height of the 90s, that she began to appreciate the aesthetic of the time- pared back, natural beauty.
As a model, an actress and a mother, Pia had identified a gap for a true beauty multitasker, and as she began researching native Australian ingredients she came across the humble macadamia, the benefits of which you’ll hear more about in our conversation- and so, Macabalm was born. A mere 12 months following the brand’s launch in Australia, Pia is already working on the brand’s US launch.
In this conversation, Pia shares the lessons she has learnt around the comparison trap and why she’s passing those lessons on to her teenaged sons, the challenges she’s faced as a brand launching with a single SKU, and how a pest controller could have undone the years of work she put into gaining Macabalm’s organic certification.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Macabalm on Instagram @macabalm
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode, host Gemma Watts is joined by pharmacist and Medical Communications Manager at L’Oréal Australia, Rachel McAdam. Rachel’s role sees her provide L’Oréal brands with insight into consumer skin health needs from a pharmacy perspective, so I thought she would be the perfect person to answer the questions YOU submitted on the skincare and ingredient trends you’re seeing more of.
I’m so often asked really specific questions about the skin (and, in this case, about ingredients and industry trends), but given that I’m an educated consumer and not an expert, I insist on taking those questions to those who can correctly and ethically answer them for you. In the name of transparency this episode is sponsored by CeraVe, however as per all of my expert interviews, the goal is not to sell you something specific. For this reason, you’ll hear Rachel recommend ingredients, rather than brands, and offer more general advice, giving you the tools you need to make your own, educated purchasing decisions.
In this episode, Rachel answers your questions on skincare trends- from which products are actually necessary in a healthy skincare routine and what percentages of trending active ingredients are actually going to make a difference to the skin, through to the rise of trends like “singular ingredient” serums and “skinimalism,”- and whether or not those trends are worth engaging with.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com
Follow CeraVe on Instagram @cerave_a
Discover more at cerave.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of HoliFrog, Emily Parr.
Emily Parr’s career in beauty began when her career in the wellness space saw her headhunted by Salma Hayek.
Having worked in fashion and health PR respectively, Salma Hayek’s brand was Emily’s first beauty client. This led Emily to found Poke PR in late 2012, an agency that would go on to both represent and grow the likes of Drunk Elephant and Glow Journal’s friends The Beauty Chef, Summer Fridays and Briogeo- all of which were brands that Emily cold-emailed and pitched to herself.
Emily garnered a reputation for being the industry’s champion of female-founded, founder-led, clean beauty brands, and is largely responsible for the narrative shift beauty media made away from the term “natural” and replaced with the word “clean.”
It was in 2018 that a chance encounter at an industry function saw Emily meet the man who would later become her HoliFrog co-founder, with HoliFrog soon becoming the go-to brand for a product many cosmetic formulators had dubbed “the beauty industry’s afterthought”- cleanser.
What did begin as a line of facial cleansers has since expanded to serums and a moisturiser, with 4 new launches hitting shelves in the next 12 months.
In this conversation, Emily shares the art of the cold email, some truly interesting points on media’s shift to digital and what that means for the beauty industry, and the importance of knowing the difference between telling a brand’s story vs. sharing a selling point.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow HoliFrog on Instagram @holifrog
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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Are laser and IPL different, and which is better? Can I still get laser hair removal in the summer? What does laser actually do to pigmentation? Are laser spider vein treatments permanent?
In this Ask An Expert episode, host Gemma Watts is joined by National Clinical Operations Manager for Candela Medical ANZ, Kirsten Cachia. Professional skin clinics are finally back open and the festive season is almost upon us, so we’ve received an influx of questions recently regarding skin treatments for everything from hair removal and skin tightening through to pigmentation and spider veins.
This bonus episode is sponsored by Candela Medical, however Kirsten is not here to push specific products, treatments or brands. As per the rest of this Ask An Expert Series, I’ve sought qualified experts to give you objective answers to your questions so that you can take that information and make your own educated decisions regarding which treatments are right for you.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on all things laser and IPL to Kirsten- from the real difference between laser and IPL and if it’s even worth undergoing a hair removal treatment so close to summer through to what’s involved in pigmentation and spider vein treatmments and whether or not laser treatments are really permanent.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/laser-and-ipl-basics
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Billion Dollar Brows, Natalie Plain.
In the year 2003, standalone brow brands were few and far between. It was in that year, however, that Natalie Plain watched as lash products dominated the beauty market and noticed a gap for dedicated brow products.
Natalie had long held an understanding of the role brows play in the overall beauty picture. Having naturally bushy brows as a child, a teenage Natalie had begged her mother to take her to Beverly Hills to have them professionally shaped. The results, she tells me, were transformative- on her confidence above anything else.
By 2003 Natalie had been a White House intern and was working as a journalist, and upon noticing that the lash market was exploding yet so few people were developing products for the brows, despite them being mere millimetres away, she decided it was she who could fill that white space- and so, Billion Dollar Brows was born.
What began as a single SKU has since grown to a full colour cosmetics line and, today, Billion Dollar Brows is available in 32 countries.
In this conversation, Natalie shares the importance of focus groups, why an early understanding of Google Ad Words played a key role in her brand’s launch, and her advice on dealing with emerging competitors when you’re first to market.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Billion Dollar Brows on Instagram @billiondollarbrows
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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How far out from your wedding day should you start your skin prep? What should you be doing for your skin a year, six months, and a week before your wedding? What do you do if a pimple or irritation arises on your wedding day? What’s the biggest mistake brides-to-be make the night before their big day?
In this Ask An Expert episode, host Gemma Watts is joined by Dermal Clinician and founder of Victorian Dermal Group, Derya Koch. Events are, at long last, on the horizon again, and skin clinics have finally reopened their doors, so we have received an overwhelming number of questions from brides-to-be asking how best to prepare their skin ahead of their wedding day.
This Ask An Expert episode is sponsored by Candela Medical, however Derya is not here to push specific brands and products. As per the rest of this Ask An Expert Series, I’ve sought qualified experts to give you objective answers to your questions so that you can take that information and make your own educated decisions regarding which treatments are right for you.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on wedding skin to Derya- from exactly what you should be doing a year, six months, and a week before your wedding day and how late is too late to start those preparations in order to see results, through to what to do if a pimple or an irritation flares up on your big day and the DIY treatments you should absolutely avoid the night before your wedding.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/wedding-skin-prep
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode seventy seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Cosmetics 27, Michèle Evrard.
Michèle grew up with more of a love for the outdoors than a love for beauty- although, in a sense, it was the former that brought her to the latter.
Michèle’s love of the outdoors led to a desire to be an adventurer- an archeologist, specifically, as she tells me one of her earliest wishes was “to discover something.” She found herself naturally drawn to science, completing her studies at medicine and pharmacy schools before taking a job within the beauty industry and discovering a passion for product development.
What led to the development of Cosmetics 27, however, was something different entirely. That aforementioned love of the outdoors saw Michèle injure herself skiing, and amidst her search to find a product to heal the subsequent scar, she was introduced to a plant with regenerative properties that had, at the time, not been used to even a tenth of its potential.
That plant became the base of her first product, the now-cult Baume 27, fulfilling her desire for discovery and fascination with creation, and despite having no initial plans to bring the product to market, it now sits at the core of the Cosmetics 27 brand.
I have long used and loved the Cosmetics 27 brand, but what I found to be just as remarkable as the products was Michèle’s willingness to acknowledge and reflect on decisions that she deems to be failures, as well as the way in which she talks about independent brands and multinationals coexisting in the beauty space, with each brand (and, more importantly, each idea) pushing those around them to do better.
In this conversation, Michèle shares how social media trends might be affecting our skin’s balance, the ways in which the barrier to entry to the beauty industry has been lowered, and why remaining an independent brand is both freeing and a hurdle.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Cosmetics 27 on Instagram @cosmetics27
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co-founders of Goldfaden MD, Lisa Goldfaden and Lauren Wolk-Goldfaden.
Despite officially launching in 2013, Goldfaden MD technically begun in Dr Gary Goldfaden’s dermatology practice about 40 years ago.
Lisa, his daughter, spent the early part of her working life in arts and education, while Lauren, his daughter-in-law, spent hers working on ad campaigns for the likes of Coca Cola, Voltswagen and Burger King. While both had an interest in beauty and understanding of the “clean” movement that was beginning to build momentum, it wasn’t until friends of the family started asking for access to Dr Goldfaden’s clinical formulas that Lisa and Lauren realised they had family ties to a brand worth developing.
Goldfaden MD was the very first brand to bridge the gap between “doctor brands” and “clean beauty”. The formulas spoke for themselves, however having been told by multiple parties “I don’t believe in this concept,” the real challenge for Lisa and Lauren was convincing retailers that Goldfaden MD was worthy of shelf space.
Worthy it proved to be, and what began as one hero product was swiftly built out into an entire portfolio, with every single product designed to address the most common skin concerns that Dr Goldfaden was finding himself presented with in-clinic.
In this conversation, Lisa and Lauren share how a former fraternity brother is largely to thank for Goldfaden MD’s inception, the lessons from their respective careers in education and advertising that have helped them build a successful business, and the importance of finding designers, copywriters and vendors who understand and align with your brand.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Goldfaden MD on Instagram @goldfadenmd
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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How does the cosmetic tattooing process actually work? How much does tattoo removal really hurt? After how many tattoo removal treatments can we expect to see results?
In this Ask An Expert episode, host Gemma Watts is joined by Dermal Therapist Ginny Bucchi. Ginny specialises in skin rejuvenation and tattoo removal, and has performed over 2500 PicoWay treatments, on all skin types, since 2017, so we took the opportunity to ask her YOUR questions on cosmetic tattooing and tattoo removal.
This Ask An Expert episode is sponsored by Candela Medical, however you won’t hear Ginny recommending specific brands or products. As per the rest of this Ask An Expert Series, we’ve sought qualified experts to give you objective answers to your questions so that you can take that information and make your own educated decisions regarding which treatments are right for you.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on cosmetic tattoo removal to Ginny- from exactly how much pain to expect and how many treatments are actually necessary, through to how the tattoo removal process really works and, of course, the best way to choose your cosmetic tattoo artist and your tattoo removalist.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/cosmetic-tattoo-and-tatoo-removal
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to industry icon and By Terry founder, Terry de Gunzburg.
Terry de Gunzburg tells me that the rose is in her DNA.
Terry’s earliest memorable connection to beauty is her grandmother’s homemade rosewater. Terry herself spent her childhood applying rose petals to her cheeks to mimic the effect of blush, and today, the rose sits at the heart of one of her most iconic beauty creations- Baume De Rose.
In her very early 20s, during a seasonal break between leaving medical school and commencing art school, Terry decided to take a four week course in cosmetics as nothing more than a creative outlet. In week four, in a moment of both desperation and serendipity, Terry was sent to a Vogue Paris photoshoot when no other makeup artist was available. It was on that day that Terry decided her future was in beauty.
In 1985, Terry was approached by her a man she describes as her hero, Yves Saint Laurent, and became the brand’s Creative Director of beauty. It was here that Terry created a product that, quite literally, changed the way countless products were designed and used thereafter. A product that none of her colleagues wanted to launch, and a product that she spent three years convincing them was worth their time- Touche Éclat.
In 1998, Terry created her own business, a line of couture, made-to-order cosmetics and opened a boutique in Paris. Demand was overwhelming and waiting lists were years long, so she expanded and developed that line into the brand we now know as By Terry.
In this conversation, Terry shares the mistake that led to the creation of the now-iconic Baume De Rose, how she developed the first ever skincare in powder form, and the ways in which the beauty industry has changed since her time working with Linda Evangelista, Kate Moss and Guy Bourdin.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow By Terry on Instagram @byterryofficial
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by cosmetic chemist, author and founder of Synergie Skin, Terri Vinson. Terri Vinson has decades of experience in skin science and has sat at the helm of Synergie Skin since its launch in 2005. Terri completed her Bachelor of Science, specialising in Immunology and Microbiology, at Monash University, and has obtained additional post graduate qualifications in both Formulating Chemistry and Biology & Secondary School Science. In this conversation, I ask Terri your questions on the stages of skin- the specific changes our skin goes through in each phase of our life, how to meet our skin’s needs during each of those stages, and what a healthy skincare routine looks like at every age.
In the name of transparency this episode is sponsored by Synergie Skin, however this conversation is not, at all, about pushing products onto you. Terri’s background is, of course, in chemistry and biological science and her passion really lies within skin education, so the goal here isn’t product placement- as per all of our bonus episodes, it’s about giving you the objective information you need in order to make informed decisions around your skincare.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on the stages of skin and passed them on to Terri- from how early is too early to start using retinol and why we associate acne with our teen years, through to why so many of us are still experiencing acne as adults and whether or not there’s a topical solution for wrinkles and a loss of elasticity.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/the-stages-of-skin
Follow Synergie Skin on Instagram @synergieskin.
Discover more at synergieskin.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Three Warriors, Corbin Halliday.
Three Warriors’ existence really stems from founder Corbin Halliday’s 2014 hospitalisation.
Corbin had grown up in Tasmania with dreams of making it as an actor in Hollywood. Upon finishing school he moved to Sydney and began auditioning, and was subsequently signed to an agency in Los Angeles. Within months of landing in Hollywood, Corbin realised he didn’t actually enjoy acting at all- so he moved back to his home town of St Helens and went back to the career drawing board.
Corbin started working as a hairdresser and became a very successful one, however he was forced to give it up upon falling ill in 2014. He began experiencing daily migraines, nerve pain, and blood pressure so high he was on the precipice of a stoke. After four years of tests and treatment, Corbin finally received a diagnosis that he shared more on in our conversation.
It was during those four years that Corbin decided to change his lifestyle and, in turn, the products he was using daily. Discovering a gap for a legitimately organic, natural, vegan and cruelty-free tanning product, Corbin began working with a biochemist friend to bring the Three Warriors salon tanning solution to life.
Within six months of the brand’s 2017 launch, hype and demand led Corbin to develop a range of at-home skin and tanning products and, as he reveals in this episode, there are several new products on the horizon.
In this conversation, Corbin shares the deeply moving story behind the Three Warriors name, the trials and tribulations of receiving organic certification, and how a water damaged apartment was really the catalyst that led to this red-headed boy from Tasmania launching a tanning brand.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Three Warriors on Instagram @threewarriors
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of LoveSeen, Jenna Lyons.
Jenna Lyons has always been a creative- but a younger Jenna did not imagine she’d end up in beauty.
Jenna was 6 feet tall by the time she was 13 and had a genetic disorder that affected her teeth and left her with bald spots, scars and no eyelashes. She shares that she was teased for the way that she looked, however after learning how to sew in a Home Economics class, she discovered she had a flare for design. Upon seeing one of her designs, the most popular girl in school complimented her on her taste and her talent, a moment that Jenna explains “changed everything,” and a future in fashion suddenly felt like a path she could take.
Jenna studied at Parsons School of Design before graduating and taking a role at J Crew. She began as an assistant designer in menswear, then womenswear, worked her way up to Vice President of Women’s Design, was appointed Executive Creative Director in 2008 and, in 2010, became President of the brand.
In 2017, after 27 years with the brand and having been credited by the New York Times as “the woman who dresses America,” Jenna Lyons left J Crew.
Given the link between fashion and beauty, Jenna found herself consulting on a beauty project and began to research the industry itself. She had long been fascinated by false eyelashes, given she has about 10 lashes herself, but had never been able to find false lashes that still made her feel like herself- lashes that were pared back and allowed her to look like herself, only amplified. Recognising a white space, Jenna called makeup artist Troi Ollivierre and the pair began work on LoveSeen.
LoveSeen’s collection of lashes were created by gathering 21 men and women, aged 17 to 72, with the team physically building each lash set onto their faces. 973 zoom calls, 2 trains, 6 planes, 10 cars, 22 cases of prosecco, 34 sample rounds, 1 global pandemic and 18 months later, LoveSeen launched with 14 unique sets of lashes- and this month, the brand finally arrives in Australia.
In this conversation, Jenna shares what it was like making the move to a startup after over a quarter-century at one of the biggest brands in the world, her advice for anyone growing and building their own team, and why hitting 98% of a goal simply isn’t enough.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow LoveSeen on Instagram @loveseen
Follow Jenna on Instagram @jennalyonsnyc
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Alice Rudd. A General and Cosmetic Dermatologist affiliated with The Alfred Hospital and The Skin Health Institute, Dr Rudd completed her Medical Degree at Monash University and completed her postgraduate dermatology studies through the Australasian College of Dermatologists. Having founded Skindepth Dermatology six years ago, Dr Rudd was our first port of call when it came to answering YOUR questions on skincare during and after pregnancy.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on pregnancy skincare to Dr Rudd - from why so many women experience melasma or “pregnancy mask” during pregnancy and the link between pregnancy and hormonal acne, through to which ingredients and treatments are best avoided during pregnancy and whether or not there’s a legitimate way to fade stretch marks.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-pregnancy-skincare
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Follow Dr Alice Rudd at @skindepthdermatology
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to REN Clean Skincare’s Global Brand Ambassador and Head of Education, David Delport.
David Delport’s 15 plus year career with REN really began upon contracting malaria following a year of charity work in Kenya.
David had moved to London as an 18 year old, waltzing right into Harrods and asking for a job in beauty. From there he was headhunted by Trish McEvoy, and later industry icons Laura Mercier and NARS where his passion for beauty only grew- however, after some years in artistry and education, David felt burnt out and compelled to take a year’s leave from the industry or risk growing disillusioned by it.
He spent that year in Kenya working with a charity and conducting field research relating to HIV studies and health care within East Africa, before contracting malaria and being forced to return home to the UK to recover.
In 2005, while looking for part time employment, as this was all he could commit to due to ill health, a friend introduced him to the REN brand. David fell in love with the brand, became hooked on the products, and was then invited to work casually with the brand. As his health improved, David’s capacity to work increased, and he worked his way up through sales and education roles before becoming REN’s Global Brand Ambassador.
In this conversation, David shares what it was like learning about eyebrows from the woman who tamed Madonna’s brows, why elevating others has long been the key to his success, and why his earliest memory of beauty could have got him into a LOT of trouble.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow REN and David on Instagram at @renskincare and @david_renskincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode, host Gemma Watts is joined by dermatologist and acne expert Dr Jo-Ann See who is here to answer the questions YOU submitted on acne-who is here to answer the questions you submitted on acne- from whiteheads, blackheads and blind pimples through to hormonal acne, recurring facial acne and acne on the body.
Year round, acne is without question the subject I’m most frequently asked about- however, given that acne is a medical condition, these questions are always best reserved for an expert. In the name of full disclosure, this episode is sponsored by La Roche-Posay Australia, however as per all of my expert interviews, the guest doctor is never here to push specific brands and products. For this reason, you’ll only hear Dr Jo-Ann recommend ingredients, as opposed to products, giving you the tools you need to make your own educated purchasing decisions.
In this episode, Dr Jo-Ann See answers your questions on acne- from the difference between whiteheads and blackheads and whether topical, “off the shelf” treatments can actually help to clear stubborn breakouts, through to hormones, birth control and their impact on the skin and why acne can still affect us well beyond our teenage years.
You can read this interview now at glowjournal.com/your-acne-questions-answered
Follow La Roche-Posay on Instagram @larocheposayaunz
Discover more at laroche-posay.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founder of Milk Makeup, Zanna Roberts Rassi.
Zanna’s very first job was as a model, after her boyfriend at the time secretly entered her into a modelling competition. While it was never really her passion, Zanna explains that it did open her eyes to the number of roles that existed (and still exist) behind the scenes. She spent most of her time on set asking questions of those around her- so it’s no surprise that the job she eventually moved into was that of a journalist.
It was while having her makeup done on set that Zanna realised she wanted to be part of the story telling of beauty, so she made herself known to the Beauty Editor of the magazine for which she was modelling and secured herself an internship.
In time, Zanna became a Beauty Assistant and eventually Beauty Editor at Marie Claire magazine, during which time she met her now husband, Mazdack Rassi, co-founder of Milk Studios. Zanna then moved from London to New York and was soon asked to host a fashion segment on the Today Show. That segment became a launchpad for her television career, with Zanna now serving as E!’s style correspondent, a Today Show contributor and, previously, as a guest judge and mentor on Project Runway All Stars.
It was in around 2013 that Zanna, her husband and their soon-to-be Milk co-founders Georgie Greville and Dianna Ruth began to conceptualise what would eventually become Milk Makeup, craving easy, fun, multi-tasking makeup. They launched in 2016 with 85 products, and today Milk Makeup is available to consumers in over 130 countries.
In this conversation, Zanna shares why Milk are intent on creating products that have never been seen before, the story of her stint as an undercover makeup artist at Paris Fashion Week, and why her first real encounter with beauty was reminiscent of, in her words, “advanced hypothermia.”
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Milk Makeup on Instagram at @milkmakeup.
Follow Zanna Roberts Rassi on Instagram at @zannarassi
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode, host Gemma Watts is joined by specialist dermatologist Dr Ryan De Cruz who is here to answer the questions YOU submitted on winter skincare, specifically for the body. We’re covering why it is that our skin sensitivities are heightened with a cold snap, why your body wash is just as important as your moisturiser, how to combat persistent, stubborn patches of dry skin, and exactly which ingredients are winter skin non-negotiables (and which ingredients you can go without).
I’m so often asked really specific questions about the skin and, given that I’m an educated consumer and by no means an expert, I insist on taking those questions to a legitimate expert- someone truly qualified to answer your questions. In the name of transparency this episode is sponsored by CeraVe, however as per all of my expert interviews, the doctor is NOT here to sell you anything and must remain completely objective when answering your questions. For this reason, you’ll hear Dr De Cruz recommend specific ingredients (rather than products) and offer more general advice, giving you the tools you need to make your own, educated purchasing decisions.
In this episode, Dr De Cruz answers your questions on winter skincare for the body- from why dry skin, irritations and conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis tend to flare up in the winter and how to keep your skin protected from both cold air and dry indoor heating, through to the impact your winter shower habits are having on your skin and whether or not you really need to moisturise your body every single day.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com
Follow CeraVe on Instagram @cerave_a
Follow Dr Ryan De Cruz at @drryandecruz and @southerndermatology_melb
Discover more at cerave.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventy of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Dr Barbara Sturm Molecular Cosmetics, Dr Barbara Sturm.
Barbara Sturm knew, from the age of four, that she would grow up to be a doctor. She’d watched her grandmother, a pharmacist, and her mother, a lab doctor, at work, and entered into the field of orthopaedics through what she describes as a love of helping people.
Dr Sturm explains, however, that she’d always had an interest in beauty (and in beautiful things), so a move into aesthetics felt natural. It was then that she took her work in orthopaedics, specifically a treatment she helped pioneer in which the blood from a patient is re-injected into the joints to remove inflammation, and translated that science into the field of aesthetics- and so, what we now know as the Vampire Facial was born.
Dr Barbara Sturm’s signature clinical treatments and prescription plasma-based creams developed what can only be described as a cult following, so to ensure that her work could reach a global audience (rather than exclusively those who could visit her clinic) she began to work on her own consumer brand.
Dr Barbara Sturm’s line of molecular cosmetics was launched in 2014, taking the in-clinic experience and turning it into one of the most innovative, and celebrity-loved, brands of today.
In this conversation, Barbara shares how the now-infamous “vampire facial” actually works, why she so strongly believes that inflammation is the root cause of almost every skin ailment, and how Kobe Bryant played a role in establishing Dr Sturm’s now-signature clinical treatment.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Dr Barbara Sturm on Instagram at @drbarbarasturm.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Belinda Welsh. A Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists and winner of the Australasian College of Dermatologists Travelling Fellowship, Dr Welsh opened her solo dermatology practice in 2002. In 2010 she was joined by friend of the podcast Dr Cara McDonald and the two founded Complete Skin Specialists. Having served as the Chair of the Victorian Faculty of Dermatologists and currently holding the position of Vice President of Australasian Society of Cosmetic Dermatologists, Dr Welsh was who I felt was the ideal doctor to answer YOUR questions on all things skin rejuvenation.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on overall skin rejuvenation to Dr Welsh - from whether or not over the counter products can actually help with pigmentation and if gentle skin resurfacing is at all possible from home, through to the link between sensitive skin and redness and if clinical skin treatments really are a permanent solution to our skin woes.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-rejuvenation-and-sun-damage
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Follow Dr Belinda Welsh at @drbelindawelsh
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founder of Lush, Rowena Bird.
There are few brands, and in-store experiences, as universally recognisable as Lush. Having now spoken to Rowena and knowing just what went into Lush’s creation, it’s unsurprising that the brand is the icon that it is today.
Rowena is surprised, however, telling me that she and her five Lush co-founders hadn’t expected that the brand would explode in the way that it has- and she certainly didn’t expect that, as of 2020, Lush would boast some 951 stores globally.
Rowena has always loved beauty and, after completing her studies as a beauty therapist in the early 1980s, she took a job at a beauty clinic in Dorset. It was here that she would meet all five of her future Lush co-founders, a group she tells me each had completely different skills. She also tells me that she believes this is the secret to Lush’s success- that, and the fact that all six of them really do get along.
Lush was launched in 1995, and despite opening stores in London, Croatia, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and Ireland within only a few years, Rowena describes the brand’s growth as “really organic”- another part of the Lush story that she believes was integral to its success, explaining that if they’d launched with the intention of going “zero to sixty” too quickly, they’d likely have failed. She tells me that what they really wanted to create through Lush was fun, theatre, experience and an escape through beauty, and that is precisely what they have done.
In this conversation, Rowena shares the catalyst that led to the inception of Lush (and a wild coincidence that took place on the very same date as our interview), how Lush led the sustainability charge by launching packaging-free products over 25 years ago, and why OVER staffing their stores may have been one of the best business decisions they ever made.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Lush on Instagram at @lush and @lush_ausnz.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Tata Harper Skincare, Tata Harper.
Born in Columbia, Tata Harper grew up surrounded by beauty. Her grandmother would host a weekly spa party at home, with Tata helping her mix together facial treatments, hair masks and body scrubs for her family and guests. This would take place every weekend, for a full morning, and it’s a tradition that has helped shaped Tata’s own beauty philosophy. A philosophy she maintains to this day
Despite that early interest in beauty and, later, in fashion, Tata studied engineering and worked as an industrial engineer before moving to the US in the year 2000. In 2005, Tata’s stepfather was diagnosed with cancer- a diagnosis that prompted Tata to begin looking at her own health and, in turn, her lifestyle.
Tata grew conscious of what she was putting on her skin each day and began looking for a natural alternative to the luxury brands to which she’d grown accustomed. Given that this was some 15 years ago, no such high-end alternative existed- so Tata set out to create one.
The Tata Harper brand launched in 2010, and has been cited by many guests on this very podcast as being the first brand of its kind- the first truly luxury natural beauty brand. A pioneer, and intent on remaining one, Tata Harper is one of few brands that formulate, quality control and pack all of their products in-house (in Tata’s case, that’s on her farm in Vermont), at a time when in-house formulation and manufacturing are far from the norm.
In this conversation, Tata shares why it’s important to tread carefully when it comes to seeking investment, the challenges across time, money and effort that sustainable manufacturing can present, and what physically qualifies a product as high end.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Tata Harper on Instagram at @tataharperskincare.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to co founder of Officine Universelle Buly, Victoire de Taillac.
Victoire’s founder story is a little different to that of our previous guests.
Buly was founded in Paris by its namesakes, father and son Claude and Jean-Vincent Bully in 1803 and saw success throughout the 19th century with its line of perfumes and scented vinaigrettes. The shop was lost in a riot amidst a revolution some years later but, in 2014 after over a century of sleep, Buly was resurrected by Victoire and her husband, Ramdane Touhami.
Both Victoire and Ramdane are bonafide creative visionaries. Victoire served as the Public Relations Manager for iconic French concept store Colette, physically launching the store in 1997, while Ramdane is credited with the revival of 1643-founded candle maker Cire Trudon after the brand lay dormant for over 350 years.
It’s almost serendipity that Victoire is now at the helm of Buly, given her early affinity for 19th century French history, which you’ll hear more about in this conversation. Despite that century of sleep, the Buly portfolio now consists of 700 products.
In this conversation, Victoire shares what she and her husband have learned about beauty throughout their travels, how Buly crafted the very first water-based perfume formula and, of course, how she and her husband brought a heritage brand back to life some 100 years after its demise.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Buly 1803 on Instagram at @officine_universelle_buly.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Saie, Laney Crowell.
There are very few people who have experienced the the media’s shift to digital in the same way Laney Crowell has. Laney was, quite literally, at the epicentre of the change.
Upon graduating from college, Laney moved to New York to pursue her dream of working in magazines. After working at both Lucky and Elle, Laney became aware of the direction in which fashion and beauty were heading, and subsequently took a role at digital publication StyleCaster as it launched in 2008.
The success of that launch led to Estee Lauder head hunting Laney and, quite literally, presenting her with a list of roles asking “Which one do you want?” She then became Executive Director of Online Global Communications for Estee Lauder, and was responsible for the launch of all of the brand’s social media channels and influencer marketing department. After five years at Estee, Laney left and launched her own her blog, The Moment, focusing on clean beauty. Listening to feedback from her growing audience, and drawing on her own experience, Laney realised there was a space in the market for a clean colour cosmetics brand that felt fun to use but also really performed. Saie launched only 18 months ago, and in that time the brand has won over 10 prestigious beauty awards and is now stocked in some of the world’s largest beauty retailers, including Sephora, Goop and Cult Beauty.
In this conversation, Laney shares why she feels growing pains are both necessary and unavoidable, the difficulties she faced when raising funds for the brand, and how chasing an editor down the street led to her first industry role.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Saie on Instagram at @saiebeauty
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this bonus Ask An Expert episode we're joined by Dr Shobhan Manoharan. A Fellow of the Australiasian Collage of Dermatologists, Foundation Member of the Australasian Society for Cosmetic Dermatology, member of the Australian Medical Association and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland and Griffith University, Dr Manoharan has worked in both the United Kingdom and Australia and has sub-specialised in cosmetic and laser dermatology. Having been published extensively in local and international medical journals over the last decade and with a special interest in pigmentation disorders, laser rejuvenation and skin cancer management, I found Dr Manoharan to be the ideal doctor to objectively answer YOUR questions surrounding the skin on the hands and the neck.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on caring for the neck and hands to Dr Manoharan - from which facial skincare ingredients are safe for use on the hands and neck and whether the old adage that the hands and neck age first is truth or a myth, through to whether or not topical skincare can do anything to firm loose skin on the neck and how best to treat visible veins and dark spots on the hands.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-hands-and-neck
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Follow Dr Shobhan Manoharan at @drshobhanmanoharan
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founders of Spray Aus, Emily McKay and Ellie Pearson.
In 2014, both working full time office jobs, Em and Ellie knew that solariums were set to close given increased awareness of the health repercussions of UV tanning. Determined to maintain the bronze glow they’d grown accustomed to year round, they took a spray tanning course with little intention beyond tanning themselves and their friends.
It was the very moment when their best friend Nadia Bartel (now a co-owner in the business alongside Em, Ellie and Bec Judd) posted about their mobile tanning to her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers that Ellie and Em found themselves trust into the world of business. They started receiving enquiries upon enquiries, often driving to and from tanning appointments before and after work (and during their lunch breaks) purely to meet demand. They soon relocated their appointments to their own bathrooms and, eventually, quit their desk jobs to focus on their new business full time- and so, Spray Aus was born.
After a year or two of using formulas by other brands, Ellie and Em got in touch with a manufacturer to develop their own professional tanning solution. Today, the Spray Aus offering consists of professional tanning formulas, a home tanning range and accessories, three standalone studios with more on the way, and almost 12 months ago to the day, the brand was picked up by Mecca for distribution across Australia and New Zealand.
In this conversation, Ellie and Emily share why it’s important to trust your gut during the hiring process, how to determine whether or not your “side hustle” business model is sustainable enough to leave your job for, and the peaks and troughs of learning while physically in the deep end.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Spray Aus on Instagram at @sprayaus
Discover Spray Aus at sprayaus.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Michelle Rodrigues. Dr Rodrigues obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2004, and was awarded the Founder’s Medal for procedural dermatology upon completing her postgraduate dermatology training as the highest scoring graduate nationally. She’s worked with world-renowned pigment and skin of colour centres in the USA, Europe and Asia. In 2017 she assembled a dermatology team to treat hundreds of patients in remote villages in the north of India, and in 2019 she partnered with Pacific Dermatology Limited to provide education to the first cohort of doctors completing a Diploma in dermatology in the Pacific Islands. This truly impressive resume in mind, I felt confident taking your questions on cleansing and the building blocks of healthy skin to Dr Rodrigues.
In the name of full disclosure, this episode is sponsored by CeraVe, however as per all of my expert interviews, the guest doctor is never here to push specific brands and products. For this reason, you’ll only hear Dr Rodrigues recommend ingredients, rather than products, giving you the tools you need to make your own objective, educated purchasing decisions.
In this episode, Dr Rodrigues offers expert advice from how to choose the right products for your skin and whether or not cleansing morning and night is even essential, through to which ingredients to look out for (and avoid!) and how to make sure your cleanser is really doing its job.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/are-you-cleansing-properly
Follow CeraVe on Instagram @cerave_au
Discover more at cerave.com.au
Follow Dr Michelle Rodrigues on Instagram @mrodriguesmd and @chroma_derm
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of KORA Organics, Miranda Kerr.
Miranda Kerr is a household name, so while an introduction may seem redundant, there was so much about her that came up in our conversation that added yet another layer to what was already a really incredible founder story.
Miranda says that she has always treated every job as though it may be her last, even to this day- an attitude I found so refreshing from one of, quite literally, the most successful supermodels on the planet. It’s that attitude that saw Miranda put almost all of her money made from modelling into savings, so that when she eventually started her own business, she was able to self-fund.
It was in 2006 that Miranda Kerr became the very first Australian to sign a contract with Victoria’s Secret, and it was in that same year that she began thinking about and subsequently planning the launch of KORA Organics. She launched the brand in 2009, when she was just 26, and today, 12 years on, she still owns 95% of the business.
Miranda tells me that, despite being frequently approached by external investors, she intends to remain in her current position to nsure the brand doesn’t lose its integrity, and continues to reinvest in the brand rather than drawing from it- a brand that is now stocked in over 200 countries.
In this conversation, Miranda shares some lessons learned during the Dolly Magazine model search, why we may have her grandmother to thank for the entire KORA line, and why the brand’s latest launch has caused Katy Perry to throw out all her other moisturisers.
You can read this interview now at glowjournal.com
Follow Miranda Kerr on Instagram at @mirandakerr
Follow KORA on Instagram at @koraorganics
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Edwards And Co and Jaye Haircare, Jaye Edwards.
I knew Jaye Edwards as a brand founder and the man behind some of this country’s most renowned, and easily its most recognisable, hair salons, but admittedly I hadn’t realised just how far he’d come to get where he is now.
Jaye grew up in a really small town, and knowing he didn’t quite fit in there or in the schooling system, he left home at only 15, moved to Sydney, and fell into an apprenticeship at a hair salon. At around 21, he bought into the salon he was working at- and subsequently lost everything, to the tune of $50,000.
Where most would have thrown in the towel, Jaye tells me his ethos was to “fail fast, learn a lot and move on,” and so he opened the very first Edwards and Co salon soon thereafter. Today, Jaye sits at the helm of the eight Edwards and Co locations across Australia and his namesake brand, Jaye Haircare (which has just launched into Mecca), with Jaye constantly adapting his business model, making him, sincerely, one of the most progressive founders I’ve had the pleasure of chatting to.
Usually when I say something like “even if you don’t have an interest in beauty, this conversation will have something for you,” it’s because I think anyone interested in business in general can take something from it- but in this case, I really think what Jaye has to say is relevant for everyone, even if your interests lie in neither business nor beauty. I think Jaye’s story is one of really incredible resilience, and also a poignant reminder that you don’t have to have it all figured out from day one in order to be successful. Granted Jaye discovered a love for hair and beauty really young, but his story still felt so different from many of our other guests in that despite suffering such great loss, he came back, and everything he has now, he created for himself.
In this conversation, Jaye shares how he and his team physically and mentally made it through the events of the last year, how he managed to maintain the Edwards and Co DNA when opening a location within another brand’s space, and why he walked out of his first job during his lunch break.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Edwards And Co on Instagram at @_edwardsandco
Follow Jaye Haircare on Instagram at @jayehaircare
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by beauty industry stalwart and General Manager of Aesthetics RX, Nicola Kropach. Nicola has 20 years of senior management experience within some of Australia, and the world’s, biggest beauty brands. I personally started trialling the Aesthetics RX product portfolio in December of last year and have been really, really impressed by the range (and you know I always trial for at least a month before I even start talking to a brand about working with them), so when the opportunity to chat with Nicola one on one arose, I took to Instagram to ask you, the Glow Journal audience, to submit your questions on wrinkles, fine lines, skin elasticity and age spots so that Nicola could help us bust a few “anti-ageing” myths.
In the name of transparency this episode is sponsored by Aesthetics RX, however this conversation is not, at all, about pushing products onto you. Nicola has decades of experience in beauty and is so passionate about an holistic approach to skin health, so the goal here isn’t product placement- as per all of our bonus episodes, it’s about giving you the objective information you need in order to make your own informed decisions.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on the visible signs of ageing and passed them on to Nicola- from whether or not topical skincare can actually do anything for skin firmness and what’s really causing fine lines and wrinkles, through to the best course of action for age spots and pigmentation and how young is too young to be using retinol.
USE CODE GEMMA AT CHECKOUT FOR A COMPLIMENTARY 15mL C SERUM WITH ANY PURCHASE ON aestheticsrx.com.au
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/anti-ageing-myth-busting
Follow Aesthetics RX on Instagram @aestheticsrxskincare
Discover more at aestheticsrx.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty two (an Australian Exclusive) of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the Founder & Creative Director of AERIN and Style & Image Director of Estée Lauder.
Aerin Lauder needs no introduction and no words can really do this woman justice- but I’ll try my best.
Aerin Lauder is, of course, the granddaughter of the late Estée Lauder. She is the Founder and Creative Director of her eponymous brand AERIN, and the former Senior Vice-President and Creative Director, now Style and Image Director, of Estée Lauder.
I had written, initially, that Aerin is “beauty industry royalty,” but on reflection I feel that title almost negates the decades she has spent working for the Estée Lauder companies. It doesn’t do her justice, and I’m not sure that any title really would. It’s Aerin who has managed to strike that incredible balance between staying true to the heritage brand’s history and DNA, while ensuring it feels fresh and relevant to this very day.
Aerin is a force, an icon and a leader, just like her grandmother, and I am eternally grateful for the generosity with which she shared both her and her family’s stories.
In this conversation, Aerin shares some of her favourite memories and lessons from her grandmother, the pressure that comes from having your name attached to such an iconic brand, and her advice for anyone looking to start their own business.
You can read this interview now at glowjournal.com
Follow Aerin on Instagram at @aerin
Follow Estée Lauder on Instagram at @esteelauder
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Indie Lee, Indie Lee.
Indie Lee grew up with a clear vision, a literal checklist, of how she wanted her life to look- two children, two yellow labradors, a beautiful home and fast-paced corporate job. She had ticked every one of those boxes before realising that she was, in her own words, “a passenger of her own life,” checking boxes rather than living.
Indie decided to take a step back and leave work to spend more time with her children, but being a classic Type A, her idea of slowing down somehow led to her working in AND BUILDING a 750 square foot greenhouse. In summer 2008, Indie was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, meaning she could no longer work in her beloved greenhouse. She was dealt another blow later that year, in the form of a brain tumour, with one doctor telling her she had just 6 months to live.
“When you’re given six months to live, you decide how you want to live your life,” Indie tells me, so she revisited her passion for nature and set to work on her brand, Indie Lee. Indie’s tumour was successfully removed on April 22nd 2009, Earth Day, a day Indie describes as her rebirth. By the end of that year, Indie had officially launched her brand. Today, over 10 years on, that brand is sold all over the world.
In this conversation, Indie and I discuss her belief in karma and how she refused to enter surgery with any loose ends, how it feels to be forced to step away from something you deeply love, and her surprising first request when she came out of her operation.
You can read this interview now at glowjournal.com
Follow Indie Lee on Instagram at @indie_lee
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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Is it possible to fade visible capillaries with topical skincare? Why do spider veins appear so much worse during pregnancy? Are they hereditary? Is there a way to erase broken and burst capillaries- and do either of these things even exist?!
In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Deshan Sebaratnam. A Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, Dr Deshan holds an academic appointment as Conjoint Senior Lecturer with the University of New South Wales, has presented his research internationally and has had his research published in both local and international medical journals. With experience and an interest in all facets of dermatology including medical, surgical, cosmetic and paediatric, I felt that Dr Deshan was the ideal doctor to objectively answer YOUR questions on visible and dilated capillaries and spider veins.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on capillaries and spider veins to Dr Deshan - from the myth that is “broken” capillaries and if topical skincare can actually do anything to make them disappear, to whether or not spider veins are hereditary and why pregnancy seems to make them so much more apparent.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-capillaries-and-spider-veins
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Follow Dr Deshan Sebaratnam (and check out the videos mentioned in this episode) @dr.deshan
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode sixty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Moon Juice, Amanda Chantal Bacon.
Amanda Chantal Bacon has known she had purpose since she was a child- it just took her some time to really hone in on what, exactly, that purpose was.
She’s lived a few different lives. She grew up around fashion, something she felt disillusioned by, and was diagnosed with a chronic illness around the age of 5- the repercussions of which she was still feeling well into her 20s. She lived in New Zealand, Italy, Argentina and her native United States, working as a teacher, a writer and a chef.
It was while she was working in the fine dining space that her autoimmune condition was as its worst, so she took some time out to revisit what she knew as a child- that she had purpose, she just needed to find out what it was.
Amanda embarked on something of a “wellness” journey, and in 2011 Moon Juice was born- a business that began as a juice bar in Venice, California (before words like “organic,” “raw” and “cold pressed” were a part of global vernacular) but soon became more of an immersive wellness brand, producing and selling supplements, foods and the now iconic “dusts” that consumers could take home and work into their own routine.
Amanda had never, ever considered entering the beauty space with Moon Juice, despite its growing link to the wellness industry. What prompted her to rethink that stance was a beauty-editor-approved, cult skincare product that had visible benefits for Amanda’s skin, but would’ve flared up her autoimmune condition with repeat use. The solution, it seemed, was to develop a clean alternative, and in 2018 Moon Juice’s skincare line was created.
In this conversation, Amanda shares how a 2015 viral story online saw her ridiculed globally and, in turn, her business boom, the value in slipping behind the scenes of your company, and how a Chinese Soup served as the inspiration for one of her brand’s most popular skin serums.
Read more at glowjournal.com
Follow Moon Juice on Instagram at @moonjuice
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Ciaté London, Charlotte Knight.
At 21, Charlotte Knight moved from London to Dublin and, with little experience in nails and no experience in business ownership, opened Dublin’s first ever nail bar- she went into a hair salon for a blow dry, mentioned her idea to the owner, and came out with a business plan.
People travelled across the country just to see Charlotte, with the young entrepreneur and manicurist soon finding herself in demand backstage at London, New York and Paris Fashion Weeks and on photoshoots as a session nail technician. It was during this time, as a session artist, that Charlotte first began sketching that now iconic little black bow-adorned bottle, mixing colours, and dreaming of what would become Ciaté London.
Ciaté launched in 2009, landing in stores at the height of world’s nail art movement, but it was in 2012, when the brand released its Caviar nails collection, that things changed almost overnight. Prior to the launch of Caviar, Ciaté had 4 staff and were stocked in about 50 stores. Post Caviar, the brand found themselves in over 4000 stores across 35 countries.
Nail art and, more specifically, the home manicure trend had hit fever pitch but, given the cyclical nature of the beauty industry, global nail polish sales crashed a mere two and half years after that launch. Armed with data, a plan, and one of the most creative business minds I’ve ever come across, Charlotte spearheaded the launch of an entirely new product skew for Ciaté London- makeup.
Today, Ciaté is one of the most celebrated brands in the world across both nails and makeup, and this year will see the brand release not one but two high profile collaborations, both of which Charlotte offered up a few big clues about during our chat.
In this conversation, Charlotte and I discuss the expectations and subsequent pressure that comes with releasing multiple global first-to-markets, how showing a boardroom the colour of her knickers led to one of her brand’s many successful launches, and why we shouldn’t expect a Carol Baskin for Ciaté collection anytime soon.
You can read this interview now at glowjournal.com
Follow Ciaté London on Instagram at @ciatelondon
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Bread Beauty Supply, Maeva Heim.
“Visibility” is a word that came up a few times during this particular conversation with Maeva. Maeva explains that her relationship with her own hair was largely influenced by visibility. Maeva had spent the bulk of 20 years using a chemical hair relaxer to straighten out the natural texture of her hair, explaining that the bulk of the hair education we receive in mainstream culture is designed for straight hair. It wasn’t until a trip to the US, during which her hair relaxer exploded in her luggage, that she decided to move back towards her natural hair texture. She wasn’t alone in embracing what’s called the “natural hair movement,”- at that time, there’d been over a 40% decline in hair relaxer sales over a five year period.
A simple, effective, modern beauty offering for women of colour wasn’t particularly visible either. In a time that Maeva has coined “pre-Fenty,” there were even fewer brands catering to woman of colour than there are now- and there were absolutely no simple, effective, fun nor modern options in the haircare category.
Confident in her idea to simplify wash day for women with textured hair, Bread Beauty Supply was born- a now six month old, award winning brand that launched into US Sephora, making it only the eighth black-owned beauty brand to be picked up by Sephora, and just the third in the hair space. It was during the development process that Maeva made visibility work to her advantage. She explains the exposure we have to other founder stories online today meant that she felt she could do it too, without fear- and that’s exactly what she’s done.
In this conversation, Maeva and I discuss how she secured investment from the same fund who invested in Emily Weiss’ Glossier and Kim Kardashian’s Skims, the challenges of launching a brand through an overseas retailer in 2020, and the makeup look her aunt in West Africa bestowed on her in childhood that may well be making a comeback.
You can read this interview now at glowjournal.com
Follow Bread on Instagram at @breadbeautysupply
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to Ere Perez, founder of her namesake brand.
Ere was born in Mexico and grew up watching her mother and grandparents mix lotions and potions in their kitchen. Ere is passionate about healing, and after studying nutrition she fell in love and moved to Australia in 1999 to be with her now husband. Ere had always loved mascara, as she explains to me the only real difference between Mickey and Minnie is eyelashes, but quickly noticed a gap for a great natural mascara, or really any natural colour cosmetics, here in Australia. From there, with next to no budget, she set to work on the first iteration of her own mascara, and soon thereafter Ere Perez cosmetics was born- a brand that Ere grew piece by piece and now has offices in two continents and is stocked in over 30 countries.
This conversation was pure joy from start to finish, one of those chats where you get a pain in your jaw by the end of it from grinning for too long, which is precisely the energy take well into the summer break. Ere tells me in this episode that “The human body is the most perfect thing in the world,” and that we’re “made so beautifully,” and I think that is the perfect note to end this season on.
On that note and in news that will shock literally everyone who knows me, I am actually allowing myself time off for the holidays this year, but we will be back to open Season 3 on January 20.
In this conversation, Ere shares why putting truth and your heart into your work really is the most important thing a person can do, how she physically managed to get her business off the ground with one product and no budget almost 20 years ago, and how missing out on a parking space some decades ago may well have changed the course of her entire life.
You can read this interview now at glowjournal.com
Follow Ere Perez on Instagram at @ereperezcosmetics
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What IS laser hair removal and how does it work? Does it hurt? Are there any side effects? Is it safe for blondes and people with dark skin? Is it really permanent?
In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Kirsten Cachia, Clinical Educator at Candela Medical. Laser hair removal has been one of our most highly requested subjects this year so, for our final Bonus episode this season, we are finally answering your questions. Kirsten is Candela Medical’s Clinical Educator and an undisputed expert in all things laser, and although this episode is sponsored by Candela, you won’t hear Kirsten recommending any specific products, machines or treatments. As per the rest of this Ask An Expert Series, I’ve sought experts to give you objective answers to your questions so that you can take that information and make your own educated decisions regarding which treatments are right for you.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on laser hair removal to Kirsten- from why we’re told we need to remove our fake tan and whether or not laser can actually work for those with blonde hair or dark skin, through to why hormonal changes have been known to reverse the effects of laser hair removal and what you should actually expect on the day of your treatment.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-laser-hair-removal
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Vilhelm Parfumerie, Jan Ahlgren.
Born just outside of Stockholm, Jan shirked very early ambitions to play either tennis or gold professionally in favour of more artistic pursuits, moving Paris to model- during which time he secured a contract with Chanel.
From there, Jan became an interior designer, fashion designer and leather accessories designer, respectively. It was during his time designing leather handbags that Jan truly fell in love with the art of parfumerie. Inspired by the way 18th century glove makers used to scent their products, Jan met with renowned perfumer Jerome Epinette and fell deeply in love with the process of developing fragrances.
It was then, Jan tells me, that he realised THIS, parfumerie, was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life- and so, Vilhelm Parfumerie was born, a fragrance house placing as great an emphasis on design as it does on scent. Vilhelm is, genuinely, unlike any brand I’ve come across, somehow striking a balance between futuristic and 1920s inspired- something Jan tells me is completely intentional. The early part of this year saw Jan relaunch the brand into the US market, and today, a mere 5 years after launch, Vilhelm Parfumerie is available in 24 countries.
This episode was, of course, recorded remotely, as is the nature of 2020, so if you would prefer to read the interview I have made the complete transcript available on glowjournal.com.
In this conversation, Jan and I discuss his early affinity for fragrance as inspired by his grandfather, the relevance the idea of Pierre Cardin in a spaceship has to his brand, and why he feels perfume houses globally NEED to start focusing on their carbon footprints.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-vilhelm-parfumerie-jan-ahlgren
Follow Vilhelm on Instagram at @vilhelm_parfumerie
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Biogeo, Nancy Twine.
Nancy, a former vice president at Goldman Sachs, tells me her very earliest memories of beauty all take place in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother, mixing their own beauty products using a KitchenAid. Nancy tells me that, even as a child, she was aware that there were very few options in the beauty sphere for women of colour like herself, so mixing her own formulas allowed her to have some control, rather than having to rely on whatever products were on the shelf.
Nancy revisited this idea and this passion in 2010. She’d been working in a high powered position in finance for upwards of seven years when her mother suddenly and tragically passed away, an incident that made Nancy really closely examine the way she was living her own life.
“We owe it to ourselves to align our passions with our careers,” she tells me, and so she revisited that early passion for beauty and began work on her own business- Briogeo. A clean, natural and INCLUSIVE haircare brand, Briogeo is now stocked globally (including in Mecca here in Australia) and reportedly hit something to the tune of $65 million USD in retail sales last year- less than six years after the brand’s 2014 launch.
In this conversation, Nancy and I discuss the perils of formulating haircare that’s ACTUALLY natural, her advice for new brand founder on securing investment, and why she has Alicia Silverstone in Clueless to thank for her first foray into entrepreneurship.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com
Follow Briogeo on Instagram at @briogeo
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What actually IS cellulite? Can creams, scrubs or dry body brushing change its appearance? Is it possible to tighten skin after a C-section? And can laser or microcurrent actually work to firm, lift and tighten the body?
In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by dermatologist Dr Andreas Fox. Qualified from Oxford University, Dr Fox worked as a consultant plastic and aesthetic surgeon for some of London’s largest and most prestigious hospitals before moving to Sydney to pursue a career in non-invasive medical aesthetics. With over 20 years of experience, Dr Fox was who I felt was the ideal doctor to objectively answer YOUR questions and bust some myths around on cellulite, skin firming and skin tightening.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on cellulite and skin firming to Dr Fox - from what cellulite actually is and whether or not topical creams, scrubs and body brushing can do anything to reduce its appearance, through to what can be done to tighten the skin post c-section and if laser treatments can (or cannot!) work to firm, lift and tighten the body.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-cellulite-myth-busting
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Emma Lewisham skincare, Emma Lewisham.
Emma Lewisham skincare was, in a sense, born from grief. Following the passing of her mother, Emma tells me that she realised that, in her words, “no one is invincible,” which prompted her to examine her own health which, after a visit to her doctor, led to her taking a close look at her topical skincare.
Emma had grown accustomed to high performance, clinical grade skincare, and couldn’t find anything that could replicate the results she was used to in the natural skincare realm. From there, Emma sought out the world’s best biochemists, even bringing one out of retirement, and began to develop her own brand.
There are many, many things that are impressive about this brand, which you will hear me gush over during this conversation, but it’s Emma Lewisham’s approach to sustainability that quite literally blew me away. Emma is working towards an entirely circular business model, and her brand’s sustainability initiatives don’t feel like something that have just been tacked on- every single detail, every element of the supply chain has been considered and pored over.
Visit emmalewisham.com/pages/transparent-beauty for some really, really transparent information on the brand’s sustainability initiatives. If you have the time, I really do encourage you to read through these documents as I sincerely believe that they are going to adjust and set a new pace for the rest of the beauty industry. This conversation with Emma really prompted and inspired me to look at my own consumption, and I truly believe the Emma Lewisham brand are swiftly becoming the world’s leaders in sustainable beauty.
In this conversation, Emma and I discuss how her brand has garnered the reputation of “the La Mer of natural skincare,” how she’s managing to balance both sustainability and results without compromise and why a circular business model is the way of the future.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow Emma Lewisham on Instagram at @emmalewisham
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
If our skin is sensitive and flaring up- how do we know what’s causing it? Is there a difference between sensitive and allergy-prone skin? What’s the link between rosacea and sensitive skin? Is mask-ne a real thing- and how do we get rid of it?! In this Bonus Episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts is joined by dermatologist Dr Leona Yip.
So many listeners and glowjournal.com readers have reached out to me of late with questions about heightened skin sensitivities. As you know, I am an educated consumer and not an expert, and I firmly believe questions of this nature should be posed to those who really are qualified to answer them- so, I’ve enlisted the help of Dr Leona to get to the bottom of those skin irritations.
For complete transparency from the outset, this episode is sponsored by La Roche-Posay Australia however all of Dr Leona’s views are her own and, as per all of our Ask An Expert interviews you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this interview.
I took to Instagram to ask you exactly what you wanted to know about sensitive skin, and I’ve taken your questions to the expert. In this conversation, Dr Leona answers your questions- from the difference between sensitivities and allergies and how to determine if you are in fact allergic to a skincare product, to how we can prevent and combat mask related breakouts, and the link between rosacea and sensitive skin.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/sensitive-skin-and-maskne
Follow La Roche-Posay on Instagram at @larocheposayaunz
Find out more about La Roche-Posay at laroche-posay.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Floral Street, Michelle Feeney.
Michelle Feeney has been described as one of the most powerful women in global beauty- and rightly so.
In 1993, Michelle was headhunted by the team at Estée Lauder and, after 10 interviews (including one with Leonard Lauder himself), was given a senior role with the company. Lauder had hired Michelle at a time when they were beginning to acquire other brands and, in 1994, they tasked Michelle with developing a launch strategy to turn a pot of moisturiser into a global cult product. That moisturiser was Crème de la Mer.
In 1998, Estée Lauder Companies acquired MAC Cosmetics and, given that Michelle had already proven her ability to turn a great product into a legitimate icon, she became MAC’s Vice President of Global Communications, leading the growth of the brand and launching into 40 countries. When Michelle took on that role, MAC was a $65 million company. Less than 7 years later, it was worth $1 billion. Michelle is also largely responsible for spearheading and bringing mainstream awareness to the MAC AIDS Fund, signing the likes of Elton John and Mary J Blige to front the Fund’s campaign. That initiative saw Michelle sit on a board in the United Nations and hand $750,000 over to Kofi Annan.
Beyond Estée, Michelle spent 4 years as the CEO of St Tropez, quite literally transforming the way the entire world viewed self tanning and turning the brand into the market leader. In 2017, Michelle founded Floral Street- an award winning, “quintessentially British” fine fragrance brand with sustainability and eco-responsibility at its very core.
In this conversation, Michelle explains why it’s so important to stay open to opportunity rather than having a concrete plan, what the beauty industry can do to ensure it doesn’t lose its creativity and what it really takes to turn a product into an icon.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow Floral Street on Instagram at @floralstreet_
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of BeautyBio, Jamie O’Banion.
I sincerely believe BeautyBio to be one of the most exciting beauty brands in the world right now, and one I watched closely for years ahead of their highly anticipated launch into Australia this week.
Jamie is the daughter of a dermatologist, something she calls an “unfair advantage” and something that has shaped her entire beauty ethos. Jamie didn’t just receive an education in skin- she lived it. As she tells me in this conversation, one of her very earliest beauty memories was travelling with her father as he helped file the patent for microdermabrasion. An early curiosity about skin and science saw Jamie take a job alongside her father at his clinical skincare laboratory, with the pair working to develop and manufacture new ingredients and raw materials for some of the world’s largest skincare brands. Jamie watched brand after brand purchase bulk ingredients, use them in tiny, tiny quantities in their products, so small they barely had an effect on the skin, but still claim that the ingredient was in their product in an effective capacity. Having grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of transparency in the beauty industry, she decided to launch her own brand- and so, Beauty Bioscience was born.
One of the things that I find so exciting about BeautyBio is that transparency. Jamie is so passionate about empowerment through education and the democratisation of information, which is something that really came across in this conversation and something that is evident in everything the brand does. Her strategy is certainly working- in 2016, the same year BeautyBio launched their now cult GloPro microneedling and LED tool, the brand hit $30 million in sales- in a triple digit growth from the year prior.
This episode was, of course, recorded remotely with myself in Melbourne and Jamie in Dallas which does of course mean something of a disparity in audio quality, so if you would prefer to read the interview OR even follow along like a podcast with subtitles, you can do so by accessing the complete transcript on glowjournal.com.
In this conversation, Jamie and I discuss how the idea of “seeing is believing” gives consumers a higher intent to commit to your product, what it means to be a truly omnichannel business, and how a vase full of M&Ms may well be responsible for BeautyBio’s now cult status.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-beautybio-founder-jamie-obanion
Follow Beauty on Instagram at @beautybio
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What’s better- chemical or physical sunscreen? Do we really need to wear SPF every day? Should we apply sunscreen before or after our skincare?
How do we reapply sunscreen over our makeup? Does SPF50+ foundation provide the same protection as SPF50+ sunscreen?
In this Bonus Episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts is joined by dermatologist Dr Cara McDonald. We recorded an episode covering all things SPF, skin and sunscreen with Dr Cara late last year, and although that episode remains one of our most downloaded ever, as we inch closer to summer there are still a few SPF myths that need debunking.
For complete transparency from the outset, this episode is sponsored by La Roche-Posay Australia however all of Dr McDonald’s views are her own and, as per all of our Ask An Expert interviews you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this interview.
I took to Instagram to ask you exactly what you wanted to know about sun protection, and I’ve taken your questions to the expert. In this conversation, Dr Cara answers your questions- the difference between “chemical” and “physical” sunscreens, whether or not you really need sun protection year ‘round, if makeup with SPF really cuts it, how often you should be reapplying your sunscreen and why everyone needs a skin check.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/spf-myth-busting
Follow La Roche-Posay on Instagram at @larocheposayaunz
Find out more about La Roche-Posay at laroche-posay.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founder of Nudestix, Taylor Frankel.
When Taylor Frankel was 17, the year was 2014 and she was launching Nudestix with her then 14 year old sister Ally and mother Jenny, a now multi million dollar beauty brand boasting Hilary Duff and Chelsea Handler amongst its celebrity investors.
Taylor tells me that, given just how heavily saturated the cosmetics industry is, consumers are craving minimalism and simplicity. It’s a position she and her sister found themselves in as teenagers, scrolling through hour-long smokey eye and full coverage foundation tutorials with neither the time nor the inclination to recreate those looks themselves. Their mother Jenny, a chemical engineer who co-founded CoverFx and developed cosmetics for MAC, recognised Taylor and Ally’s disillusion with the beauty industry, and so the three of them worked together to conceptualise and launch Nudestix- a brand of multitasking, cruelty-free products designed to be literally drawn onto the face and smudged in, and formulated to enhance, rather than cover.
Nudestix was picked by up cosmetics giant Sephora within a few months of its launch, forcing Taylor, Ally and Jenny out of their basement and into their first office. Six years on, and a brand that came to be around a kitchen table is now stocked across Australia, the US Canada, Europe and Asia. Taylor’s role within the company sees her travelling from region to region to educate retailers on Nudestix’s innovations. What she tells me has been the most inspiring part of the Nudestix story thus far, aside from working with her sister and mother, has been learning that regardless where in the world they live, women all want the same thing- to feel good.
In this conversation, Taylor and I discuss Nudestix’s truly impressive sustainability program and why it’s so important to the brand, what it was like to be a teenager sitting at the helm of a global business and the challenges of remaining true to such a specific brand ethos and DNA- plus, we get exclusive insight into the brand’s new product skew, set to launch next month.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-nudestix-co-founder-taylor-frankel
Follow Nudestix on Instagram at @nudestix
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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Is it ever too late to fade a scar? Can C-section and endometriosis scars be healed topically? Do hypertrophic and keloid scars need to be treated differently? Is there ACTUALLY a way to erase stretch marks?
In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by dermatologist Dr Liz Dawes-Higgs. A recipient of the Schering-Plough Award for her laboratory-based research, Dr Dawes-Higgs is the New South Wales State Examiner on the National Examiners Committee for the Australasian College of Dermatologists and has a particular interest in women’s skin health and ageing. This in mind, I felt that Dr Dawes-Higgs was the ideal doctor to answer your questions on this episode’s rather specific topic- scarring, from C section and endometriosis scars to those from surgery, injury and even piercings.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on scars to Dr Dawes-Higgs - from how to treat C section scars as compared to endometriosis incisions and how to treat facial scarring as opposed to scars on the body, through to scars from injury, surgery piercings and stretch marks.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-how-to-fade-scars
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode fifty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the Global Artistic Director of Makeup for Shiseido, James Boehmer.
Shiseido are, undisputedly, one of the largest and most influential heritage brands of all time. Founded in Japan in 1872, Shiseido has cultivated a reputation for innovation in beauty, celebrating the synergy between art and science. It was that very reputation that drew now Global Artistic Director, James Boehmer, to the brand.
Having studied fine art and costume design prior to becoming a makeup artist, James has long worked best within that very intersection of art and science. Having spent close to 20 years at NARS under the close mentorship of Francois Nars himself, the bulk of which he spent as the brand’s Global Artistic Director, James’ personal approach to beauty encompasses the arts of performance, collaboration and construction.
In 2016 James became the Global Artistic Director for Shiseido Makeup, tasked with visiting the archives to redevelop and, in turn, relaunch, the then 144 year old brand’s entire colour cosmetics collection. James’ role sees him direct Shiseido’s innovations across colour and texture to tell the brand’s story- one that celebrates the marriage of form and function in all parts of Japanese culture.
More recently, Shiseido have announced the appointment of Hunter Schafer as the brand’s Global Makeup Ambassador, cementing their status as pioneers of not only product, but of progression and inclusivity in beauty. “Beauty should be democratic, and it should be for everybody,” James tells me in this episode.
This episode was recorded remotely, myself in Melbourne and James in Beverly California, so if you would prefer to read the interview I have made the complete transcript available on glowjournal.com.
In this conversation, James shares how far you can get with warm, gracious energy, the global appeal of the J Beauty movement and how his background as a “frustrated dancer” has shaped his work for some of the world’s biggest beauty brands.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-james-boehmer-shiseido
Follow Shiseido on Instagram at @shiseido
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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How can you cover greys at home? Is there a way to touch up regrowth in lockdown? How can we tone our hair between salon visits?
In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode, beauty writer Gemma Watts is joined by award winning hairdresser Yoshi Su. Given that salons are currently closed in Victoria and, based on the influx of hair-related messages I’ve been receiving of late, it seems those in other states and countries also have reservations about heading back in so soon, so we’ve put together a bonus episode answering all of your questions on at-home hair colour, touch-ups between salon visits and how you can remedy any DIY hair disasters.
This episode is sponsored by Revlon Professional, however as per all of our Ask An Expert episodes, Yoshi is not here to advertise and push product onto you. All of Yoshi’s views are his own and he was not under instruction to advertise any particular product, however you will mention of Revlon Professional’s Nutri Colour Crème- a genuine recommendation and truly safe alternative to traditional at-home colour.
As this interview was recorded remotely, there may be a few answers that are difficult to hear so I have made the entire episode transcript available on glowjournal.com so you can read along as you listen or search for the answers to your specific questions. To find this transcript, simply visit glowjournal.com and search “Revlon Professional.”
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/your-at-home-hair-colour-questions
Follow Revlon Professional on Instagram @revlonprofessional
Discover more at revlonprofessional.com
Shop Revlon Professional’s Nutri Colour Crème at adorebeauty.com.au/revlon-professional.html
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode forty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills, Anastasia Soare.
Anastasia Soare is a self-made billionaire in the truest sense- but her story is not just for beauty lovers, nor is it just for business lovers. It’s for everyone.
I was granted this interview as an Australian podcast exclusive, an opportunity I’m so grateful for and one I can assure you I have not taken lightly. I had limited time with Anastasia but I really wanted to do her story justice and tell it properly, so we’ve started in mid-1950s Romania.
Anastasia grew up under the communist regime, studying art history and assisting her mother on the weekends in the tailoring business she owned and operated. From her mother, she learnt attention to detail, she learnt passion, and she learnt how good it feels when your client walks away feeling beautiful. From her art teacher, she learnt the Golden Ratio- a mathematical concept of balance and proportion that guides what the human eye finds beautiful and, subsequently, a ratio that would change Anastasia’s life.
In 1989 and without speaking a word of English, Anastasia immigrated to the United States where she found work as an esthetician. Anastasia recalled what her art teacher had taught her about eyebrows in portraiture, being that they can change an entire face, so Anastasia began offering brow sculpting during her facials. Prior to Anastasia arriving in Los Angeles, no one in America had cared about their eyebrows. By 1992 her clients included Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Stephanie Seymore, and Anastasia was one of the most in demand people in the beauty industry.
In 1997, Anastasia opened her own salon in Beverly Hills. In 1998 she shaped Oprah’s eyebrows on national television, by 1999 she had developed her own collection of eyebrow products, the very first of its kind, and by 2000, Anastasia Beverly Hills products were stocked nationally. In 2018, Anastasia Beverly Hills received an investment from private equity firm TPG that valued it at US $3 billion. Today, Anastasia Soare is still the company’s CEO, selling more than 500 products in over 30 countries with 20.2 million Instagram followers after bootstrapping the company for nearly 20 years before taking on that external investment.
This episode was recorded remotely, myself in Melbourne and Anastasia, of course, in Beverly Hills, so if you would prefer to read the interview I have made the complete transcript available on glowjournal.com.
In this conversation, Anastasia shares what happened when she had to pull half of her collection from Nordstrom and bear the losses herself within just days of launching, how to back yourself when your product is, globally, the very first of its kind and, of course, her all time top brow tips.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-anastasia-beverly-hills
Follow Anastasia Beverly Hills on Instagram at @anastasiabeverlyhills
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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The last time we spoke to specialist dermatologist Dr Ryan De Cruz, he shared his knowledge on all things isolation skin- skin that is irritated, stressed and acting out. We took Dr Ryan’s advice and we healed our isolation skin - and then winter hit, and with it came a whole new list of skin woes.
So many listeners and glowjournal.com readers have reached out to me in recent weeks looking for winter skin salves - products to protect their skin from the winter chill and artificial heating and products to heal their sore, dry, irritated skin. As you know, I am an educated consumer and not an expert and, given how much we all learnt from Dr Ryan last time, I insisted on taking your winter skin questions back to him.
In the name of full disclosure, this episode is sponsored by CeraVe, however as per all of my expert interviews, the guest doctor is never here to push specific brands and products. For this reason, you’ll hear Dr De Cruz recommend specific ingredients like ceramides, rather than products, giving you the tools you need to make your own, educated purchasing decisions.
I took to Instagram recently to collate your skin questions, and in this episode Dr Ryan discusses talks all things winter skin- from why our sensitivities are heightened during the colder months, and how to deal with dry skin and acne simultaneously, to the ideal shower temperature, and why your hyaluronic acid serum might not actually be doing a single thing for your skin.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/how-to-heal-dry-winter-skin
Follow CeraVe on Instagram at @cerave_au
Find out more about CeraVe at cerave.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode forty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of lilah b., Cheryl Yannotti Foland.
Having grown up on the East Coast of the United States, once self described “high strung, type A, fast talking New Yorker” Cheryl Yannotti Foland spent the first 20 years of her working life in private equity. Cheryl describes her attitude towards work, life and beauty during that time as “more, more, more,” but a move to California for work in 2006 saw the maximalist trade in her New York lifestyle for something a little slower.
Cheryl tells me that the life she’d been living was not the healthiest and recognised that her “need” for the next best beauty product was really more of a “want,” in turn identifying what she describes as a “white space” in the market for a brand that truly simplified beauty.
And so, lilah b. was born- a clean, luxe colour cosmetics brand in which each product has been formulated to have multiple uses, meaning that consumers can create a complete, polished look with minimal products- as Cheryl tells me, “three is all you need.”
More or less on launch, lilah b. was picked up by both Barney’s and Net-A-Porter, meaning that the brand was being sold and marketed in upwards of 170 countries within five months.
Today, lilah b. remains one of the world’s most coveted clean beauty brands, with Cheryl watching women (and men!) across the globe adopting her less is more ethos, having succeeded in her mission to make beauty simple again.
This episode was recorded remotely, myself in Melbourne and Cheryl in California, so if you would prefer to read the interview I have made the complete transcript available on glowjournal.com.
In this conversation, Cheryl shares the surprising influence Tiffany & Co. designer Elsa Peretti had on her brand, how increasing consumer demand for authenticity is rapidly changing the beauty industry and why all have a Rhodesian Ridgeback to thank for the lilah b. brand.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-lilah-b-founder-cheryl-yannotti-foland
Follow lilah b. on Instagram at @lilahbeauty
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Firas Al-Niaimi. One of the most prolific and well-published dermatologists in the UK, if not the world, Dr Firas has written and contributed to over 160 publications, has delivered lectures in over 50 countries and is on the editorial board of multiple dermatology journals. A globally respected opinion leader, Dr Firas was who I felt was the ideal doctor to answer YOUR questions on acne, acne scarring, post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation and pore size.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be unethical for me to even attempt to address those skin concerns which is why I have long insisted on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela Medical, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. This series gives you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
As mentioned, this episode is sponsored by Candela Medical, however all of Dr Firas’ views are entirely his own and, as per any interview with a doctor, you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this episode. In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on acne to Dr Firas Al-Niami- from what those pitted acne scars actually are and how to treat them through to whether topical skincare can really help hyper pigmentation, whether or not pores can truly be shrunk and if there is, or isn’t, a definitive treatment for blackheads.
This interview was recorded remotely, with Dr Al-Niami in London and myself in Melbourne. There may be a few answers that are difficult to hear and for this I apologise, but I am still absolutely committed to bringing you the answers to your questions despite current constraints so I have made the entire episode transcript available on glowjournal.com so you can read the answers you might miss- almost like a podcast with subtitles. To find this transcript, simply visit glowjournal.com and search “Candela Medical.”
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-acne-scarring-and-pores
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode forty seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to celebrity esthetician and founder of Angela Caglia Skincare, Angela Caglia.
What do Barbra Streisand, Sting, Chrissy Teigen, Noami Watts and Helena Christensen have in common? Their esthetician, Angela Caglia.
Even if you don’t have a vested interest in skin, or even in business, listening to Angela is so inspiring based on just how passionate she is about what she does. When she speaks of skin, it’s the vocal equivalent of someone’s eyes lighting up.
Born in California, Angela Caglia became infatuated with Paris after watching Elsa Klensch on CNN. A summer spent studying abroad in the city served as Angela’s introduction to spa facials- something of a foreign concept in the US at the time. Upon her return, Angela did a double take as she walked past a newly opened Yon-Ka salon, then walked in and asked if she could work the front desk. From there, she became an esthetician, later working in New York before returning to Los Angeles and establishing herself as one of the world’s most in-demand facialists.
It was during a facial at Barbra Streisand’s home in Malibu that Angela felt compelled to create her own line of products, a story best told by Angela but prompted when Barbra, inches from Angela’s face, looked up into her eyes and said “And what’s your dream?” Between 2016 and 2017 Angela Caglia launched her namesake skincare collection and opened the Angela Caglia Skin Spa in Bel Air.
This episode was recorded remotely, myself in Melbourne and Angela in Los Angeles, so if you would prefer to read the interview you can find the complete transcript on glowjournal.com. Also, for anyone feeling stressed or may need something to lull them into a state of rest, listening to Angela very softly describe the sensory experience that is one of her signature rose quartz facials is the most relaxed I’ve felt in some months.
In this conversation, Angela and I discuss the narrative surrounding men and skincare, how and why your skincare routine could be causing your skin concerns, and how Sting’s chef helped Angela with one of her most important facials ever.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-angela-caglia
Follow Angela Caglia Skincare on Instagram at @angelacagliaskincare
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode forty six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to New York Times beauty writer and founder of Ellis Brooklyn, Bee Shapiro.
I consider Bee Shapiro to be something of a beauty oracle. Having covered style and beauty for the New York Times for over 12 years, Bee has interviewed countless CEOs and celebrities, been afforded unbridled access to the beauty cabinets and handbags of your favourite actors and actresses and trialled products that you and I haven’t even heard of- yet. I have long admired Bee and her work, not just for her insider knowledge and ability to list New York City’s top five facialists and their contact details on next to no notice, but for her intellect, her wit and, of course, her writing style.
A law school graduate and former hedge fund attorney, Bee became a fashion writer for the New York Times in 2008 and was soon relocated to the beauty department where she began penning her column Skin Deep, which has since been published as a book of 40 plus interviews.
In 2013, pregnant with her first daughter, Bee noticed that many of the brands that landed on her desk were making the move to “clean” formulations. Clean beauty was undoubtedly on the rise, with luxury brands embracing what was once a Whole Foods style sub section of beauty, but Bee noticed that very few fragrance houses were following suit.
In 2015, Ellis Brooklyn was born- a luxury, niche fragrance house devoted to clean, small-batch-made scents.
I’ve learned so much through watching Bee’s work from afar, so having over an hour to chat with her was a genuine privilege. Having worked in beauty for so long, Bee’s insights into cosmetics and media are invaluable to anyone with an interest in either. I’ve so enjoyed speaking to the founders of, quote unquote, niche brands of late, as something that keeps coming up is the increasing appetite consumers have to align themselves brands they really do believe in- brands with a story, brought to life by founders they trust.
This episode was recorded remotely, myself in Melbourne and Bee in New York, so if you would prefer to read the interview you can find the complete transcript on glowjournal.com.
In this conversation, Bee and I discuss how social media has affected traditional journalism, how bringing others into the fold of your business keeps you accountable, and why consumers are no longer content with simply consuming beauty- they want to connect with it.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-ellis-brooklyn-founder-bee-shapiro
Follow Ellis Brooklyn on Instagram at @ellisbrooklyn
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode forty five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down, remotely, with the founders of D.S. & Durga, Kavi Ahuja and David Seth Moltz.
Working in beauty affords me the great privilege of trialling brands, both local and international, as they become available in Australia. Often a product lands on my desk that piques my interest beyond my already vested interest in beauty, and as I start to research the names behind it, it becomes apparent that this particular brand is quietly redefining the category in which it sits.
One such brand is D.S. & Durga, a fragrance house I first came into contact with in 2017 upon its launch into Australia. Founded in Brooklyn by husband and wife David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja, D.S. & Durga came to be in 2007 when David, the brand’s now-perfumer, began developing fragrances for friends and family and Kavi, an artist, designer and architect by trade, suggested they turn their creations into a business.
What D.S. & Durga are doing is so different to other fragrances houses, and I’m so grateful that I was able to listen to them explain the freedom that comes with being a niche brand who can create whatever they want to create, and how they balance that with quite an intuitive understanding of what is commercially palatable.
Being based in Brooklyn, D.S. & Durga is a self-described “quintessentially American” fragrance house in a market historically dominated by French sensibilities- not that there is a single thing wrong with that, however the perfume industry is saturated with brands intent on including French ingredients in their fragrances or French elements in their branding, even if that alignment isn’t necessarily authentic. As Kavi told me in our conversation, “Everything behind a brand matters so much more now than it ever has,” which presents a really powerful opportunity for niche brands to become their own storytellers as consumers want to know precisely who and what they’re aligning themselves with.
This episode was recorded remotely, myself in Australia and Kavi and David in the US, so if you would prefer to read the interview you can find the complete transcript on glowjournal.com.
In this conversation, Kavi and David discuss the malleability of creative disciplines, the art of collaboration and the significance of the scents of both burnt tyres and boat gas.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-ds-durga-founders-kavi-ahuja-david-moltz
Follow D.S. & Durga on Instagram at @dsanddurga
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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How privileged I am to be learning about racism, rather than experiencing it. Black lives matter. The resources I mentioned that I had found useful can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17898196033499578/
In episode forty four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the founder and CEO of Juice Beauty, Karen Behnke.
Credited by Forbes as being the original pioneer of clean beauty, Karen Behnke’s career began as a health and wellness entrepreneur in the early 1980s. By the age of 25, Karen had founded two highly successful businesses in the fitness space, one being the first ever corporate wellness business in the United States- however the bank would not give her a loan unless she were married.
Karen explains to me in our conversation that, when you’re an entrepreneur and you feel you have a good idea, you blast forward with blind faith- and that’s precisely what she did. In 2005, she launched Juice Beauty, one of the world’s first organic skincare brands and one that completely quashed the belief that natural products couldn’t match the potency of their traditional counterparts.
With Karen widely regarded as an innovator across the health, wellness and beauty spaces, it made sense that when Gwyneth Paltrow was looking to develop skincare under her Goop brand AND find a clean, organic colour cosmetics range, it was Karen and the Juice Beauty team that she chose to work with.
Heralding a collaboration between Karen, Gwyneth and their respective companies, 2016 saw the launch of both Goop by Juice Beauty AND Juice Beauty’s Phyto-Pigment collection- a clean yet luxurious line of colour cosmetics, born out of Karen and Gwyneth’s wish for makeup that cared for the skin in the same way their skincare does. Gwyneth was also appointed Juice Beauty’s Creative Director of Makeup, a role she held for three years, with Karen and Gwyneth remaining shareholders in one another’s companies to this day.
Today, Karen tells me Juice Beauty’s focus is on returning to its roots. Time is being spent researching and continuing to innovate at the Juice Beauty Farm, with the brand working towards converting the entire farm to organic and continuing to improve upon their existing sustainability initiatives.
This episode was recorded remotely, myself being in Australia and Karen in the US, so if you would prefer to read the interview you can find the complete transcript on glowjournal.com
In this conversation, Karen shares her biggest advice for those looking to fund a startup, how Juice Beauty manage to colour their entire makeup collection using plant pigments, and the secrets of the Green Apple Peel that put the brand on the map.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-juice-beauty-founder-karen-behnke
Follow Juice Beauty on Instagram at @juicebeauty
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr John Sullivan. A dermatologist with over two decades of experience in both clinical practise and academic teaching in Australia and Canada, Dr Sullivan is leading the way in clinical research and is at the very forefront of advances in laser dermatology as the principal investigator on numerous dermatology trials. This in mind, I felt that Dr Sullivan was the ideal doctor to answer your questions on one of my most frequently queried topics- sun damage.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is the most authentic way for me to integrate branded content into the podcast because it’s giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
As mentioned, this episode is sponsored by Candela Medical, however all of Dr Sullivan’s views are entirely his own and, as per any interview with a doctor, you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this interview. In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on sun damage to Dr Sullivan- from the treatment of pigmentation and freckles through to moles and sun spots, and just how much the sun damage we sustained in our youth can affect us as adults.
Given the state of the world at the moment, this interview was recorded remotely which is why there is such a discrepancy in the quality of the audio. There may be a few answers that are difficult to hear and for this I apologise, but I am still absolutely committed to bringing you the answers to your questions despite current constraints so I have made the entire episode transcript available on glowjournal.com so you can read the answers you might miss- almost like a podcast with subtitles. To find this transcript, simply visit glowjournal.com and search “Candela Medical.”
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-sun-damage
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode forty three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the founders of BYBI Beauty, Elsie Rutterford and Dominika Minarovic.
Elsie and Dominika are almost disarmingly open and honest about their beginnings in business, and everything they said, particularly surrounding funding for women in business and also around global attitude to sustainability, will be ingrained in my head for quite some time.
After meeting in ad sales, London-based Elsie and Dominika bonded over a mutual interest in the wellness movement that was only just beginning to gain traction at the time. Their interest in wellness prompted them to start looking at the ingredients they were putting on their skin, and in 2015 their website, Clean Beauty Insiders, was born.
In the same way you might swap beauty advice or a recipe with a girlfriend, Clean Beauty Insiders became the globe’s go-to destination for, as the name suggests, clean beauty advice, and for recipes for skincare products you could make at home. Elsie and Dominika both began to study formulation science, and in 2016 their following was so large that they attracted the attention of a literary agent. Their book Clean Beauty, was published in in January 2017- a book that had been to auction, was bid on by every single publisher Elsie and Dom had pitched to, and was won by Penguin, no less.
Later that year, Bybi Beauty was born- arguably the first clean beauty brand to lead with a message about performance and science, rather than just the fact that it was a clean brand. Bybi launched onto Asos, one of the largest ecommerce platforms of all time, and is now stocked in beauty retailers globally.
As impressive as the Bybi story is, what I found even more impressive was how forthcoming Elsie and Dom were with their knowledge. Their approach to both beauty and business is absolutely no BS, and the way they talk about financing and pre seed funding and even just surviving when the business was in its lean years is the kind of conversation women NEED to be having. Money has long felt like a really taboo topic, but I think the more open conversations we, particularly women, can have around finance, the more financially empowered we can all be.
I’m interviewing two women here, and you’ll hear Elsie answer me first, but if you are confused about who is who you can follow along with the full interview transcript on glowjournal.com. Naturally, given the state of the world, this interview did take place on Zoom across continents so the audio is far from studio quality, but please persist because this conversation is rich and valuable and one I’m really proud to be sharing.
In our chat, Elsie and Dominika share the steps they took to secure investment prior to Bybi’s launch, how you can really know if the time is right to leave your full time job for your startup, and the clever way they bring new customers into the Bybi fold.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-bybi-beauty-founders-elsie-dominika
Follow BYBI on Instagram at @bybibeauty
Find out more about BYBI at bybi.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode forty two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the co-founder of The Jojoba Company, Vicki Engsall.
As I record this, in 2020, just about everyone I know has an understanding of what jojoba is or, at the very least, has at least heard of it- but this wasn’t always the case. I sincerely believe that so much of what we know about jojoba is thanks to Vicki.
Despite a long standing interest in the skin, Vicki Engsall grew up wanting to be a teacher- and so she became one. It wasn’t until she was trying to fall pregnant that business ownership looked to be a possibility. Little did Vicki realise, however, that the seeds that grew to become The Jojoba Company had been, quite literally, planted many years prior. I’ll leave the storytelling up to Vicki, but the events that lead to Vicki leaving her teaching role and launching her skincare company are perhaps the best example of serendipity that has ever been told on this podcast. When Vicki co-founded The Jojoba Company with her father in 2008, very little was known about jojoba. Today, thanks largely to Vicki’s background in education, jojoba is one of the most in demand ingredients in the world.
Of course, this interview was recorded remotely, and I think now is particularly good time to be spotlighting local businesses like The Jojoba Company. In this conversation, Vicki and I discuss what she has dubbed the “oil revolution,” what an “ingredients claim” is and why they can be so dangerous, and how to bring the skin’s lipid profile back to how it was at the age of 22.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow The Jojoba Company on Instagram at @thejojobaco
Find out more about The Jojoba Company at thejojobacompany.com.au/
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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Isolation skin. It’s real.
I have never before received so many questions on one specific topic in such a short period of time. As you know, I am an educated consumer and not an expert, so true to form I have passed your questions on to a leading dermatologist- Dr Ryan De Cruz.
In the name of full disclosure, this bonus episode is sponsored by CeraVe, however as per all of my expert interviews, the doctor is never here to push specific brands and products. For this reason, you’ll hear Dr De Cruz recommend specific ingredients, rather than products, and offer more general advice, giving you the tools you need to make your own, educated purchasing decisions. The crux of it? When the skin is stressed and irritated, PARE IT BACK. Look for uncomplicated, elegant formulas that will restore calm to the skin without irritants.
If you are suffering from what has been dubbed as “isolation skin,” I firstly want you to know that you are not alone. As you’ll hear in this interview, many of the skin concerns a lot of you are working through right now are caused by stress, and while we can’t control the state of the world right now, there are steps we can take through our topical skincare to help restore that calm and balance to the skin.
I took to Instagram recently to collate your skin questions, and in this interview Dr Ryan De Cruz discusses the effects of stress on the skin, how we can avoid the irritation brought on by increased hand-washing, the skincare ingredients we should all be looking for and the steps we can take to strengthen the skin's all important protective barrier.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/isolation-skin-and-how-to-treat-it
Follow CeraVe on Instagram at @cerave_au
Find out more about CeraVe at cerave.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode forty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the founder and CEO of Lano, Kirsten Carriol.
Kirsten Carriol didn’t grow up around beauty in the traditional sense, however her upbringing was instrumental in the creation of her brand. Her father, a molecular scientist and her grandparents, sheep farmers, taught Kirsten the benefits of lanolin as a child. Lanolin was their cure for just about everything.
Passionate about beauty, Kirsten grew to travel across the globe, trying just about every beauty product she passed along the way, before returning to Australia and launching her own beauty PR company. Despite having access to the world’s best products and trialling them all, Kirsten still wasn’t satisfied with the level of hydration her existing lip balms and skincare products were delivering.
It was on her way to the airport after her wedding that Kirsten realised the answer had, quite literally, been in front of her all along- lanolin. While the concept and name came to her almost instantly, the first incarnation of Lanolips took six years to bring to life. Given that Kirsten herself had spent much of her teens and adult life distancing herself from lanolin, she was well aware that she was going to have to work hard to change public perception of what had been viewed as a bit of an old and unfashionable ingredient. The key? Education, something Kirsten dedicated another five years to. Five years, sitting down, one-on-one with just about every beauty editor in the world.
Kirsten succeeded, thanks to persistence, passion, and a line of products that genuinely do what they say they will do. Lano, now composed of a line of face and body products beyond the original Lanolips, is useful, no-nonsense, and stocked in all of the world’s biggest beauty retailers.
I visited Kirsten at her home in Sydney to discuss why some of the world’s best-selling lip products aren’t actually helping your lips at all, her favourite unconventional uses for Lano’s cult 101 Ointment, and how the world of digital means that public opinion in the beauty space has a voice independent of traditional press.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-lanolips-founder-kirsten-carriol
Follow Lano on Instagram at @lanolips
Find out more about Lano at https://lanolips.com/
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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Given the state of the world at the moment, this interview was recorded remotely which is why there is such a discrepancy in the quality of the audio. There may be a few answers that are difficult to hear and for this I apologise, but I am still absolutely committed to bringing you the answers to your questions despite current constraints so I have made the entire episode transcript available on glowjournal.com so you can read the answers you might miss- almost like a podcast with subtitles. To find this transcript, simply visit glowjournal.com and search “Candela Medical.”
In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Danae Lim. A cosmetic physician with over 14 years medical experience, Dr Lim is an undisputed skin expert and also has a background in emergency, so her approach to skin is vigilant, safe and well-rounded, with a deep understanding that the health of the skin goes well beyond its appearance.
Away from our regular brand founder conversations, I am asked so many highly specific questions about the skin. Given that I am an educated consumer and by no means an expert, it would be extremely unethical for me to even attempt to address your skin concerns which is why I insist on taking those questions to a medical doctor. This Ask An Expert series is giving you, the Glow Journal audience, unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series is the most authentic way for me to integrate branded content into the podcast because it’s giving you, the listeners, completely unbiased expert answers to your most specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
As mentioned, this episode is sponsored by Candela Medical, however all of Dr Lim’s views are entirely her own and, as per any interview with a doctor, you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this interview. In this episode, we’ve taken the questions YOU submitted on Melasma to Dr Lim- from what causes and how to treat it, through to the impact of the sun and even birth control on the health of the skin.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-melasma
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode forty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the founder and CEO of Jouer Cosmetics, Christina Zilber.
Christina Zilber has had an affinity for makeup for as long as she can remember. One of her earliest memories was playing with the makeup of her mother, a model, a career path Christina herself followed upon graduating from college.
Christina hated modelling, and told me that it was in the makeup chair that she felt she had found “her people.” Watching and learning from makeup artists was her salvation, and it was there, on set and in the makeup chair, that the idea for Jouer was born.
A makeup artist gifted Christina with a refillable palette, inadvertently answering Christina’s prayers for a palette filled only with colours and products that she would actually use. When she discovered that said palette did not fit in her evening bag, Christina began to develop an interchangeable palette system- one that was completely portable and customisable.
The first incarnation of Jouer was born in 2004, and what began as an interlocking makeup palette system relaunched as a fully fledged cosmetics company in 2008- the Jouer that we now know and love.
Beyond her work at Jouer, Christina also sits on the board of UNICEF, a role that has truly shaped her perception of what beauty truly is. She tells me that “We can't see beauty as something that's just superficial. Beauty is as beauty does. It is what you do in your life that makes you beautiful.”
I think it’s important for me to note that we did record this in February when Christina was visiting Australia from the US, so the current state of the world isn’t touched on in this particular interview. Christina does, however, talk about the stock market crash of 2008 and how New York City became a ghost town. While this is, of course, completely different to what we’re now living through, this did feel, to me, like a message of hope- that we are in this together, and that we will come out on the other side.
Another thing we talked about is the transformative power beauty can have on one’s mood. I imagine the notion that beauty has such transformative powers feels blasé to a lot of people right now, but I’m sure the vast majority of the people who listen to this podcast do so because they like how beauty makes them feel- so I promise you that I am going to continue trying my best to keep producing content that makes you feel good and inspired for as long as I possibly can.
In this conversation, Christina shares how a product that didn’t sell ended up becoming a breakthrough for her brand, how she is overcoming self doubt, and how to stay true to your brand’s DNA while continuing to evolve.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-jouer-cosmetics-christina-zilber
Follow Jouer Cosmetics on Instagram at @jouer cosmetics
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the founder of The Blow, Phoebe Simmonds.
Nobody knows branding, nor the intricacies of the global beauty industry, like Phoebe Simmonds.
Phoebe’s career in beauty began the day she marched up to her local Body Shop store, resume in hand, aged 14 and 9 months. While at university, Phoebe began working at Melbourne’s Mecca headquarters and, on graduating, moved to London for a role at NUDE Skincare- a brand partially owned by Bono. NUDE was only in its infancy when Phoebe joined the team, so she played an instrumental role in cementing the brand’s global presence. Around two years in to Phoebe’s four year stint at NUDE, the brand was acquired by LVMH and placed under the guidance of Parfums Christian Dior and so, Phoebe’s education in discipline and in brand DNA begun.
2013 saw Phoebe move to Singapore for a role with Benefit Cosmetics, also beneath the LVMH umbrella, with this role eventually taking her to London and, finally, back to Australia. Those who know beauty know that Benefit is one of the most recognisable brands on the planet, and that is largely thanks to the brand’s DNA- a concept Phoebe is, sincerely, an expert in.
It was in October of 2017 that the idea for The Blow first hit Phoebe. Having spent time in the US in her Benefit role, Phoebe had seen first hand how many professional women were relying on blow drys to feel, in her words, more “polished, presentable and powerful”. Acutely aware of the confidence that comes from looking great, Phoebe sought to find a similar service in Australia- one that provided a consistent service, in a convenient location, at a competitive price and housed within a space that inspires. On finding nothing that fulfilled all she was looking for, Phoebe resolved to create a space of her own.
The Blow opened in September 2018 and has since become the nations premium blow dry experience and one of my very favourite places- a space I personally visit each and every time I need a hit of confidence. Later this year, the next evolution of The Blow will come to fruition- The Blow On The Go blow dry bars inside Sephora locations in Sydney and Melbourne, bringing Phoebe one step closer to national hair domination.
In this conversation, Phoebe shares exactly what goes in to developing a truly unique brand DNA, why creating a community that inspires beyond your own business is essential, and the non-negotiable first step every brand founder must take.
PURCHASE A GIFT CARD FOR THE BLOW HERE: https://squareup.com/gift/TF3VFMV6G1WHB/order
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow The Blow on Instagram at @theblowaustralia
Find out more about The Blow at https://theblow.com.au/
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the founder of Glasshouse Fragrances, Nicole Eckels.
Born in New York and eternally fascinated by the transformative powers of beauty and fragrance, Nicole Eckels’ early experiences in makeup artistry, cosmetics sales and in corporate have given her a really unique and very powerful understanding of what women want.
Nicole moved to Sydney in 2005, thinking she’d spend no more four years in Australia. On arrival, she visited a David Jones fragrance counter looking to replace a scented candle that she had brought over from New York with her. Alarmed by the lack of options, Nicole set out to fill the gap and succeeded in brining Glasshouse Fragrances to market in only 12 months.
This timeframe would be remarkable for anyone in business, but it’s important to note that Nicole was also in an entirely new country. She mentions in this interview that while learning about Australian culture and even locating retailers was a challenge, the change in scenery also made her fearless- which is exactly how Nicole came across during this conversation. She’s resolute, she’s tenacious and she’s brave.
Glasshouse Fragrances have experienced growth in excess of 50% year on year since more or less the day they launched, and while Nicole really did create an entirely new category here in Australia, she actually credits a lot of that growth to market competition, telling me that brands can’t exist without it.
In this conversation, Nicole and Gemma discuss the difference between developing fragrances for candles in comparison to Glasshouse Fragrance’s new collection of eau de parfums, the power of timing in business, and the responsibility that comes from knowing complete strangers associate your work with some of the most important moments in their lives.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow Glasshouse Fragrances on Instagram at @glasshousefragrances
Find out more about Glasshouse Fragrances at https://www.glasshousefragrances.com/
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with the founder of Bangn Body, Priscilla Hajiantoni.
Priscilla has one of those rare personality types that people are just drawn to. I first met Priscilla when I was hosting Meccaland last year and I was really instantly taken by her warmth, and I sincerely believe that, both content and product efficacy aside, Priscilla’s personality is largely to thank for her brand’s legion of followers.
At the time of recording, Bangn Body is less than one year old but its results have gone, quite literally, viral. Priscilla originally launched the brand’s now-cult Yellow Tube of Goodness as a Firming Body Lotion, but curious consumers tried applying it to their face and, within a fortnight of launch, Priscilla had received hundreds of emails from customers who found that the lotion had cured their acne, rosacea, keratosis and dermatitis. Priscilla began sharing her customer’s un-retouched before and after photos via Bangn Body’s social media channels and, in May of last year, the then two month old brand was featured by The Daily Mail, most visited English-language news website in the world, which lead to Priscilla leading something of a makeshift production line in her living room. That momentum has not slowed, not even for a moment, with 2020 seeing Priscilla grow her team and move in to a brand new Bangn Body headquarters.
In this episode, Priscilla shares her firm stance on airbrushing, how viral success does increase scepticism, and why a job that looks perfect on paper can never truly satisfy you unless you feel a little bit of magic.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow Grown Alchemist on Instagram at @bangn.body
Find out more about Grown Alchemist at bangnbody.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Zoë Foster Blake, founder of Go-To, Bro-To and Gro-To.
Any time I get to pick Zoë’s brain is an excellent time, but this occasion was particularly special as I’m able to share our conversation with all of you.
Zoë Foster Blake is the most respected voice in beauty in this country, with legions of fans both locally and overseas. Having grown up in a creative and, in her words, “free range” household, Zoë has almost always known that she wanted to write- just not necessarily beauty. Her first professional encounter with a truly iconic beauty moment came when she directed Shannon Noll and Guy Sebastian, pre Australian Idol finale, on a Smash Hits cover shoot. From Smash Hits, she moved into a role as Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan and later Beauty Director at Harper’s Bazaar. The belief that beauty requires kinetic learning saw her embrace digital, citing her first ever “risky move” as leaving her role at a celebrated print title for a new role, online. 2014 saw the author and beauty editor combine her knowledge of what customers wanted, and what actually worked, to create Go-To- a skincare brand built on the innate trust between Zoë and audience.
There was a quote from my conversation with Zoë that really stood out to me. “I became very passionate about beauty in as much as I saw the connection it gave me to people.” It’s almost impossible to pinpoint one specific thing about Zoë that makes her such a force in beauty, but I think that quote almost sums up what is so magnetic about her. To Zoë, beauty is about connection- she has a genuine want to give value to people in a way that is honest and fun and without pretension. You can’t forge a connection of any worth without honesty, and I believe honesty and integrity are superpowers. Zoë is magic, and I hope this conversation captures a little piece of that magic.
In this episode, which we recorded at Melbourne’s QT Hotel, Zoë shares the products that are in their seventh year of development, the products she’ll never make, the product she wishes she made sooner and the product she would absolutely not make again today.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-zoe-foster-blake
Follow Zoë on Instagram at @zotheysay
Follow Go-To on Instagram at @gotoskincare
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Associate Professor Philip Bekhor to ask him your questions on rosacea, spider and varicose veins and related vascular skin conditions.
I (Gemma) am often asked really specific questions about the skin, and given that I’m an educated consumer and by absolutely no means an expert, I can’t ethically offer up any advice. I took the idea of an Ask The Expert series to the team at Candela Medical knowing that both the technology and the doctors they work with are among the best in the world, and we’ve put together this multi-part series of bonus episodes to answer your questions. This series is giving the Glow Journal audience unprecedented access to medical doctors, professors and dermatologists and, while the series is sponsored by Candela, doctors legally and ethically have to remain completely objective in interviews like this. For this reason, this series does feel like the most authentic way for me to integrate branded content into the podcast because it’s giving you, the listeners, unbiased expert answers to your more specific skin questions- questions that I cannot answer myself.
In 1982, Dr Bekhor was the first dermatologist in Victoria to use lasers in the management of birthmarks. In 1988 he was appointed the founding Director of the Laser Unit at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and in 1993, he established Laser Associates of Victoria- so who better to answer your questions about laser skin treatments, rosacea and other vascular skin conditions.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/ask-an-expert-rosacea
Follow Candela Medical on Instagram @candelamedicalanz
Discover more at candelamedia.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with co-founder and CEO of Grown Alchemist, Jeremy Muijs.
Jeremy and his brother Keston grew up in something of a creative household- their father, a creative businessman and their mother, a fashion creative. Where Jeremy inherited his father’s passion for business, Keston had his mother’s creative eye and so the two grew up working on creative projects together, from building furniture to selling fish. Jeremy and Keston took on very different careers, in very different parts of the world, as young adults, before coming together to launch Hatch, a consultancy company based in New Zealand.
With ample opportunities coming out of the US the pair moved to Miami, and it was while consulting and developing products for other beauty brands that they first became aware of the link between “wellness” and beauty. At the turn of the century Jeremy and Keston began having conversations about the emergence of new, niche beauty brands, and pushed their corporate clients to start taking risks on more creative formulas. Frustrated by a wall of “no”s, the pair took it upon themselves to create Grown Alchemist- an organic and toxin free beauty brand that took six years and a move back to Australia to see through to fruition.
The real beauty of Grown Alchemist is in the experience and the ritual, which comes as no surprise given that Jeremy’s first memory of beauty is that of a Clinique ritual taught to him on a department store floor. Jeremy is a gifted story teller, and regardless of whether or not you have an interest in beauty or even business, there is something to be learned from this conversation.
In this episode, Jeremy shares the differences between the Southern and Northern hemisphere’s approaches to beauty and business, the link between our body, our skin and our mind, and how influencers can help brands get their products picked up by department stores.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow Grown Alchemist on Instagram at @grownalchemist
Find out more about Grown Alchemist at grownalchemist.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Lottie Tomlinson, founder of Tanologist, and Lou Teasdale, the brand’s creative director.
Lottie Tomlinson is the sister of One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, and Lou Teasdale was the band’s hair and makeup artist from day one. Although Lou was reluctant, she hired Lottie to assist her on the band’s tour when Lottie was just 15, and so their friendship and working relationship was formed. Lottie and Lou have a really interesting take on fame and celebrity, given that their careers exploded amidst One Direction developing what can only be described as a cult following. This lead to the girls accruing a devoted fan base of their own, however, not content with resting on their laurels, the pair had longevity in mind. 2018 saw Lottie, a self confessed tanning addict, harness her passion for beauty and develop her own self tanning brand- Tanologist.
Lottie and Lou had a combined 7 million followers at the time of recording, so of interest to me was HOW they’ve managed to translate those followers into Tanologist customers. The answer became abundantly clear as I spent time with them- before I’d even hit record. Lou is a wealth of business and branding wisdom and has a deep understanding of what it takes for a brand to have longevity, which is no mean feat in the age of Instagram. What struck me about Lottie is that her demeanour and her approach to business really reminded me a lot of Nicola Kilner, co-founder and CEO of Deciem- two women who are shattering the old abrasive business owner archetype and, instead, are choosing to run their businesses based on kindness and resilience, despite having been through literal hell over the last 18 months.
Lottie and Lou are a delight, as charismatic and fun as they are intelligent, and I’ve been so looking forward to sharing this conversation with you all.
In this conversation, Lottie and Lou discuss the rise of indie brands in the beauty space, the power of social media and how their time touring with One Direction taught them what it takes to build a brand.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow Tanologist on Instagram @tanologisttan
Follow Lottie on Instagram @lottietomlinson
Follow Lou on Instagram @louteasdale
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Lisa Patulny, beauty writer and founder of Call Time On Melanoma.
This is our last episode of Season 1 (Season 2 will begin on January 15), so I thought I would wrap up the year with what is objectively a really important interview in the hopes that the extra few weeks that this will spend at the top of the episode feed will afford it the time necessary for its message to truly sink in.
Lisa Patulny is the founder of Call Time On Melanoma, a not-for-profit initiative initially formed as a platform to share the story of Natalie Fornasier, who was diagnosed with stage III melanoma at age 20. This is usually where I would wax lyrical about this week’s interview subject, but nobody can tell the story of Call Time On Melanoma in the way that its founder can- so please listen.
What I do need to make note of is that in this interview we mention that Natalie, the driving force behind Call Time On Melanoma, had no active cancer in her system and, at the time of recording, that was absolutely the case. A few weeks ago melanoma was discovered in Natalie’s gut and in her bowel. She has since undergone surgery, again, during which both cancerous tumours have been removed and so begins the long road of recovery and further treatment.
There’s not a great deal more than I can say other than if you do only sit through one episode of this podcast, please let it be this one.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow Call Time On Melanoma on Instagram @calltimeonmelanoma
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Shelley Sullivan, founder and CEO of ModelCo and MCo Beauty.
Shelley Sullivan has one of the sharpest business minds in Australia and, quite possibly, the world.
Shelley grew up knowing she wanted to own and operate her own business, founding her own event management company at age 18 and a modelling agency aged 21. On founding that agency, Shelley represented 1 talent. On selling the business 10 years later, that number had grown to 18,000.
Never one to rest on her laurels, Shelley began to identify a gap for a truly innovative, niche brand n the beauty market to compete with the existing multinationals and, 8 years in to running the agency, launched ModelCo with a single product- the world’s first heated eyelash curler.
The eyes of the world were now firmly on Shelley, with global beauty industry insiders asking “What will Shelley do next?” A year after that first-to-market launch Shelley sold the agency and focused on growing ModelCo- a business she’s now been at the helm of for 17 years.
ModelCo have maintained that reputation for innovation, developing 250 products launching several first-to-market innovations since their 2002 launch. One such product? The world’s first Airbrush Tan in Can, a can of which is sold globally every 36 seconds.
The years that followed saw ModelCo collaborate with industry icons including Hailey Baldwin, Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and, in 2017, the brand was selected ahead of 27 companies globally to develop a 52 piece collection with Karl Lagerfeld- a collection that Shelley credits with officially placing ModelCo on the global map.
In this conversation, Shelley discusses the importance of learning from the ground up, how to determine what women want and the magic, product-selling ingredients that she launched ModelCo with and still relies on today.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/
Follow ModelCo on Instagram @modelco
Follow MCo Beauty on Instagram @mcobeauty
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Trinny Woodall, founder of Trinny London.
Whether you’re familiar with Trinny Woodall’s work as a fashion columnist, host of one of television’s many iterations of Trinny and Susannah or as the founder of beauty brand Trinny London, there’s one constant- Trinny genuinely wants to make women feel amazing.
Trinny’s media career began in 1994 after she was introduced to the woman who would become her best friend and collaborator, Susanna Constantine. The pair began writing their Daily Telegraph column, Ready To Wear, soon thereafter, with the column growing to become a business, a book and, in 2001, a TV show- BBC’s What Not To Wear.
Trinny and Susannah’s mission was simple- to make woman feel their best. Trinny describes the feeling of making women feel good about themselves as her “food,” telling me that “A woman should always feel utterly present and recognised.”
It was that mission that saw Trinny develop and launch Trinny London in 2017. In the same way that she worked to make fashion less intimidating to women around the world, Trinny now works to ensure that women understand that beauty is, quite literally, for everyone.
In this conversation, Trinny shares why she finds fashion shows deeply unsatisfying, the link between fashion, beauty and confidence, and how women can and should find the courage to put their big ideas out on the table.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-trinny-woodall
Follow Trinny Woodall on Instagram @trinnywoodall
Follow Trinny London on Instagram @trinnylondon
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Ava Matthews, co-founder of Ultra Violette.
Ava and her Ultra Violette co-founder Bec Jefferd have been widely credited with “making sunscreen sexy.” It’s no surprise that Ava has become an industry trendsetter, given her upbringing- her father was a fashion photographer and her mother a fashion editor, meaning Michael Hutchence was at her third birthday party and that her mother once left one of Ava’s slumber parties early as she needed to dress one Kylie Minogue for Mardi Gras.
Ava has worked in the beauty industry for upwards of 12 years, both locally and abroad for brands including Mecca Cosmetica and Rationale, so she entered into business ownership with a beauty education the likes of which I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. 2018 saw the launch of Ultra Violette, an SPF wardrobe that sold out in under 16 hours.
Ava’s attitude reminds me of Deciem’s Nicola Kilner, who I spoke to in episode 29- these women understand that kindness is the way to lead a business.
In this conversation, Ava discusses the pros and cons of launching a beauty business with a single category focus, the phone call from Napoleon Perdis that brought her all the way back to Australia from New York, and whether or not consumers are, at long last, embracing sun safety.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-ava-matthews-ultra-violette
Follow Ultra Violette on Instagram @ultravioletteau
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Nicola Kilner, CEO and co-founder of Deciem.
Nicola Kilner is a woman who has been through absolute hell, yet has somehow remained true to her personal values of kindness and empathy. Nicola began her career as a beauty buyer at Boots in the UK before meeting Brandon Truaxe, a man she describes as her family, a genius, and the best human being she has ever met. The year 2013 saw Brandon and Nicola launch Deciem, aptly dubbed The Abnormal Beauty Company and, in my opinion, the most influential beauty brand of the 21st century.
2016 saw Nicola and Brandon launch The Ordinary under the Deciem umbrella, a brand with what can only be described as a cult following. The aforementioned launch saw the company double its wholesale revenue in 2017, however those highs were followed by the lows of 2018- a year Nicola describes as “not a very kind year.”
Brandon’s mental health and wellness began to rapidly decline. Nicola, then co-CEO was removed from the company, then brought back months later. October 2018 saw Brandon removed from the company, and in January of this year, he tragically passed away.
I am in complete awe of Nicola. I was fortunate enough to host a Deciem event with her during her most recent trip to Australia, and in the time I spent with her I found myself so affected by her intelligence across both the beauty and business spaces, but also by her resilience, her kindness and her honesty. As she says in this interview, “The world now accepts that kindness can be the way to lead a business into the future.”
In this conversation, Nicola shares just how Deciem has managed to move the beauty industry forward through transparency and innovation, the legacy Brandon has left behind and how Nicola is ensuring she lives and works by her own values every day.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-deciem-nicola-kilner
Follow Deciem on Instagram @deciem
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In episode twenty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Rose-Marie Swift, founder of RMS Beauty.
Rose-Marie Swift fell into beauty. Once the front woman of a punk band, her start in beauty came as she did the makeup for strippers at a club in Vancouver. Her skills got better and better, she began getting booked for bigger and better jobs and, almost without realising it, the 90s saw Rose-Marie become one of the most in demand makeup artists on the planet. Rose-Marie’s signature was “natural beauty,” in every sense- stripped back, glowing skin that still looked like skin, using clean, natural products.
Rose-Marie pioneered the natural beauty movement, and is widely credited with delivering that movement to the mainstream upon launching RMS Beauty in 2008. Her cult Living Luminizer has become one of the most popular highlighters on the planet, with her brand filling a gap for a natural beauty brand that didn’t feel typically “natural”- a brand that can not just sit beside luxury products, but in many cases out-perform them.
In this conversation Rose-Marie Swift shares details of the health scare that lead her to natural beauty, her fears surrounding Instagram and the next generation of makeup artists, and the parallels between the beauty industry and the cocaine industry.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-rms-beauty-rose-marie-swift
Follow RMS on Instagram @rmsbeauty
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with dermatologist Dr Cara McDonald to ask your SPF related questions.
I (Gemma) am truly passionate about sun protection, and it’s the subject I’m quizzed on by Glow Journal readers and listeners most often. As passionate as I am, I am an educated consumer, not an expert- so I’ve sought the expertise of dermatologist Dr Cara McDonald.
For transparency this episode is sponsored by La Roche Posay, however all of Dr McDonald’s views are her own and you will hear absolutely no specific product recommendations throughout this interview. Those of you who follow me on Instagram will be well aware that I am a long-term user and lover of La Roche Posay products, so partnering with them on a subject I’m so passionate about, that subject being sun protection, felt like a genuine and natural fit.
In this conversation, Dr Cara discusses everything from mineral to synthetic, UVA to UVB and precisely what the sun is doing to your skin.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/your-spf-questions
Follow La Roche Posay on Instagram @larocheposayaunz
Discover more at laroche-posay.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Manny Barbas and James Hachem, co founders of Alya Skin.
Within one week of launching Alya Skin, the brand had hit the $50,000 revenue mark. That figure grew to $1 million dollars in four months and, at the time of recording, the Alya Skin founders had made over $7 million dollars.
James and Manny are both in their early 20s, and while they consider themselves to be yin and yang, what they have in common is an unbelievably advanced understanding of how to run a business. They developed the idea for Alya skin by spending time analysing global trends, looking closely at social media, and establishing a list of the criteria that almost guarantees a product will sell. From there, they manually databased and reached out to almost every single chemist, beauty retailer and influencer in Australia and, almost immediately on launch, Alya Skin’s now-cult pink clay mask went viral. Today, over 7 million dollars, three products and less than 2 years later, Manny and James are acutely aware of the advantages of still being a relatively small, digitally native business- and they know how to play to those strengths.
In this conversation (a must-listen for anyone with an interest in business), the duo behind Alya Skin share their launch strategy, their tried and tested checklist for a building a successful brand and how they used social media to get the attention of bricks and mortar stockists.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-alya-skin
Follow Alya Skin on Instagram @alyaskinaus
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Dr Dennis Gross, dermatologist and founder of Dr Dennis Gross Skincare.
Every question you’ve ever had about peels and acids- answered, by the man who pioneered them.
One of Dr Dennis’ first childhood memories involves him experimenting with topical ingredients and discovering the immediately visible, transformative powers of skincare- so it comes as no surprise that the product he’s most famous for developing, the Alpha Beta Peel, grew its cult following based on its instantly transformative results.
With a background in skin cancers, it was in his 5th Avenue New York clinic that he developed the original Alpha Beta formula- an in-clinic only, two step peel that revolutionised peels forever. At a time where most believed a true peel needed to inflict trauma on the skin, Dr Dennis Gross worked with multiple acids at lower concentrations, rather than one acid at high percentage. This peel utilised concepts and skin chemistry that had never been used before, and its popularity took Dr Dennis outside his New York clinic to launch Dr Dennis Gross Skincare as we now know it.
In this conversation, Dr Dennis shares how he’s using technology to make nature more effective, his philosophy that if a product isn’t making you look instantly better, it’s not working, and how an episode of Sex & the City almost single handedly ruined public perception of facial peels.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-dr-dennis-gross
Follow Dr Dennis Gross on Instagram @drdennisgross
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Christine Chang, co founder of Glow Recipe.
Christine Chang, and her Glow Recipe co founder Sarah Lee, are responsible for introducing K Beauty to the Western world.
The now New York based duo met while working for L’Oréal Korea, during which time they underwent the strangest intern initiation process I have ever heard. From there, in Christine’s words, the pair were bound together for life. Both women eventually moved to L’Oréal’s New York headquarters, and while working on separate projects, realised that multinationals were looking to Korea for their beauty innovations.
Over sheet masks and wine, the idea for Glow Recipe was born. In 2014 they launched the first iteration of their website with 8 K Beauty brands and, in 2017, launched their first product- the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask, which underwent 1620 formula changes, 49 packagaing updates and 8 trips to and from Korea to perfect.
In this conversation, Christine explains how an appearance on Shark Tank crashed the Glow Recipe website, how her wish to translate Korean literature into English reinforced her love for the beauty industry, and just how long it takes to fade tan lines from an Australian summer.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-glow-recipe-christine-chang
Follow Glow Recipe on Instagram @glowrecipe
Follow Christine on Instagram @christine_glow
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Blair James, co founder of Bondi Sands.
Bondi Sands are an Australian brand that have truly dominated the market- both locally and internationally.
Blair James, the brand’s co founder, has always had an affinity for branding, with a fascination for the Nike effect forming one of his earliest childhood memories. His first dalliance with entrepreneurship came as a child, selling his dad’s stock at a local shopping centre to pay for a watch he had his eye on. That early passion lead to Blair eventually opening up his own tanning salon and, when he discovered a gap in the market for a tan that combined the quality of high end brands like St Tropez and the affordability of brands like Le Tan, he worked with business partner Shaun Wilson to develop Bondi Sands.
Bondi Sands, today, having launched in 2012, boast a 70% market share.
In this conversation, Blair explains how one secures an endorsement from Kylie Jenner, the brand’s expansion into the US and UK markets and how the brand used social media to completely dominate the tanning market.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-bondi-sands-blair-james
Follow Bondi Sands on Instagram @bondisands
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Dr Yannis Alexandrides, founder of 111SKIN and 111 Harley Street.
Born in Athens and now based in London, Dr Yannis opened his skin clinic at 111 Harley Street in the year 2001 and, following demand from his clients, launched 111SKIN soon thereafter.
Dr Yannis is truly ahead of the curve. He created his skin care brand in collaboration with scientists from the Soviet Space programme who aided in the development of a custom molecule, NAC Y², which sits at the core of the entire 111SKIN portfolio. Patented molecule aside 111SKIN also harnesses the power of pure gold, rose quartz AND black diamond particles to deliver topical skincare inspired by treatments performed in-clinic by the man responsible for the skin of Margot Robbie, Priyanka Chopra and the Victoria’s Secret Angels.
In this conversation, Dr Yannis explains how he almost single handedly popularised cryotherapy, what astronauts have to do with skin health AND what gold and diamond particles REALLY do for the skin.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-111skin
Follow 111SKIN on Instagram @111skin
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Dr Des Fernandes, founder of Environ Skincare.
We’ve all heard of Vitamin A and, if you use any kind of topical skincare, chances are you’ve used it on your skin. Dr Des Fernandes is the man responsible for both pioneering and championing the use of Vitamin A in skincare- an idea that, in the early 1980s, what near unheard of.
Dr Des’ career began as a surgeon at Cape Town’s Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, and it was during his time there that he operated on two teenagers, a male and a female, who unfortunately lost their lives to skin cancer. It was this tragedy that served as the catalyst for Dr Des’ lifelong commitment to skin health.
A firm believer that prevention is greater than cure, his initial research lead him to look at the effects of Vitamin A on the skin. He soon discovered a study showing how vitamin A acid had been used to treat skin cancers and precancerous lesions, and that study lead to the creation of Environ Skincare.
In this conversation, Dr Des explores the link vitamin A and sun damage, what our near constant exposure to blue light is really doing to the skin and debunks every skincare myth imaginable- from the need for SPF to the way in which we should approach acne.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-environ-skincare
Follow Environ on Instagram @environskincare
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twenty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Sarah Hamilton, co-founder of both Sand & Sky and Bellabox.
Sarah and her twin sister Emily are serial entrepreneurs. They pair worked on a commerce assignment together in high school, which their parents then turned into a fully fledged business, and from there, their passion for startups was born. The year 2011 saw Sarah and Emily launch Bellabox, Australia’s first subscription beauty box, and through their subsequent deepdive into the beauty industry, the pair realised that there were very few beauty brands really celebrating all that is unique about Australian beauty.
Sand & Sky was born in April 2017, with the brand’s now iconic Australian pink clay mask selling out 60,000 units within 12 weeks of launch. The brand has become, for lack of better terminology, Insta-famous, the mask itself is a true viral sensation, while Sarah and Emily have become champions of the A-Beauty movement.
In this conversation, Sarah shares what it takes to make a brand go viral, how a brand new product can possibly accrue a waitlist of 17,000 people, and just what happens when Aldi takes it upon themselves to create their own version of your best-seller.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-sand-and-sky
Follow Sand & Sky on Instagram @sandandskyaus
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this very special live episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with four of the world’s biggest makeup artists; Uzo, NARS Global Artistry Director, Chanel Temple, Hourglass Global Makeup Artist, Elyse Renee, TooFaced Global Pro Artist, and Steve Kassajikian, Urban Decay Global Makeup Artist.
Gemma here! I am so, so proud of this episode for a number of reasons. As some of you may know, I recently co-hosted MECCALAND (Australia’s biggest beauty festival- think 15,000 ticket holders, 40 odd beauty brands, lead artists from all over the world, and me on stage with a microphone, interviewing them). It was, sincerely, a dream come true.
Spending the weekend working on stage with the biggest names in beauty wasn’t enough for me, given that I only have access to these artists once a year, so I spent every waking spare hour of the festival pulling together this bumper LIVE episode highlighting The Artists- the people responsible for crafting just about every beauty trend we, the consumers, have ever embraced.
This episode does sort of feel like everything I’ve been working towards, coming together. These are people I have looked up to for years upon years, and now I get to call them my friends. Thank you to the artists, the brands and the Mecca team for being so generous with their time, their knowledge and for trusting me with this. I will never forget this.
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eighteen of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Jules Von Hep, celebrity spray tanner and founder of Isle of Paradise, Jules Von Hep.
Jules, born in the UK and with a background in fashion, has worked in the beauty industry for upwards of ten years spray tanning the likes of Kate Moss, Blake Lively, Kendall Jenner, Sienna Miller, and his tanning brand, Isle of Paradise, is the culmination of everything he’s learnt about what makes a beautiful tan over that decade.
Arguably more impressive than the Isle of Paradise tanning formulas, however, is Jules as a human being. A body confidence advocate, Jules is passionate about changing the way we perceive our bodies and the bodies of those around us. While Jules’ entire story is fun, inspiring and worth listening to, please stop whatever it is you’re doing from minute 35 onwards and truly listen. His message regarding body confidence is something we all need to hear.
While in Australia for Meccaland, Jules shared the ins and outs of building a brand from the ground up, the importance of diversity and inclusivity within the beauty space and why we need to get a grip and make peace with our bodies.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-jules-von-hep
Follow Isle of Paradise on Instagram @theisleofparadise
Follow Jules on Instagram @julesvonhep
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode seventeen of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Dimitri Weber, master perfumer and founder of Goldfield & Banks.
Dimitri Weber’s first job was at YSL when Yves Saint Laurent himself was still working in house on scent development, and he’s since worked with Narciso Rodriguez, Issey Miyake and THE Tom Ford as a consultant and spokesperson.
Given his passion for scent, Dimitri has made a habit of adding locally produced fragrances to his arsenal whenever he travels which is why, upon relocating to Australia from France in 2015, he was struck by a lack of prestige Australian fragrance houses and perfumes rich in native, raw and botanical ingredients.
The year that followed saw Dimitri launch Goldfield & Banks, a fragrance house inspired by the Australian landscape and borrowing its name from Joseph Banks, the country’s first botanist. Today, the Goldfield & Banks portfolio includes seven perfumes, each inspired by an Australian location and rich in the raw ingredients found there.
In this conversation, Dimitri divulges the different between mass produced scents and an olfactory approach to parfumerie, what literally goes into a scent and what it takes for a perfume to truly garner “cult” status.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-dimitri-weber
Follow Goldfield & Banks on Instagram @goldfield_and_banks_australia
Discover the brand at goldfieldandbanks.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode sixteen of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Elle Ferguson, entrepreneur, influencer and founder of Elle Effect.
Elle Ferguson is, quite literally, the original Aussie blogger. Her look has become something of a signature- long, tonged blonde hair, denim cutoffs and perpetually bronzed limbs. Having studied visual merchandising, interior design and architecture, Elle spent upwards of six years as National Womenswear Visual Merchandising Manager for General Pants, during which she became aware of that very signature- then dubbed the Wow Factor, now known as the Elle Effect.
Elle is the master of the personal brand. From humble digital beginnings taking outfits photos in front of a roller door, it didn’t take long for Elle’s signature style to reach international recognition, capturing the attention of the Kardashians along the way. It was then that Elle started thinking about turning that personal brand into a a tactile one- and so, Elle Effect was born, a tanning mousse designed to replicate the golden glow that made up a third of that now iconic combo- blonde hair, denim cut offs, and tanned skin.
In this conversation, Elle talks influencers moving into product development, what lead Elle to leave long-running blog They All Hate us to focus on a solo venture, the time she thought she was being catfished by Jen Atkin and why her first interview with General Pants took place through a shop window.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-elle-ferguson
Follow Elle on Instagram at @elle_ferguson
Follow Elle Effect on Instagram at @elleeffect
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode fifteen of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Carla Oates, author and founder of The Beauty Chef.
Carla Oates was only 13 years old when she first recognised the link between health and beauty. While she now sits at the forefront of the global “inner beauty” movement, some twenty years ago you would have found Carla Oates working in magazines. It was during her time as a beauty editor that she really began to look at the ingredients in the skincare products she was writing about. Concerned by what she found, Carla began to gear her columns towards natural, organic and even Do It Yourself beauty- a shift the public were initially reluctant to accept.
Having spent years experimenting with fermented ingredients to heal her own skin conditions and those of her young family, it was in 2009 that Carla launched GLOW- The Beauty Chef’s first inner beauty supplement. Today, that collection is composed of eight inner and two topical skincare products and is available worldwide via online retail giants like Net-A-Porter and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, in in physical stores including Bloomingdale’s, Space NK and Anthropologie.
In this conversation, Carla delves into the link is between gut health and the skin, explains how we can identify and heal our own gut health issues, debunks a few wellness myths and shares how applying the leftover liquids from her home-fermented foods to her skin lead to the inception of one of The Beauty Chef’s highest selling products.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-the-beauty-chef-carla-oates
Follow The Beauty Chef on Instagram at @thebeautychef
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode fourteen of Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Melanie Gleeson, the founder and CEO of Endota Spa.
When Melanie opened the first Endota Spa in 2000, spas did not exist- in fact there were so few day spas in Australia that upon applying for a business permit, the local government thought Melanie was applying to open a brothel.
Today, however, it is safe to say the holistic wellness movement has well and truly made it to the mainstream. Having been instilled with the ethos that we should respect ourselves, others, and the environment from an early age, Melanie has sat at the helm of Endota as it expanded 102 spas nationally and seen it become the largest spa network in Australia.
In this conversation, Melanie shares just how she championed an entire wellness movement, the importance of supporting women in business and what she has done to turn the Endota Spa network into a community.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/melanie-gleeson-endota-spa
Follow Endota Spa on Instagram at @endotaspa
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode thirteen of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Rhiannon Hall and Maddy Balderson, founders of Luna Bronze, founders of Summer Fridays.
Interest in beauty or otherwise, I am of the belief that this is one of the most important conversations we’ve had on this podcast. Best friends Rhi and Maddy grew up on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula as avid tanners and sun worshippers. In 2014, Maddy started experiencing sporadic bleeding and changes in her skin and, over a year later, she was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer. After an invasive surgery to remove the cancer, which was dangerously close to her lymph nodes, Maddy and Rhi vowed to change their tanning habits.
2016 saw the launch of Luna Bronze- a now globally stocked tanning brand that ticked the boxes Maddy and Rhi had unsuccessfully searched for in their hunt for the perfect false tan- a seemingly natural colour, a natural, organic, cruelty free formula, made in Australia with no classic false tan odour and housed in beautiful, sustainable packaging.
In this conversation, Gemma talks to Rhi and Maddy the dangers of brands and influencers online who glamorise sun tanning, where the responsibility of protecting Australians from cancers and sun damage lies and what we, as consumers, brands and the media, can do to help and the importance of sustainability in an industry that perpetuates a culture of “more, more, more.”
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-luna-bronze
Follow Luna Bronze on Instagram at @luna_bronze
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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This bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast is the most emotional to date.
In this special episode, host Gemma Watts sits down with Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores, founders of Summer Fridays, to ask them YOUR questions. If you are yet to listen to Part 1 of this conversation, we highly recommend doing so before listening to this particular episode.
In this incredibly raw and refreshingly honest conversation, Marianna and Lauren share the realities of running a business, what the support of their community really means, the importance of sharing the real stuff and, on a lighter note, what an endorsement from one Kim Kardashian can do for a brand.
Follow Marianna Hewitt on Instagram at @marianna_hewitt
Follow Lauren Gores on Instagram at @laurengores
Follow Summer Fridays on Instagram @summerfridays
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode twelve of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores, founders of Summer Fridays.
Prior to launching their own brand, Marianna and Lauren spent years cultivating their own social media following and in fact Marianna was one of the very first people, globally, to champion the YouTube beauty tutorial movement. Having both studied Broadcast Journalism, Marianna and Lauren knew how to work to a deadline, self-produce and create content for a global audience.
2014 saw Marianna and Lauren launch their respective blogs and the years that followed saw them transition their initial success online into full time businesses. March of 2018 saw the launch of the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask- a singular product, the first of three released under Marianna and Lauren’s own skincare company, that completely revolutionised the masking category. The product became what appeared to be an overnight success, despite it spending over two years in development, and the brand is now available almost worldwide.
Fresh off a plane from Los Angeles, this In this conversation sees Gemma chat to Marianna and Lauren about influencer currency, their grassroots approach to product development and their unique positioning as influencer marketers.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-marianna-hewitt-lauren-gores
Follow Marianna Hewitt on Instagram at @marianna_hewitt
Follow Lauren Gores on Instagram at @laurengores
Follow Summer Fridays on Instagram @summerfridays
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, I (Gemma Watts, your regular host) am getting candid about the state of the beauty industry.
We’re eleven episodes in and, up until this point, I’ve managed to remain as objective as possible and have made a concerted effort not to insert myself into the interviews- however, following last week’s episode with Fluff founder Erika Geraerts, the tables were turned and I found myself on the receiving end of Erika’s question list. I strongly recommend listening to Erika’s episode before delving into this one as not only will it provide some much needed context for this chat, Eri has a LOT of really important things to say.
Up until publishing this episode, I wasn’t too sure what I would do with this audio as I’ve never wanted the podcast to become about me- but here it is. In this episode, I chat to Eri about the process I go through when reviewing products as a beauty writer, pretty much everything that I think is wrong with social media, the ethical dilemmas I grapple with daily and the specific message I want people to take from what I publish.
You can follow me on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, stay up to date by visiting glowjournal.com, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eleven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Erika Geraerts, founder of Fluff and one of the original co founders of Frank Body.
A few years ago, Erika made the decision to walk away from the 20 million dollar business that she had helped to build. The reason? A wish for a cosmetics company that challenged every parameter previously set in place by the beauty industry. From there, Fluff was born.
Fluff, which Erika describes as a “casual cosmetics company,” in both product and approach, has become something of a movement. Fluff hold events, publish think pieces and pushes the industry to become more transparent. Fluff is more than products, hence the name- Erika wants her young audience to understand that, while makeup is fun, it really is just that- Fluff.
This is a fun episode for a number of reasons- firstly, we have a new mic setup so you can pass that on to your friends who were initially put off by the sound quality (sorry), and secondly because Eri is a friend of mine, so this may be the most honest episode of the Glow Journal podcast we’ve produced thus far.
In this conversation, Erika explains exactly why she chose to leave Frank, her disengagement with influencer marketing and why businesses, not just beauty brands, need to be held accountable for their messaging.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-fluff-erika-geraerts
Follow Fluff on Instagram at @itsall.fluff
Discover more about Fluff at itsallfluff.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode ten of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Mukti, the founder of Mukti Organics.
Mindful beauty, green chemistry, organic skincare- whatever term you favour, the move towards natural beauty and holistic health practises has boomed in recent years. Mukti, founder of Mukti Organics, was ahead of her time.
For close to 20 years, Mukti has been at the very forefront of the organic beauty movement. Having grown up in country Australia and having lived within a permaculture community, Mukti’s appreciation for and fascination with the environment guided her studies in natural medicine, and in cosmetic formulation.
Mukti Organics was one of the very first Australian companies to reach certified organic status back in 2006 and more recently she’s published her first book- Truth In Beauty, a consumer guide to decoding the exceedingly murky territory of cosmetic labels.
In this conversation, Mukti delves into just how unregulated the Australian beauty industry is, shares a frankly terrifying story about one of the world’s highest selling skincare products, explains the differences between organic, natural, green and toxin-free products and details what beauty consumers should look for when perusing the cosmetics aisles.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-mukti-organics
Follow Mukti Organics on Instagram at @muktiorganics
Discover more about Mukti at muktiorganics.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Kate Morris, the founder of Adore Beauty.
Regardless of whether or not you have a vested interested in beauty, there is something you can learn from listening to Kate. It was in 1999 that she launched Adore Beauty, an online beauty store, in a time when the internet itself still felt new, let alone e-commerce. Kate had to really work to convince brands that online shopping was the next big thing and used that as an opportunity to craft something she now believes is one of her most defining characteristics- turning the word “no” into a resounding “yes.”
Today, with the business worth over 30 million dollars, Kate is one of only 10 women on the AFR Young Rich List. She was the first ever female recipient of the Online Retailer’s Industry Recognition Award for her service to gender diversity and has won both a Telstra Young Businesswoman of the Year title and an Australian Businesswomen’s Network Hall of Fame award.
In this conversation, Kate discusses what she calls the “democratisation of beauty”, her work for the gender equality movement and the increased demand for authenticity, honesty and transparency in the beauty industry.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-kate-morris-adore-beauty
Follow Adore Beauty on Instagram at @adorebeautyofficial
Follow Kate Morris on Instagram at @kateadorebeauty
Discover Adore Beauty at adorebeauty.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Pippa Hallas, the CEO of Ella Baché.
Ella Baché is a household name in Australia. Founded in 1936, the brand came to be stocked in Australian stores following an incident involving leg wax and the foyer of a David Jones store- a story you’ll hear in this interview. Pippa Hallas, the now CEO of the brand, is the great niece of Madame Ella Bache and has sat at the helm of the company for the last 10 years.
Pippa often speaks of her commitment to learning something new every day, and it’s this commitment to growth and reinvention that allows such a heritage brand to thrive in a modern beauty landscape. What Pippa does so well is keep the brand feeling fresh and new while maintaining the core values set in place by her great aunt some 82 years ago.
In this conversation, Pippa speaks candidly about being a woman in business, how she and the Ella Baché brand are championing a movement that sees us celebrate our differences and what she refers to as the fast food of the beauty industry.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-pippa-hallas
Follow Ella Baché on Instagram at @ellabacheaus
Discover more about Ella Baché at ellabache.com.au
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Christophe Robin, celebrity hair colourist and founder of his namesake hair care brand, Christophe Robin Paris.
Christophe began his career during the Supermodel Era of the 90s, a time when actresses and singers could truly only dream of reaching the level of celebrity that the decade’s supermodels had attained. Christophe is responsible for the hair colour of Elle McPherson, Claudia Schiffer and Linda Evangelista and in fact Stephanie Seymour was one of Christophe’s first ever clients.
Christophe secured his first job with L’Oreal Paris at age 17, and went on to sign a subsequent contract as a consultant and colour expert with the brand that is drawing to a close this year. Christophe has collaborated with the likes of Yves Saint Lauren, John Galliano and Alber Elbaz throughout his 30 year fashion week tenure, and his namesake hair care brand is now stocked in over 30 countries worldwide.
In this conversation, Christophe and Gemma discuss how social media has altered the way we define “supermodels,” why he’s grown tired of the fashion industry and the hair care mistake most of us are making almost daily that’s causing us to prematurely lose our hair.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-christophe-robin
Follow Christophe Robin on Instagram at @christopherobinparis
Discover more about Christophe Robin at christophe-robin.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with James Read, celebrity tanning expert and founder of his namesake brand, James Read Tan.
Lady Gaga, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kate Moss and Mariah Carey top James’ client list, and the man is quite literally responsible for turning a tan into a trend. Before James started working with global beauty powerhouses L’Oréal Paris and Saint Tropez, the idea of self tanning was yet to reach mainstream popularity. It wasn’t until James launched the world’s first standalone tanning salon that a tan became as much a part of a person’s overall beauty look as their hair or their makeup. James founded his namesake tanning brand in 2012 which is now stocked 38 countries worldwide.
In this conversation, James’ shares how his training as a psychotherapist prepared him for life in tanning, the challenges of putting your own name to a brand and, of course, the Lady Gaga thing.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-james-read
Follow James Read on Instagram at @jamesreadtan
Discover more about James Read at jamesreadtan.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Jess Hatzis and Bree Johnson, co-founders of beauty empire Frank Body and content creation agency Willow & Blake.
Founded in 2013, what began as a humble brown paper bag of ground coffee beans has grown into a 20 million dollar global beauty brand. Frank was the first company of its kind to truly capitalise on social media marketing, and in just five years Jess and Bree have won a Veuve New Generation Award, been included in the Forbes 30 under 30 and have seen Frank sold in 141 countries worldwide.
In this conversation, Jess and Bree share their advice for anyone with aspirations of starting their own business, how they crafted what is arguably social media’s most distinct voice and the series of lightbulb moments that changed the course of their lives forever.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-frank-body
Follow Frank Body on Instagram at @frank_bod
Discover more about Frank at frankbody.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In episode four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with Napoleon Perdis, co-founder of his namesake beauty empire. One of the most recognisable characters in Australia, Napoleon Perdis is a household name regardless of whether or not you have a vested interest in beauty.
Within a mere two years, between 1993 and 1995, Napoleon Perdis managed to co-found his namesake cosmetics company, open his first store, start selling his first beauty products and launch the Napoleon Perdis Academy, all while still working as a makeup artist. Today, the Napoleon Perdis empire consists of countless standalone stores, department stores counters, independent retailers and a new partnership with Priceline while the Napoleon Perdis Academy continues to thrive.
In this conversation, Napoleon gets candid about what his Greek immigrant parents thought of their son working in beauty, how YouTube and digital in general has altered that way makeup artists are being trained and educated and how the brand has thrived for so many years without having to sell to a multinational company.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-napoleon-perdis
Follow Napoleon Perdis on Instagram at @napoelonperdis
Shop Napoleon Perdis now and discover more about the Academy at napoleonperdis.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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In this special bonus episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts asks Paula’s Choice founder Paula Begoun YOUR most frequently asked skincare questions.
Ahead of Part 2 of her conversation with Paula, Gemma took to Instagram to ask “What would you ask one of the most famous names in skincare if you had them at your disposal?” Your answers have guided this episode- the first Glow Journal rapid fire beauty Q&A.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/paulas-choice-q-and-a
You can read and listen to Part 1 of this interview at: glowjournal.com/interview-paulas-choice
Follow Paula on Instagram at @paulaschoice
Discover more about Paula’s Choice by visiting: paulaschoice.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
In episode three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with founder of Paula’s Choice, Paula Begoun. Dubbed by Oprah Winfrey as “The Cosmetics Cop,” Paula’s quest for “truth in beauty” has guided her entire career. Following an ongoing struggle with acne and a search for products that deliver on their products, Paula spent the early part of her career sharing her research across 21 books and countless television appearances.
1995 saw Paula launch her eponymous skincare line, Paula’s Choice, exclusively online- a time when most didn’t have dial-up, let alone ambitions to run a business exclusively online. Since then, Paula has made a name for herself by formulating fliss-free, truthful skincare products and calling out the companies who don’t deliver on their claims.
In this conversation, Gemma and Paula discuss the need for more transparency in skincare, the way in which the internet can bolster a business
plus the rapidly changing face of the beauty industry.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-paulas-choice
Follow Paula on Instagram at @paulaschoice
Discover more about Paula’s Choice by visiting: paulaschoice.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with founder and director of Rationale, Richard Parker. The creator of the world’s first AHA/BHA serum, the pioneer behind the world’s first Skin DNA test and the champion of Skin Identical ingredients, Richard’s formulations are recommended by upwards of 100 dermatologists, plastic surgeons and medical professions in Australia alone.
Having launched Rationale in 1992, Richard remains at the helm of the business as the company’s Director of Research and Development, citing human skin as the inspiration behind each and every Rationale formula.
In this conversation, Gemma and Richard discuss the power of Isotropic formulations, precisely what the sun is doing to our skin and how epigenetic testing is changing the face of skincare as we know it.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-richard-parker-rationale
Follow Rationale on Instagram at @rationale
Discover more about Rationale at: rationale.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In episode one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts sits down with award winning makeup artist, author and brand founder Rae Morris. Having spent a record-breaking ten years as L’Oréal Paris’ Makeup Director, Rae’s influence in the beauty industry goes well beyond Australia- she’s a global leader.
Having launched her eponymous brush collection in 2015, the best selling author continues to work both locally and internationally as a makeup artist while sitting at the helm of her globally recognised company.
In this conversation, Gemma and Rae discuss the influence of social media on the beauty industry, the Fibonacci sequence, Japanese Masters of Craft and a twist of fate involving one Naomi Campbell at the very height of her notoriety.
You can read this interview now at: glowjournal.com/interview-rae-morris
Follow Rae on Instagram at @raemorrismakeup
Discover more about Rae’s work at: raemorris.com
Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com
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