With only one week before Christmas, Sarah Cherot took time out of her very hectic schedule to answer a few questions for an interview with Mythbuster Beauty. If you aren’t familiar with NVEY ECO cosmetics, hold on to your computer keyboard and get ready to find out about some of the best organic makeup on the planet!
Name: Sarah Cherot
Position : Vice President Sales & Marketing / NVEY USA
URLs/links: http://www.econveybeauty.com/
Business: NVEY (global) was established in 1958 in Melbourne, Australia – NVEY USA (US division to handle North and Central America) officially launched in February 2006.
Jen:
Please Sarah, introduce yourself. What led you to your position at NVEY USA?
Sarah:
Well…in 2005, my partner (Jane Dirr) and I were in Bologna, Italy for Cosmoprof (largest “beauty†show in the world) and came across NVEY – of course being that I love makeup I point blank asked the gentlemen in the booth why I had never heard of the brand; his response was I don’t work with distributors and am hoping to establish an office in the US that would be able to handle that market – I opened my big mouth and said, interesting, I would LOVE to do that….and a couple trips back and forth and a long story short, NVEY USA was established as a “branch†office of NVEY global….Rohan Widdison, founder NVEY (global), Jane Dirr and myself agreed that the best way to introduce a new brand into the US market was to one, be in the US, and two have people who can handle the retailers….and we have done just that, and are growing to be one of the most sought after brands, worldwide.
Jen:
What is your typical day like?
Sarah:
Anything but typical, everyone in our US office wears different “hats†throughout the day….most of my day is spent working with our existing clients and introducing the line to new prospects; training of our outside sales reps; answering product questions, etc. I am very “hands-on†with every aspect of the business and have no problem answering the phone or packing out orders – this also helps to keep me in the loop on everything (big and small) that happens on a daily basis in my office and with the company as a whole.
Jen:
I love that you are so “hands-on” Sarah, that really tells me a lot about your personal dedication and work ethic at NVEY ECO USA.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Sarah:
I love my job; it’s one of those things where I hear people talk about how they don’t want to go to work (on a daily basis) and I very rarely have that feeling….I really like introducing new clients to our brand because we are completely different than other “main-stream†brands who have over saturated the market. Many women are intimidated by makeup professionals, and I do my best to help them be more comfortable, and it does make you feel good when someone learns the product and uses the product, and feels good about themselves.
Anytime someone feels better about themselves after using our product, it makes us all feel good!
Jen:
What do you think the biggest mistake women make with their beauty regimen? How could they go about changing that?
Sarah:
I think that it used to be that people never read the labels of the actual ingredients that are in their products, and now reading the labels before use is becoming the norm…but people actually have to know what they are reading and understand what the ingredients actually are. Our job is to educate the consumer and inform the consumer what is actually in our products and not hold anything back as other brands do.
Being that we are over 97% organic is much different than a brand who is claiming to be organic, when in fact they may only have 1 or 2 organic ingredients included, but the chemicals which are also found in those brands counter-act any good that the organics would have done. With NVEY ECO, we not only list all of our ingredients, but you will also see our organic certifications on our label as well as our dedication to recycling and no animal testing.
Jen:
If you were stranded on a desert island, what are the 3 beauty items that you would not want to live without? (Granted there is a hopping great social scene on this island)
Sarah:
Personally I would have to go with our NVEY ECO Erase, it’s a miracle worker for dark circles and blemishes….literally erases any imperfection anyone wants to hide….I would also go with NVEY ECO Lip Lustre in Amour Rose, I love gloss, and the fact that it isn’t that sticky, tacky, caught in the hair when I walk out the door, I can’t live without it – and of course, tweezers!
Jen:
I am with you on the tweezers Sarah!
It is so refreshing to find people like you who love what they do and know that they are improving the lives of others. I completely fell in love with everything I have tried from the NVEY ECO line. Best wishes to you, Jane and Rohan with continued success launching NVEY ECO cosmetics in the USA and Globally!
Those Australians really know how to make magnificent makeup!
You can purchase NVEY ECO at their website: www.econveybeauty.com.
NVEY ECO is also available through http://www.b-glowing.com/, bloftincosmetics.com, holisticbeauty.net, allnaturalcosmetics.com, ecochoices.com, saffronrouge.com, and upurea.com.
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Jessicurl is offering 10% off your entire purchase until Sunday, December 16th 5pm pt.
You can also receive one of their with a purchase of: Full Size Try-it-All, Full Size Rich Pack, Full Size Light Starter Set, and the Accessory Package, and Body Care Combo.
If you haven’t had the chance, you can read a very fun, informative interview of Jess the founder and creator of the Jessicurl haircare line. Jess not only is passionate about haircare, she is passionate about helping others. You can also receive a free Island Fantasy Chocolate Bar with every donation made to the “Stop the Violence” Campaign fund.
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Okay, okay…don’t twist my arm any further Jess! You convinced me.
Today I will be ordering some: “Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner,” the Accessory Package, and maybe throw in some of that Shea Butter Body Mousse in Vanilla Grapefruit.
I can taste that Island Fantasy Chocolate already!
You might be unfamiliar with Maven’s Cosmetic line, but two unbelievably gifted women, Desert Doll and PamelaIrene from Megsmakeup.com raved about their foundation a few months ago, and ever since I have been waiting for an opportunity to try some!
“Maven makes an incredible liquid mineral foundation packed with good for your skin ingredients. It is especially great for woman who have trouble finding the right shade or texture for their skin, and all shades come in either normal to oily or normal to dry. I saw this instantly blend so well with a testers skin, it looked like it melted. Amazing! ” -DesertDoll from Megsmakeup.com
“So, alert the media! I have found my favorite foundation ever! Where has Maven’s Visage Mirage been hiding all these years! It’s awesome coverage, lasts pretty much the whole day long and looks fantastic on- oh I look at it on and think, this is a modern day miracle happening! Wow weeee! .. I have to say that I really, really, really like this. Flawless. It’s all-natural, medium-coverage, mineral based foundation. Maven’s creation contains a natural sunscreen too. They have incredible ingredient listed too….jojoba, ginseng, vitamin E. It has a very soothing affect to sensitive skin too.. Did i say i really liked this line? Please try it out if you’re having trouble loving your foundation you use now. Trust me, you might feel like I do.. I found it very creamy yet it went on beautifully. It’s not out of reach to buy either. It will last a long time. A dab of this will do you! Check out the website too. Some of the better movie stars love it too!” - PamelaIrene from Megsamakeup.com
And then, at last, my opportunity arrived:
Just in time for the holidays, save 20% off your online purchase during our 2-day sale! Now through Thursday, December 13, use code NIAB1210 at checkout, and hit Apply. Stock up on festive shades — and remember that our glosses make excellent stocking stuffers!
So, I placed my order and will let you know the outcome. PamelaIrene assured me that I will not be disappointed, I love you Megsmakeup!
I just read an incredible article from Makeup Moxie on how to make your own tinted moisturizer.
In my humble opinion, nothing can beat the sheer natural coverage that a tinted moisturizer can give you. If you want a little more coverage use a spot concealer to touch up after applying your tinted moisturizer, such as The Balm’s TimeBalm concealer, or Alison Raffaele’s True Concealer.
“The great news is that the best tinted moisturizer for your skin type and skin tone may already be waiting for you in your makeup bag. Simply mix some of your foundation with your moisturizer and voila! A tinted moisturizer that’s personally customized for your skin.”
How wonderful it that?
In addition, you can blend your moisturizer with your favorite mineral makeup. Combine your moisturizer with a mineral foundation product like Bare Escentuals or Everyday Minerals, etc… Want to add a little more color? You could add in a bit of your bronzer. If you moisturizer already has an SPF, you just created your own custom tinted moisturizer!   The possibilities here are endless!Â
For a very reasonable price, you can create your own custom all-in-one tinted moisturizer!
After the run-away success of Lorraine Massey’s “Curly Girl” (Workman Publishing, 2001) – the first book dedicated to the celebration of and care for curly hair – the curl experts at Devachan Salon and Departure Lounge and DevaConcepts have created the DeVaD. The DeVaD is a DVD dedicated to the celebration and care of curly hair. As always, the lessons are presented with Massey’s signature humor and intelligence. Watch and learn!
The 9-minute DeVaD can be seen at:Â Â http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtnLEHCQ8iA
This is a MUST SEE! Â
The DeVaD is absolutely the most hysterical, wonderful instructive video I have ever seen! Lorraine and Shari, and the entire CSI (Curly Science Investigation) DevaTeam ROCK!!!
Yesterday, Sarah who is 8 and in the 2nd grade, brought home a completed assignment called, “Divergent Thinking.”
Pardon her mis-spellings, I especially love her answers for Rudolph’s dinner plate!
(You can click on the image to make it larger)
In Mrs. Santa’s Junk Drawer:
a noty and nis list
old glasis
Under Mr and Mrs Santa’s Christmas Tree:
To: Mrsis Clos
From: Santa
Choclits
On Rudolph’s dinner plate:
Majik letis,
popcorn and
a big glas ov water and ots
In the pocket of an Elf’s apron:
a hamer
 a toy
pant (paint) and suplis
hamers
And for Mrs. Santa?
Choclit (of course)
erings (diamonds would be nice) and a
Star
we wish you health limited-edition skinvigoratingâ„¢ discovery set
This skinvigoratingâ„¢ 4-piece discovery set includes all the tools for looking better, naturally. And to make this set even better, Tarte just lowered the price from $38 to $30!
mini clean slateâ„¢ face primer:
mini lock & roll creaseless eyeshadow duo (new shade: slate)
mini lights, camera, lashes! 4-in-1 mascara (my very favorite mascara)
mini Inside out vitamin-infused lipgloss powered by BORBA (new shade: serenity)
We Wish you Health available online at: http://www.tartecosmetics.com/ and  http://www.sephora.com/ .
“Mo” one of my most loyal and faithful contributors to Mythbuster Beauty, recently sent me a distress call:
“Hey Jen, I have a mission for ya! Winter has hit and we are in desperate need of a good lotion for our family. Last year I used bath and body works cream and it was nice and thick and did well, but this year we seem to be drier than ever! I’m getting red bumps all up my arms and my hands are starting to crack. My husband spends all night scratching his legs and rubbing up against things like a bear.
We’ve already switched to a bath gel instead of bar soap, and the scrubbies ensure we get exfoliated pretty well. The dryness and itch is excruciating!!! We can’t afford to keep buying and trying lotions until we find what works. So, we need something relatively inexpensive (Under $20) that will work well and that doesn’t smell very strong, so my husband will use it! I know you can do it!! Thanks, M”
Oh, the agony of winter dry skin… I had to rule out the obvious questions, was there a sudden change that might have led to this dry skin attack? No.  Mo reports nothing obvious has changed. They are using the same laundry detergent and soap products, just the change of season. Her husband aka “Curious” is scratching himself like a bear? That is a bit concerning! I suppose most bloggers wouldn’t fret about another family from a different state suffering from epithelial issues, but I sense her desperation! When Poppa Bear ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.
My family also suffers from the winter itchies. Utah being a desert, becomes even more arid during the cold months. My 8 year old daughter Sarah licks her lips and ends up with a sore red mouth all winter long, this problem led me to find a lip balm that would help her, and wrote the post, “Sarah Loves Chicken Poop.” We all get cracked and bleeding knuckles as well. Finding good dry skin solutions that don’t sting, smell perfumey, or feel too greasy is a challenge.
Now Mo, I realize that you would specifically love to solve the dry skin issue with a magical lotion or cream. However, winter dry skin is a tricky, multi-faceted issue. After doing some research, the Green Living website had some interesting solutions that might be worth a try:
Mo, I am only beginning to “scratch” the surface of this dry skin issue. After all this extensive research I came up with some amazing information. Too much information for any one post. I will continue to write more on this subject! So hopefully some of this will help, and please kind readers, let us know if you have any other suggestions…
Would you like to learn how to “Plunk“ your hair? Would you like to know what in the world “plunking your hair” even means? Want deliciously fragrant natural hair products that result in frizz-free soft and gorgeous locks? Jess covers all of this and other invaluable curly hair techniques in her free online videos. Jessicurl is what you have been searching for.
In October, Jess was featured on the ever popular Rachael Ray show! Take a look at Jess’ segment from the RR show on how to make a “homemade hair mask.” Tres Cool Jess!
Name:Â Jess McGuinty
Position: founder, CEO and product formulator of Jessicurl
URLs/links: http://www.jessicurl.com/
Business started in: September 2002.
Jen:
Please Jess, introduce yourself. What lead you into starting your hair care company Jessicurl?
Jess:
I’m Jess Mcguinty, 31, and live in beautiful Humboldt County, California. When I was 14, my fairly straight hair grew more and more coarse and eventually started to curl. I was mortified. Everything I tried just made it bigger and fuzzier. I didn’t know what to do. My peers called me names like “crusty” and “helmet head” because I’d wet my hair down in between classes to keep it from getting bigger.
I hated my hair, and that didn’t stop when I grew up. Finally, I figured there’s gotta be a better way and I did an Internet search for “curly hair.” I was amazed to find an entire online community of curly haired people who had the same struggles. Who knew?
I immersed myself in the message boards at http://www.naturallycurly.com/. We traded hair tips and horror stories and talked about products. I tried any product that someone raved about, but I didn’t like my hair any better. Most of them made it worse. Then I found a recipe for hair gel made from flax seeds, and I tried it.
The result wasn’t great, but now inspiration had grabbed me. I knew which natural ingredients were good for curly hair, so I added them to that recipe. For this long-suffering curly head, the results were a miracle. My hair finally looked like I wanted, and I had made the product in my own kitchen!
I had no thoughts about starting a business. I just wanted a product that made my hair look great. But after I shared my recipe on the message board, the e-mails flooded in. People wanted to buy some from me. In September of 2002, Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion was born.
Jen:What is your typical day like?
Jess: Every day is different. I have a great staff that now makes and ships the products, so my focus now is on the customer service, marketing, sales, PR, quality control and public speaking. There are the day to day tasks, such as tracking down lost packages, taking orders on the phone and answering customer questions via email. Lately we’ve been working on launching a white chocolate candy bar flavored with the coconut, vanilla and orange that make up our popular Island Fantasy scent. That has been a fun project to work on (I have to test candy for work!!), but the best part is that it will raise money for our local food bank, Food For People. I’m often asked to speak to students at Humboldt State University as well as other local community groups about my experiences starting Jessicurl and why our business model is so important to me. And since I’m always raising money for something, other days are spent organizing fundraisers, most often for the North Star Quest Girls Camp for whom I was the Fundraising Co-Originator this year. I’m also the newest board member of our local Small Business Development Center, so there are the occasional meetings for that.
Jen:
What led you to start your “Women Around the World“ program and what have you learned from your experiences with this project?
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Jess:
Once I realized that this business was actually going to work, I knew that I wanted it to be a socially responsible business that contributes to different charities. At the time I thought that had to wait until we were making a certain amount of profit. Two things happened that made me change my mind about the timeline.
First, I saw Dr. Katherine Hamlin on Oprah. She has dedicated her life to curing women in Ethiopia of fistulas, a horrible condition that can happen during obstructed childbirth. She opened the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in 1974 and has treated 25,000 women. I cried while I watched that interview and decided that when we were able to start donating money, I wanted that hospital to be the first recipient.
Soon after that, I saw an interview with Michael Franti, lead singer of the band Spearhead. Spearhead is known for their socially conscious lyrics and for speaking out about injustice in the world and their music is basically the soundtrack at the Jessicurl factory. Franti referred to the band as a “human rights organization.” He caused a major shift in my thinking. I thought, “If a band can be a human rights organization, can’t my business?” All of a sudden, Jessicurl became about a lot more than hair! I wanted to start donating money to the Fistula Hospital right then.
We settled on 5 percent of our May gross revenue, and then came up with an idea to take it even further. We built a feature into the shopping cart so customers can make direct contributions, and as a thank you we give them a discount on a future Jessicurl purchase. Since starting the program in May 2003, we’ve raised thousands of dollars for a variety of different causes. In addition, we donate products to about a dozen different fundraising raffles every year, and help sponsor the annual Food For People holiday fund drive.Jen:Who were your childhood heroes? Who are your heroes now?Jess: When I was a kid I was really into gymnastics, so my big heroes then were Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.
Now my biggest hero is Michael Franti, for reasons stated above. I also really admire Gayle Abramson, who founded the North Star Quest Girls Camp, for which I volunteer. NSQC is for girls going into 6-8th grade, and focuses on building confidence, positive body image, healthy relationships and other issues important to creating strong, smart and bold women. It’s very close to my heart and I’m so thankful there are women like Gayle out there working to help girls with these issues.Jen:That is really awesome Jess. I have always been a huge fan of women’s gymnastics as well, Nadia and Mary Lou are big 10’s in my book. The Girls Camp sounds incredible, it makes me so happy that you are working with girls at this critical time in their development.Okay, back to business.What do you think the biggest mistake women make when it comes to their hair? How could they go about changing that?Jess:
I think in general many women don’t understand their hair, and that tends to go double for curly haired women. We are not born knowing that our hair has different care instructions than straight hair, and many of us were told by our exasperated mothers to “just go brush your hair!†That’s pretty much the worst advice for curly hair. I get so many emails from curlies who complain about frizzy, poofy hair, but when they describe their routine, tell me about washing twice daily with drugstore shampoo and brushing it to try to “flatten it out.†So in my opinion, it comes down to education and information. On my website I offer tons of tips for creating well defined curls that don’t frizz and even have product demo videos that show users the best way to handle their curls. I’ve heard it over and over again that when people change their routine and follow these tips, they’re much happier with their hair. I love that!
Jen:
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If you were stuck on a desert island, what 3 beauty items would you not be able to survive without?
Jess:
Well, since I’m so hair obsessed, they’ll all be hair related.
I’d say my Gentle Lather Shampoo, since it can also be used as body wash, so it would serve two purposes. Also, my Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner, since it’s SO moisturizing and I imagine I’d be getting a lot of sun on that desert island. I guess in that case, practicality dictates my third should be a sun screen, shouldn’t it?
I like Clinique Sun-Care UV Response #30, as it doesn’t make my face break out but keeps me from getting burned.
Wow, how incredible to get this opportunity to interview you Jess. I personally started using Rockin’ Ringlets and your Confident Coils Styling Solution soon after I decided to embrace and convert to the naturally curly routine. I am also a huge fan of all your demonstration videos!
That “Island Fantasy” chocolate bar is calling my name! Jess you are an inspiration by your willingness to build a business with real hair smarts as well as having compassion for so many people in your community and beyond. Many thanks and best wishes for continued success at Jessicurl!
I have written several posts about how women often wear the wrong type of foundation for their skin. The wrong shade, the wrong finish, and too much of it.
“No Orange Chalky Face Please” is my motto.
This rule is often broken. It is not easy to admit to ourselves that as we get older, we have more things we would like to cover. I look at myself in the mirror and see the attack of pigmentation, the fine lines, and the tired eyes. Then I see all the cosmetic ads around me, the youth, the flawless skin and my mind wants to desperately believe their claims. Although, I am convinced that as we get older, less is really much more beautiful when it comes to makeup.
I just came across an article called, “Is Your Makeup Aging You?” that really backs my story.
“Baby-beauty-pageant contestants and novice models are among those rare birds who intentionally age themselves with heavy foundation, smoky eyes, and clumpy mascara. “We had to look older,” recalls the iconic model/actress Lauren Hutton. “We were wearing very expensive clothing that only older women could afford.” But if you’ve reached the age — and mileage — when you’re already taken seriously? Go for the tinted moisturizer.”
Lauren is playing my song here, I love tinted moisturizers! They strike just the perfect balance of sheer coverage and give your skin a glowing, natural look. Tinted moisturizers compliment your skin and do not emphasize or accentuate fine lines. A concealer does a great job covering any small imperfections, under eye darkness, or blemishes. Now let’s address the finish of your foundation. All you “matte” women who love the powder foundations need to pay attention.
“looking younger means ditching the makeup you used when you were actually young. “Now it’s about choosing sheer textures and applying with a light touch.” “Too much powder can make a person look older, too,” observes party photographer and Glamour Girls author Patrick McMullan, who has watched the world’s most famous women grow up in front of his lens. “It’s particularly hideous at the end of the night. Heroin chic [heavy black liner and powdery white skin] might have looked very cool on a 19- or 16-year-old model, but on a 30-year-old woman, it just looked worn out.”
Are you getting the message? No wonder we are all confused! Young gals want to look older, and older women want to look young. The young women wear the powdery matte foundation look to look older, and the older women who are accustomed to the powdery foundation continue to use it because they still want to look young. Unfortunately, the result is that their old matte foundation and powder really makes them look old. I just want to scream at how crazy this all is!
So, if you are like me, 30+ and have been unhappy with how your foundations look, let me give you a few great options for a natural, great feeling coverage that won’t make you look older than you are! Here are 5 great tinted moisturizers that you can try. They are all tried and tested, and most of them include an SPF!
The Balm, BalmShelter:
Weightless and super silky smooth, The Balm’s BalmShelter leaves your complexion polished and protected with SPF 18.
Suki’s Tinted Active Moisturizer: My newly found favorite Tinted Moisturizer.
The foundation your skin has been craving. not just a tinted moisturizer, but the purest, most luxurious, light hydrating makeup you’ll ever use. made solely with completely natural pigments and a world of organic wonders, this gorgeously sheer, customizable tint enhances your complexion, evens tone and minimizes pores. you look perfectly radiant, never cakey or made-up. fabulous for the whole face, for a healthy flush, or for touch-ups.
Tarte’s Smooth Operator SPF 20:
This is my absolute favorite… lightweight, protective foundation smoothes and perfects the skin with potent a SPF 20 sunscreen, vitamins and natural extracts. Skin looks natural – never cakey – always gorgeous.
 Caudalie’s Fresh Complexion Tinted Moisturizer:
This silky fluid enhances, evens, and brightens the complexion for a natural healthy glow. Rich in active plant ingredients, it moisturizes and protects the youth of the skin.
 Model Co 3-in-1 Fluidsplash Foundation:
This 3-in-1, revolutionary, oil-free foundation comes with a built-in concealer and eye base conveniently hidden in the lid. It goes on feather-light, leaves your skin looking naturally radiant, and can be layered for extra coverage.
Take that you evil Matte Foundation! Wonder Woman is buying some Tinted Moisturizer pronto!