March 17, 2022

VSOTO Founder Vance Soto on His New Skincare Line & How To Take Your Spa Experience Home With You

March 17, 2022/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

When Lance Soto, owner of the renowned Hollywood spa, Ole Henriksen, finally launched his own skincare line, VSOTO, his clients were clamoring to buy the products literally from the treatment room - right there on the spot. Amidst the lockdown and a temporary halt in production, he was finally able to launch four moisturizers this year with many more products to come. After years of working in the spa industry and becoming a bit of a skincare connoisseur, he worked hard to figure out which components would be needed to fully represent his comprehension of what his clients desire and need for their skincare routines, the right ingredients, and also importantly - the right essence of the product. With high standards of spa and skincare excellence, he made sure after handpicking all of the ingredients in his formulations that every single component “understood the assignment” in creating glowy, hydrated skin. We had a chat with Lance to talk about why he wanted to dip his toes in creating his own line, what sets VSOTO apart from its competition, and what experience he wants his clients and customers to achieve after using his products and spa.

January 11, 2022

Juice Beauty Founder Karen Behnke Explains What 'Farm to Beauty' Means & That Kate Hudson Collab

January 11, 2022/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

You may have heard of Farm-to-Table restaurants, but have you heard of “Farm to Beauty” when it comes to the beauty world? Juice Beauty Founder Karen Behnke has pretty much started this “Farm to Beauty” revolution by literally buying a farm and harvesting organic ingredients for her brand. Imagine growing your own grapes knowing that they’ll boast a huge amount of antioxidants and vitamin-rich ingredients which will make your skin radiant with a youthful glow. We chatted with Karen to discuss her journey into the clean beauty category, what life is like on a beauty farm and her must-have products.

November 04, 2021

Find Out Why Sunday II Sunday Founder Keenan Beasley Couldn't Wait To Get His Hands on The Athleisure Haircare Market

November 04, 2021/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

It’s hard enough to get one successful business up-and-running but Entrepreneur and Sunday II Sunday Founder Keenan Beasley likes to keep his hands in a lot of pots at one time. Having recently launched his athleisure haircare brand, Sunday II Sunday on the significant date of May 31st as a tribute to the Tulsa Race Massacre, he hopes to bring more awareness and serve as a reminder within the Black community of strength, and honor those of the past. We sat down with Keenan to discuss if he had any hesitation as a man going into a female dominated beauty market, what inspired him to create this niche of haircare products, and how he finds balance and sanity in his life with a new baby girl.

September 01, 2021

Seabae Founder Cassia Tofan on Why Her Re-usable & Biodegradable Makeup Wipe is Helping Save Sea Turtles

September 01, 2021/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

If Ariel from The Little Mermaid came to life, she might be reincarnated into Cassia Tofan, lover of the sea and makeup artist. Cassia is the Founder of Seabae, which is a reusable and biodegradable makeup wipe. Cleverly shaped like a shell in various sizes, these wipes can be used to remove makeup, washed and reused over and over thus helping decrease the usage of makeup wipes, which often become dangerous in the waters for sea life who mistake them for food. We chatted with Cassia about creating a new biodegradable niche in reusable makeup wipes, where her mermaid inspiration came from, and what eco-friendly steps we can take as consumers.

August 20, 2021

Palette®️ Founder Kate Westad on the Challenges of Going Eco-friendly & Her Fave Palette®️ Hack

August 20, 2021/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by how many beauty products you’re trying to pack into your suitcase while at the same time wanting to do something to lessen your carbon footprint on the earth? That’s how Palette®️ Founder Kate Westad felt the moment she realized she needed to create this genius travel and beauty tool. As a former lawyer-turned-eco-friendly beauty entrepreneur, she took on the challenge of creating a product that currently has part of her product made from 30% recycled plastic with the intention of making it from 100% recycled plastic someday. Even the product packaging is comprised of a fully recyclable and compostable tube shipped to you in a 100% recyclable envelope. We sat down to chat with Kate on her career-changing journey, what’s in her High Fiver Pak, and advice on how to become your own entrepreneur.

April 07, 2021

Dr. Gabrielle Davis on the Do's and Don'ts of Botox in This Mask-Wearing Era

April 07, 2021/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

The world, as we know it, stands to see face masks in our future for who knows how long so what better time than the present to indulge in your curiosity about Botox and fillers. With an abundance of information out there of Botox do’s and don’ts, we spoke with an expert in the field, Plastic Surgeon Dr. Gabrielle Davis, to dispel any rumors we’d heard (Ummm, is it okay to start Botox as early as your 20’s as a preventative measure?), why it pays to find a qualified and appropriately trained doctor to treat you and one fail-safe anti-aging skincare product she recommends that might already be found in your cabinet. And to note, now that her Beverly Hills clinic is back up and running from lockdown, they strictly follow COVID safety protocols such as body temp checks, installing plexiglass in places that are necessary, access to plenty of hand sanitizer, face masks, and gloves.

January 08, 2021

GOSTRIDER'S Audrey Napoleon on the Wave of the Beauty Incubator Future & What Sets Her Apart from Her Competitors

January 08, 2021/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

When DJ-turned-entrepreneur Audrey Napoleon sets her mind to something, just know - it’s a done deal. With a decade of experience working in the music industry as a globally known and recognized Top 5 Female DJ, Napoleon wanted to set her sights on something that she could build, nurture, and put her name on.

Thus her Beauty Incubator was born named GOSTRIDER (Gōst,rīder), and eventually the successful launch of Qveen Studio for Qveen Herby. GOSTRIDER, is a “Beauty Business in a Box” that offers talent (anyone from music artists to celebrities to influencers and more) a direct-to-consumer approach to creating their own personalized beauty product collection, is also another way for the talent to connect to their fans and allow the artist to create sustainable revenue. GOSTRIDER offers up full-service support - from product development to fulfillment, trend intelligence to online store management, it’s basically everything one needs to successfully launch their own beauty line of hand-picked products.

We chatted with Napoleon to find out what sets GOSTRIDER apart from their competition, what her “a-ha” moment was to spark the creation of GOSTRIDER, and what’s next for her company.

April 13, 2020

Lifestyle Influencer Loreen Hwang on Being an Early Skincare Adopter & Loving Her Social Media Family

April 13, 2020/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

Imagine you’re eight years old, and your father out of all people becomes the one person who educates you on the importance of an anti-aging skincare routine. Cut to the age of 11 and the brand La Prairie becomes a daily part of your vocabulary, then you’ve entered the world of Lifestyle Influencer Loreen Hwang and creator of the CoucouJolie blog, where she divulges all her knowledge on everything from food, travel, health, beauty and wellness. We had a chat with Loreen to find out why she feels support from her social media community, how legit her skincare knowledge is, and what advice she has for up-and-coming bloggers.

March 30, 2020

Bess & Color Founder Jessica Bellinger on How She Created Her Wes Anderson-inspired Nail Polish Line

March 30, 2020/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

Crawling into the mind of auteur extraordinaire Wes Anderson sounds like what Bess & Color’s Founder Jessica Bellinger did, more than a few times. Drawing from Wes Anderson’s color palette, set design, and even characters from his films, she became inspired to create a vegan, cruelty-free nail polish line. And, this nail polish is 10 free which means her line does not contain any of the 10 most toxic chemicals normally found in traditional nail polishes. We chatted with Jessica to find out how she became a nail polish entrepreneur, her interactive way of naming the polish colors, and what’s next on her colorful agenda.

March 11, 2020

Habit Founder Tai Adaya on Why You Should Have a Midday Skincare Routine

March 11, 2020/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

Did you know that it takes 21 days to create and form a new habit? HABIT Founder Tai Adaya knew this and, of course, a hundred other things on how to improve on your skin’s youthfulness. Launching on March 19th will be HABIT’s first product on the market, N°41 Mister ($30 / $24 for monthly subscription), which is a hydrating face mist with sunscreen. We sat down with Tai to discuss how we should be applying N°41, why she’s educating millennials on anti-aging, and the million dollar question - how did she create a facial spray with SPF without that sticky residue.

September 17, 2019

Influencer Ami Desai on Honoring Your Authentic Self and the Importance of SPF

September 17, 2019/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

Ami Desai may be known as a beauty and lifestyle influencer but she’s also redefined what it means to be a multi-hyphenated entrepreneurial soul with a career spanning from hosting a show on Oprah.com, beauty and lifestyle expert to a busy working mom of two. We chatted with her on the challenges and rewards of the influencer industry, that time she first talked to Oprah, and advice on preserving your skin in your twenties so you can reap the benefits of nourished skin into your thirties (and beyond!).

June 20, 2019

Find Out What A Day In The Life Of Top Beauty Publicist Kate Morgan of Morgan Publicity Is Really Like

June 20, 2019/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

With the fast paced world of the beauty industry, it takes the best of the best to not just tread water but to literally walk on water which is what Kate Morgan of Morgan Publicity does for her clients. Working around the clock, servicing various time zones while also balancing a toddler at home, we wanted to find out how she balances her busy schedule while not completely losing her mind. With an impressive client roster such as Dr. Pimple Popper aka Dr. Sandra Lee (who just recently won a Critics Choice Award for Female Star of the Year), WOW Skin Science and purlisse - to name just a few, we couldn’t help but ponder - when does she have time to sleep? We sat down to chat with Kate so could give us the lowdown on a day-in-the-life of a busy publicist, how she juggles her busy work/mom life and why her agency is truly one of the best in the biz.

November 16, 2018

CURA Skincare Founder Dr. Michelle Tu Chats About The Benefits of Calcium & Gets Real About Being A Boss Lady

November 16, 2018/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

We all know that calcium is good for strong bones, most likely after watching a barrage of milk commercials, but do you know about the many benefits of calcium for your skin? That’s where Dr. Michelle Tu steps in, she founded her own skincare line called CURA Skincare, which uses a key component, you guessed it - calcium! With CURA, she’s developed her own fountain of youth products which help protect and renew skin by creating a unique RENOVOCEL Complex (a mix of calcium, green tea, and caffeine). Here, we chat with Dr. Tu about how she came up with the idea of CURA, the struggles of being an entrepreneur in the early days, and divulges on her own at-home spa night.

September 17, 2018

'Crazy Rich Asians' Lead H&M Artist Heike Merker Chats About the Challenges of Humidity & That Awkwafina Blonde Wig

September 17, 2018/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

We’re still riding high on the buzz of the summer hit, Crazy Rich Asians, which was shot mostly in the very warm and humid city of Singapore. Our Editorial Director, Lorna Soonhee Umphrey, recently visited this beautiful, cosmopolitan city and wanted to find what Lead Hair and Make-up Artist Heike Merker’s secrets were in making sure the actors hair and makeup were on point 24/7 while shooting, where she grabbed her inspiration for the characters from, and of course, what products we’d find in her set bag (because we’ll want all of them!). Read on for her Q&A…

June 22, 2018

Founder Maud’s of Beverly Hills Victoria O’Brien on the art of the Lash Extension & Wax Business and Tips on How To Extend the Life of Your Lashes

June 22, 2018/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

May lash extensions never go out of style! If you’ve never had lash extensions applied, walk, no run, to Maud’s of Beverly Hills based in…you got it, Beverly Hills. Founded by beauty entrepreneur Victoria O’Brien, this sophisticated salon houses top-notch Cosmetologist Jennifer Garcia who artfully applies Xtreme Lash Extensions, waxing and even nail services. We chatted with Victoria and Jennifer and got the 411 on lash extensions and maintenance, why Maud’s stands out from all the other salons in LA, and how not to arrive when getting your lashes done (it might upset your cosmetologist!)

April 20, 2018

Take My Face Off Founder Amanda McIntosh on How The Mitty Is Saving The Planet & The Most Unusual Way To Use Her Product

April 20, 2018/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

When you think about some of the greatest inventions in life, they’re often created out of pure annoyance, irritation, or “OMG, why doesn’t this thing exist?!?”. Which is what happened with Take My Face Off’s Founder Amanda McIntosh one evening when she was heading home after a long day of work, that in order for her to maintain her new skincare regime, she’d have to use a washcloth on her face to take her makeup off and quite frankly, she was starting to hate for various reasons. That’s when she realized she wanted to put her spin on a type of face washcloth that was gentle on the face and would ultimately end up being humane on the environment. So, in honor of Earth Day (April 22nd), we sat down with one of the pioneers in the beauty industry as she explains how she created the ever-popular Mitty, how her brand is helping to prevent waste and pollution in the world, and what’s next for her.

December 21, 2017

Tamera Mowry Chats About Her Fave Holiday Look and Female Bonding on 'The Real'

December 21, 2017/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

She rose to fame starring opposite her identical twin, Tia Mowery, in the popular teen drama Sister, Sister, back in the 90's. These days, Tamera Mowry is holding her own as a busy mom of two and one of the co-hosts on the syndicated talk show, The Real. Currently in it's third season, Tamera sits down to chat with us about her female bond with her three co-hosts on the show, her favorite holiday party, and the one beauty product she can't live without.

October 31, 2017

'Ghosted' Amber Stevens West On Why She Loves Her Nerdy Character & What Drugstore Buy She Can't Live Without

October 31, 2017/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

When you're a techie nerd and bad ass weapons specialist for the government on the new FOX show, Ghosted, then it's just another day at the office for Amber Stevens West. She plays Annie Carver, who's not afraid to kick it with the boys, ahem, Craig Robinson and Adam Scott, and show them who the real defense boss girl is. Born and bred in LA, we had to find out what her beauty routine was, what beauty product she's obsessed with, and where she likes to go to get the ultimate spa experience.

October 23, 2017

Hair Stylists Paul Windle and Neil Moodie On Their New Product Line & Advice On How To Succeed In The Hair Business

October 23, 2017/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

With a flagship salon in the ever-popular Covent Garden in London, Paul Windle and Neil Moodie have spread their wings to the US with the launch of the highly anticipated haircare line, Windle + Moodie. Having been in the business for over 30 years, this duo has created eco-friendly, high quality products that leave hair healthy, hydrated and protected. We chatted with this creative team about why they wanted to launch here in LA, how they created their heavenly smelling products, and the exciting changes they’ve seen in the hair industry over the years.

August 14, 2017

Playa’s Founder Shelby Wild On Creating A Natural Hair Care Line & How To Get That Cali Surfer Girl Wave

August 14, 2017/ Lorna Soonhee Umphrey

Beachy waves will always be on-trend if you live in Southern California. Just ask Playa founder Shelby Wild, who gave up a fast paced city life in New York and headed west for the beaches of Los Angeles. She has created a natural line of hair care products that include a shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, a summer spray and dry oil. We sat down with Shelby to find out what inspired her to create these dreamy, beachy hair products, how she discovered natural ingredients for her formulas, and a great tip for caring for your wet hair this summer.

Artistry