Month: June 2013

BeautyView: Julia Sutton, COO, Exhale

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The first time that I met Julia Sutton, the COO of Exhale, must have been about 5 years ago. Ever since, she has been generous enough to offer me a Core Fusion class anytime I come to New York City (which is often). I have yet to take her up on her offer, not for lack of time, but because I am not sure I would survive one session! She is a testament to the Exhale brand, which she has been developing since the beginning: she is smart, beautiful, fit, a mother of three, an accomplished business woman, and more. Last week, I was back in New York, and had the change to catch up with her (and no, I still have not made it to Core Fusion…). How she does not eat past 6 p.m. still fascinates me…

AP: What city were you born in? JS: Washington Township, NJ. So close to the city, 26 miles, but feels so country. We have a horse down the block.

AP: What city to do you live in? JS: Paramus, NJ; less than a mile from where I grew up!

AP: What is your middle name? JS: Ann.

AP: What is your astrological sign? JS: Sag! We love everyone.

AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? JS: I love to sleep, yet I rarely have time too.

AP: What is your most prized possession? JS: My family. I’m so blessed…

AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? JS: Brad Pitt. He seems so grounded and great.

AP: Describe your fashion style in three words maximum. JS: Classic and young.

AP: Do you wear a watch? JS: No. Isn’t that what a mobile device is for?

AP: Diamonds or pearls? JS: Pearls: my mom and grandma left me some beautiful ones.

AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? JS: Your smile is your best fashion accessory.

AP: What fragrance do you wear? JS: Ambre blends… smells like clean laundry.

AP: Botox or not? JS: Not.

AP: Hair color: natural or not? JS: Natural with highlights.

AP: What are your special diet tips, if any? JS: I don’t eat after 6pm.

AP: What do you do for exercise? JS: Run, cycle, yoga and Core Fusion…mix it up!

AP: What are three things that you always have in your fridge? JS: Eggs, cheese and chicken – all protein!

AP: What is your cocktail of choice? JS: Wine in the states, Guinness in Ireland.

AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? JS: Unfortunately I have not figured that out yet.

AP: How many miles do you fly per year on average? JS: Toooo many!

AP: What are your three top tips for travel? JS: Give in to the chaos… you can’t control it.

AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. JS: Taylor Swift, 22. U2, ONE. Cold Play, yellow.

AP: What book are you reading right now? JS: Nothing now, I am working on too many projects. I read the WSJ though every day.

AP: Quote to live by. JS: Live each moment like it was your last.

AP: What is your worst pet peeve? JS: When people cough and don’t cover their mouth.

AP: What time do you usually wake up in the morning, and how many hours of sleep do you usually get? JS: I usually wake up at 5 a.m. and sleep 6 hours.

AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? JS: Being on top of  innovation.

AP: Least favorite thing. JS: So many gimmicks.

AP: Who is your mentor? JS: Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook.

AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. JS: Network and be grateful for all your experiences.

Iron in skin aging: less is more…

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Last week was one of my favorite weeks in June, the week of HBA in New York City. As I have done for the past three years, I moderated a session on the theme of “The Changing Face of Beauty Distribution” (read about the highlights in the upcoming September issue of GCI Magazine). This year, my colleague Catherine presented for the first time – doing an amazing job on a social media panel (in case you pre-program your Tweets, she says “don’t do it – just don’t”). Also, this year, my Mom, Dr. Barbara Polla presented again.

Her presentation was about one of my favorite scientific topics, one that she has specialized in and published dozens of scientific papers about: iron chelation. At the core of our Alchimie Forever formulation technology, iron chelation is based on the premise that excess iron accelerates aging, in particular skin aging.

Riddle me this: why do women live longer than men? One of the leading theories is that we (women) on average have a lower quantity of iron in our bodies. Why? Because we lose iron regularly during our menstrual cycle and during delivery.

Indeed, while iron is essential for aerobic life, oxygen transport, energy production, and red blood cell function (if you suffer from anemia, please follow your doctor’s recommendations), iron is also involved in the oxidation processes, increasing the production of the hydroxyl radical (remember, oxygen radicals are involved in all signs of skin aging). Indeed, iron plays a major role in oxidative stress via Fenton chemistry, where iron(II) is stoichiometrically oxidized by H2O2  to iron(III), producing the highly damaging oxygen radical .OH (Gutteridge and Halliwell, 2000).

Translation: excess iron acts as a catalyst in the production of damaging free radicals, which are responsible for the creation of fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of skin aging.

The most extreme clinical case that illustrates the damaging role of excess iron is a condition known as haemochromatosis. This disease involves a disorder in the gastrointestinal absorption of iron, which leads to iron accumulation in internal organs and in the skin. The skin, specifically, then presents highly accelerated signs of skin aging.

Studies have been conducted to show that treating the skin with synthetic iron chelators (molecules that neutralize iron, thus making it unavailable to act as a catalyst) will delay the onset of redness and wrinkles after UV exposure for up to 11 weeks (study on hairless mice, Bissett et al., 1994).

Translation: skin exposed to UV first treated with iron chelators does not get as sunburnt or as wrinkled as skin not treated with iron chelators.

So what does this mean for you? Two things.

  1. Look for skin care products that contain natural iron chelators, such as quercetin (present in blueberry, grape seed, and green tea extracts).
  2. Unless your doctor recommends you take iron, favor supplements (e.g. multi-vitamins) that do not contain iron. My favorite? Emergen-C Super Orange.
  3. Last but not least, donate blood – it can save others, and can be good for you too!

In the case of iron and skin aging, less is truly more. To learn more about the role of iron in skin aging, please watch this video.

BeautyView: Rachel Johnson, President, Rachel Lynne Johnson Public Relations

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One of the most rewarding things about being an entrepreneur, regardless of the industry (I imagine), has to be the ability to create jobs and to mentor team members. I have a very special place in my heart for all of my former team members; and a particularly special place for those who have left Alchimie Forever to pursue their own entrepreneurial ambitions, often remaining in the beauty industry. A perfect example of this is Rachel Johnson, who was an essential part of the development of my brand between early 2007 and mid-2010. A DC native (almost…), Rachel left Alchimie Forever after being my right (and left!) hand, to move to LA, and recently opened her own beauty PR firm. Fellow niche beauty brands, if you need any press advice or help, please call her!

AP: What city were you born in? RJ: Mt. Kisco, NY.

AP: What city to do you live in? RJ: Los Angeles, CA.

AP: What is your middle name? RJ: Lynne.

AP: What is your astrological sign? RJ: Aries.

AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? RJ: I have lived in 7 states…and attended 3 high schools. We moved a lot growing up.

AP: What is your most prized possession? RJ: My awesome parents, sister, brother in law and beautiful nieces!

AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? RJ:  At the present moment President Obama…what really goes on in the White House…..

AP: Describe your fashion style in three words maximum. RJ: Classic, Sporty, Accessories!

AP: Do you wear a watch? If yes, what model? RJ: Sometimes. Marc Jacobs and DKNY.

AP: Diamonds or pearls? RJ: Diamonds… also my birthstone!

AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? RJ: Not so much a secret, but moisturize, moisturize, moisturize and I apply a hydrating face mask 1-2 a week. I also let my hair air-dry… eliminating a blow-dryer which can damage your locks.

AP: What fragrance do you wear? RJ: Mademoiselle by Chanel.

AP: Botox or not? RJ: Maybe. Not there yet, but I am sure I will be soon.

AP: Hair color: natural or not? RJ: I am all for playing with hair color. I love that you can be a bit blonder for a few months and go back to a darker shade. Keeps things interesting!

AP: What are your special diet tips, if any? RJ: Eat fresh whenever you can and listen to your body. If you are craving meats than order a steak! It’s all about moderation.

AP: What do you do for exercise? RJ: I love hiking and running outside and I also hit up the gym a few times a week.

AP: What are three things that you always have in your fridge? RJ: Wine, hummus, carrots.

AP: What is your cocktail of choice? RJ: White wine! Always!

AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? RJ: I love what I do, which makes things much easier, but I always make plans with friends each week to make sure I get out of the office! Exercising is also so important!

AP: How many miles do you fly per year on average? RJ: I fly to the east coast and back maybe once a year and other than that I fly to San Francisco and Monterey. I wish I traveled more!

AP: What are your three top tips for travel? RJ: 1. I always bring a water bottle so I don’t have to wait for drink service. 2. I like to bring my makeup case and fill it with the TSA approved beauty essentials (hand sanitizer, moisturizer, concealer, lip gloss, Advil, Neutrogena wipes etc). 3. I don’t worry about delays… or try not to.

AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. RJ: Skinny Love, Bon Ivor; The Village, Boy & Bear; Flowers in Your Hair, Lumineers.

AP: What book are you reading right now? RJ: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

AP: Quote to live by. RJ: Don’t worry be happy! (My dad gave me a picture of a bear with this quote written under it when I was younger. I never forget it). Essentially, everything in life will be better if we just smile.

AP: What is your worst pet peeve? RJ: Ignorance.

AP: What time do you usually wake up in the morning, and how many hours of sleep do you usually get? RJ: I wake up at 7:45am and go to bed by 11pm.

AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? RJ: The people I get to meet and work with!

AP: Least favorite thing. RJ: People can go a little overboard on fillers and plastic surgery overall. Less is more.

AP: Who is your mentor? RJ: I have a few –

Ada Polla – she has taught me so much about being a successful business woman. I fell in love with the beauty industry while working at Alchimie Forever! Thank you Ada!

Heather Phillips – my fabulous, beautiful and intelligent sister has always been an inspiration to me personally and professionally. She has shown me that if you love what you do and you work hard your dreams can come true!

Steve Ross – Steve is the President of Artists & Athletes Alliance in Washington, DC and has always told me to follow my dreams and the rest will fall into place. Thanks for always believing in me and supporting me through the years!

AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. RJ:  Don’t give up! Believe in yourself and follow your heart!

A day in my life…

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As I write this, it is just past 7 pm somewhere in the skies. I spend a lot of time here – a lot of time in the sky, in airports. As a beauty entrepreneur, I travel most of my time. Also as a beauty entrepreneur, I get asked frequently what a “normal” day is like. The short answer is there is no such thing as a “normal” day. No two days resemble each other; no two weeks are the same. That is part of the fun and challenge of being an entrepreneur, and being on the road all the time.

Nonetheless, today was a great day, and a good example of what I spend my time on when I am in DC, where our Alchimie Forever US headquarters is located, and where I pay rent (when people ask me where I live, I say the skies).

4:30 am. My (phone) alarm goes off. This is about 30 minutes earlier than my usual wakeup time, and somewhat more painful than expected as I had a social dinner engagement last night that lasted until near midnight. I can’t help myself but set the alarm for 5 am and get 30 minutes more of shut-eye. (Very rare for me, this happens maybe once a month; I don’t even know how to snooze my alarm…)

5:00 am. My alarm goes off again. I wake up (again) from the deepest sleep, and don’t feel much more rested than 30 minutes ago, but this is the latest I can get up and still do everything I need to do today. This first hour of my day is spent checking my emails on my phone (which I do while still in bed; a habit I am desperately trying to break); making coffee (my Krups coffee machine is one of my most prized possessions); putting in a load of laundry (oh the glamorous life…); showering and other morning routine things; slathering on a half dozen Alchimie Forever products; deciding on my outfit – a Trina Turk black dress and Kelsi Dagger 5 inch silver heels.

6:00 am. Skype conference call with the General Manager of my family’s medical spa, Forever Laser Institut. My 3 sisters and I are now majority shareholders of the spa, which means we are all much more involved than 3 months ago. Working with Europe means frequent 6 am calls… on days like today I don’t get to work out (I can only work out in the am), but that’ s ok since I went to spinning yesterday and will wakeboard twice this weekend).

7:00 am. Blowdry with Enver. For the past 11 years, ever since I moved to DC really, my blowdrys have been with Enver at George at the Four Seasons. Today, for the first time, it is as the new salon that Enver just opened, Georgetown Salon and Spa. A rare treat, I splurge on a blowdry maybe once a quarter… given how I feel with my hair perfectly blown out, however, I am thinking that I should definitely do this more often.

7:45 am. At the office I answer a couple of emails, mostly from my team in our Geneva office (it’s the afternoon there already), and then tend to the real reason why I should have gotten up at 4:30 instead of 5, which is to put the finishing touches on my slides for this afternoon’s presentation at Georgetown University. Nothing like waiting for the last minute to do everything… this happens too often.

9:00 am. Breakfast with favorite client, Mike, owner of the Grooming Lounge. A couple times of year we have breakfast at the Mayflower, a favorite tradition of mine, to talk business, share industry news, check in with each other, and have a laugh or two. This is one of the favorite parts of my job, the relationships I create with other business owners. I respect and admire every entrepreneur I work with, they all inspire me one way or another.

10:30 am. Phonecall with the new spa manager of the Salamander Resort and Spa. This is possibly one of the biggest developments in the regional DC spa and wellness industry, a beautiful resort opening in August in Middleburg, the brainchild of Sheila Johnson. Penny, the spa manager, and I have known each other for about 6 years we figure – from her Mandarin Oriental days – and finally, we have the opportunity to work together. Good things come to those who wait. She confirms with me that Alchimie will be one of the lines she will carry at the spa, we talk opening order and training. This is a great day, my favorite type of call!

11:30 am. Meeting with Erin, owner of Homebody, a design store in Capitol Hill. While Alchimie is mostly sold in spas and beauty boutiques, some of our more gift-oriented products also do well in concept stores such as this. I show her our hero Kantic brightening moisture mask and our newest body product, our Dry Skin Balm. I try to use the SPIN selling techniques I learned earlier this year…

12:30 pm. Back in the office. No time for lunch, which is quite typical unless I have a lunch meeting. I keep basics in the fridge in the office, such as apples and slices of muenster (and of course Diet Coke and champagne) for days like today, but I have not had a change to replenish. That’s ok, the muesli from this morning will tide me over. My fabulous intern Maggie is working on our Youtube videos, and came up with the great idea of doing a “what’s in your bag” video of everyone on the Alchimie team. Today, it’s my turn… Then, I answer a couple of emails, and then it’s time to go again.

1:45 pm. Maggie and I arrive at Georgetown University. I have been invited to speak to a group of about 30 graduate students who are visiting for a week from the University of Versailles in France. There, they are pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Cosmetics and Fragrances. I can barely believe it when they call me, who knew there was such a program… only in France! They come to Georgetown for a week, and have a program that combines academic lectures with professional briefings. I fall in the latter. I have been preparing these slides for about a week, combining general industry information with my company’s history, and a few of my favorite “rules of life” to spark discussion at the end. As always when I speak in public, I get butterflies in my stomach… only until I actually start. This time, I start with a few sentences in French, which makes them laugh. I love public speaking, and they are a fabulous audience. Maggie is here to film tidbits of this presentation, again for our Youtube channel.

3:45 pm. The presentation was fabulous, and is followed by a site visit. Maggie and I drive back to the office, where Sherrod, my executive assistant (without whom my life as I know it would not be possible) has prepared samples, business cards, and wine for the students who are making the way to the office. They arrive, I give them a quick tour of the office, answer more questions, show them our products, and we all enjoy an early glass of wine.

5:00 pm. The students have left, and I finally have a chance to check in with Sherrod in terms of his projects, catch up on a few of the day’s 250+ emails, pay a few bills, text with my PR director in New York about pending press, and off I go again, this time to the airport.

7:00 pm. I board my flight to New Orleans. I travel about 70% of my time, either to see my husband, as is the case tonight (he lives in New Orleans, we split our time between the Big Easy and Washington DC, I will be working from his office tomorrow Friday), or to visit clients, attend trade shows, and do press meetings. I love flying. I fly so much that US Airways is kind to me (!!), I do my best thinking and writing in the sky. I will land around 9:30 pm, will have a cocktail at home to catch up on the day with my hubby, and will hopefully be in bed by 11:30 pm (Central time).

Tomorrow (today by the time you read this), it’s Friday. My day will look very different, packed with a conference calls, and serious email catch up, as well as a review of our May and June numbers to date, and some more writing. I can’t wait!

BeautyView: Elena Severin, Store Manager and Buyer, NewBeauty Fred Segal

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One of the things I like best about my job is meeting amazing people, mostly amazing women, and having them become friends in addition to being work colleagues or partners. Elena Severin, store manager and buyer for NewBeauty at Fred Segal, is a perfect example. What started out as email exchanges and phone calls about Alchimie Forever has blossomed into fun, more personal meetings whenever I make it to LA , and a plan to have cocktails in Vegas during Cosmoprof later this summer!

AP: What city were you born in? ES: I was born in Teaneck, NJ. I left NJ when I was 7.

AP: What city to do you live in? ES: Santa Monica, CA.

AP: What is your middle name? ES: Paulette. It was going to be my first name, but my grandmother was killed three days before I was born. Her name was Elena, so I was named after her instead.

AP: What is your astrological sign? ES: Aries.

AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? ES: I am quite chatty, so there is not much people don’t know… I probably tell people more than I should.

AP: What is your most prized possession? ES: My family.

AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? ES: Michelle Obama because I love the way that she has retained her identity whilst standing next to the most powerful man in the world, and also how she contributes to the heart of the White House.

AP: Describe your fashion style in three words maximum. ES: Black, comfortable, girlie.

AP: Do you wear a watch? If yes, what model? ES: I don’t; I used to, I had 5 watches, all batteries went dead one after the other, and I never got them replaced. I love the look of watches, if I were to wear one it would be a big chunky men’s watch. Now I have become like my son, and I look at my phone all the time. I miss wearing a watch…

AP: Diamonds or pearls? ES: Pearls.

AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? ES: A healthy lifestyle.

AP: What fragrance do you wear? ES: Memoire Liquide, specifically a new product I am working on that is called The Blend. The recipe changes daily, as it is a collection of 10 fragrance oils, and the wearer can blend the fragrance oils to his or her taste.

AP: Botox or not? ES: 10 years ago I would have said not. At 42, never say never… I still say not, but who knows for how long. [After asking me if I get Botox (I do), she adds “You are a good advertisement for Botox!”]

AP: Hair color: natural or not? ES: Not, too many grays…

AP: What are your special diet tips, if any? ES: I try as much as possible to avoid processed food.

AP: What do you do for exercise? ES: I love to walk, run, Santa Monica stairs, and running after my son.

AP: What are three things that you always have in your fridge? ES: Still water, yogurt, ingredients for Caprese salads.

AP: What is your cocktail of choice? ES: Red wine or a vodka martini, “perfect,” with sweet and dry vermouth.

AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? ES: If someone has figured this out, please let me know. I do make it a point to have no gadgets at the table, ever, and after I get home from work, nothing comes on until after my son goes to sleep.

AP: How many miles do you fly per year on average? ES: This year, a lot. I go to Boca a couple of times a year, and I travel for buying, including to Elements, Cosmoprof, and other shows.

AP: What are your three top tips for travel? ES: 1. Have a beauty bag packed and always ready to go. Buy duplicates of everything that you use on a daily basis. 2. Fly with the least amount of makeup on. 3. Try to wear closed-toed shoes.   

AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. ES: Imagine Dragons by Radioactive, my son likes Twilight Zone, and Rockstar by Pink.

AP: What book are you reading right now? ES: World War Z. Trying to get through it…

AP: Quote to live by. ES: Live every day as if it were your last.

AP: What is your worst pet peeve? ES: Tardiness.

AP: What time do you usually wake up in the morning, and how many hours of sleep do you usually get? ES:I wake up by 6:30 am, and ideally I get 7 hours of sleep.

AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? ES: That feeling of finding a true gem that can make a difference in someone’s day by a simple application.

AP: Least favorite thing. ES: I don’t really have a least favorite… I really love this industry!

AP: Who is your mentor? ES: I have two… Steffanie Attenberg with whom I currently work, and Robin Coe-Hutshing, with whom I have worked in the past.

AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. ES: Stand by what you say and trust your instincts.

Washington Spa Alliance celebrates

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While people may not think of DC as the Capital of Spa, and while indeed it probably is not (no matter how I try to argue the case!), last night was a great reminder of the spa and wellness forces in our greater area. We had our Washington Spa Alliance annual in-person board meeting yesterday during the day, followed by a member get-together at my new favorite place, The Capella DC.

Among the attendees of both meetings were represented such wellness entrepreneurs as one of the founders of the International Spa Association; the senior VP of spa operations and retail development of Red Door Spas; the spa manager of Salamander Resort and Spa, which is due to open in Middleburg in August; the president of Relax & Rejuvenate (a company based in Charlottesville that offers in-room treatment programs to hotels that do not have spas, including The Capella DC); a representative from WTS, based in Rockville, a company that manages many of the spas that you have probably been to, and more.

While we might not be the spa capital of the country, there certainly are some exciting developments happening in spa and wellness in this city… today and for the couple of years to come (Trump DC anyone?). It’s a great time to be in the spa and wellness industry in DC!