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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

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In episode ninety two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Conserving Beauty, Natassia Nicolao.

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 [email protected]

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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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