The Niche Beauty Brands Poised to Dominate in 2025, According to Us! Plus - The French Pharmacy Renaissance and Embracing Slow Beauty.

Summary

Breaking Beauty Podcast Summary
Episode: The Niche Beauty Brands Poised to Dominate in 2025, According to Us! Plus - The French Pharmacy Renaissance and Embracing Slow Beauty
Release Date: January 22, 2025
Hosts: Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins

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1. Introduction to 2025 Beauty Trends

In this episode, beauty editors Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins delve into the emerging beauty trends and brands expected to make significant strides in 2025. They explore innovative skincare formulations, sustainable practices, and the evolving landscape of beauty technology.

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2. Spotlight on Emerging Beauty Brands

a. Sansi Skincare and Pamela Anderson’s Collaboration

Jill highlights her excitement for Sansi Skincare, especially with Pamela Anderson's recent involvement:

"Sansi Skincare...a cleansing mousse formulated with a natural essence of rose hips, inspired by Pamela's rose garden." ([02:24])

Pamela Anderson has expanded her role beyond investment, co-developing products like a cleansing mousse, moisture mask, super serum, and lip balm. This collaboration emphasizes a back-to-nature approach, appealing to consumers seeking natural and sensitive skin-friendly products.

b. Paris Hilton’s 1111 Skincare Line

Carlene introduces Paris Hilton's foray into skincare with her brand, 1111, which integrates her extensive media presence:

"1111 Media spans content, community, and commerce, making it a natural extension into skincare." ([05:20])

Despite initial skepticism about the authenticity of her “all-natural” claims, the hosts recognize Paris’s commitment to a holistic beauty regime, enhanced by her dedicated spa facility.

c. CLEOS by Tammy Demos

Jill discusses CLEOS, a new aesthetic skincare line founded by Tammy Demos:

"CLEOS features sculptural packaging and water-activated powders, offering highly concentrated organic ingredients like vitamin C and goji berries." ([10:36])

CLEOS emphasizes sustainability and efficacy, with products designed for barrier repair and optimal skin function through biomimetic formulations.

d. Ruby Hammer and Le Bon Bross via Living Beauty

The hosts commend Living Beauty for introducing Ruby Hammer and Le Bon Bross to the Canadian market:

"Ruby Hammer simplifies beauty routines with practical products like mascara and brow duos, while Le Bon Bross offers gentle, aesthetically pleasing hair brushes akin to Mason Pearson." ([13:03])

Ruby Hammer’s innovative makeup tools and Le Bon Bross’s high-quality brushes cater to both beauty enthusiasts and professionals, blending functionality with elegant design.

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3. Anticipated Beauty Trends for 2025

a. Biohacking in Beauty

Carlene identifies biohacking as a defining trend:

"Biohacking focuses on products that help the skin and hair regenerate and function optimally, extending youthfulness naturally." ([16:52])

This trend encompasses biomimetic skincare, utilizing ingredients that mimic the body’s natural processes to enhance beauty from within.

b. Undetectable Cosmetic Enhancements

Jill discusses the rising preference for subtle cosmetic procedures:

"Micro Botox and fillers are gaining popularity for their ability to provide natural-looking enhancements over time." ([16:59])

While acknowledging the allure of transformative procedures, Jill advocates for gradual treatments that maintain one's authentic appearance.

c. Diverging Paths: High-Tech vs. Farm-to-Face Beauty

The conversation highlights a split in consumer preferences:

• Biohacking and Biomimetic Products: Emphasizing scientific advancements and skin regeneration.
• Traditional, Farm-to-Face Approaches: Catering to those who prefer natural, homemade, and sustainable beauty solutions.

Carlene humorously bets on the likelihood of traditional brands venturing into beauty:

"If Nara Smith or Ballerina Farm doesn’t launch a beauty line by the end of 2025, I’ll eat my arm." ([21:20])

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4. French Pharmacy Renaissance and Slow Beauty

The hosts explore the resurgence of French pharmacy brands that prioritize slow beauty—emphasizing quality, sustainability, and holistic well-being over rapid consumption.

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5. Exclusive Interview: Annabelle Kindersley of Neil’s Yard Remedies

a. The Importance of Bees in Beauty

Annabelle underscores the critical role bees play in both ecology and the beauty industry:

"If we didn't have pollinators, one in three mouthfuls of food depends on them, not to mention the foundational role bees play in our skincare ingredients." ([29:11])

She explains how Neil’s Yard integrates bee products responsibly:

"We maintain beehives at our eco-manufacturing facility, ensuring bees are nourished without additives, promoting both bee health and high-quality ingredients." ([38:29])

b. Sustainability and Advocacy

Annabelle highlights her company's commitment to environmental causes and advocacy:

"We've led a coalition of 110 businesses to lobby the UK government for pesticide reductions, advocating for sustainable farming practices." ([30:38])

Her efforts have led to tangible changes, demonstrating the power of collective action in driving industry-wide sustainability.

c. Product Highlights: Wild Rose Beauty Balm

Jill praises the Wild Rose Beauty Balm, a flagship product of Neil’s Yard:

"The Wild Rose Beauty Balm is a cult favorite, offering multifunctional benefits like taming eyebrows, providing glow, and soothing the skin." ([32:25])

Annabelle describes its versatility and sensory appeal:

"It's a one-pot wonder that can be used as a mask, highlighter, or overnight treatment, delivering a dewy, glowy finish." ([33:49])

d. Expansion Plans and Market Presence

Annabelle outlines Neil’s Yard’s growth and future plans:

"Currently present in over 20 markets with significant presence in Japan, we plan to expand in North America with direct-to-consumer sales and potential physical stores on both coasts." ([42:05])

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6. Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Jill and Carlene wrap up by emphasizing the diverse directions the beauty industry is taking:

• Innovation in Ingredients and Technology: Biomimetic and biohacking approaches are revolutionizing skincare.
• Sustainability and Ethical Practices: Brands like Neil’s Yard are leading the charge in environmentally conscious beauty.
• Consumer Preferences: The market is catering to both high-tech beauty solutions and traditional, natural remedies.

The episode underscores the dynamic interplay between scientific advancements and a return to natural, sustainable practices, shaping the future landscape of beauty in 2025.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jill Dunn on biomimetic skincare: "CLLEOS features sculptural packaging and water-activated powders, offering highly concentrated organic ingredients." ([10:36])
• Annabelle Kindersley on bee conservation: "Bees are hugely important...they underpin everything in our ecosystem and beauty products." ([29:11])
• Carlene Higgins on biohacking: "Biohacking focuses on products that help the skin and hair regenerate and function optimally." ([16:52])

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For More Information: Explore the brands and products discussed in this episode on the Breaking Beauty Podcast website. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation on social media!

Transcript

[Jill Dunn]

The following podcast is a dear media production. Welcome to Breaking Beauty the Podcast, all about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty.

[Carlene Higgins]

We're your hosts, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins. Welcome back to Breaking Beauty Podcast, everyone. I'm Jill Dunn, one of your co hosts. I'm sitting here alongside Kari Carleen Higgins, like we are every single Wednesday in your feed. Hi, Carleen.

[Jill Dunn]

Hello, Jill.

[Carlene Higgins]

So, of course, we are two longtime beauty editors turned beauty podcasters, and we're in your feeds every single Wednesday with the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty. And we're mid January at this point. Blue Monday is behind us. I still have not looked at my credit card bills, so there's that. In today's episode, we're kind of like looking ahead in 2025 about what we're excited about, what products we think are going to pop off, some launches that we think are coming with. You know, it's. It's a bit of a vibe check, and I want to talk about some of those. And we're going to round out today's conversation with a very exciting interview.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. So one of the brands that we're excited about is called Neil's Yard. You're going to find out why toward the end of this episode, but we are doing kind of like a phone, a friend and partnership with our friends at Neil's Yard with the CEO and co owner. Her name is Annabelle Kindersley, and I met her when I was in New York. And we had a great conversation about Beeswax and this idea of vegan skin care. And I was like, it's kind of sad that Beeswax has gone out the window with this kind of rise of vegan skin care. So people, you know, maybe you're going to come at me, but honestly, hear me out. Hear her out. We're going to talk about this toward the end of the episode. The case for beeswax in skin care and why actually better for the bees.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay. Interesting. Yeah, I am curious about that. So in today's episode, we're going to be talking about some skincare that we're excited about, some makeup launches. So let's kick it off. Carlene, I want to hear a little bit about what's on your radar for 2025.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. So Pamela Anderson, you know, I'm really into her whole no makeup look. She really ruled 2024, I would say. And representing the Gen X, I really want to see that movie that she was in.

[Carlene Higgins]

Showgirl.

[Jill Dunn]

Showgirl. Last show girl. She just, she got, like, great buzz for that. Performance, So I can't wait to see it. So probably most of our listeners know that she got involved with a brand called Sansi Skincare, which is kind of like that all natural, really minimalist, like feels like a small batch brand maybe about a year ago now. So she invested in that brand, but we really didn't see her involved in it. So it was just like, what is happening? We. Well, finally what's happening now is that she helped to develop some new products. It's. There's a cleansing mousse which was formulated with a natural essence of rose hips. And this was apparently inspired by her rose garden. And she told wwd, I start every day. I start each day when I'm home in my rose garden. So I felt, how do I bring that with me? So this is a very like back to nature type of approach. But I have sensitive skin. I like rose hip oil, so I want to try this. And she also co created with the brand a moisture mask, a super serum and a lip balm. So finally, I'm excited to try that brand now that she's actually stepping up. What about you? So tell us about Paris Hilton, because I heard that this is more than just like a brand that's launching. It seems to be part of her media enterprise. What do you know?

[Carlene Higgins]

Right? It's, it's called 1111. And what was really interesting to me is that she's gone on a few podcasts to do. To do a bit of a soft launch. And she talked about how she, she said, I've. I feel really proud that I'm all natural. Oh, yes, quote, I stayed out of the sun. I've never done any Botox injectables, no surgery, nothing.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Are you buying that?

[Carlene Higgins]

Well, I do believe what she said next, which is that her mother told her from a very early age to stay, to stay out of the sun. Kathy Hilton, she's like very beauty focused. And I do believe that, that her mom probably taught her really good habits. And having watched Paris's documentary Paris in Love, she has an entire wing basically of her house called that's dedicated to spa treatments. It's called the Sliving spa.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh my gosh.

[Carlene Higgins]

And so she has like an LED bed there. She has all these gadgets. And I do believe that she does a lot of maintenance. Do I think she's probably had Botox. Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Or nose job or something.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. But I mean, I actually don't know if she's had a nose job, but she has a really great nose, that's for sure. It's going to be coming out in March. So, yeah, to your point, Carlene, it's 1111 Media and it's this entertainment company that's like the center of pop culture. So she does content, community, commerce, and it spans a lot of businesses. So it just makes sense that she's getting into skincare. And I will be trying it.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

When I. I've been trying to track down the pr, so yeah, I'll stay tuned for that.

[Jill Dunn]

So does that mean that there will be some kind of a website that will kind of have more content?

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, I mean, she has a content that is around her DJing career, all of those things. And then the beauty vertical will be another.

[Jill Dunn]

Like a lifestyle. Kind of a lifestyle. Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

And she's coming back, I do believe with Nicole Richie on like the Simple Life. There's a 2.0. So that all makes sense. Like when you're gonna be on TV like that or you're gonna have another show, why not branch out into beauty?

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, I mean, she sort of did before. She had a skincare line back in the day.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right. I don't remember anything about it.

[Jill Dunn]

Didn't really go anywhere.

[Carlene Higgins]

She has fragrances.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

As well. Which are still popular.

[Jill Dunn]

I think the. Yeah, the skincare line. I can't really remember what happened. It was just like bad timing. I think maybe before it's time. So we'll see. But I mean, I'm a fan. I find her entertaining and now that she's a mom, I find her more relatable.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. I think it's just interesting and we kind of saw it. I just think there's these people who are ever present in media and in culture. She's one of them.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Trump was another. And it's like you just feel like you know them because you see them constantly. And she has that as well.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

So no matter what or when she launches something, people are going to be interested.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. You know, and she does look like she hasn't aged in.

[Carlene Higgins]

She looks great.

[Jill Dunn]

Like, honestly.

[Carlene Higgins]

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[Pia Barangini]

Hi, I'm Pia Barangini, the creative director of lpa. An entrepreneur, a wife and a dog mom based in Los Angeles. This is my new podcast Everything is the Best where we basically ask interesting people how did you go from zero to yacht? I'm always curious how the hell people became successful and I figured you would be too. Get on the Internet with me, let's laugh, let's cry, let's overshare and let's get inspired to live our best lives. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. It's all for you baby. Thanks for listening. Love you mean it.

[Jill Dunn]

I want to tell you about another one that I mentioned interested in for 2025. It's called CLEOS and Clea and this is a a really beautiful aesthetic skin care line and it's all about the these again like back to nature. You know, I'm into this idea but the founder, what interests me about it is that the founder is the. Her name is Tammy Demos and she had a past life working for a skincare brand called cosmetics. And in 202007 she co created another line called Osmosis Beauty. So Osmosis Beauty I recognize because my facialist in Toronto, I go to Maria Christina Bruno and she recommended this product to me, this Osmosis Rescue that she carries at her atelier. And this is Rescue epidermal repair serum. And they just like rave about this product, how good it is at like calming, redness, irritation. It's like a best selling serum. So I started to look into this Osmosis line And it was co created with a doctor and it was actually designed for oncology patients. So I just think it's really interesting. And now it was kind of like a professional skincare line for facialists and spas. But her second, second iteration, Second Life is like a direct to consumer brand.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

So I just think it's really interesting this idea that she, she has this past history and knowledge but then she's branching out into this completely different.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

Idea. You can see how stunningly beautiful the packaging in it is. It's very like sculptural.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right. It doesn't. It kind of reminds me of the sacred shampoo packages.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, it's kind of that.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's like a ball on the top.

[Jill Dunn]

And and then the other thing that is interesting about the it's launch four products, there's a cleanser, a toner, a serum and a moisturizer. And a couple of the products are the like powders that are water activated. So we've seen this technology before and like very kind of sustainable brands and also in shampoos and conditioners. So what I would say about this one is it's just so elevated. Like the CleanSer, it has 90% organic active ingredients including like vitamin C, goji berries, antioxidants. So that's the thing with this powder because we know vitamin C is unstable. So it's like it's activated with the water. So I think that's an interesting concept. Plus it's very concentrated. So we know that these powder formulas go a long way because there's no water in the actual bottle. Anyway, I have yet to try it but I do have it at home and I'm excited by it. I'm excited to try it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right, okay.

[Jill Dunn]

You know, we'll report back. Yeah, I'm interested. It's piqued my interest for sure.

[Carlene Higgins]

How do you spell it?

[Jill Dunn]

It's Cleo's K L E O S plus Clea K L E A.

[Carlene Higgins]

That's like her kids names or something.

[Jill Dunn]

No, I think it's all inspired by like Greek, kind of like ancient, you know, it has like ancient volcanic ash in some of the products. So it's kind of like hearkening back to the past.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right, okay. Interesting.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Now I just want to shout out a couple things really quickly. There's a distributor in Canada called Living Beauty and they're rocking it with the brands that they're bringing in to Canada. They're bringing like importing brands that are hard to get and so I popped into their pop up that was at Gaspard in Toronto, which is a amazing, like, kind of French style clothing store.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

And I clocked a couple of things that I'm really excited are coming to Canada. One of them is a brand called Le Bon Bross. Did you see this? Brushes?

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

The hair brushes. They are so stunning, you guys. And they are. The actual. The founder is somebody who herself experienced issues with her scalp.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

So that's why she created this brush brand. And they're. It's kind of in the vein of Mason Pearson, I would say, for sure. It's supposed to be very gentle for your hair. So it has like these ball tips with these nylon fibers that like, gently detangle and massage the scalp. And they also have boar bristles. So it's all, again, about that, that health. And because they're so gorgeous, they look like ceramic and it has, like a twist to it. They are, like $200, but they make, like, an amazing gift. I would love to own one of these. And they come in like a powder blue, yellow, pink. Very, very stunning. I know that in the US they're available at Moda Operandi.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. And. And Detox Market.

[Jill Dunn]

And Detox Market.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And then the other line that they're bringing in that's very cool is Ruby Hammer.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, I know her. Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And she's a makeup artist. Yeah, she was actually. She's from the UK and she was an. She was awarded an MBE in 2007. I had to look up. What MBE?

[Carlene Higgins]

Charlotte Tilbury. Tilbury also has one.

[Jill Dunn]

So cool. It stands for Member of the Order of the British Empire. And it's an honor given by the British monarchy to people who have made significant contributions to society. So Ruby Hammer is very well known in the UK. She's a global makeup artist. She has 30 years under her belt where she's worked, like, backstage, worked hokure shows, television. And so I didn't. I wasn't aware of her. She wasn't on my radar. But I really vibe with Ruby Hammer. She's all about products that simplify your life. So, you know, that's perfect for me. Lazy, slash, busy. So it's about simplifying your routine. And I started following her on Instagram and she's one of those people kind of like Elisa Eldridge, where it's just like very, very practical tips for your life about, like, how to apply blush so it doesn't look too strong. Like very accessible, kind of the opposite of TikTok world. I think there's a lot of people we've talked about this before, kind of looking for, like the old, old school YouTubers who would do that. It's kind of hard to find that bite size information.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

So I really. I really like jive with her. And I've been using her mascara. It's a mascara and brow duo. And so on one side, it's just like a clear. See how it's got this tiny brush. I used it today. Again, it's like the opposite of the hard, gluey gel freezing versions. And then the mascara, it's got this tiny, tiny little wand.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yep.

[Jill Dunn]

Almost like the Japanese metal ones, and they really get at every lash. So I wore it today. I find my lashes are just like, standing up at attention.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

It's a great product. This is the blush, like, so pretty. It's in a stick. And she also has a genius invention that's like a. A makeup brush wand.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

So it's like this long, probably like 5 inches, but it twists at different points in it. So there's actually like three or four brushes in it. And it's magnetic. So just really clever things like that.

[Carlene Higgins]

Trenny has the same one.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, yeah. I'm driving with this brand. So Ruby Hammer. It's like dark red, ruby color. It's also available in the US At Bergdorfs. And I'm into it, guys.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah. I've been here for a while.

[Jill Dunn]

Things. It's the little things that make me excited.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. So just have a few more minutes. I think we should talk about what we think are going to be some trends for 2025.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

So what if there was a word that you think is going to define beauty for 2025, what do you think it is?

[Jill Dunn]

Oh, wow. That's a loaded question. I think that. I do think that the undetectable work, I think, is going to continue this trend of people going to. Going for micro surgeries. I think that's gonna continue. Micro surgeries, micro Botox, micro fillers, all that stuff where it's really undetectable. We've talked about this before too, but I think it's really catching on now, this idea of, like, micro treatments over time instead of like, oh, I've saved up all my money. I'm coming in with a big bang.

[Carlene Higgins]

See, I just. I kind of disagree. I think the trend right now is doing it all at once.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, Yeah, I disagree. I think the best work is when you go in and do little things over time. Yeah, I think that's the best work that's being done. But I know what you're saying, because there are certainly examples on Instagram and in Hollywood where we see these people who have a whole new face like Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan, but they probably. Yeah, I mean that's, that's another way to go.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

But then you also get hit with that. It's very noticeable.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, sure.

[Jill Dunn]

And so.

[Carlene Higgins]

Or yeah, it's just like you look like yourself 10 years ago all of a sudden.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, exactly. Which I think, you know, for most people in real life, probably wouldn't want that. But if you're fighting for your life in your career, right. In Hollywood, then sure, you know, go for it.

[Carlene Higgins]

New face. I think for me, what is going to define 2025, in a word, is like biohacking. Every brand is going to want to tap into having your body or your skin, your hair. Not regenerate, that's the wrong word. But basically products that help your own skin and hair look its best, repair itself. And I think we're even seeing that with like spa treatments. Like everything has like a biohacking element. And so many brands are going in this direction. Like on our show coming up and just some of our recent guests. This is like what's coming up time and time again. And I think people are really interested in making your skin work in its optimal way so you look younger for longer. And I think that that is definitely the trend.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, I mean, I don't disagree. I think this, this comes from longevity is another word that this is sort of linked to that. It's this idea that your body can regenerate itself if you just help it versus kind of like putting things on top of it that are foreign to it and then expecting some big result. So in that sense it's, it's kind of feels more natural. So like PRP is the ultimate example of this. Right. Where you would actually use your own blood, but optimize it by putting it in that subterfuge, you know, getting, taking out just the plasma and then re injecting it. So that's really the, the prime example of biohacking. But I agree with you that we're gonna see this trickle down effect. So one example of that, another brand that I think is really cool that's coming now, it just launched in October, well, October 2023. But it's trickling to North America now. It's called Mamatique. Do you know this brand?

[Carlene Higgins]

I've seen headlines. I've not read anything about it though.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. So this is a very high aesthetic kind of French skin care line. It looks like French pharmacy. And the reason it's called Mimetique is, is be. Because it's mimetic. So we talk about mimetic biomimetic.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Right?

[Jill Dunn]

That's the whole concept.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. Like K18 is biomimetic. Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

It's this whole idea that it's. So this particular product, what they have is this formulation complex and it's. Who cares what it's called? It's a bunch of numbers and letters, but it's this mimetic restore complex. So it's designed to jive with your skin, so it actually does penetrate and, and helps it to function optimally. The founder, her name's Fabian Sebon, she formerly worked at Le Mare and Guerlain, so came from very, you know, prestigious luxe background. And I'm actually excited to try this product line as well. I think it's great for barrier repair. But. Yeah, so they, I guess the best word to describe this biomimetic is skin mimicry.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Is what they're saying.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah. So we're. Yeah. Biohacking, biomimetic, whatever you want to call it, skin mimicry. Definitely going to be hearing a lot about that. And I think there's a flip side to that too, though. And I mark my words, if the trad wives don't have skincare brands by the end of 2025, I'll eat my arm. So if Nara Smith doesn't have a beauty brand, I'd be shocked.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

If Ballerina Farm does not have a farm to face moisturizer by the end of this year, knock me over with a feather. Honestly, that. There's the two camps, right?

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Biohacking, getting all, you know, the latest, the greatest, the longevity. And then there's the trad wives making everything from scratch.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Everything's on a farm. And that those two.

[Jill Dunn]

We'll see. I think Nara will launch something, but it remains to be seen what it is. I mean, a cookbook would be the natural thing. Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

For sure. But I just mean like in the beauty space.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

If somebody is not making something for her right now, I'd be shocked.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, well, right, we'll see. Yeah, it could be that. It could be something else. We'll see. But she is. I, I saw they just bought a home, you know, so I'm sure something will be cooking.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes.

[Jill Dunn]

But I think it's interesting. Like some there really is in reality, it's. There are people who are interested in the high science skin care, high science beauty, and then some people who really do crave.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Back to nature, you know, the May Lindstroms of the world. And I think on that note, Neil's Yard is another brand that I'm personally excited about. Like, this is a very accessible version of Farm to Face. The prices are really accessible. So I don't know how many of our listeners are familiar with Neil's Yard remedies, but this is a brand that is very, very popular in the uk.

[Carlene Higgins]

Little blue bottle.

[Jill Dunn]

That's where it was born. Little blue bottles. Very apothecary. But the prices are quite reasonable. The reason that I'm interested in this brand is because it's big in Japan. Okay, I'm just gonna say it. I love Japanese skincare. I feel like they really know what they're doing when it comes to skin care. And they have adopted Neil's Yard remedies so much that some people, like the. The CEO, the co owner, Annabelle, told us that when they. Sometimes we'll meet people from Japan, they're like, I thought this was a Japanese brand, right? And actually some of their products, like, they have a beautiful frankincense essence. It's so like, I love an essence, right? A hydrating essence, right? So it's like this weighty beauty water that you put on, and it's just so hydrating. And when I tried it, I was like, how is this. This, like British kind of homeopathic feeling brand? It feels so like K Beauty or Japanese. And then the story started to come together when I realized that they're big in Japan. So I love this fusion. And honestly, everybody needs to try the Wild Rose Beauty Balm. $65 US like, very reasonable price point. This is like their cult product. So we're going to. She'll talk about it and name drop, like all the celebrities like Kate Moss who love this product, but it's so soothing at night. It's smells like the spa. It's like all botanical ingredients that just like calm my skin. You can put a bit on over makeup. But it's a very interesting company as well, because they're not. They're very unique in this space. What they do, it's called vertical integration. That's like the technical term for what they do. But what it means is that they do it all. They do the growing, the manufacturing, the packaging, all under one roof.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

I believe it's endorse it in the uk and they really are masters at like following organic certification. So everything is totally legit, very ethical. They will not compromise. Even though they're all about this, like, high performance.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right, right.

[Jill Dunn]

I mean, so it's very interesting that way. But the way that I met Annabel is that we just had coffee in New York and as I mentioned in the intro, we just had this really interesting conversation about beeswax. And I told her I am starting a skincare brand. I was like, I don't know if I should use beeswax or not. Like, like everybody's so much about vegan these days. But I really do think that it's such a great ingredient for our skin and it's so natural. But I don't really know does it harm the bees or not? So this is how we got into this conversation about how, according to Annabelle, it's actually saving the bees and that's what they do with Neil's yard remedies. So.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right, interesting.

[Jill Dunn]

We've introduced, we've. We've asked her to actually do a phone a friend with us in partnership with Meals yard remedies.

[Carlene Higgins]

Everything that we mentioned today, everything Annabelle's going to be speaking about, we're linking to it over on our website, which is breakingbeautypodcast.com and we will turn it over to Annabelle now.

[Jill Dunn]

This episode is brought to you in part by Quint. So we've been talking all about the beauty brands we're so excited about for 2025. Now everybody needs to know about Quince when it to fashion. Okay, I'll tell you why. Because it's all about designer for less. I mean, I'm all about that, honestly. And it's the perfect place to go to build those capsule pieces in your wardrobe that you don't want to pay more for. So I'll give you an example. You can get a cashmere Mongolian sweater, which comes in all the great colors like navy blue, black cream, all of that for $50. That's like 50 to 80% off what you'd pay for similar brands. And the best part is it's not fast fashion. Quint only works with, with top factories that have ethical and safe processes. And the reason that they are able to price them so low these pieces is because they just cut out the middleman. They work directly with these top factories and they pass the savings on to us. So I just purchased in my cart, like a basic black T shirt. It's the perfect little fit. It was under 20 bucks. Also, we all know that mocha is the color of the year for 2025. So I got this cotton cashmere blend crewneck mocha sweater. So it's like this beautiful brow. I'm going to wear it with kind of tweety houndstooth pants, brown suede loafers, maybe throw on like a denim jacket over top. And it's just great. It looks like luxury but you're paying less for it. So everybody has to check out Quince. And the best part is they offer 365 day returns plus free shipping. Okay. When you go to quince.com beauty so that's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com beauty to get free shipping and three 365 day returns, you can't lose quince.com beauty check it out. Thank you for joining us on Breaking Beauty. Now, you and I chatted earlier this year. We met up in New York and we were having a conversation about this real push in the industry toward vegan beauty. And I had talked to you about the fact that I was a little saddened that, you know, honey was being demonized in the process because I personally really like honey as a skincare ingredient. And you said something that was interesting to me. You said without bees, the entire beauty industry would cease to exist. And I wondered if you could share that, that position and shed some light on that for our listeners.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Well, we've been big supporters of bees since we started. We started back in 1981 in a quiet, dusty corner of Covent Garden in London. And I would guess we're probably the original clean beauty brand, I guess in that way. So we've been always campaigning for, you know, the planet, sustainability, environmental causes, microbeads. We'll go over those things, I'm sure. But, but bees, let's say they've been the kind of fundamental, well, they underpin everything. In fact, if we didn't have our pollinators, one in three mouthfuls of food depends on pollinators. So let alone not having our beauty products, we would, we would only be having sort of non flowering crop, we would be having the sort of main staple of crops, but not many fruit and vegetables. So that would be a very dire situation to be in. So yeah, so bees are hugely important to us. And also they, they pollinate. Our natural ingredients actually are flowering beautif lavenders, the calendula, certain roses, I mean, you name it, they are, they are fundamental to our being. So yeah, it's important and I think we take that for granted and I think it is that sort of piece of protecting nature as, as a responsible beauty business owner, I think it's sort of critical really.

[Jill Dunn]

And you, you really kind of like lobby for this and making change at the government level, is that right?

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Yes. We've never been afraid to stand up for what we believe in and we also feel, I also feel personally as the platform, as a business owner that I have my responsibility to, to help those changes happen. So actually 10 years ago we lobbied the government to ask them to cut hazardous pesticides and a ban came into, into effect which was amazing. So I've made big headway into our, our British Parliament, which is your equivalent of a U.S. congress. And I've lobbied the government to, to ask for hazardous pesticides to be reduced, cut, have a pesticide reduction framework so that we could help get businesses to help them to transition away from that and also help farmers and support farmers. Obviously we, we support the farming industry massively and that's been really fundamental. Actually I've led a coalition of 110 businesses to ask the government to do that. And I've got lots of different beauty brands, well known beauty brands to be involved in that and farming brands and food brands and actually there's a more I could do. I think I won't stop. I've been name checked twice in our Congress, our version of Congress in the fact that we actually, it's made me realize that, you know, if you do keep persisting and holding on to something and holding on to what you believe, you actually can make a difference. And I think that's been really encouraging really that we can make differences if we stick together. And I also think the really important thing is actually about gathering together and being coalitions because not one single beauty brand or any company is going to make those changes alone. But I do think if we work together for, for the right thing and, and, and doing good, then we really can affect a change and, and I've seen that with my own eyes actually happen. So it's definitely the way forward for me.

[Jill Dunn]

There's something about British beauty brands. You guys do really do this. So you have that kind of fire in the belly about being advocates and change makers really in the industry. I think about the Body Shop and I think about Lush and, and now I'm learning about Neil's Yard. So you're a force over there.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Well, I think, yeah, maybe it is. Yeah, we've got a, yeah, we've, we're, we're, we are, we're a powerful bunch. I think actually all of those guys have signed my coalition so they're all part, they're all on the bus with me, which is good.

[Carlene Higgins]

I was just gonna ask you because I understand that You're a homeopath as well by training, is that right?

[Annabelle Kindersley]

I am, yes, I am, I am. So I trained, oh my goodness, many years ago and had a practice in one of our therapy rooms actually because we have, we have a network of shops, stores around the UK actually. We also have a network of stores in Japan. Our second biggest market is Japan actually. But we have a network and in our stores in the UK we have therapy rooms, treatment rooms which we offer array of different treatments from herbal remedies to massage, facials, aromatherapy. We've done courses and then homeopaths in there to acupuncturists. We've got a whole array of different therapies that we offer in our, in attached to our stores. And that, that's what we're really all about is, you know, is about well being and holistic beauty.

[Jill Dunn]

And so I wanted to ask you from that perspective about honey's like historical and holistic role with our skin, like, and also how it's clinically proven because I know that's part of your kind of DNA with your products as well.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Well actually yes, honey propolis, we use a lot of different honey bee bee products in our ingredients is the antiseptic side of honey, which we all know with the Manuka honey and other parts. But also I think it's, it's really about, it's really about. Ours is more about protecting bees in, in their whole form and the products that they give are one thing. But there's also beeswax which we use in our products too. But I think it's all about bee health. And bee health is really fundamental to making sure we've got a really healthy ecosystem. So it's not just about the properties of the bee products that we use but also about, I mean we know that beeswax is amazing on melting points. So it's incredibly nourishing and incredible when you have it in your beauty products. But it's even deeper than that. It's what actually do bees do holistically to help us in terms of other plants that we use, like calendar, lavender, everything. So it's the whole cycle. And I think actually when we spoke in New York earlier, we were really talking about, about you know, the pressure on bees right now, the pressure on bees. And I think that that's the thing where they're being so abused and taken for granted that we, that we are in jeopardy of, you know, or you see where there are places where, where, where fruit is being hand pollinated, you know, blueberries being the bees being shipped in from China and there, there's a real in a problem with bee health and there have been loads of documentaries on it actually one which we've been working on recently with amazing people from Kiss the Ground, you know, the Kiss the Ground and Common Ground that, that those filmmakers. But yes, I think that that bigger picture of what bees provide is really critical. And so looking after one's hives, making sure the honey is, you know, the black pesticides, all of those things that impact. We know that pesticides, lethal pesticides are so toxic to bees. A single teaspoon of a neonicotinoid, which is like the pesticide which is found really to of to make plant yields better in terms of certain crops, they are so toxic that a single teaspoon of a neonicotinoid is enough to kill one and a quarter billion bees. So whilst we're doing all of this work to help these, we're not. We're kind of like one sort of single drop and they're, they're sort of obliterated. So I think, you know, I don't know what it's like. I mean I do know it's like in the US but all across the globe we can't find ourselves in a situation where we're hand pollinating. We don't have enough people to do that. And so, you know, there got to be a way forward in term in terms of respecting nature. So yes, the, the therapeutic benefits of honey are well, well researched but it's also the wider aspect of all of the other natural ingredients that we depend on massively in the beauty industry.

[Carlene Higgins]

Effy.

[Jill Dunn]

I sort of think of commenters on, on Instagram oftentimes who would say just, just, can we just leave the bees alone Though they might think that when you're extracting propolis or beeswax that they're process. And so I did chat with a friend of mine who she and her husband actually make their own honey.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Oh yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And we're very privileged to get some get jars from them, which my family loves. But I talked to her and I said, you know, are bees harmed in the process when you are, you know, extracting the honey? And you're probably better at explaining this than I am, but she explained that, that as long as it's extracted in a particular way and you leave a certain amount for the colony, then they're able to regenerate and feed off of that and nourish. But when it comes to big honey, you know, as a corporation, they kind of overtake they take too much and then what's left behind is so minimal and they'll actually add water and it results in, you know, so to speak, like anemic bees and anemic honey and you're not getting that, that full nourishment. So that, that was sort of a rudimentary explain explanation of how you know the difference between sort of small batch and responsibly sourced versus big honey. So I wonder if you can speak to that when it comes to Neil's Yard, because you do have beeswax in some of your products. Is it, is it in the balm that I love it?

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Is it in. It is in the bomb.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Yes, I think you're absolutely right. Small scale beekeeping is not the issue. If you're looking after your bees and we have beehives here in Dorset at our eco manufacturing facility where I'm right now, I'm at. And we have a number of hives actually we don't harvest anything from them. And so their honey, they, they use themselves that, that's what they're feeding on. So we don't give them any sugar. There's no. Any other additive added things. But they're, they're their services to us if, if I be so bold is really just to. Or Echinacea and our calendula that's here on the land and actually we keep finding that we keep getting swarms of other bees from other places who come and sort of nestle down in our land because our land is certified organic and obviously it's very nice for them and they thrive here. So we keep having to build more hives for them because we keep getting other people, other, other bees from other swarms coming to us.

[Carlene Higgins]

No, but generally getting out.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Yeah. Words getting out. Exactly. Yeah, the B word.

[Carlene Higgins]

Exactly.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

The really important thing for us is, is it goes back to certification. So we buy our beeswax. Certified organic beeswax, which I must say is getting harder and harder to get in the sense that. And it has been actually in the years I've had Neil's Yard owned Neil's yard the last 20 years. It's always been a tricky thing and I guess that's why a lot of people don't bother doing it. I would urge people to buy organic honey because the sort of amount of pest, pesticide residue in the general honey that's not organic is pretty stark and there have been many tests about it. But actually that's why we in. We were the first beauty brand in the UK to be certified organic. And actually that was only when there was certification for food back in the 90s. And we approached the. The best certifying body because. Called the Soil association, you might know it now as Cosmos because they've, they've become under an umbrella brand that we helped with too. But with Cosmos Soil association, there are very strict guidelines and, and, and how you keep your beehives and what becomes, what constitutes being able to be regulated to be certified. We firmly believe you cannot mark your own homework. And so it's all right for everyone to say, oh, well, my honey, my heart, my bees are fine. My bees works fine. No, we don't believe in that. We really do believe you have to go to the ends of this auditing process to make sure that it's all within the regulations. And they are the strictest regulations that you. That and the best regulations that you could possibly have. So it's about that commitment to independent auditing. It's about every step of the journey being assessed. The packaging, how be health. Let's not. I mean, not just beeswax, but all of the ingredients that we buy that we don't grow ourselves and that are also. Those are also independently certified, but all the ingredients that we buy are all organically certified.

[Jill Dunn]

So is Cosmos what people should look for on the label?

[Annabelle Kindersley]

And that will be quite familiar with? Well, I think some of your listeners may be familiar with Cosmos and Cosmos is a natural certification. It's an. They've got Cosmos Natural and Cosmos Organic, but.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Both go through very strict regulation.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

I mean, they also. It's also no animal testing under that. There's no gm, there's no microplastics, there's no controversial chemicals. There's no parabens, phthalates, synthetic ingredients and fragrances, colorants, all the things that you see under that thing. So it's so in depth. And so I feel, I feel like as a customer, as a, as a discerning customer myself on other products, I would definitely be looking out for a logo like that.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Well, I'm a huge fan of the Wild Rose Bomb. I've been using it as the weather is getting colder. And I know it's one of the hero products. It's a beautiful. I mean, it's just a sensorial experience. And, and it's so comforting. I know it's been known. People use it as a cleanser. Maybe you can speak to just how iconic it is. And, and Neil's yard is kind of newer to us in North America. I think it's probably low key compared to how big it is in the uk. So maybe you could just give us some context and are like, what are the expansion plans in the us? Are there going to be like, spas that are giving facials with it? Is there going to be a British takeover? What's that? What tell us what to expect.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

We started off in 1981, as I said, in Covent Garden and, you know, original clean beauty brand. I guess when people know us as in the UK and we. Over the last 40 years, and certainly in the last 20 years, we've grown to be in 20, over 20 markets and, and a little bit in the US, only D2C at the moment, but we are, we've got some expansion plans, we're talking to some distributors. I think in a couple of years I'm definitely going to have my own little store. There may be one in the EAS coast, one on the west coast. We're kind of looking. We've. I've actually found the street I want to be on. So it's coming. And, and in the UK, we've got about 20 stores, so not huge amount, but we've got, you know, 30 stores in Japan and, and we're very well known in the UK as being trusted. But we have had a global following. I think we've got this sort of a list cult following, you know, the ones such as. Actually we've had Sarah Jessica Parker in our stores in the UK recently when she was doing her play and she was popping into two or three of our stores and coming out with essential oils. So we've got Kate Moss, Jagger, Tandy Newton. We have Tandy Wayne Newton. We've got like, lots of keen followers and actually something that we've never really courted. It's something that we sort of. We've just been very lucky that people, you know, can't fall in love with our blue bottles. And we've won lots and lots of awards. I mean, even in the last year alone, I think we've won 13 awards. Best Organic brand comes over and over and over. And our skin care, I mean, where we have had a cult following for our world rose Beauty balm for years. It's a try me once, love me forever. It's a one pot wonder. It can tame your eyebrows, give you a kind of a glowy look. It's really. The fragrance is incredible. Obviously, it's. It's organic, it's. It's got beeswax in it. It does have geranium, it's rosehip seed it's, it's actually divine and comforting as you exactly said. I use it on a Sunday night mostly because I find I use it as a face mask so I'll like pottering around on a Sunday evening. I always feel like that's my, like back to school getting ready for the day before. And it's the moment where I can just take a bit of self care and so I, I use it as a. It comes with a muslin cloth. So I, I apply it to my face and then I leave it on for a bit and then I take it off with a sort of hot. I put the, my muslin cloth after under a hot and then I leave it over my face and it feels, it feels like everything sinks in and, and then I look incredibly dewy and glowy and ready for, ready for the week. So I do that, use that on a Sunday night. My mother uses it every single day, literally won't use anything else. And my daughter uses it for all sorts of things. Actually. It's a kind of high cheek highlighter. She uses it for, you know, when she has dry patches or just, or just on her face generally. And you'd think that wasn't really the case for. She's in her 20s, so you know, with an oily base, you'd wouldn't think so. But it is, it's just, it's just clean girl aesthetic. Oh yeah, it is. I mean, so it has this beauty editors. I mean, I was at a beauty event last night, the cw. The amount of editors coming up. I love your wild rose beauty balm. I love it, I love it. So it is, it's got it, it's got, it's, it's, it's cherished, I would say.

[Carlene Higgins]

Wait, can I. Is the store still there in Covent Garden, I assume? Yes.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Oh yes. It's our flagship store. I'm going to be, I'm going to be there in the morning. I work our offices in this amazing little yard.

[Carlene Higgins]

My favorite is Covent Garden. It's the best. And we, absolutely, we've been, we have this podcast now for seven years. Every year we say we're going to the uk. We gotta go, we're gonna interview, we're doing it. It just like never materializes. But I. There's so much to love about British beauty.

[Jill Dunn]

I.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

You must come. You must come. A gard. Our, you know, our heartland of, of, you know, in fact, you know, everyone says so so where are you? In Covent Garden. And I say Neil's Yard, obviously the yard in the center of Covent Garden. And yeah, we would love you to come and be with our blue bottles. And I'd also love you to come and see because we make everything here in our eco factory in Dorset. You could come and see the blue bottles chinking along and, and see whether we actually, if you come in the spring, you can see where we grow the ingredients and we literally looking behind me, but we literally, we, we walk, we grow the ingredients right in front of the manufacturing facility and then we make them into a tincture and then they're made into our beautiful creams and then sent all over the world. So please come. We would love that to host you.

[Jill Dunn]

We accept.

[Carlene Higgins]

I look really good. I look good in a hairnet. So I'll be there.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. And I love a blue bottle. Thank you so much for your time.

[Annabelle Kindersley]

Oh, so lovely. Thank you so much for having me. It's really been a pleasure. Take care.

[Jill Dunn]

Thanks for listening. You can find details on every product mentioned in today's episode, along with our exclusive promo codes on our blog @breaking beauty podcast.com.

[Carlene Higgins]

While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Every episode will be delivered directly to your inbox, so you won't miss a.

[Jill Dunn]

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[Carlene Higgins]

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[Jill Dunn]

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[Carlene Higgins]

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[Jill Dunn]

See you. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.