PHOTO: Rose-Marie at work on supermodel Miranda Kerr.
2002: I had no idea that cosmetics could contribute to serious health issues, but I also knew there was a void in the organic beauty category. When I was sick and healing myself, I started being a raw foodist, using pure oils on my skin and studying the healing potential of natural healing remedies. The more I learned, the more I realized organic ingredients needed to be in beauty products. I frequently work on Victoria’s Secret photo shoots, so instead of using baby oil or petroleum-based oil, I start using jojoba oil. It warms the skin, absorbs beautifully and leaves a gorgeous sheen unlike synthetic oil. The models love it, because it makes their skin soft and moisturized. I love to be different, so I started playing with formulas and trying to improve the typical beauty products by replacing harsh chemicals with organic and healthy alternatives.
2004: After several years of tireless cosmetics ingredient research, I launch beautytruth.net, a website dedicated to educating consumers about some of the undesirable ingredients they should be aware of and avoid in beauty products. Public inquiry as to which products they should use drives me to create my own line. In my downtime between researching and doing makeup shoots, I start testing makeup formulas.
2006: I work together with a friend (a former chemist in a paint factory) on formulas. She designs the basic formula, textures and ingredients and figures out the percentages. I learn that if you use cheap, inferior ingredients, the textures, smell and application never come out the same. Cheap ingredients can physically make the product harder in a matter of months. I use all of my own money researching ingredients. I call on pigment suppliers who put me in direct contact with R&D scientists. I wind up learning as much as possible about the color industry.
January 2007: Finally, I find a U.S.-based contract manufacturer, which allows me to work one-on-one with their team of chemists. I face many obstacles; one being the lack of professionals who want to put the time into my line—RMS Beauty— considering it ‘too tedious, time consuming and expensive.’ My passion requires me to be totally involved, and I see this as the only means to making the best product possible. Most labs require massive minimums and it took a while for me to find the right lab that supplies start-up quantities. I finally find a lab that will supply 1,500 of each product, versus the 25,000 minimums everyone else is asking for.
June 2007: I purchase 175,000 glass jars, have them frosted and write my first big check. I practically have a heart attack writing the check, but know I can’t stop now. I’m in too deep. It’s a great investment towards the line and cheaper in the long run.
Fall 2008: If I’d known how much work this was going to be on me, I probably never would’ve done it. I have to literally babysit every aspect—from developing to packaging—and cannot let anything slip by. It’s a lot and takes forever. In November 2008, I put all 18 items I’ve developed onto www.rmsbeauty.com and open a small office in Charleston, SC. I don’t have much business expectations, but because of my connections in the fashion industry and with the models I know and work with, word gets out really fast.
December 2008: I read about how Estée Lauder says the beauty industry is relying on the power of bloggers to get the word out about new beauty lines…so I go after them first. People are slowly learning about RMS Beauty. My first brick and mortar store, Vert in Los Angeles, accepts RMS Beauty.
February 2009: I go to France to do a job for French Vogue and stop by Colette, a high-end fashion boutique in Paris. I tell them I have a makeup line that’s natural and green, they take a liking to it, and the next day they place an order. It’s my largest purchase order to date. Name-dropping Colette on future sales calls makes getting into additional stores much easier.
April 2009: I call Barneys New York and make an appointment to present RMS Beauty. They like it, but don’t know exactly what to do with it or where to place it. They think of putting it in the Co-op, but then the makeup division there closes down. This is a lesson where I learn that I need to find retailers that are willing to think outside of the box and appreciate brands that are “cult” and “underground.” It looks like Europe is going to be a better fit for my line.
Summer 2009: I’m with [supermodel] Miranda Kerr at Pure Food & Wine where I run into a woman who tells me she’s on a buying trip for a beauty store she owns in Holland. I tell her how she has to see my natural beauty line. She comes to my apartment and buys it on the spot. It turns out her store, Skins, is part of a European chain. RMS Beauty goes into her store first, and all the other Skins stores follow suit after seeing her positive sales. I’m finding that Europe really gets the green thing. I’m also happy that another model that I know and love, Doutzen Kroes, is a regular in the shop; she even texts me pictures of my display unit in the store.
June 2009: I add my line to a website for the first time, spiritbeautylounge.com. I’m a little apprehensive as I’d never heard of the site, but the site proves to have great outreach and wonderful clients that are dedicated to her site. This girl can sell. I also meet with a new up and coming lab and they’re a great fit. They take over all of my manufacturing and are really open to me being so involved through the whole process. They really get the green side of manufacturing.
December 2009: My Living Luminizer is proving to be a best seller and wins my first award from Elle magazine’s Elle Approved awards. I created this product for models to achieve a light-reflecting glow that makes them look dewy and radiant. The mica I use is very high-end, like a sheer mother of pearl. My lab told me it was the most expensive pigment they’ve ever purchased. Winning the award is a great way to finish my first calendar year in business.
Mid-2010: I land in 35 stores, such as Cult Beauty in London, Space 519 in Chicago, additional Skins 6|2 locations and many more that I’m so excited about. The growth is big this year, and I feel very happy about the direction the line is going. I am in a mix of both traditional cosmetic stores, as well as green stores.
March 2010: My office in Charleston suffers a devastating fire. This is one obstacle I was not prepared for. I just had a delivery two days prior containing a huge order of tester units that literally went up in flames, as well as a huge order of bees wax from New Zealand. The firemen even commented that they’ve never smelled such a beautiful smelling fire and asked what it was. This is a lesson in business to be prepared for everything.
April 2010: I launch my next SKU, the Raw Coconut Cream. I’ve been using coconut oil for years to remove makeup, cleanse and moisturize my skin, as well as take internally. It contains lauric acid, which is also found in human breast milk. It is antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial. This product in its raw form heals the skin but isn’t as beneficial if stripped by processing. I use it in its raw form for all my products.
June 2010: My next launch is two lip shines, Bloom and Moment. The model Gisele Bündchen is my inspiration for the Moment color. She wore the lab sample last month to the Met Ball and loved it so much she took it home.
August 2010: I add my first intern to my Charleston office. She was an intern last summer at W Magazine and starts our Facebook/Twitter/Blog. Social Media is a must.
October 2010: RMS Beauty Lip & Skin Balm wins an Allure Best of Beauty Award.
January 2011: I become a CEW member. I think the knowledge and experience the member base can offer will be extremely beneficial. I want updates on the events and speakers to use them as a catalyst for myself. I’m contacted by several shopping channels.
February 2011: I finally hire a PR firm. I was able to get by without PR until now by obtaining press mostly from the help of editors, models and my reputation as a makeup artist.
May 2011: I attend my first trade show, The Makeup Show, in NYC. I speak to a large audience and the response is very positive. It’s a full-time job attending trade shows, but a lot of press attends and I enjoy being face-to-face with so many customers. I’m amazed how many people have heard of my line and how they are already devoted users.
Spring 2011: I interview with the buyers from QVC. I travel to Philadelphia for their media training—I love it! I learn so much about sales and the emotional aspect that drives sales. It’s better to talk about how a product will make a woman beautiful than to talk about the science behind the product…too much information for people. Sales are emotional. I tend to get very technical in my approach to sales, which is the opposite of what works so I had to soften that end of it. Doing natural and green cosmetics deserves educating people on its benefits so I still feel some of it needs to be mentioned. On the lab side of things, I’ve been working on ingredients and the formula for my RMS Beauty Oil and its finally perfected. I can’t wait to launch it next year.
September 2011: ABC Carpet & Home takes RMS Beauty into the apothecary section.
October 2011: RMS Beauty “un”cover-up wins an Allure Best of Beauty Award.
March 2012: Dermstore.com adds RMS Beauty to their assortment. They have a huge outreach and order from me almost weekly. The orders are getting really big from various websites and stores in both Europe and the USA. It looks like I need more help.
April 27, 2012: First QVC appearance. I introduce my Living Luminizer with the new brightening brush on air. I love the staff at QVC…it’s amazing how supportive they are of my line. They are a true role model for corporate/vendor partnerships. They want you to be successful and make you feel successful.
May 2012: My intern graduates from College of Charleston and becomes my second full-time employee.
June 2012: This is a busy month for me! I made my second appearance on QVC promoting Living Luminizer and Brush and launched the RMS Beauty Oil at our retailers and rmsbeauty.com. I love the Beauty Oil formula so much and I’m really proud of this product. There are many facial oils on the market, but my oil will definitely stand out with its exotic formula of pure, organic oils and adaptogenic herbal extracts.
July 2012: We’ve more than doubled the business every year for the past three years. Now we’re sold in over 60 stores/websites. We just entered Berlin’s finest department store, Quartier 206, and Fred Segal in Los Angeles. We are heading to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea in the next few months. Things just keep on being added to the roster, and we definitely are making an impact on the market. I’m so happy and also glad people are embracing green beauty products. Finally!
