Couturing sat down with Go-To Skincare founder Zoe Foster Blake to discuss the inspiration behind the Go-To range and how it developed from idea to reality.
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Congratulations on the launch of Go-To Skincare, Zoe. How are you feeling post-launch?
Well it was way bigger and harder than expected! But I’m relieved! I’ve been really overwhelmed by all the support I’ve been given by everyone.
How did this develop from an idea to what it is now?
There were a few “signs” from the cosmos that made me realise it was an evolution of what I’d already been doing. It wasn’t such a crazy idea given I’d been testing out skincare as Beauty Editor but it was something that started to really gain momentum as I moved from my role Cosmopolitan to working at Mama Mia and the launch of Amazing Face. The target audience were older than those at Cosmo and I had more women in their late 20′s, 30′s and 40′s asking different questions and giving different feedback. You assume a lot of people have skincare knowledge but it’s complex and hard to navigate so it really got me thinking about how to simplify things. It’s been a decade in the making!
How does the process actually happen? The creation, the input into ingredients, the scent?
I was inspired by the brand Sodashi and worked with the founder Megan Larsen on coming up with ideas for the range. I really wanted my range to be pure, natural and nasty free. I worked with a bio chemist to come up with the formulations. I really wanted to make sure that the products did what they wanted to do and that they were natural. I was told by many people that you couldn’t make some products with all natural ingredients but I worked with the biochemist to help break those rules of thought! For example, the use of Palm Oil is rife in the beauty industry, but as an Ambassador for The Orangutan Project I was definitely not including it in any of my products. It wasn’t easy coming up with a formulation that didn’t include palm oil, but we got there in the end!
I got the cleanser right first. I spent a lot on Fedex with testers coming from New Zealand. A lot of trial and error!
Are you surprised by the positive reaction to the range?
It is mind blowing that reaction I’ve received. It’s a big ask for people to trust your products given the range of skin sensitivities out there and the range is only available online but I’ve received such positive feedback. It’s a big responsibility but I feel privileged, I never expected anything like this. It’s a beautiful level of goodwill from the public and Beauty Editors.
I love the simplicity behind the vision of this brand. Why did you pick the products to create in the Go-To Range?
Based on a lot of the feedback and questions I was receiving from readers, there seemed to be a lot of confusion and complexity with skincare. I wanted to pare it back, make the products simple and effective. For example, Lips focuses on giving moisturising properties. A lot of girls are putting on petrochemicals and wondering why their lips are dry! Hopefully Lips can help keep those lips luscious and moisturised.
Is this range suitable for men as well?
Men have slightly thicker skin and require some different skincare products for shaving. However the basics are still the same, cleanser, moisturiser and exfoliator. My husband loves the cleanser, Properly Clean. In fact I caught him using one of my samples all over his body! But he uses it on a daily basis as he loves the cleaning properties of the cleanser.
What’s your day to day beauty regime?
When I’m not attending events, I keep everything simple. I use target serums and make sure I use a physical sunscreen. I also use CC cream as it gives light coverage, concealer, mainly under the eye, light mascara on the lashes and a bit of colour on the cheeks and lips. As a tip, always do your brows and everything else will fall in place!
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