Q & A with Natural Cosmetics Entrepreneur Jean Seo - www.Sonrisa.ch
December 30, 2018
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“Kourtney Kardashian using my products is a nice compliment”
We met for the first time in 2010 in Beverly Hills, where she offered a small but fine selection of luxurious natural cosmetics in her shop évolué. Last November, I met again with Jean Seo, who still looked exactly the same as then: radiant from inside to outside. "That must be because of my products," she replied with a big smile to my question about her beauty secret. And it made me so curious that out of the friendly coffee gossip was unexpectedly a long interview that I would like to withhold you in any case. Because Jean is not only a great person, but also has a lot to tell, as you can read for yourself: Let's start from scratch:
What was your career aspiration as a child? You will not believe it, but I dreamed of a career as a nun. Really now? Yes absolutely! As a child I went to a Catholic school and one of the teachers there was my big role model. So I wanted to become a nun.
At some point you have obviously strayed from it and you have decided on a different path. That's true, especially thanks to my sister for landing in the beauty industry. That makes sense.
What happened next? In the course of my research, I eventually realized that my sister was one of those ten percent of people who are allergic to certain active ingredients in conventional cosmetics. I recommended a change to products with natural ingredients. Six months later, she came to me and said, 'Look at my face, do you notice something?' At first I did not know what she meant until she said, 'I do not wear makeup - for the first time since I was 16. Is not that great? "At that moment, I really realized how much my sister had suffered from her bad skin and how her general condition improved massively through the use of natural cosmetics.
Was that the famous aha moment? In a sense: yes. I was totally fascinated by what natural cosmetics can do. To help other people with my knowledge, in 2007 I opened the first eco-chic beauty boutique in Los Angeles.
Was there no other competitor back then? No, my concept was absolutely unique at the time. I sold many luxury natural cosmetics brands exclusively. In this way I got a deep insight into the industry and learned an incredible amount - about active ingredients as well as about good marketing and of course beauty in general.
A good keyword: Which is your best beauty tip? In my opinion, sunscreen is massively overrated, because the products with extremely high SPF are far from as good as you might think. I always say: better than any sunscreen is it - avoid the sun. May I give another tip?
Logical! Many people neglect the care of their eyes, where one sees the signs of the time first. Do not save in the wrong place, friends!
I will try to take this to heart. Let's take a quick look back: With your role as a pioneer, you anticipated a trend and were one step ahead of the rest. Nevertheless, about five years after you took the step into the beauty industry you changed sides. How so? Although I had really great brands on offer, my clientele kept asking for high quality anti aging products. To close this gap, I started developing my own products. Once again, I benefited from my studies, because with my degree, I have access to all major libraries and databases in the country.
The first products you packed in white, hand-written cans, which you could buy in your boutique Exactly, but at some point the demand was so great that I decided to sell the products outside of my shop.
In 2015, you launched évolué Skincare and a year later, you brought lué by Jean Sea on the market. What is the difference between the two brands? With lué by Jean Seo in the lower price segment, I address myself to a wide audience, because good natural cosmetics should be accessible to all, I think! The products of évolué, on the other hand, contain very rare active ingredients and accordingly, I can only produce this skin care product in a limited edition.
Is that the reason why évolué is only available at selected points of sale? For the distribution of évolué - by the way, the name is based on the progressive thinking of my clientele - I select my partners very carefully. It is important to me that évolué be distributed by people and companies who share my passion for high quality natural cosmetics.
Can you give me an example? The funniest story is certainly the one from "Apartment by the Line" available, where we are having this conversation. China Chow - the daughter of Chinese actor and restaurant operator Mr. Chow - is responsible for the fact that évolué products can be bought here. China loves my products and recommended them to the founder of The Line, Vanessa Traina, who incidentally is the daughter of successful author Danielle Steele.
Already crazy, how certain things arise, right? Since you have something right. The famous word-of-mouth propaganda is still the best basis for great success stories Maybe the reason why évolué will soon be available in Switzerland due to your recommendation.
Right, but we'll talk about that only when everything is ready. Finally, will you tell me the best compliment you have ever received for your work? The fact that stars like Emma Watson, Courtney Kardashian or Alysia Reiner use my products is certainly a very nice endorsement. But in the end, with my évolué and lué by Jean Seo skincare lines, it's all about making my clientele as happy as my sister was.