Beautyhabit: Interview with Teresa Mitchell
1. Tell us a little bit about the people behind Beautyhabit. Who are you, and how did you decide to open Beautyhabit? What was your career before that?
I founded Beautyhabit back in 1997, deciding to open an online business at the encouragement of my then fiancée (and now husband and father of my 2 children) - he works in the tech industry and at the time, I worked in the Spa & Beauty Industry. At first I was hesitant, but after I got over learning the technical aspect, it was a lot of fun to set up! Through my college years I worked at Nordstrom in the cosmetic department and did freelance make-up work. After college - I decided to go to esthetician training and then worked in various day spas and continued with the free-lance make up artistry work. I felt it was extremely important to finish my education at UC Berkeley, even though in my heart - I knew I would be doing something in the ‘beauty’ industry. My concentration at Berkeley was in religious studies, I focused on the world’s religions and cultures.
2. Niche perfumes and beauty products is quite a unique venue. What made you select this line of business? What inspired you?
It is not that much different than being into fine wine or eclectic music. I seek out the best new and interesting products and of course a touch of the classics… Quality is what ties the assortment of brands together. I also like the idea of supporting artisan products and their creators. People, places and plants inspire me and of course I can’t resist pretty packaging!
3. Do you think the market for niche perfumes/beauty products is growing? Why?
Yes - there are always people with dreams of creating something unique and special!
4. What category of the products you carry has grown, and what gets the most interest?
Skin care is the number one category at Beautyhabit. Another fast growing category is fragrance and this is the category that gets the most interest in terms of sampling. People who are new to niche brands stumble upon our website from press mentions, searching for products etc, and honestly have not heard of 80% of the brands we stock. I feel that it is our job at Beautyhabit to introduce them to something new!! They may have heard of or seen some of the brands that we have such as Kai, Dr. Hauschka or Molton Brown… but it is really after they have placed their order and receive their sample pack, that the customer introduced to some of the more unknown jewels that they will fall in love with!
5. Would you ever want to work with perfumers to create your signature Beautyhabit scent and/or other products?
Yes, of course… everything in time!
6. Does Beautyhabit have a brick & mortar store?
Yes - we just opened a beautiful boutique in Thousand Oaks, California. It is truly stunning - lovely. I’ve attached our boutique press release along with some images for you to see! The boutique is very small and quaint with a European flare - like something you would come across wondering down a little cobblestone walkway in France. Warm chocolate browns meet cool crisp greens, rustic Italian mirrors, elaborate unique chandeliers, and an antique buffet housing a collection of Diptyque. Everyday the store is brimming with arrangements of fresh flowers with that ‘just from the garden’ look and sweet little surprises of succulents and other goodies peeking out from every nook & cranny.
The boutique stocks a very select assortment of the niche luxury brands we stock online - www.beautyhabit.com. We also have specialty items such as Tamara Jewelry, Lollia Sleepwear, Bella Muse baby onsies and Pa Pa Ya cards and journals. These items are very special to our boutique assortment and we will be expanding upon that as we move forward. We chose brands that we considered to be the best of the best for our ‘brick & mortar’ environment and we will be highlighting various beauty brands seasonally as well.
Below are just a few of the incredible brands that can be found…
Fragrance - Fifi Chachnil perfume, Parfums DelRae, Les Parfums de Rosine, be becker.eshaya, Nanadebary, L’Orientaliste
Skin Care - In Fiore, Jurlique, Rodial, Duchess Marden
Bath & Body - Jo Wood organics, Tocca, Les Bains du Marais
Home Ambiance - Agraria, the new BURN FRESH range
7. What are you personal favorites from the lines you carry? Tell us about them briefly.
Oh boy! I have to pick a few categories here…
Skin Care: Dr. Hauschka (love the facial toner and rejuvenating mask), Duchess Marden (love the rosewater), MD Skincare (alpha beta face peel pads) + so much more that I need 5 faces!
Bath & Body: Cinq Mondes (Gommage Aromatique aux Épices scrub & Huile Universelle Corps body oil…heaven), In Fiore (body balms, esp. the Dayala, heaven for Jasmine lovers), for my bath I have always loved the Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath and Shower Oil - so perfect) - okay, I know I need 5 bodies too!
Hair Care: Leonor Greyl shampoos are my personal favorites, the smells, the texture…. I also use the Christophe Robin Colorist line and his Hydratant Santal Hair Creme daily - Let’s not forget the Lucia Iraci Hydrating Leave-in Conditioner w/ Mediterranean Garden Myrtle Water - heaven for my fine hair.
Candles and Home Ambiance: I try a lot of candles and tend to come back to Diptyque (feu de bois and baies) & Tocca (Tahiti candle) - they are so chic smell amazing. I also love the new Burn Fresh Candles (rhubarb). Alora Ambiance (bimbi) and Agraria (balsam) are my favorite ’stick’ diffusers. I am also a huge fan of the Papier d’Armenie burning papers and the Juniper Ridge sachets and incense. Can I have 5 homes too? =)
Perfumes: I tend to be quite moody with fragrances - soo many factors from the weather to the occasion! Right now I am into light and fresh to beat the heat!
A few Beautyhabit gems to me:
Andrée Putman Préparation Parfumée (unique and fresh)
Cinq Mondes Eau Égyptienne (fresh and spicy)
Diptyque Eau de Lierre (fresh and green)
Fifi Chachnil Fifi Eau de Parfum (warm and yet, still fresh and girly)
Irié Wash Parfums (fresh and citrusy, love all three)
Nanadebary Green (fresh, green and a little spice)
8. What are your current best-selling perfumes?
Child Perfume
Kai Perfume
9. What lines that you carry are under-appreciated, in your opinion?
Cinq Mondes is an exclusive to Beautyhabit and so new to the US market that people have yet to fully catch on to how great the products are.
As far as fragrances go a few of my favorite brands that people tend to judge before trying are:
Les Parfums de Rosine (they think they hate roses… but still need to give this line a try)
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier (so many jewels within this line - it is so large, I think people tend to smell a few and give up)
10. What in your opinion makes Beautyhabit stand out from other etailers? What are you committed to, and what should a customer know about Beautyhabit?
We really listen to our customers and their comments, we value them. I also value our entire Beautyhabit team - I feel this is very important, as our staff is a direct reflection of Beautyhabit and they are the voice to the customer - it reflects the kind of service the customer receives. Each team member at Beautyhabit is an integral and vital part of the team. We also work closely building strong relationships with our brands, especially with product knowledge. We make sure our team has the proper training so they have all the tools they need when working hands on with the customer. I hope that some of the passion that we have for what we do comes across over the internet! I love to shop online and do so frequently - so I know how much fun it is and want our customers to feel great when they receive their box of goodies from Beautyhabit.
19 comments July 11th, 2006