Aromascope

B-Glowing: Interview with Lisa James

October 11th, 2006

You might have noticed, I like to do Featured Shops posts once in a while as I find it fascinating to get to know the people behind the business, especially fragrance etailers. You might also have noticed, there’s a Shopping page on this blog where you can find listings of beauty/fragrance boutiques nationwide, by state. Part of the reason I decided to create the page was an incident I had once when I lived in Minnesota. One time I was doing an onilne search for Fragonard retailers and quite accidentally came across a shop in the Twin Cities that carried the line. I drove there one sunny May afternoon, unsure of what to expect. Great was my surprise when I discovered an amazing little boutique with tons of niche, hard to find lines. I had no idea such a shop existed, and I can guarantee it’s the only shop in the entire state of Minnesota that carries such assortment. To make a long story short, I hope the Shopping page will help you find shops like that in your area!

Today’s featured shop is B-glowing, an online boutique for skincare/beauty/fragrance. A brief interview with its founder, Lisa James:

1. How did B-glowing come about? What was your career before that?

I worked in television advertising helping produce tv ads for advertisers like Nike, Coke for about 15 years. I always knew I wanted to work for myself. I’ve been a beauty junkie my entire life and it made sense to do what I love while sharing my passion. On-line was the obvious because I wanted to start the company while I still worked in advertising. I managed both jobs for about 2 years before resigning and working for b-glowing full time this past January.

2. How do you select the lines you carry?

I look for superior performance and great packaging helps. Mostly it is just a gut feeling that tells me whether it fits into the b-glowing portfolio. It should compliment a beauty catalog that is fun and hip, yet still sophisticated.

3. What are your favorite products?

At the moment, Yosh Ginger Ciao, Crazylibellule & The Poppies Blue Orchidee, LaLicious (I love every product and scent!) and of course Apivita is a great staple.

4. What are your hobbies/interests?

I love traveling! My favorite trip was a few years ago when I spent 2 weeks in Fiji . I love to get away as much as possible, even if it’s just a 3 day weekend down in Sun River , Oregon . When I’m not traveling I love hanging out with my boyfriend, dog and friends eating great food and drinking great wine! Oregon has a bounty of amazing restaurants and wineries.

5. Does B-glowing have a brick & mortar store?

Not at the moment. We’re undecided whether we want to move in that direction. We’ll decide in the next couple years. If we do build a brick and mortar, of course Portland will have to be our flagship store.

6. What are your current best-selling perfumes?

Kai, La Maison de la Vanille, Crazylibellule and L’Aromarine.

7. What lines that you carry are under-appreciated, in your opinion?

Tisserand Aromatherapy from the UK . It’s super affordable and intensely rich in essential oils. Also, Belli. Their eye gel and body lotion are some of the best I’ve used. The bonus is they are 100% natural, but you’d never know it because they are super effective beauty products.

8. Do you have favorite perfumes besides the ones you carry? What are they?

Yes, Jo Malone! I can’t get enough of them. My absolute favorite is French Lime & Blossom. The scent is intoxicating to me.

Entry Filed under: Featured Shops