What a month we’ve had here at TBC!! Our biggest event of the year, True Beauty Talk, is over!
This is our second time around the True Beauty Talk block! This year we went bigger and covered more. The goal was to further the conversation on clean beauty, while connecting brands and industry experts with press and clean beauty lovers, to educate, discuss, explore and ultimately promote a movement towards better beauty. If you weren’t able to make it here’s a lil recap and rundown of the best day!
Guests, brands and panelists were welcomed into our venue in the morning.. stunning exposed brick walls, bright open windows, Arium Studios greenery and touches of the TBC aesthetic in every corner made up our clean beauty haven for the day.
Our amazing marketplace, including Smith Farms, Wildcraft, Province Apothecary, Indie Lee, Zyderma, Well Told Health, Cocoon Apothecary, and Cardea Auset, featured uniquely beautiful displays and equally beautiful reps and founders ready to answer questions and teach guests about their brands! Our clean beauty lovers were welcome to explore, shop and learn throughout the day.
Our first panel began at 10am to speak about growth and investment in the clean beauty industry. Our host Candice Batista of the EcoHub was joined by Karina Birch of Rocky Mountain Soap, Graydon Moffat of Graydon Skincare, Nicole Bethell of Woodlot and our very own founder Jennifer Freitas. These beauties touched on a range of topics including the unique challenges that come with a brick and mortar location vs. an online store, keeping up with consumer demand, and how to scale a business in this industry!
Next up Melodie Reynolds of Elate Cosmetics, Kenna Whitnell of Altilis Beauty and Rebecca Gordon of Indie Lee joined Jennifer for a conversation on sustainability in the industry, led again by the wonderful Candice Batista. They discussed ingredient sourcing, packaging challenges and innovative sustainable practices! The compelling conversation ended with a Q&A with members of our lovely audience. Key Takeaway: Innovation and intention are two driving principles of the clean beauty movement! From Elate’s seed paper, to Indie Lee’s efficient shipping practices, to Altilis’ sustainable ingredient sourcing… there is thought, intention and innovation every step of the way. These trailblazers are changing the game!
For our third panel of the day Monico Ruffo of Well Told Health and Fran Allen of Province Apothecary joined Jennifer on stage and were led through a discussion on beauty ingestibles by Candice. As we learnt from these amazing ladies, we really do glow from the inside out. As our founder Jennifer said, we love our lotions and potions, but it’s important to think about what we put into our bodies as well! With that in mind, Monica and Fran discussed the importance of gut health for the skin (and mood). Their tip: eat more fermented foods and healthy fats to keep your gut healthy and skin glowing! A healthy diet, the use of supplements and a balanced lifestyle can keep your heart, mind and skin healthy and happy. Fran encouraged the audience to see a professional, such as a holistic nutritionist, for specific concerns about skin health!
After that round of deliciously informative panels, we gave our guests and panelists a break to soak in all the knowledge, have a bite to eat, a nice fruit infused water, and explore the marketplace while mingling and getting to know each brand a bit better!
In the afternoon, we welcomed even more guests to join us! Friends, clients, family, clean beauty lovers and curious shoppers entered our space and dove right in for a quick trip around the marketplace before the next panel.
Our roundup panel was Skin Health as a Journey. The lovely Monica Ruffo of WellTold Health co, Karina Birch of Rocky Mountain Soap, Fran Allen of Province Apothecary, Kenna Whittell of Altilis, Graydon Moffat of Graydon Skincare, Melodie Reynolds of Elate Cosmetics, Rebecca Gordon of Indie Lee, our very own Jennifer Freitas, and our host Candice Batista took the stage to discuss skin health as a journey: the ups, downs, and “aha” moments.
The standout moment was when the panelists were asked “WHAT IS YOUR SKIN HACK” and their answers did not disappoint….
Graydon had the whole audience and panel participating in a mini facial yoga exercise. Kenna shared her trick for glowing skin… a head stand! Fran showed some love for raw honey, stating that internally and externally it is a powerhouse for the skin. Melodie laid down some knowledge and told us not to be afraid of oils! Monica urged us all to eat more plants, while Karina taught us about the harmful effects of blue light that comes from our screens. (Don’t worry - you can turn it off! Simply google “how to turn off the blue light on my... “). Rebecca reminded us to accept ourselves and use loving language, such as repair and renew, when we think or talk about our skin. Jen shared that a good hard yoga class never fails to give her a healthy glow! Candice had two words: sleep and sunblock! What a way to round up our panel discussions for the day!
Next up the stunning Danielle Schleese of Holistic Beauties took to the stage for a clean beauty make-up demo joined by, Melodie Reynolds of Elate Cosmetics to chat and answer questions throughout the demonstration. Danielle featured products from Elate, Clove and Hallow, Vapour and Sappho, to create a stunning everyday fall makeup look. One question seemed to be on everyone’s mind: do these products perform in the same way as traditional cosmetics? The answer: a unanimous YES. Danielle showed that clean beauty can be just as effective, long-lasting, and easy to apply as traditional cosmetics. Melodie and Danielle discussed tips and tricks to make the make-up application process smooth and easy! Standout Tip: use a lip scrub and balm to condition, soften and prime the lips before applying any colour. Another big tip: clean your brushes!
For the final demonstration of the day, Jennifer was joined by her skin guru, Kristen Blow of Woodside Holistic, to the stage to chat about all things facial massage: dry brushing, jade rolling, gua sha and more! Jen and Kristen went over all the basics: the whats, the hows and the whys. Kristen shared that facial massage performed with facial tools can reduce the look of fine lines, tone and firm skin, slough off dead skin, improve product penetration and stimulate circulation. By the way… It is so fun! Kristen went through each tool and showed the audience how it can be used, and what it’s individual benefits are. Facial massage and tools are a perfect mix of skincare and self-care… and we can’t get enough!
And that’s a wrap! With a big thanks to our sponsors, panelists, marketplace vendors, and guests we said goodbye to True Beauty Talk for 2018. We cannot wait to see what this next year has in store for the clean beauty world. Until next time beauties! Xo.
For more deets, vids, and snaps from the day head to @truebeautytalk.
