Interview with Instyle Magazine - United Kingdom (UK)

Why did you set up this service?

My position as National Sales Manager at Vidal Sassoon was eliminated. I had so much invested:
1. 12 years in formulating colors and products
2. Experience with chemists and packaging suppliers
3. Developing a reputation as a makeup artist
4. Product development
5. Expertise in marketing
6. 3000 clients whose custom blend formulas I had on record and who were extremely loyal

I just finished my MBA and felt very comfortable with business knowledge. I had a window of opportunity to take on this venture.

It was basically a continuation of what I had been doing at Vidal Sassoon. The line I worked for did a little “dabbling” in custom blend products. I thought the idea was unique and empowering to women who can get exactly what they want, in their preferred component and pay average department store prices.

Custom blending has become the new standard – from coffee, jeans, jewelry and handbags.

With there being so much choice out there for colours is there really a need for a bespoke service? If so why?
Some interesting Trends that Will Shape the Cosmetic Industry

According to RSCG Worldwide, the fifth largest advertising network, there are four trends that will shape the future of the cosmetic industry.

1. Emphasis on Wellness. Customers want products that work inside and out. “Many women are devising beauty routines that center on self-expression and self-empowerment,” the report mentions. “They are less willing to be judged by standards other than their own.”

2. Creating Brand Me. Customization is on the rise. “At play here are two important forces: the desire for the best possible product to meet one’s unique needs and wish to be valued as an important, one-of-a-kind customer.” Custom blending, an old idea, has gained new life especially in specialty stores that offer high levels of customer service. Customers want products tailored to her personal needs, and they want the products immediately to take home. Thus, custom blending is more effective when it is mixed at the counter rather than mailing it several days later.

3. Make it multi-functional. “Today’s faster pace of life means that consumers are demanding more from the products they buy.” This means that products will have many functions. For example, a tinted moisturizer will be able to protect you from the sun’s harmful rays, add color to your face, moisturize your skin, and donate money to your favorite charity. “Opportunities for cause marketing tie-ins in this category, allowing men and women to look good and feel good with a minimum of effort.”

4. Changing Faces, Changing Needs. “The two most important demographic trends that will help shape the future of the cosmetics industry are our aging world and the West’s move toward multiculturalism.” People are embracing their ethnic identity

Thus, GIELLA custom blend cosmetics caters to the “Brand Me” conscious woman that is a growing segment of the population. It’s quick, easy and “exactly” what the client wants.


Furthermore, one of our biggest categories in matching skin tone is yellow-blue. Most cosmetic companies match skin tone as being yellow-orange or blue-red. They do not have a yellow-blue (olive) category. It is our number one seller.


What do people normally bring in to match the colour up to? fabric, a pair of shoes etc? What’s the most useful thing to send? (obviously our readers are in England so won't be able to drop into the shop)
We have matched fabric swatches, shoes, cosmetic cheek, nail and lip colors, pieces of fruit (strawberry and mango), pictures from a magazine, jewelry and handbags.

Clients generally want to match a dress, shoes or accessory (handbag or jewelry.) You can also request your texture – sheer, cream, matte, pearl, glitter.

Or we can also recommend the right shade of pink, red, brown, coral, plum for your hair, eye and skin color. You can send us a photo via mail or email and we can advise on what “shade “of color is best for you based on our Color Perfect Analysis system.

Do you have any tips? Time allocation?

It only takes 6 minutes to make each product. It’s really very simple. We melt down the appropriate base (lipstick, lip color or cheek color), add the pigments and moisture, stir, then pour into the component.

Nail enamel is mixed in a cup and poured into the bottle.

We generally sit with a client for 30 minutes on their first visit as they want advice on colors for foundation, powder, eyes, cheeks, lips and nails. We record everything on our Color Analysis forms and keep every bit of information on a computerized data base system. It’s easy to reorder in the future if the client cannot get back to us or is just too busy.

It’s easy to recommend future colors once we know their hair, eye and skin coloring.

What do you need to consider when going for a bespoke product for yourself or for a gift for someone?
Our Give the Gift of custom program has been a huge success. (See following Press Release).

We sell our components empty with a gift card that offers the person receiving the gift to come in to get their components personally filled for them. It comes in a decorative box with “filler” for the specific occasion.

GIELLA’s NEW Custom Cosmetics Gift Boxes:
The Perfect Personalized Gift

It is better to give than to receive, but gift giving can be a bit tough at times, especially when you are challenged to find something unique and special year after year for big events like birthdays and Mother’s Day. Thankfully, GIELLA’S New Custom Cosmetics Gift Boxes make splendid presents that are sure to be a hit because they offer the flexibility of a gift certificate but are so much more creative and still allow for a personal touch.

GIELLA’S Custom Cosmetics Gift Boxes are packaged in a miniature Henri Bendel hatbox decorated with Bendel’s signature brown and white stripes. Each box contains an empty nail polish bottle, lipgloss wand and swing compact (for face, eye and cheek color) to be filled with personalized custom color.

GIELLA’s Custom Gift Boxes are available in a variety of themes and can be created for any occasion.
• The Big Day Box – A useful and thoughtful gift for a bride-to-be or a fun bridesmaids gift that also includes a garter for the big day
• The Beauty Birthday Box – Packaged with festive confetti, it’s the perfect gift for your friend that is a self proclaimed beauty junkie or the makeup novice
• The Forget Flowers Box – An original Mother’s Day gift that will last longer than a bouquet of flowers but just incase she misses the flowers, it also includes beautifully scented potpourri
• The Break Up Box – For newly single girls that are looking to create a new sexy look. Sniff tissues are also included to wipe away the tears
• The Pick Me Up Box – A great gift for lifting spirits comes with a pair of smiley face underwear or tank top
• The Jingle Bell Box – Packaged with jingle bells, it’s the absolute gift for girls that have been good all year long and want to ring in the new year with a hot look
• The Chanukah Box – The best of eight gifts a girl can get during Chanukah that also comes along with a dreidel and chocolate coins
• The Valentine’s Day Hot Box – A sweet treat that she’ll be able to savor longer than a box of chocolates but also includes the all time favorite Conversation Heart candy

Give the gift of beauty with GIELLA’s Custom Gift Boxes… a personal gift they’ll never forget.



What’s been the weirdest thing anyone has ever sent?

I think the fruit was the strangest thing to match.

Who is this service most popular with? Brides, actresses - women going to big events?

We actually deal with everyday professional, working women who are “Brand Me” conscious. We do work with many brides as they are more “in-tune” with details. However, they remain as clients for years after, as they find the process so easy to reorder and personalized service and attention to their needs.

Custom blending at GIELLA is as easy and simple and fun as ordering a Café Latte Non Fat or a half decaf/half caf coffee extra hot at Starbucks. There is a growing trend on getting products made for you, as we are all specific with tastes and preferences, in a quick, timely fashion at competitive prices.

Customers do not have to settle with colors because a company is out-of-stock on an item or they are being “promoted” as the new Fall collection. Our customers get what’s most current (as there is no wait time to get them in stock), exactly for them, and in minutes.

Sun Protection - All Year Long

Smiling with the sun…as long as you are protected!


It may be difficult to believe that with all of this cold and wind an important product you should reach for is sun protection. Well it’s true; however, you may not need to use it all over your body as in the summer. It’s just the face we are protecting now.

There have been numerous articles and reports about the sun’s harmful rays. Exposure to sun year-round causes most of the wrinkles and age spots on our faces. So it’s a good habit to think of sun protection every day, not just in the summer.

I always found it difficult to find a good sunscreen that didn’t smell like coconut or banana that would interfere with my perfume; or a sunscreen that was too greasy, thick and clogged my pores. Alas, I found Relish Sunscreen at one of my spa locations, The Powder Room, in Philadelphia. Julie Weiss-Schwartz was very excited to show me this product and raved about how it goes on smoothly and fades right into the skin. It’s Daily Protection with Zinc Oxide, Anti-Oxidants, & Vitamins.
So I tried it and so did my husband and we absolutely loved it. No overpowering smell and it didn’t feel heavy on the skin. It was light enough under my moisturizer and caused no breakouts.

Then I spoke with Michele Dispensa, owner and creator of Relish, to learn more about its special qualities. Relish Sunscreen contains Zinc Oxide which is known for its anti-irritant qualities (heals smoothes and protects), and a UVA & UVB absorber. Each formula is petroleum-free, contains no mineral oils and is never tested on animals.

It also contains Green Tea & Licorice extracts (anti-irritants), Chamomile, Vitamin A, C & E, plus Gingko Biloba, Ginseng, and Licorice to revitalize and condition sluggish skin. Vitamin A, E & C are anti-oxidants and help fight free radical damage.

Relish Beauty products are sold nationwide at fine department and beauty supply stores, and on the shelves of the nation’s top boutiques and resorts, including the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, Marilyn Jaeger Skincare San Francisco, Auberge Du Soleil in Napa, and Vail Cascade Resort in Vail, Colorado.

For more information, please visit www.relishbeauty.com

Baby, it's cold outside...

Now that winter and its’ dry cold wind has arrived everywhere, it’s important to replenish your skin. First of all, never ever use harsh soap on your face (and never let your husband use a shaving cream/gel on his face). Make sure you replenish the moisture in your hands and face by reapplying lotions or serums or oils during the day, especially if you are outside a lot.

Hydration is key to keeping wrinkles away. Wrinkles tend not to form on properly moisturized skin. Look for moisturizers that have these ingredients such as – Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ginseng, Grapeseed oil, Kukui oil, Emu oil. I have mentioned oils and if you have typically thought they are too greasy or pore-clogging, they have come along way. You will be quite surprised after trying some of my favorites: Grapeseed, Kukui and Emu. Here’s some info on these oils:

Due to high linoleic acid content, Grapeseed oil has good moisturizing and nourishing properties. This light green oil contains essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and protein which helps strengthen tissue cells. Grapeseed oil leaves your skin soft and smooth without feeling greasy making it one of the most commonly used oils. It is easily absorbed into the skin and is a good oil for acne and oily skin.

Kukui Nut oil (rich in Vitamin A, E and F) helps revitalize and restore the skin’s normal balance. Also high in linoleic and linoleic acids, Kukui Nut oil is quickly absorbed into the skin and rejuvenates dry, deteriorated skin. Kukui Nut oil relieves chapped skin and irritations, and treats psoriasis and eczema, as well as acne and other skin disorders.

Emu oil is highly moisturizing, a natural skin softener and has rejuvenating properties (has been shown to reduce the depth and length of fine lines & wrinkles). It is also non- greasy and highly penetrating. In fact Emu oil has demonstrated to be the fastest and most penetrating oil into the skin, making it an excellent trans-dermal carrier for any other added moisturizers or therapeutic ingredients. Emu oil is natural & non-toxic, non-comedogenic (does not clog pores), hypo-allergenic (non-irritating) and gentle for all skin types. Emu oil is an effective anti-inflammatory.

As for skin cleansers I have never found a more effective, yet gentle cleansing than our Vitamin E Cleansing Gel. Men even shave with it because of it’s lubricating nature. For shaving, just keep the skin wet with hot water and shave the gel off the face. Rewet as necessary. Follow with a hydrating moisturizer, preferably with sunscreen (as in our Renouveau).

So stay hydrated and don’t forget to drink your 8 glasses of water a day!