A Beauty Director Chats Favourite Products, Career Advice & More

I’ve always loved beauty. As a child, I was obsessed with fragrance and my dad often came home from a work trip with a new scent for me to try. That aside, I’ve always loved the power of make-up – it’s transformative in so many ways, which is fascinating to me.

A year in France was so valuable. Having studied French and management at Reading University, I moved to Toulouse to finish my degree. Living there gave me so much knowledge and insight into French beauty brands – many of which are ahead of the curve. Learning the language has also been useful in my career.

I’ve always been a big believer in change. My first job was in beauty buying and merchandising at Gatwick airport, and then British Airways. I moved over to Harrods to do the same job – which was a huge step for me in terms of profile and network – before joining luxury fragrance distributor KGA. I spent many happy years there but started my own consultancy business on leaving, working with beauty brands on their strategy and making appropriate retail introductions. It’s always served me well to have new roles and challenges. It's key you switch things up to learn and evolve.

A return to retail was a no-brainer. In my previous roles, I’d worked with a broad cross-section of retailers – each had such different customer groups and a distinct way of working. Harvey Nichols meetings were always a breath of fresh air – the business was and is different, and I love its highly selective approach. When I got the call to join them, it was an instant yes. 

My best piece of career advice is to get started early – as long as you know where you want to be. I recommend working your way through the buying office and growing experience in all the relevant categories. As I say, change is good, too. Moving between retailers and roles in similar sectors can enrich your experience and give you a better perspective. Experiencing retail and the brand side of things has opened me up to all sorts of possibilities.

The first product I ever tried was an Estée Lauder Private Collection fragrance that belonged to my mum. I also remember when Molecule 01 launched at Harvey Nichols when I was in my early 30s. It remains one of our top selling fragrances today and it really does smell different on everyone’s skin.

There are a few fragrances I buy on repeat. If I had to choose one for the warm weather, it would be Neroli Amara from the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire – it’s beautiful, with hints of orange blossom. If I want something with more depth, try Le Labo’s fragrances. I love them all, but Thé Noir is my current go-to.

Finding mentors is hugely helpful in this industry. I have great admiration for Jo Malone. I love that she chose to focus on her passion at Jo Loves. She is a formidable entrepreneur and has taught me the importance of joyfulness in business. I should also shout out Rihanna. We work closely with the Fenty Beauty team and it’s clear how involved Rihanna is with every facet of her brand – she is smart, creative and always innovating. 

My team and I always trial the skincare before deciding to stock it. The three ingredients I swear by are retinol, niacinamide and vitamin C. The products I love – that feature all three ingredients – are Augustinus Bader’s Retinol Serum, Dr Barbara Sturm’s Niacinamide B Serum and Sunday Riley’s CEO Glow. Skincare is a tricky category and customers find it hard to navigate. My advice? If you find something that works, stick with it. Of course, you can switch things up but simplifying your routine is always a good idea.