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Vintage noon

Vintage Noon Interview

Vintage Noon brings the spirit of travel to skincare, inspired by cherished adventures and a love for self-care. This product evokes nostalgia, curiosity, and inclusivity, inviting everyone to embark on their own sensorial journey.

Can you share the inspiration behind Vintage Noon and how your personal travel experiences shaped the brand’s vision?

  • My personal travel experiences are directly tied to the inspiration behind Vintage Noon! Every time I step foot on a plane, train or even a bus, I am excited about all the amazing experiences I will get to have and I want to make sure that every time someone experiences Vintage Noon, they feel the same way; a sense of adventure, curiosity, sensoriality and self-love/care.

What was the defining moment that sparked your decision to create a skincare line tailored to the travel-inclined?

  • I’ve always wanted to build a brand from scratch that screamed ME. Being part of the beauty industry for almost a decade comes with a lot of ideas, rejection and monotony with doing the same thing. Deep down, I knew I had a ton of great ideas, but I didn’t know what my brand was going to look like or how it will express me, but I always knew it was going to be centered around travel memories.
  • One summer, I was at a lake house (or a cottage, as we call it in Toronto) with some friends overlooking a beautiful lake having great conversation, good food and wine with the sun setting, one of those moments where you just KNOW you are creating lasting memories. Then right in front of me was this battered, retro, 70s looking beach chair with warm yellow/orange colour that caught my eye and something in me clicked and my inspiration and creativity just flourished from there.
  • I’ve realized that I’m attracted to retro/vintage objects.

How did your nearly decade-long experience in the beauty industry influence the ethos and formulations of Vintage Noon? 

  • Beauty has been ingrained in me from day 1 out of university so I live and breathe digital marketing and ecommerce, data and analytics.
  • Being in the industry taught me to be agile with trends, fail fast and fail cheap but keep testing, having structure, relationship building, and knowing what retailers and buyers want.
  • Actually, being in the industry for so long, and getting so much gratis product, I was test-crazy, I tried every product I possibly could get my hands on, but unfortunately as a result, my skin barrier became damaged and I’ve become sensitized and developed redness in my skin from testing all sort of formulas, which often contained fragrance and other ingredients that does not actually benefit the skin.
  • I’ve also never really saw myself in those big beauty campaigns that I worked on, so I knew if I ever started my brand, I really want it to appeal to everyone and anyone that Vintage Noon attracts.

Why was it important to create a brand that transcends gender and embraces inclusivity in the beauty space?

  • Because this is table-stakes! Why not?! I know first hand what it feels to be an outsider whether in the beauty space or just in my life, so why make others feel the same way through a creation I can control?

Can you tell us about a specific travel experience that inspired one of your products or your brand values? 

  • Being on a plane is always the most drying experience for me, and having my first launch be something that directly solves that is what I wanted to do.
  • Our next launches are definitely inspired by destinations I’ve been, think ingredients, scents, use cases, etc. hint hint!

How does Vintage Noon balance the need for efficiency in skincare with maintaining high-quality, effective formulations? 

  • Working with professional cosmetic chemists and product developers that know how to transform my needs of a new product into reality, also being open to feedback and iterating is what I think truly makes a world-class product.
  • Not using ingredients that are “pointless”, only ingredients that actually make the product perform.

What challenges did you face in launching a brand that merges skincare with the spirit of exploration?

  • I feel like it’s not the MOST unique perspective out there, but I realized it isn’t MY perspective, so I want to put that whimsy, nostalgic sensoriality when the community touches, smells and feels the product.

How do you see Vintage Noon contributing to the broader conversation about diversity and inclusivity in the beauty industry? 

  • Every touch point Vintage Noon is apart of, I want it to weave diversity and inclusion into it. For example, in our campaigns and models, in our product testing, even the people and vendors we work with, there is always opportunity to ask, is this diverse enough?

What role does community play in Vintage Noon, and how do you engage with your audience of travel and beauty enthusiasts? 

  • I want to build a community where we understand the importance of all kinds of travel and intersects with a beauty lover, someone who gets giddy packing their toiletry bag for their trip to the south of France.
  • I also want to build a close knit community where we can exchange conversation about travel and/or beauty, recommendations on the best street food vendor in Bangkok, or which toner works best for a climate like Hong Kong.

Your products are designed to multitask. What’s your process for identifying and perfecting these versatile formulations? 

  • As much as I love to try and test new products and formulations, I always ask… wait, do I really need this?
  • Often times I put something on, and it does absolutely nothing! whether it is an immediate feel or after constant use, I want to make sure all our products are effective and efficient.
  • When I look at the skincare routine, what products can we combine but still yield the same results as the products we combined?

If Vintage Noon were a destination, what kind of place would it be and why? 

  • Somewhere warm, not too humid, sunny, palm trees, and friendly – this is what I like the most and gravitate towards!

What advice would you give to someone starting their journey as an entrepreneur in the beauty industry? 

  • Just keep going, leading up to the launch, there were many times where I thought this is going no where, but take it day by day, ask for help and trek on! I promise… It is cliche, but if I can do it, you can too!
  • Find incubators or partners that have the same vision and priorities as you is super important, arm yourselves with people that are willing to truly help.

How do you stay curious and inspired while juggling the demands of running a brand and staying connected to your love for travel? 

  • As a Gemini, I always ask questions and I am always just naturally curious, but on a deeper level, whenever I am traveling, something in my brain unlocks and ideas and inspiration just flows. I often write it down and mull on it to see if these ideas are just ridiculous or if there is any merit to them! so in short, I HAVE to travel so my brand can continue to innovate and thrive!
  • I also find going on long walks help destress and I find lots of ideas come to me that way as well!

What’s your favourite Vintage Noon product, and how do you personally incorporate it into your routine? 

  • We currently have one official launch right now, and I eventually gravitate back towards it when I try to use something else, it really is a great moisturizer and mask! The texture is addicting!

In a world saturated with beauty brands, what sets Vintage Noon apart and keeps it authentic to its mission? 

  • Our core values are really what guides Vintage Noon and makes the brand recognizable to our consumers and differentiates us in the beauty industry.
  • Effective: our products are of the highest quality and formulated intentionally with experts in the industry, allowing the active ingredients to perform.
  • Inclusive: diversity is what makes life beautiful. We strive to create a space that welcomes and recognizes all genders, races, ethnicities and sexual orientations all over the world.
  • Nostalgic: evoke feel-good memories through interactions with our products and brand.
  • Curious: keeping an open mind and an active imagination in the pursuit of new information.

Where do you envision Vintage Noon in five years, both as a brand and within the global beauty community? 

  • Travel retail, vending machines in airports or hotels, boutiques, travel stores, across the world.
  • A true global community that somehow feels tight knit, sharing resources, chatting about the next or favourite destinations, etc.

Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming products or collaborations that Vintage Noon fans can look forward to?

  • Let’s just say there will be some shimmer wink everything that is in development right now is formulated for all skin types but especially with sensitive skin in mind but that doesn’t mean we cant have some fun!

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

  • For 2025, my bucket list includes: Hawaii, Tokyo, and the Dolomites in mine, but then again, there is always possibility for last minute destinations, which is a thrill!

Where can people follow you and find out more?