Fashion and Beauty 1st December 2022 by Stellar Magazine

Ella & Jo: The Skincare Gurus Tell Us All About Their Beauty Beginnings And Their Favourite Products

STELLAR PROMOTION: Ella & Jo tell us all about their beauty beginnings

Here at STELLAR, we’re all about supporting Irish businesses, so we sat down with skincare gurus Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan of Ella & Jo to chat all things their humble beginnings, their favourite products, and some of the most important lessons they’ve made along the way.

Charlene and Niamh, tell us a little bit about how Ella & Jo first came to fruition.

We are both beauty professionals, Charlene as a makeup artist and Niamh as a skin therapist, we knew each other from the industry and had a huge amount of respect for one another. Niamh came up with the concept of our first product Squeaky Clean Brush Cleanser, our anti-bacterial makeup brush cleaner when there seemed to be a huge disconnect between consumers knowing that the bacteria on used dirty makeup brushes caused blemishes, congestion & more on the skin. We also knew that there was nothing on the market at that time (2017) that made cleaning makeup brushes quick, easy and actually enjoyable so that product launch started off the beginning of our incredible journey.

What were the biggest challenges you faced getting things off the ground?

In the first 2 years it was just the two of us. Like every start up, we wore all the hats in all the departments of the business. Product development, website developer, sales, finance, etc. It was very exciting though and we learned so much in that time. As difficult as it was at times we always said we were so grateful to have had one another, especially as Charlene became a mum for the first time in that first year and both of us had 4 babies in the first 3 years of the business between us.

What were the biggest lessons you learned along the way?

Running a business will take a lot from you and you really have to prioritise yourself and incorporate self-care in your daily routine. For each of us we share similar interests in self care, we love getting out into fresh air, journalling, meditation, yoga or listening to podcasts. Each one of these things can be done in as quick as 10-15 minutes. We have also learned that a problem shared is a problem halved, being self-employed can be a lonely place so we found reaching out to other women in business and being part of networking has really helped on our journey.

Irish women really do love their skincare, what did you think was lacking in the market that you wanted to bring to life with E&J?

Fun! Our mantra is “Let’s Make Skincare Fun Again” & we really feel that we have brought that to life. Research before the brand launched showed us that women were so overwhelmed with the amount of information and advice being given regarding skincare, ingredients, routines etc & also that 87% of women didn’t take time for themselves in their busy day, so we wanted to take all our combined 20+ years of professional knowledge, the conversations on the ground on a 1-2-1 level with real women, and our clients so we brought all of it together and it most certainly has been a lot of fun!

The product range has constantly been expanding since launch, tell us about the latest additions to the range.

Our latest launches this year have been Plump & Protect Day Cream with SPF 30 & Wide Awake Eye Gel. These were massive milestones for the business and honestly the moment we had dreamed of for so long. Plump & Protect is a hydrating day cream with SPF 30, the last step in your morning skincare routine, it has UV Broad Spectrum SPF30, Anti-Blue Light for protection against Screens & Phones, Ceramides to build up skin barriers & Hydrating ingredients including Hyaluronic Acid.

Wide Awake Eye Gel just launched and the results, feedback and love for it in just a number of weeks has been incredible, it has powerful ingredients to tackle any eye concerns such as dark circles, lines & wrinkles, loss of elasticity all in one bottle.

You use some great beauty ingredients in the range, everything from hyaluronic acid to bakuchiol. What are your faves/must haves and why?

Our cosmetic scientist probably hates and loves us all at the same time. We challenge them beyond reason when it comes to creating our product formulas and we love using a combination of plant power and science to create the perfect formulas. We’ve taken a twist on some well known active ingredients that may cause irritation of the skin; in our Night Cream the main ingredient is Bakuchiol, its a plant based ingredient that delivers similar results as retinol but without the irritation and similarly Brighten & Glow our exfoliating cleansing gel, instead of AHA exfoliators, we use pumpkin enzyme which sloughs off all the dead skin cells revealing brighter and smoother skin.

At this time of year we are all looking for those extra special beauty gifts, what are your favourite E&J picks for the season?

If you’re looking for a hero product that absolutely everyone will adore we both agree it would be our award winning best seller Melt The Day Away Cleansing Balm.

Now, what about the products? you ask – Ella & Jo have a plethora of gorgeous products on offer, and even though they’re all must haves in our book, we’ve managed to pick out some of our favs.

Melt The Day Away – Cleansing Balm – RRP €36.00 – 100ml

A luxurious balm to oil cleanser, the ultimate night time treat that cleanses, hydrates and nourishes your skin for a bedtime ritual to gently dissolve and remove face and eye makeup, dirt and oil from the skin.

 

Wide Awake – Eye Gel RRP €38.00 20ml

Your eyes new best friend – wide awake eye gel contains an incredible line up of ingredients designed to help with any eye area niggles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Gift Set – ‘The Glow Getter Morning Ritual’ – RRP €60.00

The Glow Getter Morning Ritual is our favourite way to start the day, featuring Brighten & Glow Hydrating Exfoliating Cleanser, Plump & Protect Day Cream with SPF 30 and a vibrant pink cleansing mitt, this trio work together to help brighten, nourish and protect your complexion so you can start your day the right way.

 

 

Christmas Gift Set – ‘Your Night Time Ritual’ – RRP €80.00

A luxurious night-time skincare routine is exactly what you need to wind down after a long day. If you want to wake up to the most beautiful skin of you life, then discover this night-time skincare ritual. Your skin regenerates and restores overnight, making evening time is the optimum time to spend cleansing, hydrating and nourishing your beautiful skin. This Wind Down Skincare Ritual will send you off to sleep relaxed so you wake up feeling renewed.

 

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