This month, we're also thinking about how we can shakeup our skincare and makeup. We're always looking at how we can add products that fit our needs, get introduced to brands that may not be familiar to us and incorporating more clean beauty into what we use!
We caught up with Jazmin Alvarez, founder of Pretty Well Beauty which recently opened their beauty destination in NYC's Oculous. A veteran of the industry who is known for her work behind campaigns and photoshoots in fashion and beauty and her love for clean beauty led to creating a brand that showcases these beauty products that are created by BIPOC founders. We wanted to find out more and see how she got into this portion of the industry.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Prior to launching Pretty Well Beauty, you were already a veteran in the beauty and fashion industry. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into the industry?
JAZMIN ALVAREZ: Yes, prior to launching PWB, the majority of my career was spent working as a photo producer and casting director for several large brands including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, I was an editor at Condé Nast and in between I freelanced and worked on campaigns for Sephora and was the Creative Producer and Casting Director for the Fenty Beauty Digital campaign launch in 2017. I really loved the work that I did and I had the opportunity to work with the most prolific creatives and models in the industry from Steven Meisel, Pat McGrath, Sir John, Guido, etc and talent that was on the major rise at the time like Sir John and Lacy Redway. It was incredible to be a part of all of that but I had reached a point where I felt as though I’d plateaued in my career in terms of my earning potential while at the same time, developed a deep urge to build something of my own.
AM: In working on those projects you mentioned as well as Prada, Balenciaga, Hearst, etc - what lessons did you take away from that that you still use to this day in your business?
JA: Wow so many things actually. In fact I didn't really think or know that all the skills I’d acquired from working as a producer/casting director would be so transferrable as an entrepreneur. My ability to budget, negotiate, and manage a lot of different types of personalities all while remaining very calm. These were skills that took me years to hone in on and to develop a thick skin because the fashion industry is brutal. There’s nothing glamorous about it at all and the same it true with building a brand. I’ve had to balance out the personal and professional ways in which I handle the people I work with much like how I did as a producer. It’s a very fine line that isn’t always the easiest to navigate.
AM: What is it about the beauty space that you felt that you wanted to be part of the democratization of it?
JA: I noticed that there wasn't any conversation around the origins of clean beauty specifically. Beauty as well as fashion has notoriously been known to be quite discriminating against anything that is less than euro-centric in nature. And when that isn’t happening, we see a lot of tokenism. That never sat well with me, especially as someone who tried for a large portion of their life trying to fit into that. It was very damaging and toxic. The fact that something that has existed for thousands of years was/is being appropriated, repackaged and capitalized upon by non-people of color was something that never sat well with me. BIPOC have been surviving on earth-made remedies for self-care and beauty since the beginning of time. However when you enter spaces that offer natural beauty and personal care, you are overwhelmed by brands by people who may or may not have any historical relation to these ingredients whatsoever. While I absolutely appreciate the organizations like the 15% Pledge and Pull Up For Change, the fact that these even need to exist is upsetting. Black womencomprise the largest demographic of beauty consumers yet are often either unaddressed or tokenized as a way to check a DEI box. There’s nothing authentic about it because if larger retailers for example truly saw the value of the black dollar, this would have been part of their strategy from day one. My intention with PWB was to create a space that is authentically inclusive and shine a large spotlight on the products and the brands that are being created by some of the worlds most brilliant and innovative founders in the clean beauty space. This is one of the ways in which I’m democratizing clean beauty and making PWB a space for people who want to discover these brands in an elevated and aspirational setting.
AM: Why is Clean Beauty something that you are so passionate about?
JA: So for years, I struggled with my skin. It was never terrible but it wasn’t great. It took me years to realize it was the products I was using. Upon learning about the hazards of a lot ingredients specifically in products marketed toward black and brown women (which contain on average 9X more parabens and toxic ingredients vs products marketed toward our non BIPOC counterparts) I became angry and scared. I was greatly affected health wise and I knew I had to made a change. Clean beauty is the safest and most effective way to care for ourselves because our bodies respond best to ingredients found in nature because it knows what they are. We come from nature, so creating a relationship with nature is only going to benefit us. It makes for a more conscious human and shopper and encourages us to use our instincts in ways something overly manufactured can subdue. I want people to understand that skin care is health care in a lot of ways simply due to the fact that what we put on our skin as our first line of defense can effect our vital internal organs. Developing a relationship with clean beauty can dramatically change our relationship to how we see and care for ourselves and the planet.
AM: Tell me about Pretty Well Beauty and why you wanted to launch this brand?
JA: I started PWB because I wanted to create a space that I hadn’t experienced before. A space for discovery, connection, community and representation. Today no one is interested in going to a faceless digital mall where they have to sift through 100’s of brands and thousands of products. It’s daunting and overwhelming and frankly really boring. There are so many brands and retailers that have their own definition and standard of clean beauty and I wanted to exceed that which wasn't very hard to do. In fact by developing such a stringent clean standard it allowed me to be able weed out a lot of noise and nonsense and hone in on brands and the people behind them that are truly putting in the effort and always pushing and striving for better. I wanted to focus on those brands and those brands alone. They aren’t always the most well known yet or popular-yet but they are building and growing alongside some heavy hitters (that I like to refer to as my anchor brands). It was a priority for me to include lots of diversity not only with the people behind these brands but also with the price points. I needed PWB to be friendly for people of various socioeconomic backgrounds. I grew up poor and I know what it feels like to walk into a space and know there isn’t anything there for me. It’s a feeling that’s still never left me and it’s how I felt when I entered a clean beauty store years before launching mine. I cannot allow anyone to feel that way when they enter PWB.
AM: What is your process when it comes to onboarding brands that you carry at Pretty Well Beauty?
JA: The process varies and can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a year! I analyze the ingredients as my first step, then the packaging. Packaging needs to have an element of sustainability as well as high level and elevated level of branding aesthetics (this is beauty after all), it must also be compatible with the product they contain. I test every product as well to ensure efficacy. For me its not good enough that something just feels good, it has to work. I speak with the founders and get a high level of understanding of their supply chain (i.e where the ingredients are sourced, how and by whom). If there Is a give back/mission as part of their business model thats always a bonus and well respected. There usually isn’t a ton of negotiating in terms of pricing etc as there are industry standards that we adhere to but there are a couple of outliers I can work with. Many of the founders I carry I’ve had relationships with for many years long before I started the company which is really exciting to be able support.
AM: Pretty Well Beauty recently launched its first brick and mortar at The Oculus here in NY. What are the challenges you’ve had to navigate in this phase of PWB’s growth?
JA: Wow, so many challenges, I don't even know where to begin. I think the biggest one is the increase in expenses that are associated with having a brick and mortar, the schedule and strain on my time since I can’t yet afford to hire in-store staff so I am there 7 days a week nearly 10 hours per day. It’s grueling work but I see It as a temporary sacrifice for the future I’m creating.
AM: What are 3 brands that you’re excited about that you’re carrying at Pretty Well Beauty?
JA: While of course I absolutely love all the brands I carry at Pretty Well Beauty, there are some that I’m so excited for people to get to experience in person such as Mflorens, SKN/Muse, and the fragrances by Leland Francis. Fragrance was something I was never comfortable selling when I was online only as that’s a hard sell since people can’t smell through their devices lol so being able to introduce natural fragrance in the store was exciting and has been doing incredibly well!
AM: How important is it that a percentage of the brands that you carry are BIPOC founded?
JA: This is absolutely incredibly important. This has never really existed in this way before. It’s always been the opposite where BIPOC brands had a very tiny space in an unlit area of a store not getting much recognition and was always hard to find. As I mentioned earlier, BIPOC shoppers are the biggest beauty shoppers so offering them a space with lots of variety of products that will serve their unique and beautiful needs is an honor and a privilege.
AM: We love using our platform to bring people together, to share stories, to create spaces where people can learn more about brands and products and those that are behind them. You’re doing the same by driving awareness to your mission and the brands that are aligned with that. What can those who are visiting your store expect beyond just purchasing their newest find?
JA: They can expect to meet and learn/hear from the people behind these brands. We are doing in store events on an on going basis where our customers and other people can come, get product demos, samples and recommendations for themselves. I also offer consultation services for those who are looking to overhaul their beauty cabinet and make the switch to clean but need some hand holding during the process. This is actually one of my favorite things to do and I started doing this with my friends ages ago whether they wanted to or not haha! They can also expect to be part of a community of engaging and like-minded people who are looking to learn, connect and be inspired. I'm just a brown girl who grew up on welfare and food stamps who now owns a business and lives in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I had an idea and a dream. I had no idea what I was doing or how, but because every single day I did at least one thing that could help me reach this goal, I was able to. I’m still not where I want to be yet, but I’m confident that I’m on the right track. I want people to be able to see what is possible by dreaming bigger, not settling into the circumstances they were born into and that by putting good into this world, you will be rewarded.
AM: Clean Beauty is not a new category but to see how it has been transformed over the past few years from brands leaning into this, the fact that there are accessible as well as luxury options and that the packaging for many makes you want to include it on your vanity – what are trends that we should keep an eye out for in 2023?
JA: In 2023 expect to see more mushroom and adaptogen focused products for skincare for sure. More products that will serve multiple uses and a focus on more innovation around product delivery systems.
AM: For those who have yet to make the transition into clean beauty or want to start the process, how do you suggest that they begin to make their transition and to find items that are comparable to those that they currently use?
JA: Well they can come to Pretty Well Beauty and see me. But if they are not in the area, I would suggest starting slow. You don’t have to throw everything away and start 100% from scratch. That's not practical for most people. I’d say the first things you should start with replacing is deodorant first and foremost.
The CDC reported years ago about the connection between breast cancer and the aluminum thats in antiperspirants. Next I would swap products that spend the most time on your skin, I’m talking serums, moisturizers, SPF. And finally lipstick. In the average womans lifetime, we consume pounds of lipstick from eating and drinking, or even talking while wearing lipstick which most conventional formulas include lead (which is natural btw, but extremely toxic for humans).
AM: Looking at 2023, what are you excited about for Pretty Well Beauty?
JA: I’m really excited about growing our brand’s presence and awareness via the store as well as starting the fund raising process. I’ve been putting it off for a while (I was scared) but now I’m ready! I’m ready to strike while the iron is hot. I’m also excited about discovering new and innovative beauty and wellness brands and growing this amazing community that I’ve started. I’m also looking forward to developing partnerships with other brands who align with our values and being able to merge communities that way. And finally, I’m looking forward to adding more wellness brands to the store and online. We’ve always carried wellness products, but it's not always easy for people who need more guidance to rely on the online shopping experiences so being able to allow people try them in store is amazing. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity to connect and expand in ways I wasn’t sure how I’d do it.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Lori Cannava
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see CLEAN BEAUTY THRIVES | Pretty Well Beauty in mag.
