Talking Beauty With Jane Iredale At The Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show In Chicago

Jane Iredale was at the Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show in Chicago last Saturday! If you have never attended this show, you may be as amazed as Jane and I were when we saw it for the first time. A huge crowd attends! A stage is set up with a fast-paced, blaring music, video presentations, beauty representatives and brand ambassadors giving away products to the audience. For the Spring Summer 2013 show, 26 brands each presented their latest products on stage. Jane Iredale was introduced as “The founder of cosmetics that are actually good for your skin.” She had about three minutes to tell us about her “Smooth Affair” Facial Primer and Brightener, and “Glow Time” Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 25 (and give some away to a lucky attendee!). Then she announced the launch of her new PureGloss lip gloss collection that comes in 18 shades! I love lip gloss, and I know Jane Iredale’s formulas are never irritating, so I could not wait to try it.

After the show I moved down to the first floor at Nordstrom to personally meet Jane Iredale. Makeshift beauty stations were everywhere! Around the elevators and in the isles, creeping into other departments and taking over the entire floor! I made my way to Jane Iredale’s display. Her products are actually normally sold in the spa at Nordstrom and available online so a beautiful display was set up for the day.

When I met Jane it was like getting together with an old friend. She revealed she was nervous going on stage for the huge crowd and had no idea this show was so large. The thing we both agreed on right away was that women should get excited about cosmetics. “It is clinically proven to lift women’s spirits,” Jane said. We could have gone to the Green Room but we stayed near the excitement and sat down in the shoe department. SCS: When and how did you start Jane Iredale? Jane Iredale: it was in 1994, with the launch of the mineral foundation Amazing Base. I wanted to produce a line of make-up that would be good for skin and not irritate it. SCS: What would you say is one of the most important product? Jane Iredale: Sunscreen! I’ve often been quoted saying, “The most beautiful cosmetic you can wear is healthy skin.” SCS: What can you tell me about the the new lip gloss? The audience was really excited! Jane Iredale: We’ve had lip gloss for 17 years, always without any petroleum, which can be drying. All of my products have edible ingredients. The new PureGloss is super hydrating and made of Moringa butter and avocado oil. I am a gardener, so I like to include fruits and berries. The gloss has a pleasant taste and fragrance of blackberry and pomegranate extracts. She waved a sample in front of my nose and I adored the fragrance. I also liked the tube so you can squeeze to get out every last drop! SCS: And why do you have 18 shades? Do you want women to have just the right shade? Jane Iredale: No, (she smiled) it is because I think women can wear a lot of shades. And lip glosses can be a great gift. You try one on, you may get one or two and you want to get one for you sister or your friend. She let me select a lipgloss to try. I liked the Raspberry and she gave the OK that it worked for me. Her tip for finding a nice natural shade:  “Match the color to the inside of your lip.” SCS: What other product news do you have? Jane Iredale: The BBCream and the Smooth Affair Primer have really taken off!  I mean, we almost can’t keep up with the demand. I think women want a product that is easy, all in one, that they gives incredible coverage, and is UVB/UVA protective. SCS: Which brings us back to the all important sunscreen you recommend! One last question: What is the best advice that anyone ever gave you? Jane Iredale: The best advice is “Do what you say you are going to do!” One example is I once told a spa owner that I would send her some materials when we first launched. I’m glad I followed through and sent them to her because it turned out that she loved the products and ordered them for her spa. Her husband is a cosmetic surgeon and he approved of the products so her business really got things going for us.

Visit JaneIredale.com and Nordstrom for these incredible Jane Iredale products – that are good for your skin! – Carol Calacci Photos: Second City Style