6)1)p

)-

T3UEi-U-P--

--F-aUtrdlA,-:g:lJE[r/s

Nobodv doesit bettdrDan e Craig,theutmateBond

FRANI(EL. ]IIY DEARThe word s qreatesl

racehorse lly those whcknow hirr] besl

,{ IiIAN I]{ FUI,L FLOSAn aLrdler]ce w tf

om Wo f€

FOOD & HONIEStevie Par e s sp ce tral

a h 1 from the 70s

iL

&

'd{'

"*

!

! '4

a

-

Irp.:.#The inside tracklf you lust after lippy and are fanatical about face cream, read on, Kate Shapland's newbusiness venture brings hand-picked niche beauty brands straight into your home - and offersyou the chance to make it your bus ness, too, Photographs by Rebecca Miller

TIor soneooe vitb an eomprmeurial spiritH ud a passioo for snall b€auty bredr qiGI iDg a "ekly coluntr for this magaziDe isabout as close to a dr€am job as it geti Th€ excite-Dent ihe whol€ point of it realty - is aboutdiscovering aDd sha.ing credibl€ beauty nndsqhiie ofierin8 impanial advice. Ard my quest toucover the best the world bas to giv€ in b€autybas gjveo me an appelite for emerging tarent.which I've made a pojrr of championing. Some ofrhe b€st iead! for these finds come from friedsand readers $60 ar€ not even pan of the beautbusiness. Only yeslerday my neighbour wdl inlomplures over a Ssranium-$ented soap she babeen enioyine and which she uqed me to try Ofcoursg itt thrillng 1o prEview a new scent orserum from Chanel o. Clinique, @uiered roudi! a box stufied with cnsp whit€ 1issue paper. Buteong my fdourite things d the noldesipt

62 IEL€CNAPI MAGAZINE

bm{n paper packaaes that arive ialdomly witha handmade bath oil or soap iside. wha,i getsny puls€ racing ot€r these on€trbaby bnnds arethe stories b€hil1d them - why dd how th€y werccrealed, and by whoh. ff rh€y perform wel it isdoubly exciiitrg. Pqhaps the thirg thal intrigEsme most about iheE though, is the fact that they

It trr be iession-prco! but the beauty busi'ness is still a! incredibly dincult Darket intowhich.o bring ed sustain new brands. All etrtr€-pretr@s fae .h€ sane chailenges - that of mak

Seeing tle way guests respondto the brands is

thrilling - a bit like watching

ing initial Foduction ruDs Earas€ably small andcost€flectivq ed beiry able to eale up distribu-tiotr atrd neet the grhditrg costs invoh€d in mosthigh-stre€t retait partneshipi Yet b€auw enFe-preDeurs are becomiry moe ifl€ntive than eve!and whal they have otr theii side is the intemet.which gives then br"nds aD iDstalt e-.ommerc€platfornr, and you. Many of yo4 I loow, de fnd-ing more meDing in products thal @D€ froma peBonal, even vocational, plac€. Ald when itomes to shopping for lhese special products yo]]waDt to hed their stories and b€ able to try them.The se!:ret to the Body Shop's slcss was theway Anita Roddick made sure you could walkinto aDy of her shops, pick up ajar of f@ c.e3lrl,stick youl fingrr irlo it atrd try it without felingobliged 1o buy it. There is still a lot to be said lorthat. So whe! I was approacbed tojoin a businessthat would $esent the b6t ind€p€ndent beautya riot in a sweet shop

Far lett Nancy Aru ckshank and Kate Shapland wiih someofthe beauly nes teatlrecl in their new bus ness,

Myshowcase. Abovs guesis al Myshowcase pan es aeencouraged to lry prooucls b€iore buyng

brands a! privately hosted evoti providing anopponunity to tell the foude6'srories and placetheir products in the hands of wonen 1\ho cot dtest &em properly in an Mpressuised settingshile catchi4 up wilh their fri€nds, it took me allof five seconds to sar yes.

The idea for Myshowcare wa5 batched by nynow-business-padser NaDcy Cmickshank, whofounded the pioneering fashion and beauty porialhandbag-com. Nancy saw a $€y to suppon ihebrands ed prdide the flenue tloik so nmywant, which is as rare as hent te€th. It is ntrediblelhar it should be so hard ioday io Cet back iDlowo* afrer hding a family. Yet a tnose hishlyskilled won{ \'ho gather at the schooi gales, whohave had chalenging professional roles beforechildren came along a.ld iong to retum to work,are ljling proof lhat ftis ls the cas. As are thenmber of unsucc€ssful *an'ups Rsearch under-

tako by haDdbag-com es part of the BusinesPlan A$ards il set up with Bar€lays Bank Elealedthat more than 100,000 busines*s coneiled bywonen wery year never 8et off the €:rcund. Thekey reasols for these non stan€rs ar€ the prcbldssssociated wirh juscln8 a la' ly and launchils abusinessj confidence worcn are less *lf-asswdthan men in puning logEth€r a busin$s pla! adtipping it over the edgei dd inanc€ investors donot generally vien 'lif6rte' businesses (in orherwords those rhat 6t in will family comnjtments)as favourably as those wher€ the founder interdsto conmir every wakng hour lo making their

Nancy\ proposai sas to deaie an oppornuityfor women 1o eork with us as slylisls, presertinga changing selrction of beauty bmds iD lheir ownlime at prilale ev€nts5 and eaming olmissiotr onsales they dd the stylists rhey have iDlrcdued 10

Myshowcas€ make (tolh at rhe evetrts ald o ine).w€ asked arcud to se€ if this ide3 spark€d an\interest mong frierds. and wirhi! weeks we hada dre@ iem ol eight fouditrg stylists.

Natumlly. F€ felt ou stylisrs should be ableto sho*Eas the bes! of the independent beautbrands. So r have curated an opedng line-up ol I texceptioDal blatrds itrcluding face oils by th€ cele-bmred facial acupuncturist Ann€€ de Mamiel. theBalanc€ Me brand (a sreat Bntish b€alE suc!:essstory). Connock Londotr's luxuy body cm andcandles, and Fae Stckholm, a Swedish brandthat ofers an incrcdible €inbow of nake up co|ou.s. We also felr ir was imponant to refresh ourbrdds ngdarly $ gu€sts get to s€t trew aldoeasiomly exdusive - products each time tleycome to a showcas€i so $€ are addins to the collec-tion as we go (Miicbel and Peacb balh aDd body€rq and roll-on fragra €s lrom LA are lwo of

IELEGRAPH MA6AZIIiIE 63

the latest liDes), with the anfl of being able to otreryou *e.y bauty product you coutd want.

Ou stylists b€gan by askins iheir friends if theywould Iike to bos! private showcases in theirhon€s - a cup of cotre on the My back fromdropping th€ cbildren off at s.hool peihaps, or€ven cocktails lat€r in the day. From th€rE tbe balb€gan to roll as guests booked to hosl their ownprilate sho,ev.a-res at their homes, ed betsmthern our stylists ha'/€ no1v held 60 show@s€s siGwe launched lhe business in Jue ltey oBanisethes€ events thems€lves (th€y fill coDe to touofrc€ if you like and do a showc*e there). ove.s€.-ing eve*.hing lrom iD,r'iting you g6ts, chdingrcplies! settins up rh€ showca* iD you hon€ (ifyou ch@s to b. a host€ss), takiry orders at theeved (which *r s.nd oul within a few days) andclearing it all aray at the €nd.

Handpicking the brands for Myshoq€ase wasa joy. Seeing lhe s?y gr€sl5 Espond to thosebEnds is t}lr ins - a bit like \4?tchins a riot ina set shop But the b€st patr of tlis business -the cherry otr the cak is htuing the exchangeof b€auty ideas: so e shaE tbeir oen brand

Gb.rr&. Am bD dajnty lidage mak+up bagsby Poppy Valentir€, oEanic skinc€rs norn Balm

Baim, vnamin E bc6 searn irom Otba Oddnab andRW1 Masleobrcekb €nqe otiraqffc€s

Guests at parties give the kindof honest advice you expectfrom a liiend and now so rarelyget from an)'where else

,ffi

/,jf-, + .c.:

rc.oronedalions oalt w€ek I got a lead on aIarner who makes skin cEan fron ianolinexlracled from the ff€€.e of her sh€ep on Roq)rleyMarsh), while others gi\r the khd of beauty tipsand honest advic€ you exp€ct lmm a ftdd andtrow so { €iy gel &om ant*her€ else

Sohe of ollJ stlsts have b€en i. empio}Ddt,orheB have !or. Whar tbey aI have in conrDon,though, is a d6ne to work on their orin tems.This is whBt Myshopcas ofds we provide thewherewithal to lave youl o\ni businss, selling theb€st indeFnde beauty brand! atrd a[ rhe men-toring and raining you n€€d to run it independ-ently, to eam enough to fuel a sho€ habit or €ma six-figure $kry. The opporturxity is rherc toachieve either. it's up to yorlTo join Mtshot$ate ai a slylist ar host a shrycde,call 0845-388 0357 ot see Jsharc6econ

TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE 65