MBE Investiture at Buckingham Palace

Today was the Big Day for Kim and me, as the time came to meet HM The Queen for our MBE Investiture at Buckingham Palace. It had been in the diary for such a long time that it didn’t seem quite real when the actual day finally dawned. I arrived at the Palace first, dressed head to toe in the best of British design as I thought that would be most appropriate. I wore a suit made by the young designer Katherine Hooker, who works exclusively with British-made fabrics such as Harris tweed and Viyella, I chose a pale blue, lightweight Shetland tweed suit, edged in a cotton print that echoed the colours of our packaging – soft green, porcelain, blues and even a hint of the aubergine shade of the men’s range. I found I had arrived so early that the front gates were still locked, so I asked a Metropolitan Policewoman nearby which entrance I should use. She pointed to the nearest gate and then said “you’re Liz Earle aren’t you? I watch you all the time on TV and just love Cleanse & Polish!” What a great start to the day! As my family and I went through the huge black gates at the front of the Palace, we were ushered through the inner courtyard and into the building itself. Smartly uniformed members of the Household Cavalry stood to unflinching attention as we walked through the red-carpeted corridors bedecked with gilt mirrors, priceless oil paintings and huge sparkling crystal chandeliers. At the top of the stairs, guests were being ushered into the State Ballroom to be seated, whilst the recipients of various honours were shown into other rooms. There were only a couple of others there when I arrived and a lovely lady came up to me and commented on how much she liked my suit. I thanked her and told her I had chosen the colours to echo the packaging of my skincare company “I know” she replied “I use all your range and am looking forward to visiting your London shop!” At that moment Kim arrived, and we exchanged smiles with Zara Philips, the Queen’s granddaughter, who was also receiving an MBE that day for services to equestrianism. She’s the first senior member of the Royal Family ever to receive such an honour. Unlike the rest of us though, she slipped into the room through one of the huge mirrored doors, having obviously come from one of the Royal apartments.

The time came to assemble and the chief usher talked us through the drill – take several paces forward when your name is called, bow or curtsey, walk up to Her Majesty and wait while she pins the honour onto your lapel. Then there is a short conversation, a shaking of hands and you walk backwards for a final bow or curtsey before walking away. As Kim and I are co-founders of the same organisation, we were going to be called together, so we had the added complication of walking backwards together and synchronised curtseying! That added to our nerves somewhat, but the experience of finally meeting The Queen in person and spending a few very special moments with her undivided attention will be a lifelong memory for us both.

As we walked through the gallery afterwards, a senior court usher came over and said “my wife told me I had to find you two beauty goddesses and look after you – she’s a great fan of your skincare range!” I asked him if he’d tried the men’s range yet and mentioned that he might like to put some on his Christmas list, before I realised that perhaps we really should be being seated quietly to watch the rest of the proceedings. The rest of the Investiture was reserved for military honours and some incredibly brave and heroic young men stood to receive medals for outstanding bravery and conspicuous gallantry in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both Kim and I felt that these soldiers were the real stars of the day.

After the final medal had been pinned on, we stood to the National Anthem as The Queen left the room. We were then free to go and hug our families, walk back through the red-carpeted corridors and gather outside in the courtyard for official photos and family snaps. All in all, it was the most memorable day and one which we feel very proud to share with you. As always, achieving success is about great teamwork. Not just the partnership between Kim and myself, but our entire team at Liz Earle Beauty Co. So I’d like to end here by again thanking all those who have worked so very hard with us over so many years, who helped to make this day possible for us.

Chewton Glen Christmas Talk

I’m back at Chewton Glen for our annual customer Christmas lunch and talk. It’s always such a pleasure to return to this exceptional country hotel, with its luxurious décor, beautiful grounds, delicious food and exceptional service. Our Chewton Glen Christmas talk started several years ago as a small one-off customer event, held in the hotel’s conservatory. Each year it has hugely grown in popularity and now we take over the entire function area called the Lake Suite, which overlooks the Chewton Glen lake and gardens. Like us, Chewton Glen is a multi-award winning independent business and one which prides itself on being the best. Last year, Chewton Glen won the prestigious Hotel of the Year Award and it is always a very popular venue. Being based nearby on the Isle of Wight, we were able to bring several of our team with us this to help with the event, and this included Anna Grant, our talented UK Events Manager. Anna has been with us nearly ten years and was one of the first to join us. She’s worked in most areas of the company (as you do with a small business!) but has now found her niche excelling in organising these wonderful events, as well as team training. As a trained aromatherapist, Anna is also hugely knowledgeable on essential oils and many of our customers have enjoyed her personal advice on our Vital Oils bath and body range.

After my talk and a very delicious lunch (grilled vegetable terrine followed by fillet of brill in saffron sauce and, to finish, lavender creme brulee) which helped to top up our anti-oxidant and Omega 3s (never mind the calories for a day), I handed the microphone over to Dee Jones, who runs our UK Customer Relations. You may know Dee from her occasional appearances on QVC as our ‘more mature’ model. Dee is in her early ‘50s and is a warm and engaging public speaker, entertaining the entire audience with tales of how to cope during the menopause, with skin tips, health, wellbeing and more. To combat lines and dramatically plump-up ageing skin she recommends three skin savers – Smoothing Line Serum, Superskin Moisturiser followed by lashings of Superskin Concentrate. Dee also reminded us of the importance of looking after our hands too (a sure give-away sign of skin ageing). She says she has started to use all three products on the backs of her hands too and they do look visibly smoother, younger and have far fewer age spots in just a few months. Very impressive. Dee’s top tip for hot flushes? Keep a mini spritzer of the Instant Boost  Skin Tonic about your person at all times!! And to re-enforce her message about drinking lots and lots and lots and lots of water, she even went so far as to wrap a Superskin logo around a water bottle just to emphasise her point. Thanks Dee – I really look forward to coming to another of your talks and sharing the stage with you again soon.

After the talks, there was plenty of time to stay and chat and swap skincare stories. Phyllis told me of the time she went into hospital recently and ended up with a terrible scar right the way down her left arm. She used Superskin Concentrate twice a day and within a few days saw a dramatic improvement in her skin and absolutely no subsequent skin scarring. Wonderful! We then gathered all our guest names into a hat for the raffle (which raised over £454, shared between Chewton Glen’s local cancer care charity, Forest Holme, and the National Eczema Society which we usually support at events like this). I was so pleased that the star prize of a luxury Liz Earle hamper was won by Theresa, who I had spoken to only a few minutes before. She had wanted to share her family skincare story, as her little boy had terrible eczema and her GP was prescribing increasingly strong medication for him. Within a few days of using Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash in his baby bath, followed by a massage with our Nourishing Botanical Body Cream, his skin began to rapidly improve. Now, two years on, Theresa was so delighted to be able to report his skin is smooth, soft and completely free from any trace of eczema, without needing medication of any kind.  Now, obviously results will vary according to the individual – and our skincare is in no way formulated to be a medicinal range, but it is heart-warming to hear of so many wonderful experiences like this. I know from my own history with atopic eczema (and my children’s too) just how helpful Naturally Active Skincare can be – and especially these two body treats for young children’s skin at bath time. If eczema is an issue which affects you or your family, do take a look at the Eczema Factsheet on our website, which is also available in a free downloadable pdf format. Don’t forget, you can also tell us your stories at any time and leave feedback on our website Bulletin Board too.

Brownes & Co Apothecary Event

Crossing the Continent from Los Angeles to Miami, I’ve flown down from the City of Angels to the city with more palm trees, neon lights and sequins than you can shake a stick at. I’m here to host a customer in-store event at our retail outlet here, Brownes & Co Apothecary, to celebrate our first anniversary with them. I love Brownes  – one of the very few, truly independent apothecary-style stores in the world. It’s full of interesting beauty brands (of course) as well as accessories that you don’t find anywhere else. It’s well worth hunting out if you’re on holiday in Florida and it’s in the heart of the best Lincoln Road shopping area. To celebrate our anniversary, Brownes had filled their windows with huge blow-up pictures of Cleanse & Polish and Superskin Moisturiser, as well as posters declaring ‘Britain’s Best Beauty Secret.’ Just before I arrived at the store, an English lady had come in having just passed by the store. She is one of our customers from the Isle of Wight and was in Miami for a few days for her son’s wedding. Imagine her surprise to walk past gigantic blow-ups of her favourite beauty treats! Apparently she was so overwhelmed and surprised that she took lots of photos of the displays to take in to show our Union shop team on the Island back home.

The early evening soiree was really good with lots of regular and new customers to meet, including several simply stunning top models who had been recommended the range by their agency. I also met a lovely lady called Sandra, who has been using the range almost since we launched here a year ago. In her early sixties, Sandra has had terrible problems (including acne rosacea) with her skin for more than 20 years. She recently had an operation for skin cancer and on her most recent visit to the dermatologist he told her that he’d never, ever seen her skin looking so good. She did look great actually – you would never have thought she’d had such problems – and she was so thrilled she told the entire audience her story and garnered an impromptu round of applause! I gave a short talk about my background and how Kim and I came to set up the company, going on to discuss some of the unusual botanicals we use, including echinacea, argan oil, rosehip oil and pomegranate. Afterwards, we served pomegranate martinis to celebrate – simple mix pure pomegranate juice with vodka over ice in a cocktail shaker, shake, strain and serve in a chilled cocktail glass – very Miami Beach and very delicious.

LA Press Interviews

I’m spending a few days in Los Angeles for press interviews and to scout the local beauty stores on the West Coast of America. I haven’t been to LA for about ten years – the last time was a trip with GMTV when I was their fashion and beauty correspondent and covered the glamorous run-up to the Oscars. My co-host was the irrepressible Marc Freden, then the Hollywood correspondent and a real industry insider. I’m hoping to catch up with my old friend Marc a little later in the week, but my first meeting was with Los Angeles Magazine – in their stylish offices overlooking the famous white Hollywood sign that overlooks the city. In a town obsessed with youth and good looks, the editor was most interested in our new Superskin Moisturiser, (UK), (US) and the impressive data from the independent tests showing that it dramatically improves plumpness, smoothness and overall skin rejuvenation. Couldn’t be any more perfect for the Hollywood elite as well as mere mortals like me. After many months of using this botanical wonder-cream and seeing the amazing results on my own skin, I certainly wouldn’t use any other moisturiser now.

Back at the beautiful Bel-Air hotel I booked a manicure with their star therapist, Fabiola. Formerly from Iran, Fabiola escaped the oppressive Islamic regime and came to America, bringing traditional beauty skills with her. These include threading, taught to her by her mother, who was taught by her grandmother before her. This natural form of hair removal involves sliding a simple length of cotton in a scissor-like action over the skin. The technique removes hair quickly and (fairly) painlessly, leaving no redness – unlike waxing or plucking. Fabiola asked me if I’d like my eyebrows ‘tidied’ by this technique, so feeling bold, I decided to give it a go. No sooner had Fabiola started on my eyebrows than she was ‘threading’ the rest of my face – whisking off the superfine baby hairs that we all have on our skin. Apparently, this is the latest beauty trick that movie stars use to look flawlessly smooth on the big-screen close-ups. I was amazed to find afterwards that my skin wasn’t red at all, just unnaturally smooth. I have to say that bald skin feels just a little bit weird, so don’t think I’ll be rushing back – although I was impressed with the eyebrow technique and it works very well on sensitive areas such as the chin and upper lip. A few beauty salons in the UK are now offering threading as a natural form of hair removal. With no chemical depilators, resources or waste, (other than a simple piece of cotton thread) I would also describe it as the most eco-friendly beauty treatment there is.

Echinacea Harvest

The recent flood warnings across the UK takes me back to the echinacea that we harvested this summer. Our Echinacea is being grown for us by James Lambe on his organic farm in Herefordshire which was right in the middle of the dreadful floods. We kept in close contact with James over the week leading up to the harvest to see how the Echinacea was faring and amazingly (and you can see by the photo in the newsletter) that this hardy perennial stood up to the lashing of rain that fell. The next problem was whether we would be able to get to the farm. James and his family had been stuck in traffic for 12 hours while trying to travel 10 miles back to the farm a couple of days before the harvest and they had been closely watching the normally small river that gently flows past their farm building as it rose and came very close to flooding their premises.

Part of my job is sourcing our botanical ingredients from across the world and over the years we have worked very hard to establish supplies from British farmers to support British agriculture and have traceability of our ingredients. I always thought that another plus side of this was that it made it easy for us to visit the crops as they are grown and harvested, not this July!!

This is part of the appeal of botanicals for me. Not only do they have the most amazing skin properties but they are never predictable!! I work very closely with our product development team and we often joke (and cry!) about how using botanicals does make our life more difficult, or challenging as we like to call it!! We could use synthetic versions of the same ingredients but Liz's research over the years has shown that the natural version really is best for our skin due to all the added benefits that they provide (as you will know from the amazing results we get from our products).

Autumn Skincare

Today, I’m off to John Lewis in Edinburgh to help train the team up there before we launch on Thursday. We received a wonderful piece of coverage in The Scotsman, so I’m sure many of our Scottish fans will be coming in to see us! Hope to meet some of you there, later this week…I’m wondering what to pack, as the weather’s always colder in Scotland – I just called Anna (our ethno-botanist) to ask her advice, but apparently it’s mild up there. At fireworks on Saturday night, we all thought how strange it was not to feel too cold and not to experience the usual hard, frosty ground underfoot. Hope this means we might be in for a mild winter – though you never know! I’ve packed all my minis for the next few nights’ stay away from home – it makes life so much easier when everything comes in travel size. More room for any shopping purchases too, Anna says!

Christmas Gift Ideas

QVC show today, with Alison Keenan – one of QVC’s top presenters and a real buzz to work with. The hour-long beauty show was focused on gifting ideas, and I presented a 15 minute slot with Alison. The two kits that we aired were perfect Christmas gifts, but Alison & I also agreed how many occasions there are – in everyday life - when you need to have a spare gift to hand, at home! This week, for instance, my best friend Sarah got engaged (wonderful news!), we went to the new home of some close friends last night, I’ve got a surprise 40th birthday tonight and a friend gave birth to a baby girl last weekend. All occasions when a spare gift would be really handy! It has made me determined to start to hunt down some special ‘any occasion’ gifts – we have many ideas on our website – from travel to Christmas and for corporate gifting on a larger scale, as well as many ideas in between for all budgets. Lots to choose from – I would urge you to do the same - never be without; there’s always something to surprise you!

Spreading the word

Today, I spent the morning at John Lewis and met some delightful customers, who were browsing around our shelves. Steph had walked all the way from Barbican just to see us! She has been using the range for over 10 years and remembers the very first packaging, which we affectionately call ‘the pink packaging’ at Liz Earle. Though she said she was near 50, she looked very much younger – she puts it down to her regular use of Daily Essentials.

Steph was soon seconded by Helen, who is also a big fan and finds that Skin Repair Light (UK), (US) is one of the only moisturisers that she’s found that’s hydrating yet light enough for her slightly t-zone skin – she has black skin and tends to find most moisturisers just don’t suit her as well. This is good to hear – we are often told that customers of all ages, skin types and skin colours experience positive results – but seeing it in person is also very rewarding. Thank you to Steph and Helen for sharing their fab success stories with me – it really made my day.

I also met a delightful, enthusiastic lady called Penny, who has been a fan for many years and who actually also works for John Lewis, at their head office – she has been raving about us for ages to the buying team, apparently, so it was wonderful to meet such a good friend and hear her own personal story. Penny was stocking up on products for her holiday – she loves our mini sizes too, which are ideally sized for travel.