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5 QUESTIONS WITH... Jane Iredale, founder and president of Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics Jane Iredale is a no-nonsense gal—when it comes to makeup, that is. The London native and founder of the namesake company has built a beauty empire with her mineral makeup line that has been beautifying faces for 20 years. Considering Iredale's success and expertise, it's hard to believe that her initial career ambitions didn't involve cosmetics. Upon arriving in New York City at the age of 23, she took a job in advertising, which she describes as "fun, exciting and creative." However, it was her next career move into the entertainment industry—where she served as a casting director, producer and writer—that would prove to be a life-changer. "I worked with a lot of makeup artists, actors and models who used a ton of makeup every day," she recalls. "At the time, skin care was getting plenty of buzz, but no one was paying attention to makeup. Skin was not at its optimum health for close-ups and photo shoots, and the makeup used on set was definitely not helping." In the early 1990s, Iredale made the decision to leave the entertainment world and enter the beauty industry, which she felt was in need of products that married makeup with skin care. "There was no such thing as 'mineral makeup' at the time," she explains. "The term was coined later. When we started the company, we were dealing with pure pigment, as we wanted to strip traditional makeup and take out things that weren't helping the skin." And, voilà, the brand was born. Arming herself with tried-and-true formulas for foundation, lipstick and eye shadows, Iredale found an audience among medical professionals. Word of mouth spread throughout the medical industry and eventually into the retail and entertainment worlds. When the cult brand became mainstream, Iredale knew she had turned a corner. Twenty years and some 600 products later, the company is continuing to switch up the beauty status quo and offer clients fresh new collections and items each year. Although the landscape of the beauty industry is much more saturated with mineral-minded competitors than it was when she started out, Iredale isn't worried. "I think competition is a good thing," she says. "It makes you work harder and stay dedicated to what you do."—Angela Melero 74 DAYSPA | SEPTEMBER 2013 What were your early career aspirations? As a child, I wanted to be an actress. I didn't get very far with that dream, because I don't think I wanted it badly enough. I didn't have much direction, quite frankly, although I feel I always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I liked making things happen and putting things together. I also always wanted to see the world, and that brought me to New York City, where I got a job in advertising and then became a casting director. 1 What has been your biggest challenge since starting Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics? I think it has been to offer products that are clean and honest, yet are also fashion-forward in terms of colors and textures. It can be difficult to combine the two. When you promise a line that is pure and honest and does what it says, the consumer holds you to that, and they watch you very closely. So we work very hard to maintain our integrity and deliver products that perform. 2 What do you think differentiates your brand from other cosmetic companies? I think our point of view makes us stand out. We truly live our message of health 3 and beauty. Our company garden at our new corporate headquarters in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, is a good representation of that, I believe. We grow all kinds of botanicals, fruits and veggies there. Our policy is if an employee wants to pick anything to take home, they must work in the garden. Our staff also loves to walk their pets through the space and just hang out there. It's a kind of subliminal message about where our natural resources come from. It really infuses and inspires everyone who works for us as well as the companies and people who deal with us. Are any of your family members involved in the business? Yes. My mother works with our Magic Mitt, which takes off makeup. She helps with the assembly and absolutely loves it. It's fun working with her. She's a doll! 4 Are you a music lover? I am! I have pretty eclectic taste. I love classical, jazz, the Great American Songbook and some opera—some I just can't deal with. I live in the Berkshires, so I really enjoy the Boston Symphony. I'm not much of a hard rock fan, but I absolutely adore the Beatles. I actually had a dream about Paul McCartney last night! 5